Author(s): Nancy Farmer

Fiction - middle

Jack is an apprentice quickly learning about magic when his leader, the Bard, is rendered witless by Frith, the half-troll queen of the Northmen. Jack and his sister Lucy are captured by Viking chief Olaf One-Brow and taken to the Northmen't court of King Ivar the Boneless.
When Jack accidentally casts a spell that causes the evil Frith to lose her hair and human form, he must undertake a dangerous quest to the land of the trolls and seek an elixir to restore Frith and save his sister. Accompanied by the stroppy Thorgill, a 12-year-old shield maiden who wants to be a berserker, they are set for a magical and exciting adventure as they battle giant spiders, dragons and even meet the Troll Queen.
A challenging saga of Scandinavian mythology, laced with humour, for 10 years up.