Thorfinn and the Witch’s Curse by Jay Veloso Batista
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel which is a mix of Viking and Saxon history, legends, adventure and a touch of fantasy, resulting in a real page turner. Set in the Viking Kingdoms of ninth century England, our young hero Finn, is living a normal, ‘Danelaw’ life. He practices his martial skills, does his chores and follows his brothers around, listening to scary stories of “ghostly curses, witches, soothsayers, and dangerous were-creatures”. Meanwhile, his father is plotting his apprenticeship and his family is preparing for a grand wedding. Everything changes for Finn, when his uncle sails home from the North having been exiled, and the the, “ghost of an ancient mage sits sentinel over his clan’s freehold”.

A witch’s curse then comes alive when a mishap turns Finn into a ‘Vardoger’, haunted by his own forerunner ghost. Suddenly the scary stories become a reality for Finn and he discovers a new realm beyond Midgard. Having to find his courage, a timid Finn struggles being a boy by day and a ghost by night, who even his own clan fears. As the witch is still hunting for revenge, Finn must defeat his enemies and save his uncle, whilst learning to live with his new half ghostly existence, and survive numerous murder plots. The descriptive narrative brings the setting vividly to life, and the added historical details make the era come alive as well. I loved the characters, especially Finn, who I felt engaged with throughout the story and I was really rooting for him! This was an exciting and engaging read, and I look forward to finding out what Finn and his clan will do in the next book.

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