Reviews

The Sleeping Army is a fantastic novel with a twist by Francesca Simon, the award winning author of the Horrid Henry series. Imagine Britain where Christianity was just an old minor religion! Everyone worshiped the Norse gods instead of Christ. Freya, a child with divorced parents blew a horn she found in the British Museum, which is where her dad worked as a security guard. She did not realise that she had awakened the sleeping army! Freya was swept into an adventure in a parallel world to save the Viking gods!

I simply adored this amazing book; which, from my perspective, should win many awards. Francesca transports you into this unique world and it is as if you are part of the story.

Sankalan

 

This breath-taking book - by Francesca Simon - will blow your mind as you step back through time. I loved this great book and I learned so much about the gods.

Freya lives in the modern era with a difference: They worshiped Old Norse and Anglo Saxon gods. Freya blew Heimdall's horn and consequently appears in the Viking gods world and wakes up the sleeping army- Roskva, Alfi and Snot the Berserk. They go on a daring quest through Jolunheim to find Idunn for the gods, he had been captured by Loki and the giants.

Will our brave knights conquer their fears and bring Idunn back? Or will they be turned in to the ivory, sleeping army.

I recommend you read the book straight away to find out.

by Matthew

 

The book was a fantastic read. All the characters were skilfully portrayed making them quite realistic. I particularly liked the protagonist Freya, for her character was very true-to-life making it easy to relate with her emotions and thoughts throughout the story, particularly during the part where she is communicating with Gods before embarking on the adventure. The different settings and scenes in the story were also described with great detail, which helped to visualise the events in the story, especially the ruins of Asgard.

The history in the book was particularly interesting and gave a fine insight into the beliefs followed during the time of the Vikings. It certainly inspired me to find out more on the topic, especially since it is not mentioned in detail at school or in other history books. The fact it was set in modern Britain, and referred to locations, celebrities as well as situations today, made the story relevant to our lives  and therefore more enjoyable.  The plot was captivating and original. However, I believe it was aimed at younger readers and subsequently did not immensely inspire me to read more books by this author. Then again, the vocabulary throughout the book was judiciously chosen, consequently making it more appealing.

by Sumaera