"These accessible, well-told offerings introduce a civilization of great warriors. For those who enjoy tales without happy endings." -Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Public Library, OH, for School Library Journal "...a varied, lively collection of stories with heroes, beasts, and battles to the death, but with some unexpected elements as well." -- Carolyn Phelan * Booklist Online * "Don is clear about the Vikings' warlike tendencies ("the Vikings' violent reputation is probably entirely deserved," she notes in her introduction), but James's scribbly cartoons show the softer sides of dragon slaying, sword wielding, and battle waging, mirroring the tongue-in-cheek tone of these retellings." * Publisher's Weekly * "In James' cartoon illustrations the shaggy, smiling, light-skinned warriors and other human figures look far from ferocious, and even the monsters are decidedly nonthreatening. An engaging collection, cast in modern but not anachronistic prose and equally suitable for reading aloud or alone." * Kirkus Reviews * "This collection of eleven stories begs to be told aloud, preferably in a grand hall with a real fireplace and flagons of ale; barring that, it should at least be shared in a group where readers can use the illustrations as anchoring points before hearing these adapted Viking tales." * The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books *