Though named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder, young Thoric isn't like most of his fellow Vikings. For one thing, he spends his first raid vomiting in a hut rather than pillaging like his compatriots. And as the son of a farmer, he has no love for the sea-though this seems justified when his ship sinks in a freak storm and he is sucked into a massive whirlpool. He awakens in Ultima Thule, a strange island where time seems to stand still. As he journeys through this bizarre land, populated by monstrous animals, talking animals, and creatures from myth and legend, he will have to survive by his wits and his luck. Despite the dangers, the rewards to be won are great, not the least of which is the hand of the mysterious and beautiful Pale Lady. First, though, he will have to survive the dragon ...