The Lost Sun

In this fantasy series opener set in an alternate United States, the beloved sun god Baldur has mysteriously disappeared, and young warrior Soren Bearskin and prophetess Astrid Glyn slip away from school to find him. As the country grieves for Baldur, Astrid and Soren make their road-trip quest through an iconic American landscape made strange with caravans of gypsy-like Lokiskin, troll-haunted mountains, and volcano goblins. Narrator Soren battles his growing feelings for Astrid for fear of waking the raging beserker fever lurking inside him, a curse inherited from (and which claimed the life of) his father. Aided by Astrid's visions, they find Baldur, weakened and amnesiac, and set out to reunite him with his father, Odin, as well as restore his memory and immortality. Soren and Astrid are joined by Vider Lokisdottir, a slight but fierce young woman troubled by her own demons. While dedicated to Baldur's safe return, the three young guides are also following their own threads of fate, leading them inexorably to a moment of both great revelation and formidable choice. Gratton's world is an unexpected blending of the contemporary United States with ancient gods and traditions: disputes are settled by honorable yet bloody sword fights, popular pagan rituals are televised, and Norse gods rule alongside Congress and the president. The climactic final chapters set the scene for further adventure and (somewhat tediously overheated) romance ahead. lauren adams