See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

13 used & new from £0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Sea of Trolls
 
 

The Sea of Trolls (Hardcover)

by Nancy Farmer (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


1 new from £9.99 12 used from £0.01

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Land of the Silver Apples

Land of the Silver Apples

by Nancy Farmer
£5.49
House of the Scorpion

House of the Scorpion

by Nancy Farmer
4.5 out of 5 stars (6)  £4.99
Troll Mill (Troll Trilogy)

Troll Mill (Troll Trilogy)

by Katherine Langrish
4.3 out of 5 stars (3)  £4.49
Troll Fell

Troll Fell

by Katherine Langrish
4.5 out of 5 stars (8)  £4.49
Troll Blood (Troll Trilogy)

Troll Blood (Troll Trilogy)

by Katherine Langrish
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £5.24
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's (4 Oct 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0689860439
  • ISBN-13: 978-0689860430
  • Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 13.2 x 4.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 652,562 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Nancy Farmer’s new novel is a big, energetic, magical and breathtaking volume--a sweeping Viking adventure set in AD 793 that is rich in excitement and adventure, and which manages also to be quite funny at the same time. Farmer is a three-time Newbery Honor author in her native United States and her pedigree as a fine author is very apparent here. There’s marauding, sea-faring, kidnapping, beserking, dragon-bashing, magic and battle throughout.

Jack is a Saxon boy, apprenticed to the local bard and on the brink of harnessing his inherent magical abilities. Disaster strikes when he and his little sister Lucy are hauled away from their home in the North of England by a villainous-looking crew of Viking Berserkers led by Olaf One-Brow. Jack begins by hating his captors, for their cruelty and brutal way of living life. He is oppressed in every way, and thoroughly despised by a Viking girl in the raiding party called Thorgil who seems hell-bent on nothing more than dying a glorious death in war and ascending to Valhalla.

Jack and Lucy are hauled in front of King Ivar the Boneless and Queen Frith--a half troll with a fearsome temper--who is angered beyond measure when one of Jack’s spells causes her hair to fall out. Leaving his sister behind as a potential sacrifice, Jack must undertake a dangerous quest to the land of the Trolls in Jotunheim to seek Mimir’s Well and extract from it the elixir that could reverse his calamitous spell. There is substantial excitement and drama along the way.

It’s difficult not to be entertained by everything within these 450 pages plus. The novel encompasses such great themes, speeding the reader through fascinating Scandinavian mythology, and at the end it’s impossible to let go. Reassuring, there’s a sequel in the making. (Age 10 and over) --John McLay

Product Description
Jack, an apprentice bard and just beginning to learn the secrets of his mysterious master when he and his little sister are captured by Viking chief, Olaf One-Brow, and 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 is sent on to the kingdom of the trolls, where had to find the magical well and undo the charm he has cast on Frith. He is accompanied by Thorgill, a shield maiden, aged 12, who wants to be a berserker when she grows up. Together, they are set for a magical and exciting adventure.

See all Product Description


Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Sea of Trolls
74% buy the item featured on this page:
The Sea of Trolls 4.0 out of 5 stars (4)
Land of the Silver Apples
20% buy
Land of the Silver Apples
£5.49
House of the Scorpion
6% buy
House of the Scorpion 4.5 out of 5 stars (6)
£4.99

 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars the best children's novel of 2004, 5 Nov 2004
By A. Craig "Amanda Craig" (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Alongside Michelle Paver's Wolf Brother, this gets my vote. It draws on the same sources as Tolkien, so readers shouldn't complain that bits of it are close to the Hobbit. Yes, it's a quest, and yes there's a wizard (or bard) and even a dragon and some spiders, but it's configured differently, by someone who has her own distinctive voice. (Incidentally, if you're 12+, check out House of the Scorpion, which is the best clone novel ever.) Jack and his irritating little sister Lucy are kidnapped by Vikings, just as Jack has begun to discover his powers as a Bard. His teacher, rendered witless by a Nightmare sent by evil Queen Frith, can't help him avoid being sold off as a thrall or slave by the ferocious Olaf One-Brow or sulky shieldmaiden Thorgill. Only Jack can - if he can pull the magic out of himself.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Cross the sea, 22 Jul 2005
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Sea of Trolls (Paperback)
Thrice honored by whoever awards the Newbery award, Nancy Farmer turns her attention from Africa to medieval Norway in "The Sea of Trolls." Weaving legends and fact together, Farmer crafts a thrilling, magical, and hugely entertaining story set in the old Norse legends.

