Berserker Series, Book 1

September 11, 2017
In this supernatural Wild West adventure, 16-year-old Hanne and her siblings—
Nytteson who are cursed with a Viking “blood-gift”—flee their home in Norway after their father’s sudden death triggers Hanne’s berserker ability, and she slaughters three men. As the four children head west across America to find their uncle, aided by a lonesome cowboy named Owen, they are trailed by the minions of a Norwegian baron who collects Nytteson like them. Laybourne (the Monument 14 trilogy) deftly brings together three disparate storylines in a climactic moment aboard a cross-country train, then peppers the rest of the family’s arduous journey with new dangers and suspense, including encounters with other Nytteson, wild beasts, winter storms, and the long arm of the law. The love story between Owen and Hanne feels perfunctory, rather than a necessary plot point, but her internal struggle with her brutal nature as a berserker is intensely real and will resonate with readers who feel beset by forces outside of their control. A bloody and fast-paced genre mash-up. Ages 13–up. Agent: Susanna Einstein, Einstein Literary Management.

October 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Hanne and her siblings are different, and nobody can know. In a small town in Norway, their powers can be a blessing and a curse. Descended from Vikings, Hanne, her two brothers, and their father possess Nyttes, gifts bestowed by the Norse god Odin intended to lead the historic voyagers to success. While her father can create intricate ships and her brothers control the weather and exhibit incredible strength, Hanne's Nytte is much more troublesome. She is a Berserker and flies into a killing rage when her loved ones are threatened. After a terrible accident, the siblings, along with their frail younger sister, must flee Norway and travel through the American frontier, hoping that their uncle in Montana can teach Hanne to control her gift. The family meets a cowboy named Owen whom they hire as their guide through the increasingly cold autumn trails. The travel party must navigate the treacherous terrain without being recognized by either the Norwegian men or the local authorities who are on their tails. Even though its set during the American westward expansion, no mention of Native American tribes is made. Laybourne has blended the fantasy of Norse gods with the American West with ease to create a coming-of-age story that is full of intrigue, adventure, budding romance, and self-discovery. The story is at times violent and bloody but, at others, is soft and touching. The blend of historical fiction and mythology is well done and the teenage protagonists are wholly relatable. VERDICT A strong purchase where fantasy and historical fiction are popular.-Erica Deb, Matawan Aberdeen Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2017
Grades 9-12 In 1883 Norway, Hanne and her family are struggling with their Nyttepowers granted by Odin and passed down through their ancestors, both a gift and a curse. Hanne is a Berserker, one with the quicksilver power to kill, who flies into a sharply skilled murderous rage when someone she loves is in danger. After a particularly gruesome display of her gift, Hanne and her siblings flee Norway for the American frontier. Hoping to meet up with their uncle in Montana, they hire a young cowboy guide and hit the road. Rich in description and compulsively readable, this novel, in which Native Americans are curiously absent, is peppered with sudden and chilling violence. Yet, at its heart it's a trail story that follows five sensitive young people through the harsh wilderness, dodging wanted posters, fighting wildcats, falling in love, and trying to shake the mysterious men who are tracking them. Frontier glory and Norse mythology abound in this genre blender, and the siblings' conflicted feelings about their Nytte provide ample material for future installments.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)