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Viking Mystery #2
Way of the Waves
Join young investigator and shield maiden Alva as she goes a-viking around the medieval world in search of adventure!
Alva clings to her sleeping wolf as the Viking longship pitches and rolls over the North Sea's crashing waves. Soon she will reveal herself as a secret stowaway, but only when there's no chance of turning back. This is her opportunity to put her shield maiden spirit to the test - exploring strange new lands, solving mysteries, and most importantly finding her father . . .
Alva clings to her sleeping wolf as the Viking longship pitches and rolls over the North Sea's crashing waves. Soon she will reveal herself as a secret stowaway, but only when there's no chance of turning back. This is her opportunity to put her shield maiden spirit to the test - exploring strange new lands, solving mysteries, and most importantly finding her father . . .
- GenresHistorical Fiction
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 4, 2019
About the author
Janina Ramírez
8 books188 followersJanina Sara María Ramírez (née Maleczek; 7 July 1980), sometimes credited as Nina Ramírez, is a British art and cultural historian and TV presenter, based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. She specialises in interpreting symbols and examining works of art, within their own historical context.
Ramírez went to school in Slough. She gained a degree in English literature, specialising in Old and Middle English, from St Anne's College, Oxford, before completing her postgraduate studies at the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York. She completed an art/literature PhD on the symbolism of birds, which led to a lectureship in York's Art History Department, followed by lecturing posts at the University of Winchester, University of Warwick, and University of Oxford.
Ramírez is currently the course director on the Certificate in History of Art at Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education.
Ramírez went to school in Slough. She gained a degree in English literature, specialising in Old and Middle English, from St Anne's College, Oxford, before completing her postgraduate studies at the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York. She completed an art/literature PhD on the symbolism of birds, which led to a lectureship in York's Art History Department, followed by lecturing posts at the University of Winchester, University of Warwick, and University of Oxford.
Ramírez is currently the course director on the Certificate in History of Art at Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 25, 2021
I enjoyed this book much more than Riddle Of The Runes, the first in this series. It may be that I'm now more familiar with the characters and the set-up, but Way Of The Waves rattles along in a much more entertaining fashion than its predecessor. As ever there are missed words and typos, but they don't cause too much of an issue.
Janina Ramirez writes engagingly of the adventures of Alva, her Uncle Magnus, and Fenrir the wolf in England, first in Jorvík and then in Tamworth, royal seat of Aethelflead, the Lady of the Mercians. In fact, I believe that Aethelflead is a heroine of Ramirez', and like her, I believe that she should be much better known!
Sometimes the characters' dialogue is clunky, and I don't believe for a minute that the Norse and Anglo-Saxons used the word 'Okay' as much as they do in this book, but it's still an enjoyable read.
* Incidentally, Riddle Of The Runes had a rune for each chapter heading, with their meanings and other information about the Viking world at the back of the book. For Way Of The Waves the focus is on kennings, phrases that describe something in a poetic way. Two of my favourites from this book are "Servants of the Son of Mary" (Christians) and "People of the Moon's Path" (Angels).
Janina Ramirez writes engagingly of the adventures of Alva, her Uncle Magnus, and Fenrir the wolf in England, first in Jorvík and then in Tamworth, royal seat of Aethelflead, the Lady of the Mercians. In fact, I believe that Aethelflead is a heroine of Ramirez', and like her, I believe that she should be much better known!
Sometimes the characters' dialogue is clunky, and I don't believe for a minute that the Norse and Anglo-Saxons used the word 'Okay' as much as they do in this book, but it's still an enjoyable read.
* Incidentally, Riddle Of The Runes had a rune for each chapter heading, with their meanings and other information about the Viking world at the back of the book. For Way Of The Waves the focus is on kennings, phrases that describe something in a poetic way. Two of my favourites from this book are "Servants of the Son of Mary" (Christians) and "People of the Moon's Path" (Angels).
June 29, 2020
The second in Janina Ramirez’s historical mystery series for children aged 9+ (atmospherically illustrated by David Wyatt) uses real people from the early 10th century but Alva’s reason for going to England makes little sense and undermines the first book, the plot meanders with the mystery not arriving until the final quarter and being solved too quickly and the writing clunks with modern day expressions such that I don’t think I’ll read on.
July 21, 2023
I think conservative readers would want to know this book is a lot of girl power BUT a fascinating bit of history and culture. I find them very well written and fun reads.
June 14, 2020
Great book with history coming alive through the novel
February 2, 2022
There are so many problems with this story. Here are just a few:
(1) It deliberately and repeatedly portrays christianity as superior to other religions, including in a matter-of-fact remark that pagan beliefs can never wipe out christian roots. Too bad it's completely bogus, because pagan beliefs had been established far longer than christianity and it is christianity that has never been able to eliminate pagan roots. Assuming the author is ignorant rather than disingenuous, the author apparently did not know and did not bother to learn the true historical origins of christmas, easter, names of the seven days of the week, trinitarianism, transubstantiation, and so on...
(2) The supposedly highly intelligent queen stupidly puts in her mouth random biscuits from an unknown source mere minutes after telling Alva that she has to be careful because many people want to kill her... I was appalled the very moment I reached that stupidity!
