Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud

The best adventure/fantasy I have read this year from a master story teller who has already achieved public acclaim for his Bartimaeus trilogy.

Set in a valley surrounded by mountains in which twelve Houses live in peaceful harmony due to a commonality of history cum myth and legend. Each house has it's founding Hero and the legends and history of each house portray their own founder as the main hero of all of the valley. Long ago the Heroes fought a major battle against The Trows (trolls) at Battle Rock and won but all perished in battle and their bodies in full battle kit now guard the boundaries of their land against future Trow invasions. After this battle the descendants decided to banish war and all weapons were destroyed but the Viking culture which all the Houses have in common, still tell of heroics in battle and violence is never far from the surface.

The story is centred in the House of Svein, in which an unlikely hero, Halli, a runt of a boy who is 14 years and adores the legends that he has grown up with. So much so that he wants to recreate it all and this precipitates all the action, and there is action aplenty. The female hero is an older girl called Aud, from another House and she spurs Halli on to greater heights than he ever thought possible.

Before the start of each chapter there is a legend of Svein which are repeated in the action of the book. It is these legends that dictate everything that this community does, the places they live and the people they love and hate. Halli led by Aud challenge all of this, as the young always do, but perhaps it is all true after all.

This is a brilliant read for lovers of adventure/fantasy and Stroud is a master writer ensuring that the fantasy doesn't tangle with the adventure too much.

Intermediate and secondary students will love this book but adults should give it a go too. You will be impressed.

Reviewed by Bob

Published by Doubleday (2009)