Sea of Trolls

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A novel by Nancy Farmer combining Historical Fictionn with Fantasy.

Jack is a bard's apprentice living in a village on the coast of England in The Low Middle Ages. One day said village is invaded by Vikings, who capture him as a slave. He survives captivity by demonstrating his recently-developed magical bard powers and making himself useful to the Vikings.

In the Norse town where he ends up, events transpire which lead him to accompanying several warriors on a quest into Jotunheim, the land of the Trolls.

Nancy Farmer later wrote two sequels, Land of the Silver Apples and The Islands of the Blessed.

(Wait a minute... were you actually looking for the pages on 4Chan and Something Awful?)

Tropes used in Sea of Trolls include:

• All Trolls Are Different
• Beauty Equals Goodness: Specifically subverted with Pega and Thorgil, as Jack notes that even though Pega is hideous she has a good heart and beautiful voice, and Thorgil's bad temper negates her natural beauty.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Thorgil and Jack, by the third book.
• Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: In the second book, Thorgil punches what she believes to be Garm, the dog that gaurds Hel, in the face. Her hand becomes paralyzed because of it.
• Doomed Hometown
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The Bard.
• The Fair Folk: Elves in general, but they are capable of doing a Heel Face Turn and gaining a soul.
• Heroic Fantasy
• Here There Were Dragons: In Jotunheim, however, they're still thriving.
• Historical Domain Character: King Olaf.
• The Low Middle Ages
• Made a Slave
• Mentor Occupational Hazard: Seemingly played straight, then averted in a Twist Ending. The Bard was not dead. He was actually disguised as a bird all along.
  • He actually does die in Book 3.
• Norse Mythology
• The Obi-Wan: The Bard
• Our Dragons Are Different: They live in cliffside caves and raise their young like birds. Their blood can even give you the ability to understand bird-language, as per the myth of Sigurd and Fafnir.
• Speaks Fluent Animal: Halfway through Sea of Trolls, Thorgil swallows dragon blood, giving her the ability to speak bird.
• The Time of Myths
• What Do You Mean It's for Kids?: Despite the violence, death, and disturbing imagery throughout the series, it's ostensibly written for young adolescents.
• The World Tree