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Troll Mountain #1-3
Troll Mountain
A young hero.
Barbaric monsters.
An impossible quest.
In a remote valley, a tribe of humans is being killed off by a terrible disease.
There is a rumour that the trolls of Troll Mountain have a cure for the illness: a miraculous elixir.
When Raf's sister gets sick and his tribal leaders refuse to help him, he makes a courageous decision. He sets out on his own for Troll Mountain ... to steal the elixir.
The journey to the mountain has begun ...
Barbaric monsters.
An impossible quest.
In a remote valley, a tribe of humans is being killed off by a terrible disease.
There is a rumour that the trolls of Troll Mountain have a cure for the illness: a miraculous elixir.
When Raf's sister gets sick and his tribal leaders refuse to help him, he makes a courageous decision. He sets out on his own for Troll Mountain ... to steal the elixir.
The journey to the mountain has begun ...
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 2014
170 people are currently reading
2054 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Reilly
68 books6,261 followersBorn in Sydney in 1974, Matthew Reilly was not always a big fan of reading. It was only after he read To Kill A Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies in Year 10 that he realised reading could transport you to another world. Following this revelation, Matthew soon began creating stories of his own and set about writing his first novel, Contest, at the age of 19 while still at university studying law.
Following rejections from all the major publishers, Matthew self-published Contest in 1996, printing 1000 copies. He produced a big-budget-looking novel which he sold into bookshops throughout Sydney, one shop at a time.
In January 1997, a Commissioning Editor for Pan Macmillan Australia walked into Angus & Robertson's Pitt Street Mall store and bought a copy of Contest. The editor tracked Matthew down through his contact details in the front of the book. Interestingly, those original self-published editions of Contest have now become much sought after collectors' items. One recently sold on eBay for $1200!
Matthew Reilly is now the internationally bestselling author of the Scarecrow novels: Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and the novella Hell Island; the Jack West novels: Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, and The Three Secret Cities; and the standalone novels Contest, Temple, Hover Car Racer, The Tournament, Troll Mountain, The Great Zoo of China and The Secret Runners of New York.
His books are published in over 20 languages with worldwide sales of over 7 million copies.
Since Seven Ancient Wonders in 2005, Matthew's novels have been the biggest selling new fiction title released in Australia for that year.
Matthew has also written several short stories, including Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl, a special free prequel to The Tournament which is available online. Other short stories include Time Tours, The Mine and the hyper-adrenalised romp, Altitude Rush.
He owns and drives a DeLorean DMC-12, the car made famous in the Back to the Future movies. He also has a life-sized Han Solo in carbonite hanging on the wall of his office! When not writing or penning a film script, Matthew can be found on the golf course.
Matthew Reilly is currently living in Los Angeles.
(source: Amazon)
Following rejections from all the major publishers, Matthew self-published Contest in 1996, printing 1000 copies. He produced a big-budget-looking novel which he sold into bookshops throughout Sydney, one shop at a time.
In January 1997, a Commissioning Editor for Pan Macmillan Australia walked into Angus & Robertson's Pitt Street Mall store and bought a copy of Contest. The editor tracked Matthew down through his contact details in the front of the book. Interestingly, those original self-published editions of Contest have now become much sought after collectors' items. One recently sold on eBay for $1200!
Matthew Reilly is now the internationally bestselling author of the Scarecrow novels: Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and the novella Hell Island; the Jack West novels: Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, and The Three Secret Cities; and the standalone novels Contest, Temple, Hover Car Racer, The Tournament, Troll Mountain, The Great Zoo of China and The Secret Runners of New York.
His books are published in over 20 languages with worldwide sales of over 7 million copies.
Since Seven Ancient Wonders in 2005, Matthew's novels have been the biggest selling new fiction title released in Australia for that year.
Matthew has also written several short stories, including Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl, a special free prequel to The Tournament which is available online. Other short stories include Time Tours, The Mine and the hyper-adrenalised romp, Altitude Rush.
