The Queen's Poison: Grim Gruesome Viking Villain [Paperback]

"amusing... dramatic... just the thing for...readers...who want Dahl-style jokes and adventure." --The Times, 2 February 2009

"...the tales rattle along with great energy and fun. Visually powerful... These books will be well loved by many children." --School Librarian, Summer 2009

"smashing... a real adventure story... Grim Gruesome is a wonderful creation, horrible but also funny.....A wonderful book" --TES-Connect, 7 May 2009

"a terrifying adventure...Grim is a truly villainous character... a very accessible novel for young readers." - Books for Keeps --Books for Keeps, May 2008

"It races from page to page." --The Journal, February 13 2008

A brilliant new series... fun, exciting... packed with thrills and adventure.

"amusing...dramatic...just the thing for...readers who want Dahl-style jokes and adventure"

"This series just keeps getting better and better! Grim Gruesome is a truly nasty villain...With plenty of historical detail throw in, this is a well put together and wonderfully told romp."

"Grim is a truly villainous character"

The `Grim Gruesome' books have been highly acclaimed by `The Times'; recommended by many magazines and websites for primary schools and have already appeared on two award listings.

Grim Gruesome is on his way to town! Dalla and her older brothers Aki and Frodi are terrified. Should they trust the fierce `berserk' warrior who offers them protection? Or seek help from the Queen of Jorvik - even though everyone says she's a witch?
The Queen's Poison is vividly set in the English town of Jorvik - Viking Age York. Look out for dramatic chases through the narrow streets, shape-shifting magic, riddles, surprises - and of course plenty of thrilling sword fights!

The `Grim Gruesome books' are fast moving thriller-adventure stories in which children overcome an evil villain. They're immensely readable and gripping from the very first page: fun, scary and full of surprises. Both boys and girls say they can't put them down!

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.

`Terrible news!' gasped the messenger. `The child-snatcher Grim Gruesome has been spotted in this kingdom!'

King Eirik Blood-Axe gave a heartless laugh. `Grim Gruesome? He's not real! How dare you waste my time with such guff and nonsense when I'm about to go pirate raiding!'

`But Your Majesty, people have actually seen him. They need you here to protect the town. Suppose he starts kidnapping children - torturing them, devouring them - while you're away?'

`Odin's eye socket!' snorted the King. `I don't care about children... So long as they keep their filthy little hands off my treasure! Anyway, if there's any problems when I'm away, the Queen will deal with them.'

The messenger wrung his hands in despair. `The Queen? But sir, what use is a woman against an evil brute like Grim Gruesome?'

Rosalind Kerven is a highly acclaimed author of over fifty children's books, selling in 20 countries. Her books have been twice shortlisted for the FCBG Children's Book Award, won a major award in Japan, recommended by the American Library Association, selected for the School Libraries Association 'Boys into Books' list and highly acclaimed by reviewers.

Rosalind 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. 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.

.They went back to the marketplace. It was nearly midday by now. It had become very quiet. Most of the shoppers had gone. The stallholders were packing up and setting off on their long treks home.

But the berserk was still there. Several women were gathered around him. They were eagerly telling him their children's names and offering him silver bars and pennies. Aki waited until they'd all finished, then led the other two up to him.

`Excuse me, sir,' said Aki. `We've got a bit of a problem. I'm afraid we can't afford to pay you at the moment. But we wondered if you could - please! - protect us anyway? We'll definitely pay you later.'

The berserk stood very still. They could feel his disapproval. `Why can't you pay me?' he growled.
`Our parents are away,' said Aki guardedly. `Only for a very short while,' he added quickly. `They'll be back any time. But until they are, we haven't got enough...'

`Are you completely alone?' said the berserk.

Dalla was good at making people feel sorry for her. So she dabbed at her eyes with the corner of her apron and nodded earnestly.

`But you must have kinsfolk in town?' said the berserk.

Dalla shook her head sadly. She peered up at the berserk, trying to see under his bear's-head hood. But all she could make out was a dark, spiky beard and deep-set eyes flecked with blood.

`What?' said the berserk. `No one to look out for you?'

`It's all right, we're fine,' said Aki quickly. `Well, my brother and I are, anyway. But we're a bit bothered about our little sister Dalla here. She's always running off, you see, and getting herself into trouble. We're worried she might attract Grim Gruesome's attention.'

A farmer hurried by, carrying a crate of leeks on his shoulder. After him came the little old English nun, weighed down by her bag of unsold honeycombs - the last stallholder to leave. She smiled at Dalla as she went past.

The berserk turned his grotesque bear's-head hood and stooped down to peer at Dalla.

`What a fine girl,' he said. `Just the sort of child that Grim Gruesome has a taste for. You're right. She could be in serious danger without my protection. I'll be happy to keep a special eye on her.'

`Oh, thank you, sir!' said Dalla proudly.

`But I can't protect her for nothing,' said the berserk to Aki. `That would be unfair to all those who have paid me. Besides, as Odin All-Father said: A gift always looks for a return. So if you can't pay me, young man, you'll have to work for me instead.'

Aki didn't hesitate. `Oh ya, I'll be honoured to do that, sir!' he said eagerly. `I've always wanted to work for a great warrior like you. Especially to help you defeat a villain as evil as Grim Gruesome! What do you want me to do?'

`Come to me at first light tomorrow,' said the berserk.

`Right,' said Aki. `Where will I find you?'

`You must all swear on Odin's name to tell no one else,' said the berserk. `It would be disastrous if Grim Gruesome found out where I am staying.'

`Of course,' said Aki at once. `I swear by Odin not to tell. Go on, Frodi.'

`I swear by Odin not to tell,' said Frodi.

`Go on Dalla,' said Aki.

`Odin's scary,' said Dalla. `I'm not swearing on him.'

`SWEAR, GIRL!' the berserk snapped at her.

Dalla shook her head stubbornly.

`Actually, sir,' said Aki, `she's such a scatterbrains, she'll never remember what you tell us anyway.'
`Indeed?' said the berserk. `As you say, she certainly needs my protection.' He laughed in the back of his throat. Then he motioned to Dalla to move back until she was almost out of earshot.

`I'm staying at a secret place outside the town,' he told Aki in a low voice. `You must leave through the South-West Gate and take the main road where the plough repairmen have their workshops. In due course, the road will fork. Ignore the branch that leads into the farmlands and take the forest way. Continue until you find a very large yew tree. You'll see a narrow deer-track leading off behind it. Go down that until you come to a ruined house at the end. Meet me there. Can you remember that?'

`Ya sir,' said Aki, `but...'

`I will be waiting for you,' said the berserk. `Make sure you're not late.'

Then he wrapped his bearskin cloak closer around him and strode away.