(3) Alva asks the king to protect the confirmed murderer of the queen, putting him to slavery under Edwin. Did nobody have the brains to realize that it was a bad idea since he already proved his propensity for betrayal and poisoning the food that Edwin makes? The next evil person just has to play another simple mind game with him (e.g. threaten to torture/kill his family if he doesn't betray Edwin) in the future and we could have yet another stupid (i.e. completely foreseeable and preventable) death...
(4) Looking for adventure and solving mysteries is the stupidest reason to stow away on a ship to an unknown foreign land without even the most basic survival skills.
(1) It deliberately and repeatedly portrays christianity as superior to other religions, including in a matter-of-fact remark that pagan beliefs can never wipe out christian roots. Too bad it's completely bogus, because pagan beliefs had been established far longer than christianity and it is christianity that has never been able to eliminate pagan roots. Assuming the author is ignorant rather than disingenuous, the author apparently did not know and did not bother to learn the true historical origins of christmas, easter, names of the seven days of the week, trinitarianism, transubstantiation, and so on...
(2) The supposedly highly intelligent queen stupidly puts in her mouth random biscuits from an unknown source mere minutes after telling Alva that she has to be careful because many people want to kill her... I was appalled the very moment I reached that stupidity!
(3) Alva asks the king to protect the confirmed murderer of the queen, putting him to slavery under Edwin. Did nobody have the brains to realize that it was a bad idea since he already proved his propensity for betrayal and poisoning the food that Edwin makes? The next evil person just has to play another simple mind game with him (e.g. threaten to torture/kill his family if he doesn't betray Edwin) in the future and we could have yet another stupid (i.e. completely foreseeable and preventable) death...
(4) Looking for adventure and solving mysteries is the stupidest reason to stow away on a ship to an unknown foreign land without even the most basic survival skills.
May 15, 2020
This Viking adventure tells you a lot about the Viking and Anglo-Saxon world. The characters are fine. They have a personality which is good and they have Viking names too which is a bonus. The storyline is fine too although it is not anything special. I read the first bit and then I gave up and then went back to reading it. It just isn’t as interesting as I hoped it would be. Although, I will be reading the second book as it ends on a cliff hanger and so you kind of have to read it.
October 19, 2022
The Way of the Waves was even better than the first. I loved the kennings as chapter names—an excellent addition with fun riddles to solve. The relationship between Alva and her uncle grows and the new character is an appropriate foil for Alva. We love a good shield maiden.
August 21, 2019
History-loving young readers will adore this Viking adventure tale of high seas, rough kings and the incredible figure of one of England’s greatest and sadly forgotten female rulers – Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians. Rich in historic detail and beautifully illustrated throughout by David Wyatt, this is an enjoyable, straightforward tale of a strong girl and an even stronger woman in a sometimes savage male-dominated world.
However, the history is so good and the detail so beautifully told that I felt the rest of the story lacked a bit. Alva is an interesting heroine and I loved how Æthelflæd was portrayed, but despite all the potential action and danger, I never felt particularly worried for Alva and her friends. This is a dangerous time, but despite war and desecration being mentioned in the background, the story is very clean and neat and nice. Which given the target age group is fine, but perhaps it was simplified a little too far, removing a fair amount of peril and excitement along the way. Kind of like Fenrir, who is more like an exceptionally well-behaved Labrador than a wolf, tamed or otherwise.
Overall, I found this okay. Young readers with a love of history will definitely find something to enjoy here and the illustrations are gorgeous. Those who like a little more uncertainty in their adventures or were hoping for a mystery puzzle they can help to solve might find this a little too Fenrir-tame for their reading tastes.
(Review copy provided by the publisher via Amazon Vine.)
However, the history is so good and the detail so beautifully told that I felt the rest of the story lacked a bit. Alva is an interesting heroine and I loved how Æthelflæd was portrayed, but despite all the potential action and danger, I never felt particularly worried for Alva and her friends. This is a dangerous time, but despite war and desecration being mentioned in the background, the story is very clean and neat and nice. Which given the target age group is fine, but perhaps it was simplified a little too far, removing a fair amount of peril and excitement along the way. Kind of like Fenrir, who is more like an exceptionally well-behaved Labrador than a wolf, tamed or otherwise.
Overall, I found this okay. Young readers with a love of history will definitely find something to enjoy here and the illustrations are gorgeous. Those who like a little more uncertainty in their adventures or were hoping for a mystery puzzle they can help to solve might find this a little too Fenrir-tame for their reading tastes.
(Review copy provided by the publisher via Amazon Vine.)
November 1, 2023
This sequel starts off not long after where the first ended. Young Ava is yet again seeking adventure, breaking the rules, and is now bolder than ever before. Smuggling herself aboard her father's ship as he sails to Saxon England. She ends up on a mission between the Saxons and the invading Danes, and follows a danger filled path to meet Athelflead, the Lady of the Mercians.
The story is filled with the same wonderful descriptions, beautiful drawings, well-woven history and genuine drama of the first. A worthy sequel and it is such a heart breaking shame Dr Janina wasn't not enabled to complete Ava's story with a third.
The story is filled with the same wonderful descriptions, beautiful drawings, well-woven history and genuine drama of the first. A worthy sequel and it is such a heart breaking shame Dr Janina wasn't not enabled to complete Ava's story with a third.
July 14, 2019
I rally enjoyed this second adventure with Alva and Fenrir, I'm not going to give any of the story away! The kennings and working out their meanings for chapter titles was a really good touch. Can't wait for the third one now.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews