Book - Heroes of the Valley

Heroes of the Valley (witten by Jonathan Stroud) is the story of Halli Sveinsson, a boy who lives in a village high in the mountains. Long ago his ancestors fought against monsters in the valley, and drove them up into the hills. Halli longs to do great deeds himself and rebels against his uneventful life. Unwittingly his actions unleashes a chain of misfortune that leads to violence – and soon Halli finds himself setting out on a quest of his own. He quickly discovers, however, that real life is rather different from the stories he adores, and it is only with the help of a girl called Aud, who is just as brave and curious as he is, that he manages to survive at all. Together Halli and Aud they begin to piece together the secrets of the valley – but what they uncover threatens to destroy them…
(excerpt from book cover)

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. I've not read any of Stroud's other books, but I may go back and take  look at them. Written in the style of Norse legends, the book has some very dry and not-so-dry wit. The characters take on  life of their own and draw you into the story.

If you have time I would offer my opinion that this is one you should read. 5 out of 5.