The Legendary Inge

-by Kate Stradling

I don’t often read the preface before starting a book, but for the Legendary Inge I did. It did not spoil the story, since I know nothing of Beowulf and am also confident this story is at best loosely inspired. First off, I liked the Legendary Inge. It had just enough surprises to make it interesting, but no dramatic twists that come out of nowhere and make no sense. In fact the entire story flowed well together and you could see how the little clues about the characters and plot were sprinkled well in advance. 

The Legendary Inge starts with the titular character Inge (Ingrid), accidentally killing a monster plaguing the castle. As her reward, Ingrid is adopted by the king as his son and heir to the throne. While Ingrid might be dressed as a boy when she takes down the monster, she is most unhappy to be slotted into that role. She is the eldest girl in her family of seven children. With her parents dead from a wasting sickness, Ingrid has a lot of responsibilities and no time to play prince to the kin. 

Unable to decline the king’s reward, Ingrid is forced to discover that things at the castle are not as they seem. The monster, a terrifying nightwalker, is not the only problem in the castle. The king is going mad according to rumours and the court is a vicious place for the untrained. Inge is forced to face all this as she grows in her own confidence as an individual and learns to accept the great legacy left by her own father. 

Well written, the characters are competently developed. While they are a little on the young side, I recognize that I am getting older. Young adults want to read books with characters of their age. Still, the world was interesting. It had that nordic-viking flare, while including plenty of magic to make it truly fantastical. More than the setting, it was the character interactions that sold the narrative. I like books with family, and this had plenty of it. Sure, there were a couple of orphans, because all great legends seem to circle around them. In the end, everything really came back to family – both chosen and blood. 

I like the author’s way of writing. The Legendary Inge is a solidly developed story with great characters and a fantastic plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars.