The Stone Ship

Everyone thinks Will Warden is crazy to believe an old photograph, a rusted key, and a rune stone can somehow prove his father is still alive. And the thirteen-year-old is starting to think everyone might just be right. After his father vanishes in a mysterious explosion, Will travels to a seaside orphanage where a series of bizarre clues lead him to a perfectly preserved Viking ship buried in the dunes. With two competing secret societies and a treasure-mad dwarf in pursuit, he re-traces a thousand-year-old Viking trail across the North Atlantic. As he assembles the lost pieces of a legendary compass, Will's world blurs between reality and fantasy. He can barely believe his strange adventures, filled with characters stolen from the pages of Norse mythology. But he has to believe it all, because the compass could lead him to his father ... or it could unlock the gate to Niflheim and unleash the deadly forces of the icy Norse underworld. So, yeah, there's that to worry about. With a mix of adventure, fantasy, and humor, THE ASGARD SOCIETY follows Will's journey as he discovers believing in something impossible, and in himself, might be enough to save his world.

Kieran Shields is the author of the historical mysteries, THE TRUTH OF ALL THINGS (Crown, 2012) and A STUDY IN REVENGE (Crown, 2013). Both were finalists for the Nero Award. His newest book is The Stone Ship (which is not too historical and not overly mysterious). He lives on the coast of Maine with his wife and two children. He can be reached on his facebook page: Kieran Shields, Author or via email at kieranshields@yahoo.com