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Photo courtesy of Eiriksstadir. Used by permission.

About The Loom Of Fate

"A captivating and entertaining story with a genuine plot and endearing characters." — Chewing the Bone Reviews

Fourteen-year-old Benjamin "Banjo" Northgate and his best friend Desmond drop in on an oddball museum curator for advice on a report Banjo has to write for History class. They find a ring in the museum attic and are magically transported to Viking-Age Iceland. If they want to return home, they must find the Loom of Fate, which was stolen by the god Loki and hidden among the giants, turning fate and order into chaos.

With the help of Frida, a headstrong Icelandic girl, Banjo and Desmond journey through Scandinavia and the mythological worlds, from Niflheim to Asgard. In Sweden, they join up with a glory-seeking Viking named Ketil and his band of raiders. Together, they must battle the monstrous guardian of the loom and an army of giants if they hope to recover the Loom of Fate and bring order back to the nine worlds.


Questions for Discussion

  1. How would you feel if you suddenly found yourself in a strange world, as different from ours as Viking Age Iceland is from Banjo's?
  2. How are you like Banjo?
  3. How is the Viking view of fate different or similar to the way a modern American looks at the world?
  4. Which Icelandic customs are different than our own? Whch are similar?
  5. Which character would you like to hang out with and why?
  6. Odin tells Banjo, "All that you've done, you've accomplished through your own strength of character and will. That's a force even stronger than fate. Do not sell yourself short. If you are not a hero, then never has there been one." How did Banjo show "strength of character and will"?
  7. What offer did Heidur make to Banjo? How would you have handled her offer? What would have happened if Banjo had accepted it?
  8. Would you have been a good Viking? Why or why not?
  9. If you were invited to a council of the Norse gods, what would you do? What questions would you ask?
  10. How is Banjo changed by his visit to Niflheim?
  11. What's the hardest thing about being a Viking?
  12. How would you have reacted to Ketil's raid on the farm?
  13. Give examples of foreshadowing in The Loom of Fate.
  14. How do you view the Vikings after reading this book as compared to your views before?
  15. Who is the real hero of the book? Who is the villain? Why?


About the Author

Scott Rhoades was born in Oakland, California and raised in nearby Newark. He has enjoyed writing since he was about five years old, when he used to make his own books by tracing pictures and making up stories to go with them. He graduated from Southern Utah University, where he majored in both English and German literature, with special interest in the early literature and mythologies of Northern Europe. He has worked as a professional writer and editor since 1988.


For Further Reading

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