Product Description

THE CHILDREN

FROM THE SEA OF TROLLS

BRAVE THEIR WORST

NIGHTMARES -- UNDERGROUND.

Jack is amazed to have caused an earthquake. He is thirteen, after all, and only a bard-in-training. But his sister, Lucy, has been stolen by the Lady of the Lake; stolen a second time in her young life, as he learns to his terror. Caught between belief in the old gods and Christianity (790 AD, Britain), Jack calls upon his ash wood staff to subdue a passel of unruly monks, and, for his daring, ends up in a knucker hole. It is unforgettable -- for the boy and for readers -- as are the magical reappearance of the berserker Thorgil from a burial by moss; new characters Pega, a slave girl from Jack's village, and the eager-to-marry-her Bugaboo (a hobgoblin king); kelpies; yarthkins; and elves (not the enchanted sprites one would expect but the fallen angels of legend). Rarely does a sequel enlarge so brilliantly the world of the first story. Look for the conclusion in The Islands of the Blessed in 2009.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #177303 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-21
• Format: Deckle Edge
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 496 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416907350
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Safely returned from his perilous stint among Northmen, 12-year-old Jack reflects, "That's the nature of adventures. . . . They're nasty while they're happening and only fun later." For readers, though, there's satisfaction in both the nasty and the fun, and this sequel to The Sea of Trolls (2004) offers full measures of both. After Jack learns that his often-bratty little sis is a changeling (and that his real sister likely dwells with hobgoblins), a misguided exorcism results in Lucy's disappearance. Then the young bard must descend into the out-of-time Land of the Silver Apples to retrieve both of his lost siblings. In that richly imagined realm, surprises include a reunion with shield-maiden Thorgil as well as creatures whose appearances deceive—shape-shifting knuckers; hideous yet likable hobgoblins; and lovely, soulless elves, whose inability to grow or age tinges their existence with tragedy. Occasionally, one wishes for a greater range of emotional tone to the predicaments, which plunge Jack into deep despair perhaps too consistently, but Farmer beautifully balances pell-mell action and quieter thematic points, especially the drawbacks of immortality and the wild tangle of Christian and pagan traditions in eighth-century Britain. Like the druidic life force Jack taps, this hearty adventure, as personal as it is epic, will cradle readers in the "hollow of its hand." Mattson, Jennifer

Review
"Jack, Pega, and Thorgil prove strong and capable in ways they themselves never suspected, and readers will look forward to the final installment."-- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

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, in 2002, also won the National Book Award. Other books include 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 Menlo Park, California.

Customer Reviews

A wonderful sequel to a great book.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and didn't want it to end. The characters were very lifelike and had me thinking about them long after I put the book down. I did not like this quite as much as The Sea of Trolls but that is because of the wonderful Vikings. I loved the Vikings and the honesty with which they were written.

I am an adult and I read these books at the recommendation of my 12 year old son. I think girls would enjoy it too with the strong female characters.

The rare, wonderful middle book.
I love this woman. I love every single thing she's written, albeit some more than others, so I am admittedly very biased when it comes to her works.

The book takes place after The Sea of Trolls when, among other things, Jack's sister Lucy is taken by elves and he has to travel underground to their lands to get her back.

The Land of the Silver Apples is such a good middle book. The story moves along at a great pace, and not once did I want to put it down. She has a delicate touch with the religious issues inherent in writing in this time period (Christian vs. Druidic vs. Nordic), and writes each in such a way that none of them are put down. It's quite lovely to not have to put up with an author hammering their beliefs down my throat.

I also adored her take on elves. I've never seen anything like it. Very refreshing and original, things quite lacking in the general portrayal of elves.

All her vivid, distinct characters are what really what give this book it's umph, though. Jack has matured, though he still has a lot of growing up to do, and seeing the great variety of characters through is alternately wise, sympathetic, jealous, and juvenile-ly hateful perspectives is just wonderful. A great amount of the cast from the Sea of Trolls returns, and the new additions to the cast are fully-fleshed and original.

The only disappointment I had was that there wasn't a greater role for the Picts. Or, rather, the Pictish Beast. ...it just seemed odd that one of the chapter headers was a Pictish Beast, it's mentioned once in a chapter, it's in the glossary, but... there's nothing else on it. Well, I guess it's such an indistinct beastie that I can say I wouldn't have wanted to tackle it myself.

All in all, another amazing book from an amazing author. I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for the next book!

the land of the silver apples kcs
The lady held out her arms, and Lucy ran. Jack tried to catch her and so did Father, but he was too injured to stand. The elf lady swept Lucy up and, with a triumphant cry, leaped into the waters. The last of the stream slithered over the edge like the tail of a snake and disappeared.
Jack is a 13 year old boy, who is getting trained by the Bard. He has done miraculous things in his young life, and has been on great adventures. When Jack performs an earthquake out of rage, Lucy who is Jack's sister gets taken by the Lady of the Lake. Lucy is stolen from Jack for the second time in his life. Jack once again has a mission to save his little sister and to get water back to King Yffi's kingdom. The blame was on Jack when all the water has been taken by the Lady of the Lake, and King Yffi sent Jack down the trail to Elfland, to somehow get the water back from her. He never knew that he would encounter many more adventures involving elves, hobgoblins, kelpies and more. Will Jack save his sister, even with the surprising information he received about her? And will he be able to restore the water to King Yffi's Kingdom?
The title is another name for Elfland, which is where Jack is for a while in this book. He also is in the Hobgoblin's home and King Yffi's kingdom. Jack is always on the move or trying to escape in this book, so he's in a lot of places traveling to fulfill his missions. The time was a while ago, in about 790 AD. It is written in a debate about Christianity. Jack's family is all Christian, but the Bard doesn't believe in it. Jack is still trying to figure out where he lays as far as religion. The pacing is at a steady pace throughout the book.
Nancy Farmer is a great author. I loved all of her books, and think that she has great writing technique. She's good at details of how people look, and how people feel. I wasn't sure if the sequel to The Sea of Trolls would be as good as the original book, but I was surprised. She wrote a great book, and I would recommend this book to people who like Nancy Farmer's writing and to people who have read The Sea of Trolls.