Readers' rating:
Published Oct 2009
496 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Foolish boy, whispers the cobwebby voice of the hogboon. You force me to slay you.
But Jack and Thorgil between them possess the rune of protection, and they overpower the soulless spirit who is so intent on murder and marriage, respectively. They've survived worse.
The crowning volume of the trilogy that started with The Sea of Trolls and The Land of the Silver Apples begins with a tornado (Odin on a Wild Hunt, as the young berserker Thorgil sees it). The fields of Jack's village have been devastated, the winter ahead looks bleak, and a monster — a draugr — invades the forest outside of town. What's a hogboon in comparison?
In the hands of bestselling Nancy Farmer, the direst prospects are all part of the fun as Jack, Thorgil, and the Bard set off on a quest to right the wrong of a death caused by Father Severus. Destination: Notland, realm of the fin folk, and unfortunately for the adventurers Not Always There.
"Starred Review. [A] long, beautifully written tale, expertly weaving together several story lines and informing readers new to the series of crucial plot points from the previous volumes. Even the appendix is fun. Ages 10-14." - Kirkus Reviews
"While the meditative pace this story’s complexity calls for replaces the narrative drive of the earlier books, it brings other pleasures and creates a satisfying close for the series—if indeed this is the end. Ages 10–14." - Publishers Weekly
"Farmer excels at the details that bring a magical world to life, from food to smells to travel inconveniences, and her merfolk are inhuman and powerful. Readers who appreciate strong fantasy with mythic roots will find this an intriguing read." - School library Journal
This information about The Islands of the Blessed was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Nancy was born in 1941 in Phoenix. She attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, earning her BA in 1963. Instead of taking a regular job, she joined the Peace Corps and was sent to India (1963-1965). When she returned she went to Berkeley and sold newspapers on the street for a while, then got a job in the Entomology department at UC Berkeley and also took courses in Chemistry there. Restless, again, she decided to visit Africa. She and a friend tried to hitchhike by boat but the ship they'd selected turned out to be stolen and was boarded by the Coast Guard just outside the Golden Gate Bridge. Nancy was forced to buy an airline ticket. She spent more than a year, living virtually alone, on Lake Cabora Bassa in Mozambique, monitoring water weeds. Next she was hired to help control ...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Nancy Farmer's Website
Name Pronunciation
Nancy Farmer: Nansee FAHR-muhr
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