Jack was thrilled when the Bard took him on as his apprentice, especially when the strange old man taught him to do magic -- or rather, to "use the life force." (Use the Force, Jack!) But his life is suddenly thrown into disarray when an evil Nightmare drives the Bard mad, and a band of berserkers captures Jack and his little sister Lucy. Now Jack is at the questionable mercy of Olaf One-Brow, who fortunately is pleased to have captured a skald (bard).

But things go wrong again as soon as they arrive at Olaf's home. The sullen shield-maiden Thorgil gives Lucy as a present to the half-troll queen Frith, who is initially pleased by the pretty little girl. But then Jack accidently says a spell that reveals the queen's true appearance (and it's not a pretty sight). Now the queen threatens to kill Lucy unless Jack goes to the legendary Mimir's well, and finds a way to reverse the spell. But Mimir's well lies in the middle of Jotunheim, a hideous wasteland full of trolls, dragons, carnivore plants and enormous beasts.

It's hard to find a fantasy as textured as this one is. Farmer weaves history (Viking berserkers and the destruction of the Holy Isle) with legends (Jotunheim, trolls, Norse gods and Yggdrasil), and never makes you suspend your belief that it could have been like this. Plus there's a bit of Irish druidry, all wrapped up in the growing friendship between the Bard and Jack. The book is worth reading alone for the Bard's insights into nature and happiness.

But unlike many less talented writers, Farmer doesn't make everything simple. The berserkers slaughter or enslave whole villages, yet they can be kind and honorable as well. Same with the trolls. And wrapped up in her grim tale of pillage and slavery, Farmer works in some humor as well. "Just say no to pillaging"? Priceless.

Jack evolves wonderfully over the book, turning from an ordinary farm boy into a sensitive, intelligent bard. Thorgil takes a rather long time to become sympathetic, although Farmer creates a realistic background to explain why she's such a pill.

Nancy Farmer creates another classic in "Sea of Trolls," a magical blend of history and myth. Remember -- just say no to pillaging.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read Whatever Your Age, 12 Jun 2005
This review is from: The Sea of Trolls (Paperback)
This book came to my attention in The Times many months ago and I must admit to forgetting about it, until recently when I recognized it in an airport bookshop. Aimed at young adults, it is the story of Jack an apprentice bard's quest to return home. He is kidnapped early in the book by Vikings and taken back to their Fjord kingdom, where things are not as they should be. Jack is forced to undertake a quest with his captor, Olaf and a lonely shield maiden to resolve the problems and free his little sister. What comes across well in the book is the strong characterization. Good and evil are not as clear cut as they may at first seem, it is all a question of perspectives. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. If I have a criticism it is the speed with which we past through so many engagements with new personalities and places. I wanted to know more of the people and the complex Norse mythology, An easy read, but a good story.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars The Sea of Trolls
Nancy Farmer's latest book is a big disappointment after The House of Scorpions. Whilst the story is a run of the mill adventure, she lets herself down by some real howlers on... Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2006 by F. Dewhurst

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


The Rhymer and the Ravens: The...

The Rhymer and...

What would you do if you suddenly became both infinitely psychic and... Read more
£9.50 £8.55

Find similar items

 

More From Nancy Farmer

Land of the...

Land of the Silver Apples

In trying to save his sister Lucy from being thrown down a well, Jack... Read more
£6.99 £5.49

 

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver
Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates