The Troll King (Paperback)

by John Vornholt (Author) "THUD-SQUISH, THUD-SQUISH CAME THE HEAVY FOOTSTEPS OF the ogre as he marched down the dark, slimy tunnel..." (more)
Key Phrases: young troll, big ogre, most trolls, Stygius Rex, General Drool, Great Chasm (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A 14-year-old troll named Rollo rises to lead his enslaved race in rebellion against a cunning sorcerer in this fantasy with a rather insipid narrative. Stygius Rex, "the ultimate despot of Bonespittle," decides to expand his territory by building a bridge between his kingdom of gnomes, ogres, ghouls, trolls and such to Bonny Woods, home of their age-old enemy, the elves and fairies. Rollo, an apprentice bridge-builder, finds himself plucked from the ranks of "volunteer" labor to attempt a dangerous special assignment: flying. His surprise success earns him a spot on a scouting expedition to Bonny Woods, where he learns all is not as it seems; he befriends a fairy and faces a life-altering decision whether or not he should defy Stygius Rex. Vornholt's (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within) lickety-split plot has some imaginative twists and turns, but they're beset by thickets of clich d characters. In the end, he convinces his downtrodden countrymen to join him in a showdown with the sorcerer and his henchmen, including the dread ghoul General Drool and a giant toad named Old Belch. An overabundance of exclamation points and clumsy prose (e.g., "Unable to do anything, Rollo froze with indecision"; "The trolls muttered and groaned, then they remembered that they were important") bog down the tale. The story ends with a cliffhanger that points to a sequel. Ages 10-14. (Aug.)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-The trolls of the Dismal Swamp are the oppressed underclass of the land of Bonespittle, ruled by the evil sorcerer, Stygius Rex. They can only look back fondly to the times when they were free. Unlike most trolls, Rollo wonders why things have changed, and after he is conscripted to help build a bridge over the Great Chasm that separates Bonespittle from the Bonny Woods, home of the elves and fairies, he is able to take steps to improve the trolls' standing. Rollo learns how to fly, travels across the Great Chasm, befriends a fairy, and becomes the leader of a revolt against Stygius Rex. The first chapter that introduces the villain and his henchmen seems to be trying almost too hard to gross out readers, but then the action begins immediately with Rollo sneaking out of his house and standing up to an angry ogre. While the ending resolves Rollo's immediate problems, it leaves room for future adventures. The protagonist's underdog status, inadvertent success, and realistic coming-of-age make him an appealing character, and Vornholt gives his bad guys enough depth to show change. This book has appeal for fans of the author's "Star Trek" novels (Pocket), and the pacing and adventure make it a good choice for reluctant readers. This fantasy should be a popular addition to collections in which the genre is in demand.
Beth L. Meister, Queens Borough Public Library, Flushing, NY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743424123
• ISBN-13: 978-0743424127
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #879,356 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable light fantasy fare for the 9-12 age group, September 16, 2002

By	Jennifer Mo "ailanna" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In a time of great need, a hero will rise above his humble origins to lead his people out of oppression...

Well, in this case, the hero's name is Rollo, and he's a troll. And if you think the plot sounds familiar, it is. However, it's not a bad reincarnation of this sort of story, particularly if something like a mix between Star Wars and Redwall (with trolls and ogres instead of mice and moles) appeals to you.

Actually, what I was most reminded of while reading The Troll King were those old adventure/fantasy computer games-- colorful, entertaining, quick paced, and even sort of inclusive of those inventories in which every item becomes necessary at some point in the game. And also, like those games, rather shallow. Characters are part of the problem. Rollo is young, strong, handsome (for a troll, anyway), clever, and also honest and firmly on the side of Good. For exactly those reasons, I never found him to be an interestingly three dimensional character. And likewise with the other characters, though the evil people aren't as badly stereotyped and flat as they could have been.

There are also instances in which the author makes it painfully clear to what age group he is writing, with really unnecessary inclusions such as: "Her gutteral voice sang a sweet lullaby about picking leeches off her thigh to make a pie." Eeeeew! There are also the ghouls, magically animated corpses, who are described in some detail. And yet, exactly the things I might have gotten a kick out of when I was nine. And though there are a few amusing sides about trolls coming 'out from under the bridge,' The Troll King isn't really suitable for an adult audience, as are really good children's and YA books.

Nonetheless, there are much worse ways to spend an hour, and I think that it's very well suited to its target audience-- the younger Harry Potter fans. It has some basic lessons about loyalty and prejudice without ever getting annoyingly preachy, and is very readable. The end leaves the door wide open for a sequel, and as it promises to deal with the Bonny Woods, by far the most interesting and least explored area of Vornholt's fantasy world, I just might read it.

Ailanna

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Troll King., October 6, 2003

A Kid's Review

I liked this book because it had mystical creatures like trolls, ogres, gnomes, fairys, elves,giant toads, and wizards. The Troll King is very adventurous and a real cool book.
This book is about a troll called Rollo who is 14 and is really bulked up. Rollo goes on many different adventures. It all started when Rollo and Crawfleece(sister)goes to skim the hole(round body of water in middle of the forest). Rollo falls in and gets caught by ogres. He escapes, but now they are looking for him. He also learns to fly and use magic. Rollo meets a fairy called Clipper. I don't want to tell the rest of the story so read The Troll King.
I recommend this book to my family and friends bacause if you like adventures and fantasy books then you will love The Troll King.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book for children and adults alike, July 21, 2002

By	Dennis L. McKiernan "Author" (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a splendid, hilarious, and fast-moving story, one that takes all you think you might have known about trolls and sets it right on it's ear. It is a tale of Rollo, a rather unprepossessing troll living in the town of Bonespittal in the Dismal Swamp, who along with many other trolls is pressganged by the ogres and gnomes, under the command of the evil sorcerer Stygius Rex, into building a bridge (trolls know a lot about bridges, you see) across the great chasm to the Bonny Woods where all those horrible elves and fairys and sprites and other such dreadful beings dwell.
I'll not say any more, for I do not wish to spoil the delightful surprises that lie waiting for you within this tale. All I will say is, get it now. You'll love it. This is a five-star book, and I would give it more, but the system only allows five altogether.
~ Dennis L. McKiernan (Author of _Once Upon a Winter's Night_)