AuntieSarah.com YR/YA Rating: 7.5
Sheer adventure, rotten mayhem and Viking voyages — not to mention giant Ice Trolls — await anyone brave enough to tread the passages of THE SEA of TROLLS by Nancy Farmer. This is a page-turner of the first order, but not for the faint of heart. In these pages, all is lost. And more is gained.
Jack starts out as a farm boy on the northern coast of what is now England, with only his chores and this year’s harvest to worry about. Boy, is he in for a surprise. The local Bard singles him out among the village kids to become an apprentice and learn about magic — and just in the nick of time. Before Jack has learned much of anything, his village is attacked by North Men (think early Vikings) and he and his little sister are taken captive. The rest of Jack’s fate and how he met it amazed and surprised me. I found myself laughing at times right along with him, in the midst of certain peril.
In this deft blending of early history, lore and imagination, Nancy Farmer takes us on a tumultuous journey into a magical and frightening world of dragons, trolls, half-humans, and giant animals. Throughout, we are repeatedly shown that what is light is also dark. And sometimes, an enemy can become a respected ally — even a friend — when viewed from another perspective.
PROS: Liked the blending of Nordic and Celtic lore. Really picked up pace about a third of the way into the book. Get that far, and you won’t be able to put it down.
CONS: Unnecessary violence – particularly in the first half.
This post was submitted by Sarah Zenzic.