The Sea of Trolls

Nancy Farmer

May 2005 · The Sea of Trolls Trilogy Book 1 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this eBook

“The Sea of Trolls blends ancient history and Norse epics with recognizable bits of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings” (The New York Times).

Jack is kidnapped by berserkers from his Saxon village in the year A.D. 793, an occurrence forewarned by his mentor the Bard. Captured by Viking chief Olaf One-Brow, Jack and his sister, Lucy, are swiftly taken to the court of Ivar the Boneless.

Ivar is married to a half-troll named Frith, an evil and unpredictable queen with a strange power over her husband’s court. Jack mistakenly casts a charm on her—and is banished to the kingdom of the trolls to find the magic that will undo the charm. Accompanied by Thorgill, a shield maiden who wants to be a berserker, and by the mysterious crow called Bold Heart, Jack sets out on a harrowing and exciting quest for the ages.

From National Book Award winner Nancy Farmer, this first book in the Sea of Trolls trilogy is epic fantasy at its best.

Ratings and reviews

The Sea of Trolls is a really fun and exciting book. It's full of adventure, magic, and friendship. I love the characters and the world they live in. It's a great book for kids who love fantasy and adventure.

ack 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."

Im not much of a reader but I loved this book so much, I had to write a review. The authors world building was phenomenal, pulling you into this deeply norse inspired fantasy. The characters (without spoilers) were all written fantastically with a few that I would even say are the best written characters I've ever seen. And, lastly, her attention to detail is great, making connections that truly leave me lost for words. This book is a must read if you enjoy edge of your seat stories with heavy world building, and an outstanding northern, high fantasy setting.

About the author

Nancy Farmer has written three Newbery Honor books: The Ear, the Eye and the Arm; A Girl Named Disaster; and The House of the Scorpion, which also won the National Book Award and the Printz Honor. Other books include The Lord of Opium, The Sea of Trolls, The Land of the Silver Apples, The Islands of the Blessed, Do You Know Me, The Warm Place, and three picture books for young children. She grew up on the Arizona-Mexico border and now lives with her family in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona.