Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Feb 2006
288 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Fifteen-year-old Peer Ulfsson is haunted by his past. Forced to live with his evil uncles under the eerie shadows of Troll Fell, he nearly fell prey to their plan to sell children to the trolls. Now Peer lives with his friend Hilde's family, but can he ever truly belong? And will Hilde ever share his deeper feelings?
One rainy night, Peer watches in shock as his neighbor Kersten pushes her baby daughter into his arms and then disappears into the sea. Rumor says that Kersten is a seal woman who has returned to her ocean home, and the millpond witch, Granny Green-teeth, seems intent on taking the "seal baby." Peer also discovers that the mill, abandoned when his uncles joined the troll kingdom, is running again -- all on its own?
With angry trolls, mysterious seal people, a mischievous house spirit, and three unusual babies in the mix, Peer and Hilde have their hands full and more! Katherine Langrish returns to the magical world of her acclaimed debut, troll fell, in this second story set in an extraordinary land by the sea filled with Viking legends and lore.
"The narrative is tightly woven and more intense than that of its predecessor, and despite the presence of selkies, household fairies, and uncanny babies, the drama is centered around human struggles. In the tradition of Scandinavian myth and folklore, the conclusion is poignant and true, with enough open-endedness for another sequel." - School Library Journal
"Starred Review. The icing on the cake is an irresistible cover: lush, fanciful, and creepy in equal measure, it captures the best qualities of Langrish's evocative world." - Booklist
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Katherine Langrish grew up in Yorkshire, England and has
been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She graduated from London
University in 1979 with a First in English, and worked in an assortment of odd
jobs including waitressing, teaching riding, and six years as Information
Officer for Lloyd's Register of Ships in London. This last was an entertaining
post dealing with an assortment of the ship-crazed public, including a man who
claimed he could see shipwrecks with his ‘magic eye.’
Married with two daughters, in 1992 Langrish moved to France with her family
and became involved in a storytelling group providing weekly stories, drama and
activities for children. And the storytelling continued when the family
relocated ...
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