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Critics' Opinion:
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First Published:
Sep 2004, 480 pages
Paperback:
May 2006, 480 pages
The year is A.D. 793; Jack and his sister have been kidnapped by Vikings and taken to the court of Ivar the Boneless and his terrifying half-troll wife; but things get even worse when Jack finds himself on a dangerous quest to find the magical Mimir's Well in a far-off land, with his sister's life forfeit if he fails.
Jack was eleven when the berserkers loomed out of the fog and nabbed him.
"It seems that things are stirring across the water," the Bard had
warned. "Ships are being built, swords are being forged."
"Is that bad?" Jack had asked, for his Saxon village had never
before seen berserkers.
"Of course. People don't make ships and swords unless they intend to
use them."
The year is A.D. 793. In the next months, Jack and his little sister, Lucy,
are enslaved by Olaf One-Brow and his fierce young shipmate, Thorgil. With a
crow named Bold Heart for mysterious company, they are swept up into an
adventure-quest that follows in the spirit of The Lord of the Rings.
Other threats include a willful mother Dragon, a giant spider, and a
troll-boar with a surprising personality -- to say nothing of Ivar the
Boneless and his wife, Queen Frith, a shape-shifting half-troll, and several
eight foot tall, orange-haired, full-time trolls. But in stories by
award-winner Nancy Farmer, appearances do deceive. She has never told a
richer, funnier tale, nor offered more timeless encouragement to young seekers
than "Just say no to pillaging."
Chapter Three
The Shadow Across The Water
"No...no..."
Jack sat up abruptly. The wind was howling outside. The house held the deep
chill that seeped into it before dawn.
"No...I won't do it...it's evil..."
Jack threw back the covers and stumbled to the other end of the house. The
Bard's bed was shaking. He saw the old man thrust up his hand as though
warding something off. "Sir! Sir! Wake up! Everything's all right."
He caught the Bard's hand.
"You won't bend me to your will! I defy you, foul troll!"
Something -- some terrible force -- flung the boy back. His head banged
against the stone, and his ears rang as though a blacksmith were pounding on
an anvil. He tasted blood.
"Oh, my stars, child! I didn't know it was you."
Jack tried to speak, choked on blood, and coughed instead.
"You're alive, thank Freya! Stay here. I'll build up the fire and make
you a healing drink."
The ringing in Jack's ears ...
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was originally compiled on the orders of King Alfred the Great in
approximately A.D. 890. It was subsequently maintained
and added to by generations of anonymous scribes until the
middle of the 12th Century. If you have any interest in British history it's
worth skimming the version at Project Guttenberg (which is
compiled from about 8 distinct versions of the Chronicle), if only to read the entries for such well
known dates as 1066.
Some people believe that the nursery rhyme, 'Jack and Jill
went up the hill to fetch a pail of water....' comes from a
Norse legend ...
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More books by Nancy Farmer
If you liked The Sea of Trolls, try these:
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Theodosia Throckmorton has her hands full at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father may be the head curator, but it is Theo—and only Theo—who is able to see all the black magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum.
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From the author of The Yellow Bird Sings, a novel based on the true stories of children stolen in the wake of World War II.
Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
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