Scottish Book of the Week: The Chessmen Thief

Apologies for seemingly dropping off the face of the planet. I started a new job at the beginning of October, and settling into that has taken up all of my brain space, so the blog got sidelined a bit. But I’ve continued my reading, and am back this week with another instalment of ‘reading my way around Scotland through children’s books’. The Chessmen Thief by Barbara Henderson starts off in Norway, but then takes us on a journey to Orkney and the Hebrides.

Book Details

Title: The Chessmen Thief
Author: Barbara Henderson
Genre: Historical Adventure
Recommended reading age: 8+

Scottish Setting

The story starts out in Trondheim in Norway, but then moves to Orkney and the Isle of Lewis, before finishing on the Isle of Harris. The Pentland Firth, Cape Wrath, and the Callanish Stones (on Lewis) also get a name check.

“Shetland and Orkney are Norse, but in the Hebrides, the Southern Isles, the power is also in the hands of the Gaelic speaking kings.” (Chapter 16)

Plot Summary

The Chessmen Thief is a historical adventure set in the Viking era. Twelve-year-old Kylan was taken from his home on the Isle of Lewis by Norse raiders and has spent the last few years as a slave in Norway. When he gets the opportunity to join a journey back to the Hebrides, he sees a chance to escape and search for his mother. The key to his plan lies in a set of precious chess pieces that he has helped carve, but with dangerous people and plenty of obstacles standing in his way, getting home will be far from straightforward.

The story takes inspiration from the real Lewis Chessmen, a collection of medieval chess pieces discovered on the Isle of Lewis whose precise origins remain something of a mystery. The author uses this historical uncertainty as the starting point for an imaginative reworking of what might have happened, taking the reader on a journey with Kylan from Norway to Orkney and eventually the Hebrides.

“My mother was from the Isle of Lewis in the Southern Isles, but we were taken in the raiding season many years ago.” (Chapter 16)

Conclusion

I enjoyed going on this journey with Kylan, and particularly liked the way the story brings the Viking world to life. The author doesn’t shy away from using Norse and Viking vocabulary, which adds to the authenticity of the story. There is a glossary at the back for looking up unfamiliar terms, although most can be worked out from the context. I also thought there was a good balance of suspense throughout. While we know the chess pieces themselves will survive, since they are real historical artefacts, Kylan’s fate is much less certain. Will he make it through the dangerous situations he encounters? Will he find his mother? These unanswered questions kept me invested in his journey.

I’d recommend the book to younger readers who enjoy a good adventure story, particularly those with an interest in history and historical adventures.

The Chessmen Thief is available from Bookshop.UK (Affiliate Link) or you can order it from your favourite indie bookshop.