He owns and drives a DeLorean DMC-12, the car made famous in the Back to the Future movies. He also has a life-sized Han Solo in carbonite hanging on the wall of his office! When not writing or penning a film script, Matthew can be found on the golf course.
Matthew Reilly is currently living in Los Angeles.
(source: Amazon)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
March 27, 2025
I get the criticism. It is a far cry from his usual work. But that’s kind of the point. I loved it.
Yes, it is a very simple writing style.
Yes, it is a very straight-forward story.
But, it is done well.
The characters are crisp and to the point.
The world building is sweet.
And the action scenes are cool.
Matthew Reilly is a really good writer and even out of his comfort zone, he is able to create a marvelous world where trolls and goblins roam the world. This did what any good story should do: it sucked me in and never let go until the end.
Yes, it is a very simple writing style.
Yes, it is a very straight-forward story.
But, it is done well.
The characters are crisp and to the point.
The world building is sweet.
And the action scenes are cool.
Matthew Reilly is a really good writer and even out of his comfort zone, he is able to create a marvelous world where trolls and goblins roam the world. This did what any good story should do: it sucked me in and never let go until the end.
May 30, 2017
I think this is a great read if you want something fast paced, quick to finish and not too in-depth.
If you're an epic Fantasy buff, this isn't for you.
If you don't normally read Fantasy (like myself) and want a good intro to the genre, this is for you.
While it's written in a YA language format, it carries some heavy adult social themes so I found it easy to connect with.
Great characters, great thrilling scenes and if you commit you could finish it in a day or a weekend.
If you're an epic Fantasy buff, this isn't for you.
If you don't normally read Fantasy (like myself) and want a good intro to the genre, this is for you.
While it's written in a YA language format, it carries some heavy adult social themes so I found it easy to connect with.
Great characters, great thrilling scenes and if you commit you could finish it in a day or a weekend.
May 18, 2014
I couldn't finish it. This was a YA book written in a straight forward and uncomplicated manner. This is the reason I avoid YA novels. My experience has been that the tend to less complex with simple dialogue. While I was somewhat interested, I was ultimately bored. This is not really a knock on the book but an indication this book wasn't written for me.
May 28, 2017
I love Matthew Reilly and, rather desperate for a 'hit', I thought I'd give this a whirl even though it's YA. It was as fast and as fun as his adult reads and entertained for a few hours - 3 stars just cos it was slightly simplistic, but then it is YA! ;)
March 16, 2021
প্রথম পড়া ম্যাথিউ রাইলি ছিল এটা। স্বভাবসিদ্ধ একশনের বাইরেও একটা গল্প ছিল বইটায়। কলেবর ছোট বলে গল্প-একশনে ভারসাম্য ছিল ঠিকঠাক। কম সময়ে পড়ে নেয়ার জন্য চমৎকার একটা বই।
November 30, 2022
Елементарна и детска книжка, но достатъчно интересна за да я чете човек, че даже и да остане с добро чувство след края й, ако пренебрегне множеството логически и други недостатъци и просто се остави на приказката.
December 18, 2015
Good, but strictly for kids :)
December 27, 2018
A great book for kids... considering adding this to my Literature Circles book collection!
August 24, 2014
Audiobook from Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
Narrated by Sean Mangan
Length: About 4.5 hours
I've never heard of Matthew Reilly, but apparently he's a fairly big author from Australia. The buzz on the internet (based on other reviews at Goodreads and Wikipedia) is that he's mostly know for action thriller-type books, and apparently his books are well-researched and quite deep. That isn't the case with this book, Troll Mountain: The Complete Novel. That said, I get the impression that his other books are not young adult books, so maybe that's why.
