Skraelings: Clashes in the Old Arctic (Arctic Moon Magick Book 1)

This is a very cool story with a very clever ending. I think the authors did a great job imagining what the first interactions between the Inuit and Vikings may have been like. I felt like I was watching a movie the entire time I was reading it. The story moved along very well and never let up. Good job authors!

Set in, well, the old Arctic, at a time when the Inuit were just entering a land, the story is both a coming-of-age tale and a clash of cultures narrative. The coming-of-age belongs to a young Inuit hunter named Kannujaq. The culture clash involves the new-to-this-land Inuit, represented solely by Kannujaq; those who already lived in the land, the Tuniit—represented here by a single village; and the Norse; in this case a single ship of raiders.Those raiders have just attacked the Tuniit village just as Kannujaq had the misfortune of mistaking the village for one of his people’s roving encampments. Before he can leave, the young shaman of the village begs him for help and soon Kannujaq is embroiled not just in efforts to stave off the raiders but also in just-as-dangerous village politics. As he spends more time in the village, Kannujaq is forced to re-examined many of his pre-existing beliefs, both long-held ones about the Tuniit (whom his people consider a “shy and bizarre . . . not-quite-human folk”) and newly-created ones about these strange giant men who come with violence and strange weapons.The novel is definitely a younger one, more MG than YA and really not much of an adult crossover. Many of Kannujaq’s maturation moments are bluntly stated rather than shown, sometimes perhaps even more than necessary for even a MG book, though I’m certainly the wrong demographic to be certain about that. A bigger issue I had was with the direct address by a contemporary narrator. I’ve always believed that a good direct address is a very tricky thing to pull off—too many times they seem clumsy or condescending or both, and I have to say that was the case here. Too many “You see” and “Now if you could . . . “ statements for me. The structure didn’t seem necessary, nor did it seem to enhance the reading experience at all. Actually, just the opposite. One could remove the narrator completely and have a nicely flowing, quick-paced tale. I found myself wishing the author’s had taken to heart Kannujaq’s words: “One must never interrupt a story. To do so was to insult a storyteller’s isuma.”The story does move quickly. So much so in fact that it felt more suited to a long short story, but I suppose that’s more an aspect of its MG nature than a flaw in the tale itself. Kannujaq himself is a likable and introspective character that the reader grows attached to even in this short span of time. It’s hard to imagine a young reader not immediately warming to him, or nodding his/her head as Kannujaq puts aside yet another false belief. The setting is another plus, mostly for its fresh nature, and the alien landscape is strengthened by the many Inuit words that pepper the text, such as the above “isuma.” A likable character, a unique and inviting setting, a chance to learn another culture’s history/stories, and some good life lessons make Skraelings a good choice for a Middle Grader (but if you read it aloud to them, I’d skip the narrator’s part).(first appeared on fantasyliterature.com)

This is a short Young Adult book.Skraelings shows what happens when culture clash comes to the Arctic. A boy from a dogsledding tribe of Inuit, who lives by killing seal, walrus and whale, comes across a settled group of reindeer hunters, just as they are being attacked by Viking raiders. The sea wolves use hard metal when the most that has been in use here on the coast of North America is copper. Kannujaq of the Inuit has only used bone or antler blades.The lifestyles are briefly but well described; one tribe favours seal oil lamps used by women, another dried heather fires which smoke. Skraelings is a derogatory Norse word for the people they meet on these shores. The concept of shamans is introduced, and of coming to understand that people who seem different are actually just people too. The story carries a great deal of tension and drama, and a surprising amount of in-context violence for this age group. I should also mention the excellent line drawings which bring the story to life.As the actions and thoughts of these people are often different to ours, with our wider knowledge and modern support structures, the authors have introduced the story from a contemporary perspective and occasionally return to make comments during the story. I am not entirely sure that this is needed, as young people can easily pick up on new concepts in works of fantasy or history. However this may be a way of encouraging general discussion of the story, for instance with a family or class. I found that the modern thoughts intrude upon the reader's immersion, which is why I am not giving top rating.

Inuit author Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley and her husband Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley craft a riveting chapter book exploring the culture clash between the native Arctic peoples and the invading Norse Vikings more than a thousand years ago. As Vikings left first Norway, then Iceland and then Greenland to locate in Northern Canada, they encountered the Tuniit people that they called Skraelings on Baffin Island. (The now-extinct Tuniit are more commonly called the Dorset people today.)The story begins with nomadic hunter Kannujaq, a member of the dogsledding Inuit (the Arctic people once popularly known as “Eskimos”). Kannujaq encounters a village of Tuniit, people who, to Kannujaq and his relatives, exist only as mythical, sedentary “almost people.” Indeed, Kannujaq says that “his imagination had pictured them with fangs and claws.” But he discovers they are much like himself, if darker, shorter, and stockier, with a language similar enough to be understood. Eventually, Kannujaq and the Tuniit make common cause against the marauding Siaraili (what the Tuniits call the tall, bearded Vikings).Adult readers will enjoy this account of a little-known era of North American history. The Qitsualik-Tinsleys manage to pack enough historical details about Northern Canada in the Middle Ages and enough suspense into Skraelings, despite its mere 120 pages, to intrigue not just its intended audience of middle-grade readers but their parents and grandparents, as well. What better gift for a child than an adventure story you can read — and enjoy — together.In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Inhabit Media in exchange for an honest review.

"Skraelings" tells the story of an Inuit man who comes across a village under attack by Vikings. Delving a little deeper into the incident, the reader will find that the situation goes much deeper than random raiding and pillaging, in fact, it is much more personal than anyone could have imagined...