The Cursed Sword: Grim Gruesome Viking Villain [Paperback]

"a terrifying adventure...Grim is a truly villainous character...a very accessible historical novel for young readers."

Bjarni desperately needs a sword so he can join a pirate ship and win some treasure, but he can't afford to buy one. Then Astrid's mysterious, long-lost uncle appears out of the blue and offers to lend him one. This sword is fantastic... but it's carved with strange lines and rune letters which turn out to be a dangerous curse. As soon as Bjarni tries fighting with it, he and Astrid plunge into a terrifying adventure with bloodthirsty pirates and a mysterious fortune teller - leading straight into the clutches of the evil Grim Gruesome!

The stories are set a thousand years ago in the Viking Age - a time when adventure was literally around every corner! They're crammed with treasure, sword fights, pirates, dangerous sea voyages and messages written in strange rune-codes.

'Grim who?' said Astrid.

'Dwarf spit!' cried Bjarni, 'surely you've heard of him? He's like a monster. He's got a rotting finger stump and his face is so ugly, he won't let anyone see it. He snatches away children - especially pretty girls like you - and tortures them to death.'

'Stop trying to frighten me!'

'It's no good hiding, because he'll spy you out. He'll come for you in disguise. He'll trick you into his power. Then he'll...'

'Shut up, you dirty servant! Go away!'

'I can protect you from Grim Gruesome,' said Bjarni. 'I'm not scared of anything.'

'You, protect me?' said Astrid. 'Don't be stupid, you haven't even got a sword. And anyway, I don't believe Grim Gruesome really exists!'

She has a special interest in world myths and fairy tales - and also in Vikings. She spent over five years developing Grim Gruesome and writing The Cursed Sword and has visited all the northern lands where the Vikings once lived. She is also a reviewer, story teller and publisher.

Rosalind Kerven has written more than fifty children's books, selling in 21 countries, and has twice been shortlisted for the Federation of Children's Book Groups' Children's Book Award. She has a special interest in world myths and fairy tales - and also in Vikings. She spent over five years developing Grim Gruesome and has visited all the northern lands where the Vikings once lived.

Astrid's climb through the rain and the lonely forest had left her shattered. She was flushed and sweating. Her hair had come loose from its braids and ribbons. It hung over her shoulders in a wet, dishevelled mess, gleaming like white-gold in the firelight. Her delicate shoes were in shreds, and her feet were bare and bleeding.
Grim Gruesome held her in his faceless, penetrating gaze. The blood drained from her face. Then she jerked her eyes away from him.

`Bjarni!' she gasped, `I - I found something. You must have dropped it on your way up here.'

She reached under her sopping cloak and pulled out the broken gold arm-ring that Bjarni had given to the blind beggar.

Bjarni stared at her in bewilderment.

`You're too late, Astrid,' rasped Grim Gruesome. `Bjarni's already broken our bargain by stealing some of my treasure.'

`He didn't steal it!' cried Astrid. `He just lost it... Look, I've brought it straight to you sir, here!'

She thrust the arm-ring at Grim. He hurled it to the floor.

`And another thing,' said Astrid breathlessly, `in case you're angry that he had to pay for a boat to get here...' She began to unclip her gold neck-band and pull off her bracelets and rings, one by one. `These are really valuable, sir, they were my mother's, they're worth a huge weight of silver. You can have them, sir, to make up for...'

She held them out, looking at Grim Gruesome hopefully.

He snatched them from her, spat on them and dropped them.

`What a cowardly maggot you are, Bjarni!' he hissed. `Letting a girl - a girl of all creatures - try and cover up your mistakes! Oh Astrid, to think that you once tried to convince me that he was a hero. Can't you see? He's really just a piece of rubbish, like your father said. He can't be bothered to protect you any more. In fact, he's going to help me torture you.'

`Bjarni?' cried Astrid. `I don't believe this!'