Troll Trilogy

Story

Peer Ulfsson is alone after his father dies and struggles to survive until he meets the daring Hilde. She tells him of a legendary land called Vinland and they set sail on a Viking ship in search of it. On board, however, the atmosphere is full of ghosts, murder and mayhem.

Why we chose it

A fantasy adventure with its roots in Norse folklore.

Where it came from

Katherine Langrish grew up on the Yorkshire Dales and read widely, including fairy tales, fantasy and folklore. As a child, she created her own ‘Stories of Narnia’ (they still exist in a small blue notebook). She studied medieval literature at university and later became interested in oral storytelling for children.

Associated stories

She has also written many non-fiction essays that deal with fairy tales and folklore including contributions to the collections Inevitable Tales, New Fairy Tales and Miracle Enough. Seven Miles of Steel Thistles is a collection of her own reflections on fairy tales, the title of which is taken from an Irish tale about a boy galloping on his pony.

Other novels by Katherine Langrish include Forsaken based on the Danish legend The Forsaken Merman and Dark Angels set in the time of Richard the Lionheart and full of supernatural creatures.