Customer Reviews

Troll Fell

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A Norse flavor is given to "Troll Fell," a solid and surprisingly imaginative fantasy starting off on a Cinderella note. Katherine Langrish's debut novel has a few dropped threads, but dips into traditional goblins and ghouls as its inspirations. And it's inspired indeed.

Peer's father has died, just after completing a new longship. Enter Baldur, his ogrish uncle, who takes all of Peer's money and drags him and his faithful dog away. Peer's new home is a miserable place, in a land surrounded by angry neighbors and mischief-making trolls. He's treated like a slave by his uncles Baldur and Grim, and his only solace is the Nis (a neglected house sprite) and a girl from the neighboring farm, Hilde.

But things take a nastier turn after Peer encounters the ghoulish Granny Green-teeth: She reveals that at a forthcoming double wedding for troll princes and princesses, the uncles are going to give him as a wedding present. What's worse, they also plan to kidnap Hilde and give HER as a gift too. Determined to save himself, Peer runs away from home -- only to end up right in the trolls' hands...

"Troll Fell" is a good example of what a fantasy should be -- not derivative, well-written, quick-faced and with enough quirks to keep it from being too grim. Langrish doesn't stoop to deus ex machinae, but keeps the plot simple and straightforward, while peppering it with plenty of northern ghoulies, ghosties and long-legged beasties.

Her writing is solid and descriptive, bringing to life everything from the bleak hills to the bizarre underground kingdom of the trolls. Langrish is particularly good at making the readers feel what the characters are feeling, such as Peer's almost crippling claustrophobia, or his horror at seeing faithful dog Loki thrown into a dogfight. A few threads -- such as Granny's threat to Peer -- are left unsatisfied, but a sequel might take care of those.

Peer and Hilde are a good hero and heroine, with their own flaws and squabbles and weaknesses. The supporting cast is equally good -- the scraggly, disgruntled Nis, the stupid lubbers, the grandmotherly yet homicidal pond-dweller Granny Greenteeth, feisty grandpa Eirek, and the greedy, scheming Baldur and Grim.

"Troll Fell" lives up to its promise as a suspenseful, well-written fantasy. Katherine Langrish does a good job, with plenty of promise for her future books.

I would really recommend this book because it is about a boy who is in a desperate situation and still manages to find hope. He is forced to live with his two uncles who have stolen everything he owns, including his only remembrances of his father. There he must clean their boots and do other work including work in their mill. They are widely hated, for when they grind people's flour, they often intentionally throw in dirt and other yucky substances. What upsets me most is the fact that they nearly get their dog to kill the boy's dog.

This book was recommended to me by two different people. At first I wondered whether a book about trolls would be something I'd like. However, I was pleasantly surprised - and found I enjoyed it thoroughly. The fantastical creatures of Norse mythology are a refreshing change from the characters found in most contemporary fantasy. Troll Fell is set in a world where trolls are as common as mice - though considerably more dangerous!

The story begins with young Peer Ulfsson at his beloved father's funeral. Finding himself now the obligatory orphan required for most children's fiction, he goes to live with his two unpleasant uncles: Baldur and Grim. They live in an old watermill at the foot of Troll Fell - and soon put Peer to work, treating him like an unpaid slave. Fortunately, Peer has his faithful dog, Loki, with him - and soon makes friends with Hilde from a neighboring farm, whose father has just sailed off on a Viking ship. He also befriends a Nis - a mysterious little creature who cleans the mill, (badly), in return for a daily bowl of groute, (a sort of Norse porridge). Peer also makes the acquaintance of Granny Greenteeth who lives in the millpond, waiting to drag the unwary down to the bottom.

As if slaving for Grim and Baldur isn't bad enough, Peer soon discovers his uncles have more sinister plans for him; plans that involve making a nefarious deal with the trolls of Troll fell. I'll say no more - leaving you to enjoy this beautifully crafted tale for yourself. Suffice to say it all ends well, with a twist or two along the way. An excellent first novel - hopefully the first of many.

Peer Ulfsson stands at the funeral of his father, wondering what will happen to him when a big brutish man arrives claiming to be his Uncle Baldur Grimsson, the miller of Trollsvik. The twelve year old had no idea he had a relative, but Baldur with only a nasty word about his dead sibling grabs the lad to yank him back with him. The odious Baldur also takes any money Ulf left behind claiming a debt and even absconds with Peer's ring. Peer leaves with his uncle even while the funeral pyre still burns. When they reach Baldur's home, Peer meets his other uncle Grim, who lives up to his name.

Peer makes friends with the housekeeper Nis the gremlin and with Hilde, whose father is going on a sea voyage. Peer learns that his guardians intend to sell him and Hilde to the troll king who will use them as a wedding present as the trio knows that the finest gift in the land is young human slaves.

The Harry Potter crowd will enjoy this feature length fairy tale mindful of the relationship between the stepmother and Cinderella. The well-written story line hooks the audience who will wonder if the two children can find a way to trump the sneaky trolls and the nasty human adults. The trolls slyly use shadows to cause trouble while the uncles are an unpleasant pragmatic pair rivaling the cruelty of de Cruella. Still the tale belongs to two courageous children and a frightened goblin as they seek a happily ever ending.

Harriet Klausner

Troll Fell is a decent young adult book whose Norse background gives a more fresh feel to an otherwise relatively mundane plot and set of characters. Younger readers will most likely enjoy it if not be inspired or captured by it; older readers won't find much to chew on.

The story follows young Peer Ulfsson who upon his father's death is grabbed up (literally) by a pair of wicked ogrish uncles for their own hidden reasons, the most transparent of which is to use him as free labor at their run-down mill, no longer frequented by the local villagefolk who have grown tired of being cheated by the uncles. Troll Fell is also the story of similarly aged Hilde, whose family, besides having been cheated by the uncles, has a long-running feud with them over a parcel of land under which lies the local troll kingdom (and its gold). Year's ago, Hilde's father managed to escape from the underground kingdom with his life and a great golden cup and Peer's uncles have lusted after both the cup and the untapped gold it represents ever since then. When Hilde's father leaves the family to go off Viking, the uncles' plots begin to accelerate and they leave no doubt that both Peer and Hilde will rue the day those plots come to fruition.

The story moves along pretty quickly if not with a lot of spark. Scenes and characters are solidly portrayed if not particularly original or inspired. The uncles are the "starve the lad and don't spare the rod" sort of evil stepparents one would expect. Hilde and Peer are the grit-your-teeth and forge ahead despite your fears young folks we've seen before.

What adds a bit more flavor to the book are its less-often seen Norse-derived creatures. Rather than the usual elves and horsefolk etc., we have trolls and the Niss (a household spirit) and Granny Greenteeth (a shapechanging underwater spirit), among others. The trolls are a bit flat but Granny and the Nis are both well-done and the whole Norse atmosphere gives the story a more unique feel to it. The other nice touch is the relationship between the two young characters and their dogs; scenes between them, in fact, might be the most emotional and best written of the whole story.

While some young adult literature is rich enough for older teen and adult enjoyment, I think Troll Fell falls a bit short of that. Younger readers will find some suspense, older ones I suspect will see things coming and perhaps even get frustrated that Peer and Hilde do not. And neither the character development nor the plot are really rich enough or compelling enough for older experience.

In the end, it's a well-tapped story which seems a bit less tired due to its setting. A pleasant read for younger readers if not much beyond that.

The Troll Sensation

A boy gets taken by his mean, cruel uncles. Will he survive?

In the book Troll Fell a boy gets taken and his name is Peer. His uncles take him to a farm that has that has tons of leaks. One of his uncles own a mill that has a Nis. If you have seen Harry potter it is like a house elf his uncles make him do all the work. Then he gets mixed up with some Trolls. Will he make it?

My favorite part is when Peer goes with his friend Hidle and her two younger siblings to the beach and leaves his work. When Peer goes back from the beach, his uncle almost breaks his arm. I like this part because Peer left his work and had some fun. He meets some Vikings that told Hidle that her dad went to an island and hasn't come back.

I think the author's purpose is to inspire people to explore.

I think people should read this book because it has tons of surprises. I would rate this book 5 stars.

