Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

That he's hard to get along with is quite the understatement when it comes to Barbarian Lord, the flawed hero of this energetic, epic black-and-white graphic novel. Using his mind and muscle he exacts revenge on villain Skullmaster for stealing his farmland. Battles with trolls, witches, and man-beasts are knitted with Icelandic lore, making this book appealing to lovers of heroic fantasy stories.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

He may look like a musclebound lug who takes his style cues from Conan the Barbarian, but when it's time to wax poetic, Barbarian Lord shows he has brains to match his brawn. After sorcery and skullduggery drive him from his native Garmrland, Barbarian Lord journeys to the kingdom of Krigsland and earns the chieftain's favor with awesome displays of violence and verbiage. He returns with a mean-looking posse and delivers swift and permanent retribution. Indeed, battle is what Barbarian Lord does best, and whether he's exchanging blows with a troll or insults with a skull-headed bard ("Men will sing for ages beyond count of all your deeds... empty as your sockets, barren as your skull"), he proves an unrivaled warrior and wordsmith. Smith (who illustrated the graphic novel adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux) weaves lore and laughs into this bombastic saga; thanks to his dynamic art (the lack of color is but a slight disappointment) and cinematic staging, seeing his hero conquer every challenge that stands in his way never gets old. All hail Barbarian Lord! Ages 12-up. (July)

School Library Journal (Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Gr 7-10 Smith's debut graphic novel has guts, gore, and glory set against a harsh, Viking-influenced backdrop. After being exiled from his home and stripped of his lands by his enemies, the Barbarian Lord has but one goal: revenge and victorious return to his kingdom. He's got the anger and the muscle to take back his territory, but to get there, he'll have to go through snowstorms, face down trolls, and outwit skull-faced poets. With furrowed brow and clenched jaw, the Barbarian Lord is a scowling, merciless warrior of a bloodthirsty era. Interesting callbacks to Norse mythology will make this graphic novel an easy pleaser for fans of Rick Riordan's books and K. L. Armstrong and M. A. Marr's "Blackwell Pages" series (Little, Brown). Clean, blunt lines and unapologetic vicious (if mostly bloodless) fight scenes make for a unique art style choice, but the illustrations often seem out of sync with the narrative. An easy summer reading pick for middle-grade graphic novel aficionados and reluctant readers. Clair Segal, Horace Mann School, New York City

Voice of Youth Advocates

Barbarian Lord is forced from his farm in the land of Garmrland by the machinations of the covetous Skullmaster. Determined to regain his home, Barbarian Lord enlists the help of a neighboring ruler. Barbarian Lord is littered with flat characters and awkward dialog. The story opens with two ravens recounting the story of how Barbarian Lord's ancestors came to Garmrland; this is important since Barbarian Lord inherited his temper and fighting skills. Unfortunately, Barbarian Lord's personality is restricted to bouts of murderous rage, most of which are the result of some perceived insult. The villain and his accomplice have more character development than the title character. In an attempt to capture the character of the Viking era that inspired this graphic novel, the author attempts to write epic-sounding dialog, an attempt that fails and awkward dialog distracts the reader throughout the story.The one thing this story does have is well-drawn illustrations; the lines are clear and the characters and setting well-crafted. While this graphic novel will appeal to some readers, a large following is unlikely.Rebecca Denham.