As always, Hiccup is an endearing hero, and not terribly barbaric at all. This series is also always perfect boy fodder with plenty of flatulence jokes and pratfalls, and with equally plentiful sword fighting, axe throwing, and dragon riding. At their heart, these are adventure stories filled with good friends, good fights and good messages given with enough subtlety to avoid grossing out even the most lecture-resistant reader. And if you like books which build to a big finish - this episode has one of the biggest. For fans of the series or newcomers discovering it, this one's a winner.