Review Detail

Viking Academy by S.T. Bende is one of those books that once you start you can’t sit it back down. Following Saga’s journey to the past, the story unfolds at a breakneck speed, thrusting us into an unknown world where dragons are real but they aren’t the real threat.

Saga Skånstad is on her way to college when while visiting her grandmother she discovers an ancient dagger buried in the mud. One touch of the dagger sends Saga back in time, to a time when Vikings ruled the land. The harsh environment, not to mention the feuding clans, throws Saga for a loop. She must hide who she really is and hope that there is way back to her present without changing the past. I love Saga. She is young at the start of the story, not quite 18 yet, and she takes her plight in stride. She makes herself blend in, hides who she is and when she is from, and somehow keeps moving forward. If I was her, I’d want to curl in a ball and hide, but not Saga. If she can’t return home, she’ll do what she can to survive and thrive in this new world.

Erik isn’t introduced right away, but it is clear from his introduction that he is the main love interest for Saga. The son and future chief of the largest Viking clan, Erik is kind and loyal, unlike those that Saga had encountered in another tribe. Erik sees her and wants to save her. To the reader, it is clear that he would do anything for her. I personally loved him. He brings out the best, and worst, in Saga, pushes her when he needs to and gives her his strength to lean on when she is fledging.

I fell in love with the setting, the world building and Saga. I found myself rooting her on and cheering her successes and mourning with her when she fails. I love how Bende ties in historical facts from ancient Scandinavia and the Vikings to this story, creating a historical fantasy in the process. Saga’s time travel reminds me a bit of Outlander though more PG-13.

Overall, I devoured Viking Academy, finishing the entire series in under a week. Saga and Erik are easy to root for. The world building is immersive, and did I mention dragons? I loved seeing this world through Saga’s eyes as she is from our contemporary time. It’s easy to understand her confusion and frustration when she doesn’t understand what is happening or attempts to compare it to modern times. If you enjoy fantasy, historical fiction, Vikings and dragons, I highly recommend it!