By Rian

2004 was the year of the trolls. Not literally, I suppose, but it certainly seemed that way in the world of children's literature. First Nancy Farmer (of "The House of the Scorpion" fame) came out with the fabulous, "Sea of Trolls". Then hot on her heels was the somewhat similar, "Troll Fell" by Katherine Langrish. Trollophiles everywhere could rejoice in the lovely variety of troll-laden-lit. I didn't actually read "Troll Fell" the year it was published, even though it appeared on the New York Public Library's "2005 100 Books For Reading and Sharing" list. I meant to get around to it but the moment never came up. Then the other day I was informed that Langrish had gotten around to publishing the sequel, "Troll Mill". Not wanting to fall behind in my reading I plucked a copy of "Troll Fell" from my library's shelves and sat down for a good read. What I found was a kind of Dickensian adventure transposed to either Scandinavia or the Yorkshire Dales (I'm not entirely certain which) with a whole heaping bunch of trolls, sprites, and water spirits added in for good luck. I'm confused by the people who keep writing reviews saying that this book isn't for teens. Of course it isn't! It's great children's literature. If you've a teen who wants something with fairies and frights, hand `em, "Tithe" by Holly Black. If you have kids who like a little darkness with their delights, definitely give, "Troll Fell" a try.

You would think losing your only parent would be bad enough. Peer Ulfsson's father died not long ago and his mother died when he was a baby. That's unfortunate. More unfortunate still though is where Peer is headed next. Out of nowhere a man who says he's Peer's uncle (and, unfortunately, this turns out to be true) roughly claims Peer as his own and practically drags the kid away during his own father's funeral. Worse still, Peer's not living with just one cruel heartless uncle. He's living with two! Twin uncles! It isn't long before Peer gets wind of the reason he's been so quickly claimed. It seems as if Uncles Grim and Baldur have a scheme to get their hands on a little of the gold held in the heart of the mountain Troll Fell. And they're in the mood for a trade (hint hint). If Peer can bust the scheme and avoid the countless magical and dangerous creatures lurking about his uncles' mill, he may be all right. The problem is, Peer's good heart may be little match for his uncles' cruel cunning.

The book doesn't do anything too too original, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't make for a great read. It does feel like a bit of a throwback novel. But "throwback" is just another word for "classic" sometimes. The characters are appropriately cruel or kind, though certainly none of the villains exhibit much in the way of three-dimensions. And the story is somewhat predictable, though the solution to everyone's problems at the end is cute and somewhat unexpected. The protagonists are active, rather than letting events sweep them where they may. It's actually rather difficult for me to write a review of this book in some ways. I mean, there's nothing particularly extraordinary about it just as there isn't anything particularly terrible. It's just a nice read that some kids (already into fantasy) will get into and some kids will not.

I'm always looking for good fantasy-laden books to recommend to the kiddies. For example, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" fans are always looking for something new and exciting. "Troll Fell" offers the same range of sprites and trolls with similar results. Another great recommendation for kids who like this book would be "The Boggart" by Susan Cooper (beloved by pretty much every single person who comes across it). Also take a gander at Terry Pratchett's, "The Wee Free Men" and you've a pretty great combination of freakish fairy literature. "Troll Fell" is a lovely little book, but don't expect something with the originality of Pratchett's fare or Cooper's depth. It's just a nice tale about belonging and being brave. All well and good.

Troll Fell was a good bedtime story for younger children. The storyline was good and would facinate anyone 13 or younger, but anyone older will find it dull and childish. Not only was he plot childish, but so was how it was written. There were simple phrases and no complex detail to explain something important or indepth. I gave this book 4 stars because it was generally a good book and I highly recommend it or younger kids but for the older audience I recommend you find another book.

Troll Gold
The book I am reviewing is called Troll Fell by Katherine Langish. It is a fantasy as you could probably tell by the title.
There is this boy named Peer and his dad died. His dad's half brothers come in and sell all the thing that his dad left behind for him. They then take all the money that they made selling the things. They treat him like a pig. He has to do all the chore all day and then gets starved. He gets a stale end of a loaf of bread and that is it. The two brothers are planning something about peer that seems very serious. There is another family up the road that has a girl Peer's age and two little twin one girl and one boy. The brothers terrorize the family because their dad left on a ship sailing. That's not all they have to deal with there is troll that steal milk and everything. The two brothers want two give the girl and Peer to the trolls for a big celebration. In exchange for gold, troll gold. Will the children be saved or will they be enslaved and turned into trolls, find out in this book.
This is a well suited book for all ages but the reading level might be difficult for the younger children but they will probably still understand. It is a well written book, read it you won't regret it.