Originally written as a serialized novel (split into three parts), Troll Mountain is the story of Raf, a youth from a small village, and his quest to get an elixir for his sick sister. To get this elixir, he must defy his village elders and make his way to Troll Mountain, a mountain fortress guarded by...yes, trolls. The sickness (which turns out to be something like scurvy) has impacted not just Raf's sister but others in his village, caused in part because the trolls have dammed the river that feeds the village. They also claim to have come up with a cure for the sickness, but exact a costly price--one life in exchange for a vial. During his quest, Raf makes friends with a hermit, Ko, who is a wise elder figure. He also makes unlikely friends with a troll who was exiled from Troll Mountain, Doom. Together, the three take on the trolls and hope to save the day. Along the way, Raf also learns about stereotypes and about knowledge-seeking, and not taking everything you've heard second-hand at face-value.
This book is a short stand-alone novel. It's a fairly generic, semi-predictable tale of an orphan boy on a quest to save his village. It does appear that the author has left some hooks in the book to write pre-quels and/or sequels, though. The world is setup as a fairly primitive land with a history where people seemed to be the humans of today. It also ends in a predictable manner but in a way that could explore "what happens next" if Reilly desired to re-visit this world. Throughout the quest, Ko tries to give Raf lessons about life, though it seems that sometimes even Ko doesn't follow his own lessons. For example, there was "common knowledge" that the mountains in the North went on forever, but when Raf realized they didn't, Ko didn't believe him and seemed shocked. This was a bit of a flaw in Ko's character and made him seem inconsistent. There was another lesson that Ko tried to impart, about the difference between cleverness and wisdom, that didn't really come to much fruition. The other "morals" that were fairly generically written all came back around by the end of the story.
All in all, this was an ok book. It was too obvious what was going to happen, and the world nor characters weren't particularly well-developed. They ended up feeling a little flat, a little too predictable. More frustrating, the sense of struggle or real danger was never there while I listened. It seemed like Raf was going to get through every obstacle a little too easily, and his survival/success were never in question. I realize that it was written for a young adult audience. I think that if I'd read it when I was 9 or 10, it might have felt less flat, as I was a far less mature reader in general and longer books with numerous details would have probably lost me or at least, not been fully appreciated/understood. So, this is probably an OK book for a younger reader who's never read the genre and isn't looking for complexity. I'm not sure that I can really recommend it for experienced readers of the genre.
I should make a comment on the narration. The narrator was a bit slow for me. He would pause after each sentence for longer than I expected. Also, some of his pronunciation was a bit odd, but that might be because he was Australian. Anyway, I ended up using the faster audio speed setting within the iPhone playback and it worked reasonably well. The narration was fine if nothing particularly special.
Narrated by Sean Mangan
Length: About 4.5 hours
I've never heard of Matthew Reilly, but apparently he's a fairly big author from Australia. The buzz on the internet (based on other reviews at Goodreads and Wikipedia) is that he's mostly know for action thriller-type books, and apparently his books are well-researched and quite deep. That isn't the case with this book, Troll Mountain: The Complete Novel. That said, I get the impression that his other books are not young adult books, so maybe that's why.
Originally written as a serialized novel (split into three parts), Troll Mountain is the story of Raf, a youth from a small village, and his quest to get an elixir for his sick sister. To get this elixir, he must defy his village elders and make his way to Troll Mountain, a mountain fortress guarded by...yes, trolls. The sickness (which turns out to be something like scurvy) has impacted not just Raf's sister but others in his village, caused in part because the trolls have dammed the river that feeds the village. They also claim to have come up with a cure for the sickness, but exact a costly price--one life in exchange for a vial. During his quest, Raf makes friends with a hermit, Ko, who is a wise elder figure. He also makes unlikely friends with a troll who was exiled from Troll Mountain, Doom. Together, the three take on the trolls and hope to save the day. Along the way, Raf also learns about stereotypes and about knowledge-seeking, and not taking everything you've heard second-hand at face-value.
