Equally spare and forceful are the masterful illustrations. each is a tour de force of design and execution. Powerful, moving, relevant. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) The author's storytelling is direct with bold scenes, occasionally sinister twists, and touches of optimism. Love's striking expressionistic illustrations with ominous creatures, rugged terrain, and dark colors set just the right tone for this distinctive collection. --Booklist (starred review) Although the tales are set in the past, there's an immediacy and intimacy to the narrative voice that brings them right into the space of reader or listener. With their unexpected turns and in the author's fresh, poetic language, these tales become exceptionally mysterious and captivating. --The Horn Book (starred review) Lyrical and haunting.

The illustrations by Jeffrey Alan Love are stark and dramatic. a must-read for fans of fantasy and mythology, especially Viking lore. --School Library Connection (starred review) Crossley-Holland's superb storytelling is perfectly paired with Love's powerful acrylic paint, ink and pencil-on-board art, which invokes the outsize effect the inhabitants of these other worlds have on the people of Middle Earth. --Shelf Awareness A beautiful and lyrical book. Unique and intriguing. --School Library Journal.