Overview
The chilling conclusion to the Runestone Saga trilogy.
Rune magic, time travel, transformation: Sky’s grandfather opened up a world of limitless possibility . . . then asked the impossible. He asked Sky to kill a man.
Sky and Kristin know they have to stop Sigurd. But how, when he can possess any person, any beast, at will? The secret of possession lies in Meg, an accused witch, and in Matthew, the Witchfinder determined to capture her. But the price for knowing what Sigurd knows is steep—to defeat their grandfather, will they have to become exactly like him?
In this thrilling conclusion to the Runestone Saga, the final choice between everlasting life and the necessity of death will be made at one of the great turning points in history. And the outcome rests precariously on one final cast of the runes. . . .
Synopsis
Sky and Kristin travel to the seventeenth century to learn secrets from their ancestor, the witch Meg, then to the Battle of Hastings to use that knowledge to prevent their evil grandfather Sigurd from ever possessing another person.Editorials
Children's Literature -
Sky and Kristin's grandfather, Sigurd, possesses amazing magic. He has shared part of it with them, allowing them to work magic through runes, transform into different animals, and travel back in time. Once Sigurd asks Sky to kill, though, Sky and Kristin know their grandfather must be stopped. Sigurd seeks to bring Ragnarok, the end of the world, and only Sky and Kristin have the possibility of stopping him. To stop Sigurd, though, they must use the very magic they learned from him and risk being corrupted like him. Traveling back through time to explore their own bloodlines and gather information from both a witch and a witch-hunter, Sky and Kristin hope they can manage the magic without losing too much of themselves. This fascinating tale draws on Norse mythology and an ancient magical element not often seen in modern fantasy: runes. In addition, Humphreys creates a believable magical world, both in modern times and the past. This is a thrilling and suitable conclusion to "The Runestone Saga." Reviewer: Amie Rose RotruckVOYA -
In the finale of The Runestone Saga, cousins Sky and Kristin must stop their fanatical grandfather Sigurd. Sigurd's plan involves using his cult followers as pawns in his scheme to end the world. Again the answers to foiling Sigurd lie within the family bloodlines. Sky and Kristin use the magic of the runes to travel through time and possess the bodies of their ancestors in order to develop the power to defeat their grandfather. The allure of possession is great, however, and Sky is forced to resist abusing his power. This frustrating effort emphasizes the strengths and weaknesses of the entire trilogy. Humphreys shines when writing about historical events, and these sections are undoubtedly the highlights of the book. On the negative side, Humphreys's characters leave much to be desired. Sky and Kristin seem too cavalier about the fantastic and frightening situations in which they find themselves. The secondary adult characters are nanve and indifferent beyond belief, none more so than Sky's parents. At the beginning of the novel, they find Sky in a coma after he vanished for a full year. Not long after Sky recovers, he needs to return to Norway to do more research on his ancestors, so he lies to his parents about his destination and takes off on another jaunt with Kristin, destroying the book's credibility from the outset. Only purchase if the first two books of the trilogy were popular with teen readers. Reviewer: David GoodaleSchool Library Journal
Gr 7 Up
What would you do if you were offered the chance to become a god? That's the question facing 16-year-old Sky March in this conclusion to the saga. It starts with an exhausted Sky, in the form of a hawk, being attacked by crows as he races to get back to his body before the doctors declare him dead. And then things really take off. He has rescued his cousin Kristin from possession by their grandfather, and now the two must figure out a way to stop evil Sigurd from changing history and taking over the world. They travel through time, in and out of the bodies of ancestors, with their final confrontation taking place during the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Sky and Kristin are well-developed characters in a tale filled with time travel, Norse gods, rune-casting, quasi-religious cults, accused witches, and berserker Vikings. The writing is fast paced, the research is solid, and the creep factor is high. Familiarity with the first two books is a plus, but not imperative. Fans will not be disappointed.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library