This book is a short stand-alone novel. It's a fairly generic, semi-predictable tale of an orphan boy on a quest to save his village. It does appear that the author has left some hooks in the book to write pre-quels and/or sequels, though. The world is setup as a fairly primitive land with a history where people seemed to be the humans of today. It also ends in a predictable manner but in a way that could explore "what happens next" if Reilly desired to re-visit this world. Throughout the quest, Ko tries to give Raf lessons about life, though it seems that sometimes even Ko doesn't follow his own lessons. For example, there was "common knowledge" that the mountains in the North went on forever, but when Raf realized they didn't, Ko didn't believe him and seemed shocked. This was a bit of a flaw in Ko's character and made him seem inconsistent. There was another lesson that Ko tried to impart, about the difference between cleverness and wisdom, that didn't really come to much fruition. The other "morals" that were fairly generically written all came back around by the end of the story.
All in all, this was an ok book. It was too obvious what was going to happen, and the world nor characters weren't particularly well-developed. They ended up feeling a little flat, a little too predictable. More frustrating, the sense of struggle or real danger was never there while I listened. It seemed like Raf was going to get through every obstacle a little too easily, and his survival/success were never in question. I realize that it was written for a young adult audience. I think that if I'd read it when I was 9 or 10, it might have felt less flat, as I was a far less mature reader in general and longer books with numerous details would have probably lost me or at least, not been fully appreciated/understood. So, this is probably an OK book for a younger reader who's never read the genre and isn't looking for complexity. I'm not sure that I can really recommend it for experienced readers of the genre.
I should make a comment on the narration. The narrator was a bit slow for me. He would pause after each sentence for longer than I expected. Also, some of his pronunciation was a bit odd, but that might be because he was Australian. Anyway, I ended up using the faster audio speed setting within the iPhone playback and it worked reasonably well. The narration was fine if nothing particularly special.
January 6, 2019
This was a fast-paced, very straight forward fantasy quest following our young hero, Raf, as he seeks the cure to his sister's illness hidden within Troll Mountain. It read more on the younger-YA side (could even be middle-grade if you don't mind the troll fighting that goes on). Glad I read it.
December 28, 2019
A far cry from Matthew Reilly's usual tales of high octane pedal-to-the-medal action, Troll Mountain trades the guns for swords and the bad guys for the aforementioned trolls. Unfortunately it also trades the blockbuster action and sharp writing that Reilly normal brings to the table with a fairly cookie cutter fantasy story full of thinly veiled social commentary - at one point Raf the main character literally ponders "It made him wonder if people accept what they are told too quickly"!
While it is a blisteringly quick read that one can finish in a few short hours that doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be read at all. I'd only recommend this to those still in primary school or only the most diehard Matthew Reilly fans (and even then I'd still try and dissuade you).
It still manages to get 1/5 stars from me as it gave me my favourite quote of 2019 (right at the finish line!)
"It will be quite nice to discuss philosophy with an equal mind" - Vilmar the field troll
While it is a blisteringly quick read that one can finish in a few short hours that doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be read at all. I'd only recommend this to those still in primary school or only the most diehard Matthew Reilly fans (and even then I'd still try and dissuade you).
It still manages to get 1/5 stars from me as it gave me my favourite quote of 2019 (right at the finish line!)
"It will be quite nice to discuss philosophy with an equal mind" - Vilmar the field troll
December 2, 2022
Имах нужда точно от такава динамична експлозивна история, с много бързо развитие и ясен край :D Прекрасната способност на Матю Райли да те държи в напрежение и да скачаш от стола, когато главният герой скача от скалата, е причината да избирам все още негови книги. В тази книга отново имаме супер динамика, опасности, невъзможни скокове и още по-невероятни битки, докато главният герой Раф се опитва да вземе спасителния еликсир от големите страшни тролове. Правейки план в последния момент, приятел на Раф успява да му помогне да се измъкне от невъзможни ситуации. И накрая даже се прокраднаха чудесни теми за размисъл - поставяне под въпрос влиянието на авторитетите, социалната йерархия и общоприетите възгледи.
July 29, 2021
A fantastic story I really enjoyed it I thought it was going to be a children's version of a story but it had me gripped from beginning to end and it was really really good I couldn't put it down.
