1. What were your thoughts of Arnstein, as a person, knowing that he had taken Ayla’s baby to be killed by exposure in the woods? After you began to know him within the story, were your thoughts the same or had they changed?

2. Does your impression of Vikings and of Scandinavians, as one in the same, change When you hear that Vikings were pirates, who preyed on Scandinavians as well as other countries?

3. Was Arnstein right to have the people fight Raudbjorn the Red Bear? Was Arnstein’s motive provoked by his ego? What would life in Heimrik be like if they had not fought Red Bear?

4. If you were Ayla and Olaf and Ingrid were adopting you in their kindred pledge ceremony as their daughter and therefore freeing you from slavery, would you have sworn allegiance to the Norse gods knowing that if you didn’t you could be ostracized from the community and lose the opportunity of becoming free?

5. Do you think Ketillaug was right to abort her pregnancy with Hildir’s baby? If Olaf hadn’t sent Ketillaug to Lif, would the outcome of the lives of Eyja and Lif, and Ketillaug’s daughter, Katla, have changed?

6. What are your thoughts of Arni and his character? Did he redeem himself? Would you have forgiven him if you were Eyja?

1. What were your thoughts of Arnstein, as a person, knowing that he had taken Ayla’s baby to be killed by exposure in the woods? After you began to know him within the story, were your thoughts the same or had they changed?

2. Does your impression of Vikings and of Scandinavians, as one in the same, change When you hear that Vikings were pirates, who preyed on Scandinavians as well as other countries?

3. Was Arnstein right to have the people fight Raudbjorn the Red Bear? Was Arnstein’s motive provoked by his ego? What would life in Heimrik be like if they had not fought Red Bear?

4. If you were Ayla and Olaf and Ingrid were adopting you in their kindred pledge ceremony as their daughter and therefore freeing you from slavery, would you have sworn allegiance to the Norse gods knowing that if you didn’t you could be ostracized from the community and lose the opportunity of becoming free?

5. Do you think Ketillaug was right to abort her pregnancy with Hildir’s baby? If Olaf hadn’t sent Ketillaug to Lif, would the outcome of the lives of Eyja and Lif, and Ketillaug’s daughter, Katla, have changed?

6. What are your thoughts of Arni and his character? Did he redeem himself? Would you have forgiven him if you were Eyja?

7. If you were Eyja alone on the ship and had just been assaulted by Trader Róðmarr, what would you have done?

8. If Eyja had escaped while riding Prince Rurik’s black stallion during the race, how would her life have changed? Do you think that she could have gotten away or do you think that she would have been caught? Would you have tried to escape or would you have finished the race as Eyja did?

9. Was Father Sandor wrong to take the nine hundred year old robe of Jesus’ mother from its sacred place in the church? Was it right to punish him by banishment?

10. If you were Eyja, and Brother Sandor told you that God had been watching over you even when your son was kidnapped, and when you were assaulted and sold into slavery … would you have believed him? Knowing that she was a better mother after her exile than before, was Brother Sandor telling her the truth? In hindsight, can you see that God has been guiding your life … even throughout the trials in your life? Have your trials made you a better person? … have they brought you closer to God?

11. What are your thoughts on Lif’s eternal salvation? Was Father Tierney right to give Eyja hope when she asked him about Lif?

12. How did you like the inclusion of the animals and their role within the story? … Sissle, the goat? … the bear? … Al-Sakha, the black stallion? … Leikr, the falcon? Have you felt a connection to animals in your life? … and if so, what value have they added to your life?

13. Did the historical reference notes inserted throughout the book help you understand the story better? Were they helpful or irrelevant? Did the recipes help to depict the time and cultures of the story, or were they irrelevant?

7. If you were Eyja alone on the ship and had just been assaulted by Trader Róðmarr, what would you have done?

8. If Eyja had escaped while riding Prince Rurik’s black stallion during the race, how would her life have changed? Do you think that she could have gotten away or do you think that she would have been caught? Would you have tried to escape or would you have finished the race as Eyja did?

9. Was Father Sandor wrong to take the nine hundred year old robe of Jesus’ mother from its sacred place in the church? Was it right to punish him by banishment?

10. If you were Eyja, and Brother Sandor told you that God had been watching over you even when your son was kidnapped, and when you were assaulted and sold into slavery … would you have believed him? Knowing that she was a better mother after her exile than before, was Brother Sandor telling her the truth? In hindsight, can you see that God has been guiding your life … even throughout the trials in your life? Have your trials made you a better person? … have they brought you closer to God?

11. What are your thoughts on Lif’s eternal salvation? Was Father Tierney right to give Eyja hope when she asked him about Lif?

12. How did you like the inclusion of the animals and their role within the story? … Sissle, the goat? … the bear? … Al-Sakha, the black stallion? … Leikr, the falcon? Have you felt a connection to animals in your life? … and if so, what value have they added to your life?

13. Did the historical reference notes inserted throughout the book help you understand the story better? Were they helpful or irrelevant? Did the recipes help to depict the time and cultures of the story, or were they irrelevant?