VELDA The Awesomest Viking

simpsonrd
8 hours ago
4 min read

My turn on the blogtour for Velda The Awesomest Viking and The Wild Unicorn Chase, with an interview with author David MacPhail.

Blurb:

Velda is a tiny warrior with a big axe and an even bigger attitude. Some people don’t think girls can be proper Vikings. Velda doesn’t agree! When Velda’s beloved axe is taken hostage by a troublesome (and extremely stinky) troll, Velda and her misfit crew discover there’s one way to defeat him: a special potion made of unicorn horn. Except, unicorns are extinct, aren’t they...? w Legend says that a herd of the mindreading, magical and frankly fabulous-smelling creatures may still exist in remote Pictland. But Velda’s not the only one looking for them, and this enemy wants more than just their horns. Can Velda and her chaotic crew save both her axe and the unicorns, before it’s too late? s 3 n f n Join Velda as she sets sail on a wild voyage of daring, discovery and er, unicorn doo-doo, all while proving she’s the awesomest Viking around.

What is Velda and the Wild Unicorn Chase about, in five words?

• UNICORNS, obviously. Also TROLLS. AXES comes third, because Velda’s beloved axe becomes very important. CHAOS naturally follows Velda and her crew into almost every situation. Oh, and HOPE, because, as it turns out, everything becomes more hopeful once unicorns are involved.

Why unicorns/where did the idea come from?

• Unicorns are hugely popular with children, a bit like dragons. Put a unicorn into a book and immediately there’s a sense of magic and wonder. I wanted to have some fun with that image of unicorns as sparkly, graceful and magical, and make mine a little more… couthy. These are definitely not the sort of unicorns readers might expect. It was enormous fun throwing them together with Velda and seeing what chaos followed.

Which character in the book do you most identify with?

• I’d love to say Velda. She has the confidence of a lion entering a sheep fold, even when the other sheep are loud, beardy Vikings. I’m probably more like Lord Egbert, one of her crew. I spend most time inside my own head thinking up silly stories, and have been told many times, both by friends, family and my old teachers in school reports, that I appear to be living in a dream world, and that, sadly, is true. Lord Egbert has been aboard Velda’s longship longer than anyone else and still seems convinced he’s on some sort of luxury world cruise. In this adventure he has become fascinated by language learning after discovering some ancient phrase parchments. Unfortunately, Velda chopped the parchments in half, and when Egbert glued them back together all the phrases became mixed up. Which means every attempt he makes to speak to the locals comes out as complete gobbledegook.

Do you have a favourite scene in the book?

• Yes! I love the scene near the beginning where Velda and her crew attempt to gain entry to King Gerhardt’s castle. Their explaining, miming and troll impressions go so disastrously wrong that the guards become convinced they’re a travelling comedy troupe. (If you like the sound of this, head to youtube to check out the video extract!)

The story is illustrated by Richard Morgan. Do you have a favourite illustration?

• Richard Morgan always lifts the text in exactly the right way. He’s brilliant at capturing characters and scenes in ways I never quite expect. I was especially excited to see what he’d do with a) the unicorns, b) the trolls and c) the terrifying Redda MacCracken, unicorn hunter and chief baddie.

What message do you hope readers take away?

• Hopefully that bravery comes in many forms, some big and loud, others quiet and hidden away in very small packages. There’s friendship, loyalty, empathy and learning to see things from another point of view. There’s building bridges too… and occasionally smashing them down again. There’s also a strong environmental theme running through the story. Whether you’re a whale, a troll, a unicorn or a creature of the woods, humans have a habit of barging into spaces that don’t belong to them. But more than anything, the book is about hope.

What is your favourite place to write?

• In my study, which looks out onto the woods, preferably with a cup of coffee at my side.

What are your favourite things to do when you’re not working?

• I enjoy walking, visiting castles and historical places, reading, gaming and watching films with my family. Also, probably thinking about Vikings more than any grown adult reasonably should.

Are unicorns real, and if so, have you ever met one?

• There’s a castle near where I live where unicorns have supposedly been spotted in the past. No kidding. I visit it regularly and have never actually seen one myself, although I have often spotted rainbows there, which may possibly be a sign. Rainbows, like unicorns, are full of hope.