How to Ride a Dragon's Storm

The seventh book in the popular Hiccup series sees the young Viking embarking on a fantastical maritime adventure half way round the globe and back. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and his two best friends, Camicazi and Fishlegs, are kidnapped by Raptortongues at the start of a swimming race. They are taken to a huge ship where Madguts the Murderous and Norbert the Nutjob are waiting to kill them. But Norbert needs Hiccup to navigate using the strange ‘ticking-thing’. The hostages are granted a reprieve, and embark on a treacherous voyage to America. They are attacked by Polar-serpents and a ferocious Sea-dragon, and when Norbert swings his Axe of Doom it’s touch and go whether Hiccup will survive to tell the tale.

This fast-paced adventure is packed with hilariously named characters and mythical monsters that will grab any young boy’s attention. The frenzied style of the black and white illustrations adds to the excitement, and the imaginative way the book has been typeset reinforces the tone of Cowell’s unruly comedy narrative. A couple of plot lines are picked up and lost along the way, but the final pages of the book acknowledge this – leaving Hiccup fans in no doubt that another instalment of madcap memoirs from their favourite Viking hero is in the pipeline.