August 12, 2016
As an avid reader of Matthew Reilly's novels (e.g Temple, Seven Deadly Wonders), this fell a little flat for me. Actually it fell more than a little flat - it was disappointing. It started off with promise but from then on, the plot was executed poorly. The main problem was with the dialogue and the writing though.
I realize this is YA and that the language would be a little...simplistic but Troll Mountain was just completely dumbed-down. And I know Matthew Reilly could do better - there's a reason I'm obsessed with his books.
2.85 stars. Because I still enjoyed reading the book even though towards the end, I felt like I wasted my time.
I realize this is YA and that the language would be a little...simplistic but Troll Mountain was just completely dumbed-down. And I know Matthew Reilly could do better - there's a reason I'm obsessed with his books.
2.85 stars. Because I still enjoyed reading the book even though towards the end, I felt like I wasted my time.
November 12, 2015
I'm finished with Troll Mountain: finished Troll Mountain in one sitting as always Matt Reilly always treats us to a good tale and shows us his versatility as a writer this tale is no exception i will give it five stars
August 1, 2020
A good story - a recomended read... Some people may not like the simple story, but I found it a good read.
One of my favourite stories - just love this story and Raf. Well done.
One of my favourite stories - just love this story and Raf. Well done.
December 18, 2017
হাজার বার ৫ তারা দিয়েও দেখি ২ তারা হয়ে যাচ্ছে, বুঝলাম না, ক্লিয়ার করেও এই অবস্থা! -_- যাক, ৪ তারা দিয়ে দেখি কি হয়। পছন্দের বই, হুদাই এই অবস্থা দেইখা মেজাজ বিলা হইতেসে আমার।
January 9, 2019
This is a wonderful, cathartic read.
We follow Raf on his journey to save his sister. It has all the ingredients of a great fantasy fable with the addition of a lovely moral, one not usual to fantasy.
I really enjoyed it, it was so easy to read and I really appreciated the lessons learnt by the characters along the way. This is amazing for Reilly's first attempt at fantasy in comparison to what he usually writes. Is he simply good at everything?
Hopefully there is more fantasy to come, and hopefully even more growth in his writing.
We follow Raf on his journey to save his sister. It has all the ingredients of a great fantasy fable with the addition of a lovely moral, one not usual to fantasy.
I really enjoyed it, it was so easy to read and I really appreciated the lessons learnt by the characters along the way. This is amazing for Reilly's first attempt at fantasy in comparison to what he usually writes. Is he simply good at everything?
Hopefully there is more fantasy to come, and hopefully even more growth in his writing.
April 2, 2025
Fun and easy Action, Fantasy Fable. A true hero’s journey with lessons on authority, social structure and questioning beliefs while encouraging learning and exploration. This was a delight to read, it’s aimed at a young audience, definitely something you could read to someone under 10 but still enjoy in an afternoon as an adult
November 17, 2018
It was a short read that is better described as middle grade, rather than young adult. It’s a fantasy story about a village who’s people fall ill (to scurvy), and a boy who sets out to find the elixir. It’s prefect for fans of “Rowan of Rin” and “Deltora Quest”.
January 28, 2024
What a great novella. Full of adventure and fast paced action we see our hero Raf having to venture to Troll mountain to get the magic elixir from the trolls to save his sister. He meets a few people/creatures along the way that become friends and some enemies as well
August 22, 2019
3,5/5 :)
November 11, 2023
3.5 stars
October 28, 2024
Old school fantasy story told like it was meant to be read around a camp fire to kids
November 14, 2024
Great short read for 213 pages. However, I felt like the characters were lacking something to make it a great read.
March 20, 2025
At first I didn’t enjoy the simplistic prose and writing style but then found it to be cozy. It truly felt like a bedtime story I would want to share with my kids.
February 18, 2024
Fun read nothing too special 3.5⭐
May 15, 2024
Audiobook. A quick, fun adventure!
August 19, 2019
A simple fable with a little action adventure thrown in. I wish I had known this was pitched so young I would have read it with my daughter although there is a fair bit of plunging to death on spikes. It was a plea sent enough way to spend the evening.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews