Customer Reviews

The Sea of Trolls

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Thrice honored by whoever awards the Newbery award, Nancy Farmer turns her attention from Africa to medieval Norway in "The Sea of Trolls." Weaving legends and fact together, Farmer crafts a thrilling, magical, and hugely entertaining story set in the old Norse legends.

Jack was thrilled when the Bard took him on as his apprentice, especially when the strange old man taught him to do magic -- or rather, to "use the life force." (Use the Force, Jack!) But his life is suddenly thrown into disarray when an evil Nightmare drives the Bard mad, and a band of berserkers captures Jack and his little sister Lucy. Now Jack is at the questionable mercy of Olaf One-Brow, who fortunately is pleased to have captured a skald (bard).

But things go wrong again as soon as they arrive at Olaf's home. The sullen shield-maiden Thorgil gives Lucy as a present to the half-troll queen Frith, who is initially pleased by the pretty little girl. But then Jack accidently says a spell that reveals the queen's true appearance (and it's not a pretty sight). Now the queen threatens to kill Lucy unless Jack goes to the legendary Mimir's well, and finds a way to reverse the spell. But Mimir's well lies in the middle of Jotunheim, a hideous wasteland full of trolls, dragons, carnivore plants and enormous beasts.

It's hard to find a fantasy as textured as this one is. Farmer weaves history (Viking berserkers and the destruction of the Holy Isle) with legends (Jotunheim, trolls, Norse gods and Yggdrasil), and never makes you suspend your belief that it could have been like this. Plus there's a bit of Irish druidry, all wrapped up in the growing friendship between the Bard and Jack. The book is worth reading alone for the Bard's insights into nature and happiness.

But unlike many less talented writers, Farmer doesn't make everything simple. The berserkers slaughter or enslave whole villages, yet they can be kind and honorable as well. Same with the trolls. And wrapped up in her grim tale of pillage and slavery, Farmer works in some humor as well. "Just say no to pillaging"? Priceless.

Jack evolves wonderfully over the book, turning from an ordinary farm boy into a sensitive, intelligent bard. Thorgil takes a rather long time to become sympathetic, although Farmer creates a realistic background to explain why she's such a pill.

Nancy Farmer creates another classic in "Sea of Trolls," a magical blend of history and myth. Remember -- just say no to pillaging.

"He dragged Jack to the campfire and selected a knife for him to carry. 'This is for your protection. You're not to join in the fight,' Olaf said.
" 'Don't worry,' said Jack.
" 'I know how exciting pillaging is,' the giant said fondly, ruffling Jack's hair. It felt like a blow. 'No matter how much you're tempted, just say no.'
" 'Just say no to pillaging. You got it.' "

Despite reading some of her consistently award-winning tales, many of you may not be aware of how funny Nancy Farmer can be. But for those who have gotten to spend any time around her it's no surprise to encounter all sorts of terrific humor in her fabulous, fantastical new adventure, THE SEA OF TROLLS. And for anyone who has read Gordon Korman's SON OF THE MOB, with all of Vince's so-called "uncles" bearing wacky names, you'll understand why that book comes to mind as Nancy Farmer introduces us to the likes of Ivar the Boneless, Einar the Ear-Hoarder, Pig Face, Dirty Pants, Eric Pretty-Face, Eric the Rash, and Magnus the Mauler.

Eleven-year-old Jack, who had been happily apprenticing with The Bard, and Jack's five-year-old sister, Lucy, are captured and enslaved by the Northmen and head off in their custody to destinations unknown. The Holy Isle that Jack sees through the haze is Lindisfarne. The Holy Isle's destruction in A.D. 793, which marked the onset of two hundred years of Viking raids on Great Britain, provides readers with a historic reference point for this year's great epic adventure story.

Farmer packs THE SEA OF TROLLS' 450 pages full of humor, history, mythology, and adventure. This is a deceptively complex story, beyond the mere fact that readers encounter Vikings, trolls, dragons, Beowulf, big-mouth fathers, and all sorts of other good stuff in the same book.

What readers (and Jack) are left to sort out at the end of the odyssey are their feelings about the berserkers--those Northmen invaders with whom Lucy and Jack spend all of that time.

On one hand, the siblings and the berserkers have all become so close to each other as they share stories, meals, and life and death struggles of immense proportion. Through those experiences, and despite their beliefs and customs being so different from his own, Jack has repeatedly seen and felt their humanity. As readers, we come to know and love the violent and smelly Olaf and Thorgil, and their wild and wacky comrades. On the other hand, even as Jack has to steel himself for having to say good-bye to them, he has to recognize (as we also have to) that the berserkers' intent--indeed their need, if their civilization is to survive--is to return to Jack's Britain again and again, robbing and pillaging and enslaving and murdering and partaking in those other activities that my eighth grade science teacher would repeatedly tell us about. "That's why you're genetically all a little bit of everything!" insisted old Mr. Max Krenis in his white lab coat and spectacles.

So how do we as readers feel about the berserkers' need to invade in order to survive?
How would we feel if we were Jack?
How does "Love thine enemies" relate to the story?
How does the Stockholm Syndrome fit in?
How will readers relate all this to our being at war right now, and to the widespread suspicion of all people from that part of the world?

But there's still more to THE SEA OF TROLLS. In fact, there is a whole 'nother story before Olaf One-Brow and his homies even show up in Britain the first time. The tale begins with Jack and Lucy, their family, and the Bard.

Jack's a bright kid with an overbearing father who dotes on little Lucy. The Bard is a mysterious old guy who showed up a couple of years earlier, moved into the ancient Roman house overlooking the sea, and is provided for by the community. One day when Jack is delivering provisions to the Bard, he invites Jack back for lunch.

The relationship that develops between Jack and the Bard is so heartwarming that I'd be happy to just keep going back and reading the first portion of the book again and again. The old man takes the beaten-down boy and, as he teaches him song, story, nature, and wisdom, he works to make Jack understand what a special kid he really is. And, oh what stories the Bard does tell him.

Then, that time as an apprentice ends for Jack with the arrival of the long ships. And the real journey begins.

THE SEA OF TROLLS nearly defies categorization, there are so many sides to it. And I couldn't begin to recount what Shari tried to explain to me about all of Nancy Farmer's allusions to traditional mythologies. But the humor, the excitement and danger, the history, and the characters who are real enough to cause you to really mourn the end of the book make THE SEA OF TROLLS the latest success in the career of one of the great storytellers of our time.

Nancy Farmer's "Sea of Trolls was a delight. It is a saga filled with adventure, intrigue, fantasy, and just the right balance of humor to keep young minds engaged. It's a hefty tome and reading the first few chapters to your kids will get them hooked and motivated to continue reading this classic on their own. I found it to be a compelling and totally charming read. With characters like Olaf One-Brow, the Beserkers, and places like the Valley of Lunatics, you can only imagine what is in store between the pages. I found "Sea of Trolls" to be totally enchanting.

Bought this book for my 12-year old son who might read one book a year on his own. And very slowly at that. I constantly buy him books hoping he will get interested and read them, since his reading needs improvement. Well, he loved this book so much, he literally couldn't put it down, and finished it in record time, all the while telling me about the story. He even asked me if the author, Nancy Farmer, wrote any more books.

I read "House Of Scorpions" a while back, and Nancy Farmer's skill at depicting real people shines. With her new book "The Sea Of Trolls", once again we have real well delineated characters.

Jack, who is mistreated by his overbearing father, dotes on his sister Lucy, as does everyone else in the family. Lucy, of course, is a spoiled brat who "knows she was adopted" and is waiting for a knight to carry her back to her "parents". Her living in a daydream world makes life worse for Jack when in trying to save her from the Viking marauders, she calls out to them because she thinks them to be her rescuing knights.

This kind of clever detail makes "The Sea Of Trolls" more than just an adventure story about apprentice Bard Jack.

The other reviews here mention a lot of the story, but there are many levels to this book, and can be read on several levels.

I'm looking for more Nancy Farmer books. This one was a pleasure.

--Jerry Wright

Nancy Farmer grows into a better writer with each new work (and she started out as a darned good one).

The Sea of Trolls is a Viking fantasy story that follows in the footsteps of the existing canon of Norse myth and literature, and though fantasy, is an insightful and interesting look into that bygone culture.

It succeeds both because it is strongly plotted and at the same time isn't merely an adventure tale. The characters are no mere cardboard cut-outs, but living, breathing beings, complex in their motivations and at the same time subject to the cultural and personal backgrounds from which they arise.

Farmer pulls no punches. These are not politically correct, sanitized versions of Norsemen. They are based firmly in anthropologically correct Viking culture. Which leads to some intense, and at times, ugly moments in the story. Not ugly in a pejorative sense, but simply ugly in a literal, descriptive sense.

I won't give away plot points, but suffice it to say that this book is an excellent read. Highly recommended.

I could not wait to read Nancy Farmer's new book. She is such a wonderful storyteller. The Sea of Trolls was a fast, fun tale of Viking raids during 8th Century England by the most unusual of Vikings. The story is chock full of Trolls, dragons, shape shifting, pilliaging and many surprises around every corner. In this great tale I could not believe how much I learned about Norse mythology an Saxon history nor did I realize I was learning so much until the book ended. I'm eagerly waiting for the next book, AND I highly recommend you read this book as well as my all time favorites from Nancy Farmer THE HOUSE OF SCORPION and THE EAR, THE EYE AND THE ARM.

I am a twelve year old, and when I choose this book out of the library the large font and short chapters proved it was an easy read. But after reading this book I may never judge a book like that again. This book is really for all ages, a perfect tale for historian children, who are into the vikings, or excitement and adventure. This book is really perfect for anyone, if I was younger and knew, I would have my dad read it to me. Such a lovely story, for different ages and genders! Great book! I really enjoy Nancy Farmer so if you enjoy this story, read her others, The House of the Scorpion, The Eye the Ear and the Arm. Great tales!

This book captured my heart and my imagination from the first sentence. I particularly enjoyed the author's talent with description. She made me feel like I was there with her characters.

Exciting and original with absolutely believable characters. I set sail on The Sea of Trolls fully expecting a "swimmingly" good reading experience, and that's what I got!

Nancy Farmer is a huge talent!

Jack is a young Saxon boy who lives in an English coastal village in after the fall of the Roman Empire with his sister Lucy and his mom and dad. One day, he is chosen to be the apprentice of the Bard, a magician and songwriter who lives nearby. Unexpectedly, the village is attack by Viking berserkers led by Olaf One-Brow. Jack and his sister are snatched up and enslaved. Jack is soon found to be the Bard's apprentice, and is sent of to Jotunheim, Land of the Trolls, on a daring quest to save his sister from certain death.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. It was easy to understand, but it still was able to incorporate the tale of Beowulf and the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme. Nancy Farmer wrote the book to be very fluent and efficient, and I recognize that she did in fact research the non-fiction that was sewn into the book.
I believe that those people who enjoy reading fantasy and historical fiction would devour The Sea of Trolls. It blends the genres together in to a new vast flavor of books. It uses the ground base of the Viking raids and Gods, but throws in trolls and dragons. I also believe that fans of Christopher Paolini's Eragon and Eldest would consider this book a great read. I strongly recommend it.