Troll Fell strikes me as a sort of Cinderella story for boys...the difference in Troll Fell is that while there are magical/mythological elements, the main focus of the story isn't magical as has been the case in many books I've read of late. Troll Fell does have is that classical element of a orphaned child in a miserable situation. In Troll Fell, we meet Peer Ulfsson whose father has just passed away, in face as we join the story, the funeral pyre is still burning when Peers uncle shows up to claim the boy and doesn't even let him stay out the remainder of the funeral before dragging him back to the village, selling off his fathers things (and keeping all the money for himself). In short order Peer finds himself tied to his Uncle Baldur's cart, traveling away from the only home and people he's ever known with his bully uncle. He Arrives in Troll Fell only to find out that he's got TWO uncles, twins (Uncle Balder, the miller and Uncle Grim, the Farmer) who are miserly, living in the run down and seldom used mill with their resentful house sprite (the Nis) and like Cinderella, Peer is made to do all the work, gets little if any food and has to sleep out in the barn with the animals. From there, the similarities to Cinderella fall off and we get a more Scandinavian treatment complete with trolls, lubbers, and a lovely gem of a "monster," old Granny Greenteeth who inhabits the pond by the mill and resents the millers for daring to dam up and control her waters.

It's not soon after he arrives that he meets Hilde, a young girl his age from a neighboring farm...unfortunately for Peer, it's she is the daughter of Ralf Eiriksson, a man that his uncles have been feuding with for years over a parcel of land...the land where the Trolls and their gold (which the greedy brothers prize and covet above all else) can be found. He also overhears his uncle's plans to give him to the Troll King (along with a girl of the same age) as a wedding present/slave for his daughter and her new groom on their wedding night. From there it is up to Peer and Hilde to find a way to stop Peer's uncles, all of which is complicated by the departure of Hilde's farther on a Viking ship for a season. Will Peer and Hilde be able to thwart his uncles? Troll Fell is well worth a read to find out!!

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed Troll Fell, it was dark, full of monsters, the protagonists were clever, resourceful, and interesting in their own rights and the Uncles while some what single-sided (which is to be expected in this type of story), they were still interesting and bad...really, really bad! I particularly liked that the events didn't "magically" fix themselves, this was an active participation story...Peer and Hilde had to work to "fix" what was wrong, not just sit back and wait to be rescued. I think this is a great read for both boys and girls (ages 8-12). Younger readers would certainly enjoy this as a read aloud...unfortunately there are NO illustrations or color plates in this book (which I feel it is ideally suited for). I am of the opinion that books like this are excellent read aloud material for the 5-8 range, but a lot of the time the effort is hindered by NO illustrations, as I find that younger listeners in particular WANT pictures to look at every so often. If this were done in a slightly larger format and had some color plates about every 20 or so pages, I would be ecstatic. Older readers might not be quite so enchanted by the story (though, clearly *I* was) as it is somewhat predictable and there isn't anything overly innovative, yet the story manages to be both engaging and highly entertaining! The ending does have an interesting (though again, somewhat predictable) twist and culminates in a kind of a fuzzy/feel good way...but not so as to be nauseating or unbelievable. I read it in one night. I must stay it is VERY nice to see more Scandinavian influence in children's literature these days...much of the story is an excellent glimpse into the day to day life of a farm in the given time period (showing the cycle of planting for the farm in as much detail as the author gave details on daily diet and how children, Peer not included here, were treated, what was expected of them and how families in general lived), just a wealth of detail that is a joy to read. As it is a Cinderella fantasy involving trolls, goblins and various other northern boogie creatures is did quite well in this area, with the creation of the Troll Hill and the world underneath it! I give Troll Fell five stars, it's a fine read for kids (especially those who love fantasy), I think it's one of the best books I've read in the last 6 months (others include The Snow Spider and The Whitby Witches).