What do you think?
Rate this book
Troll Trilogy #1
Troll Fell
A secret kingdom of trolls, and their legendary gold, lies in the mysterious shadows of Troll Fell. It is to this eerie and dangerous place that Peer must go after his father's sudden death, to live with his greedy uncles, Baldur and Grim, at their mill. When Peer discovers his uncles' plan to sell children to the trolls, he has to bury his fears and set out to stop them somehow. In a world filled with magic and mystery, Peer has only his bravery, his wits, and two new allies -- a daring girl looking for adventure and a mischievous house spirit looking for a good meal. Their story will become part of the legends and lore that fill this extraordinary land by the sea.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2004
22 people are currently reading
1292 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
August 12, 2012
Troll Fell is a wonderful book that, while having it's roots in Nordic folklore, it pays homage more to the fairy tales of The Brothers Grimm and to Darby O'Gill and the Good People by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh.
It's an exciting fantastical adventure story of Peer Ulfsson and his dog, Loki, and his frightening twin uncles Baldur and Grim Grimsson, their ferocious dog, Grendel, and their whimsical involvement with the trolls of Troll Fell.
Katherine Langrish is a smooth storyteller who mixes the charm of the tales of old with a fresh and modern subtle wit. This is the first book of a trilogy, which I understand leads to unexpected places with unpredictable results. I have not read the books that follow but I feel very confident this is going to be a fantastic series!
Highly recommended!!!!!
February 21, 2024
My thoughts:
After stumbling through Icarceron, I was really in the mood for something less ambiguous. I was looking for a fun, exciting but comprehendible read, and boy did I find one!
Troll Fell, the first book in the Troll Trilogy by Katherine Langrish, has all the ingredients for being an awesome fantasy series. There’s a simple plot filled with exciting action, memorable characters (including two near-perfect MCs, Peer and Hilde) a good dose of mythology and folklore, and a great ending. I devoured this book easily and eagerly look forward to the two remaining books in the series, Troll Mill and Troll Blood.
This book was very engaging from beginning to end. There were twists and turns, yes, but you know how some authors just love to keep readers on the edge of their seat to the point that their books start to get “plot-whiplash”? That doesn’t happen here. The story is exciting but easy to follow at the same time. So no whiplash!
Both of the MCs, Peer and Hilde, are 12 years old. From what I understand, in the fashion of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Septimus Heap (to name a few), they age over the progression of the series. Adults, don’t feel silly reading about 12-year-olds – they’re gonna grow up! Heck, don’t feel silly reading about 12-year-olds at all! Kids are AWESOME! The villains of the book, Peer’s wicked, money-hungry uncles, are a little on the Stereotypical Villain side, but I think you kind of expect that in a YA/MG story. I don’t really care if villains are one-sided or anything, as long as they’re entertaining and (if it’s marketed to kids/teens) not too disturbing. I will say, though, that I was kind of expecting more troll action, so I was a bit surprised that I didn’t really see the trolls until close to the climax of the story – even though the books *is* called Troll Fell. I think that actually worked in this setup, because by not showing the trolls until later, the story builds up on the suspense, and you get to the point where you’re just expecting them to JUMP out at any moment! Oh, and here’s something you RARELY see in YA/MG: useful grownups! Yeah, what a concept! Parents who are 1) not dead, and 2) useful! I don’t want to get too specific, but there’s a point close to the end where the parent characters make themselves quite useful! So that was incredibly refreshing
Amelialand Rating:
V: Nothing really out of the ordinary. Peer gets smacked around by his uncles, but everything remains around PG-level
S: none whatsoever – G
L: I don’t recall anything off the top of my head. That’s always nice! Hey authors, just don’t have your characters cuss, okay?! It’s not necessary!
Final rating: 4.5/5. An awesome read for kids and grownups alike! Highly recommended! Next time you’re at your library, or surfing Amazon, or wherever else you turn to for your next reading material, I hope you’ll remember this fun series! :)
After stumbling through Icarceron, I was really in the mood for something less ambiguous. I was looking for a fun, exciting but comprehendible read, and boy did I find one!
Troll Fell, the first book in the Troll Trilogy by Katherine Langrish, has all the ingredients for being an awesome fantasy series. There’s a simple plot filled with exciting action, memorable characters (including two near-perfect MCs, Peer and Hilde) a good dose of mythology and folklore, and a great ending. I devoured this book easily and eagerly look forward to the two remaining books in the series, Troll Mill and Troll Blood.
This book was very engaging from beginning to end. There were twists and turns, yes, but you know how some authors just love to keep readers on the edge of their seat to the point that their books start to get “plot-whiplash”? That doesn’t happen here. The story is exciting but easy to follow at the same time. So no whiplash!
Both of the MCs, Peer and Hilde, are 12 years old. From what I understand, in the fashion of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Septimus Heap (to name a few), they age over the progression of the series. Adults, don’t feel silly reading about 12-year-olds – they’re gonna grow up! Heck, don’t feel silly reading about 12-year-olds at all! Kids are AWESOME! The villains of the book, Peer’s wicked, money-hungry uncles, are a little on the Stereotypical Villain side, but I think you kind of expect that in a YA/MG story. I don’t really care if villains are one-sided or anything, as long as they’re entertaining and (if it’s marketed to kids/teens) not too disturbing. I will say, though, that I was kind of expecting more troll action, so I was a bit surprised that I didn’t really see the trolls until close to the climax of the story – even though the books *is* called Troll Fell. I think that actually worked in this setup, because by not showing the trolls until later, the story builds up on the suspense, and you get to the point where you’re just expecting them to JUMP out at any moment! Oh, and here’s something you RARELY see in YA/MG: useful grownups! Yeah, what a concept! Parents who are 1) not dead, and 2) useful! I don’t want to get too specific, but there’s a point close to the end where the parent characters make themselves quite useful! So that was incredibly refreshing
Amelialand Rating:
V: Nothing really out of the ordinary. Peer gets smacked around by his uncles, but everything remains around PG-level
S: none whatsoever – G
L: I don’t recall anything off the top of my head. That’s always nice! Hey authors, just don’t have your characters cuss, okay?! It’s not necessary!
Final rating: 4.5/5. An awesome read for kids and grownups alike! Highly recommended! Next time you’re at your library, or surfing Amazon, or wherever else you turn to for your next reading material, I hope you’ll remember this fun series! :)
July 27, 2016
I was really disappointed with this book. If it was meant for young preteens it's a little dark. It addresses family abuse both mental and physical, death, theft, and selfishness. That was all in the first chapter and it didn't get better at any point. There was really no lightheartedness to help the mood of the book and enable the reader to have hope for the protagonist.
Now the protagonist, who is 12 years old, is one of the dumbest and cowardly kids I have read about. Even my own children who are younger than this character would have been able to figure out some of the issues and come up with a solution sooner. He is ruled by his many fears and accepts his new life with nothing more than a few quip words.
Now as for the world Katherine created for this story. I really like some of the ideas that she had and wished that more could have been done with it. There seemed to be more developement with more of the creatures that were not trolls than there were with the trolls themselves. Most of that development came as hearsay. Katherine has potential as a writer, but this book is not worth the time to read.
Now the protagonist, who is 12 years old, is one of the dumbest and cowardly kids I have read about. Even my own children who are younger than this character would have been able to figure out some of the issues and come up with a solution sooner. He is ruled by his many fears and accepts his new life with nothing more than a few quip words.
Now as for the world Katherine created for this story. I really like some of the ideas that she had and wished that more could have been done with it. There seemed to be more developement with more of the creatures that were not trolls than there were with the trolls themselves. Most of that development came as hearsay. Katherine has potential as a writer, but this book is not worth the time to read.
October 10, 2022
The words magically leap off the page.
November 21, 2020
I fell in love with this book the first time I read it as a 12-year-old and I continue to revisit it. It’s rare these days to find original stories that contain classic monsters like trolls and selkis that have the feel of a timeless children’s fairytale.
July 4, 2016
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
Peer Ulfsson's father just passed away when he is whisked away from everything he loves by his two terrible uncles Baldur and Grim. When Peer discovers that they're planning on selling himself and his new friend, Hilde, as slaves to the trolls, he needs to come up with a plan to stop them before it's to late.
The book was a fast read, definitely targeted at a younger audience. I was hoping for more trolls, but it was mostly focused on Peer and his two uncles being terrible to him. Peer really bothered me, he was such a big coward! I understand that he is only 12, but come on man, stand up for yourself. The book was kind of dark though, with elements of kidnap, abuse and death that just made the story a bit morbid.
Peer Ulfsson's father just passed away when he is whisked away from everything he loves by his two terrible uncles Baldur and Grim. When Peer discovers that they're planning on selling himself and his new friend, Hilde, as slaves to the trolls, he needs to come up with a plan to stop them before it's to late.
The book was a fast read, definitely targeted at a younger audience. I was hoping for more trolls, but it was mostly focused on Peer and his two uncles being terrible to him. Peer really bothered me, he was such a big coward! I understand that he is only 12, but come on man, stand up for yourself. The book was kind of dark though, with elements of kidnap, abuse and death that just made the story a bit morbid.
April 29, 2020
¡Qué libro más simpático!
A pesar de ser una novela infantil (para niños de 9 a 12 años) se me ha hecho particularmente oscura. La narración era amena, entretenida. Me ha encantado el uso del folclore nórdico en la ambientación fantástica de la historia. Y las criaturas, con sus respectivas descripciones, son lo mejor del libro. Recomendable.
A pesar de ser una novela infantil (para niños de 9 a 12 años) se me ha hecho particularmente oscura. La narración era amena, entretenida. Me ha encantado el uso del folclore nórdico en la ambientación fantástica de la historia. Y las criaturas, con sus respectivas descripciones, son lo mejor del libro. Recomendable.
April 11, 2011
This was a delightful book. Based in Norse culture and mythology, this is the story of twelve-year-old Peer Ulfsson, whose father has just died. He is whisked into the care of his gigantic, disgusting, greedy, conniving twin uncles, who intend to sell him to the Trolls who live under the mountain for a pile of gold. He must befriend Hilde, a girl who live further up in Troll Fell and find a way to keep himself from becoming enslaved to the Trolls forever.
Really this book was a fairy tale. It breathes in the classic traditional elements, while making them fresh for the reader. It's written for 9-12ish-year-olds, so the story is fairly linear, but it grabbed a hold of me anyway. There are allusions to Cinderella's step-sisters and step-mother in the comically brutish uncles, who also have a lot in common with Harry Potter's the Dursleys and the classically gross villains of Dickens. Plus, there was a subtle sub-thread of the Odyssey in the story of Ralf - but I'll not spoil you!
I look forward to the other two, and would definitely suggest adding this one to the list of fantasy for the kids to read.
Really this book was a fairy tale. It breathes in the classic traditional elements, while making them fresh for the reader. It's written for 9-12ish-year-olds, so the story is fairly linear, but it grabbed a hold of me anyway. There are allusions to Cinderella's step-sisters and step-mother in the comically brutish uncles, who also have a lot in common with Harry Potter's the Dursleys and the classically gross villains of Dickens. Plus, there was a subtle sub-thread of the Odyssey in the story of Ralf - but I'll not spoil you!
I look forward to the other two, and would definitely suggest adding this one to the list of fantasy for the kids to read.
August 27, 2011
This novel opens at the funeral of Peer Ulfsson's father. Comforted by his friends and neighbours at Hammerhaven, where his father was a carpenter, Peer is shocked when his horrible uncle Baldur Grimsson turns up to take him to his mill at Troll Fell. At first Peer is ill treated and kept short of food as he does all the chores at the mill and farm, but then he finds that Baldur and his twin brother Grim, greedily obsessed with the trolls' gold, have a more sinister plan for Peer and his friend Hilde...
This is a fantastic story, combining elements of Scandinavian (and Northern British) folklore with a classic adventure. Peer's sadness and feelings of lonliness after the death of his father and mistreatment by his uncles is realistically contrasted with Hilde's confidence and competence, coming from a loving family. This woulc be a great book to read aloud to Year 4+, and one to recommend to confident readers of 8 or 9+. I've already got the sequels ready to read, and my children's bookclub are reading Troll Blood next month.
This is a fantastic story, combining elements of Scandinavian (and Northern British) folklore with a classic adventure. Peer's sadness and feelings of lonliness after the death of his father and mistreatment by his uncles is realistically contrasted with Hilde's confidence and competence, coming from a loving family. This woulc be a great book to read aloud to Year 4+, and one to recommend to confident readers of 8 or 9+. I've already got the sequels ready to read, and my children's bookclub are reading Troll Blood next month.
April 20, 2010
When Peer Ulffson's father dies, his two uncles that he never knew of, Uncle Baulder and Uncle Grim, barge in at the funeral and take Peer to work for them on there mill. Peer thinks that his life couldnt of gotten anyworse until he meets the bestest friend he ever had, Hilde. On mid-winter, the gaffer of Trollfell and the king of Dorvefell's gaughters and sons get married to each other and they want two human servants, and Uncle Baulder and Uncle Grim decide to steal Hilde's
January 2, 2018
My mom has been recommending Troll Fell to me for ages, and I finally got around to it. I enjoyed it, but it did not live up to the high expectations my mother set. The dialogue was awkward and the protagonist was annoying to me. I loved the plot, descriptions, and creatures, but overall the book was enjoyable but not a favorite of mine.
Troll Fell is the story of Peer Ulfsson, who is forced to live with his horrid uncles after his father's death. He discovers that his uncles are trying to trade slaves for trolls' gold, and he works with Hilde, his new neighbor, and Nis, his uncles' house spirit, to try to prevent the trade. The plot was interesting, but the way it was told was slow at times. The setting was beautiful, and Katherine Langrish's strong point was definitely her descriptions. She described the Scandinavian scenery in beautiful detail, painting a clear picture for me to imagine. The creatures in the story were inspired by Norse legends, and the trolls, merrows, nixies, and other fantastic creatures were interesting to read about. I love anything related to Norse mythology and vikings, so the inclusion of both those elements was a plus for me.
Unfortunately, there were also elements I did not enjoy. The dialogue seemed awkward, and it broke the flow of the story, which contributed to the slowness of the story at times. In addition, I did not like Peer as a hero. He constantly tried to run away and usually only did anything heroic because he feared what people would think of him if he didn't. He didn't think of any ideas on his own, but had to be told what to do by Hilde and the Nis constantly. When left to his own devices, he messed things up constantly. The Nis was cleverer and more heroic than Peer, and the Nis's only motivation was food. If Hilde had been the protagonist, I think the story would have been far better, because Hilde was brave and had her moral compass straight. She did things because they were right, not caring what others thought of her. Hilde was a much stronger character than Peer, so it didn't make sense to me that the story focused on Peer.
I'm glad I read Troll Fell, because it was a fun and enjoyable book, but I would not recommend it. I've read many books I enjoyed more, and this one was fine, but nothing extraordinary.
December 21, 2019
I wanted to love this book. I have a fondness for Norse mythology, Scandinavian folklore, and the Icelandic sagas, and this YA adventure is thoroughly grounded in that world. From the longship with its dragon head covered to avoid frightening the timid land spirits as the warriors return home, to the little Nis (house spirit) just wanting a dab of butter in his grout (porridge), the details are terrific, and the feel for life in the Viking era is very well done.
Unfortunately, I never quite warmed to the main character, Peer, and his abusive uncles are over-the-top caricatures with no redeeming qualities to make them interesting (Granny Greenteeth was a much more intriguing character, but she only had a cameo appearance). The story also gets bogged down a bit in the middle, with not enough going on to make up for the repetitious misery the uncles heap on poor Peer.
The story wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as I had hoped for when I stumbled across it.
Unfortunately, I never quite warmed to the main character, Peer, and his abusive uncles are over-the-top caricatures with no redeeming qualities to make them interesting (Granny Greenteeth was a much more intriguing character, but she only had a cameo appearance). The story also gets bogged down a bit in the middle, with not enough going on to make up for the repetitious misery the uncles heap on poor Peer.
The story wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as I had hoped for when I stumbled across it.
September 1, 2021
I went in this book with no expectations, but it turned out to be quite good in the end.
It was a really heavy story considering its a children's book (middle grade, at least) with some dark themes, but not surprisingly since it's inspiration by Nordic folklore.
I felt really bad for everything Peer had to go through, his uncles deserved way worse than what they got in the end. However, Hilde was the one who stole the scene in here, she's a real badass, brave, strong, caring and was never afraid to fight for the ones she'd loved! I will never forget Hilde facing the Gaffer, the king of trolls, calling him a liar and a thief.
It's the first book of a trilogy, but I can't imagine where would we go with this now? Maybe Hilde having her adventures, growing up and go sailing Viking style like her father, it would be awesome, but Peer is the main character, so I doubt that.
For some reason, I've gotten some big Moomins vibes from this, which just made it all better.
It was a really heavy story considering its a children's book (middle grade, at least) with some dark themes, but not surprisingly since it's inspiration by Nordic folklore.
I felt really bad for everything Peer had to go through, his uncles deserved way worse than what they got in the end. However, Hilde was the one who stole the scene in here, she's a real badass, brave, strong, caring and was never afraid to fight for the ones she'd loved! I will never forget Hilde facing the Gaffer, the king of trolls, calling him a liar and a thief.
It's the first book of a trilogy, but I can't imagine where would we go with this now? Maybe Hilde having her adventures, growing up and go sailing Viking style like her father, it would be awesome, but Peer is the main character, so I doubt that.
For some reason, I've gotten some big Moomins vibes from this, which just made it all better.
May 16, 2020
If you like Dickensian settings, you'll enjoy Troll Fell. Poor Peer Ulfsson has basically become an underfed, mistreated slave to his uncles, and devises an escape plan that falls apart when he sees that his uncles have kidnapped two young children to sell to the trolls. At this point the tale changes to a story of harrowing trials as Peer tries to save the younger children. Peer cleverly saves his friend Hilde, the two youngsters, and himself without any violence to anyone. Tender-hearted readers should be advised that about half-way through the story, a vicious dog dies while it is attempting to kill Peer's gentle, sweet-tempered dog. At first I found this book gloomy and depressing, but by the end Peer and the townsfolk had grown on me enough that I would be interested in reading the other two books in the series.
October 17, 2021
I first read this book in 2004. Since then I have constantly revisited it every few years. The tale of young Peer whose shipbuilder father dies leaving him to the care of two wicked uncles resonates with both young and old readers alike as it acts as the catalyst for reshaping and strengthening our protagonist. His innocent love with Hilde, his faithful dog Loki and the clever spirit Nis all strike at the reader's heartstrings. The serpentine Granny Green-Teeth, the hellish trolls and Hilde's father's final return set a captivating pace which avoids all the makings of a Harry Potter knock-off while delivering the same punch.
December 12, 2022
This is a return to Troll Fell, the first book I've ever read from start to finish. Between the hardships of evil Uncles, to a hag at the bottom of a pond Troll Fell is a darker boom for a young audience. It's fast to read, very charming, and steeping with Viking culture. Though there is abuse given to Peer, it doesn't feel over the top or even entirely cruel (as written). I'm glad to have still enjoyed a book I haven't read since 2007, and would recommend this to anyone wanting a fantasy story that feels good.
January 21, 2019
I do like this kind of stories, have to admit not the best of its kind when it comes to the unseelie like realm as trolls being the representative in this one, but I enjoyed the chr, and the simplicity of the story, it is not complicated and suitable to make a kid be excited with the adventure,which is the whole point I guess.
September 5, 2017
This is a fun story about a courageous boy and girl, two nasty uncles, and some mischievous trolls. I thought it was a standalone but have learned it is a trilogy. I liked this well enough to pursue the others. Recommend to approx. ages 8-12 and adults who enjoy magical reads.
November 19, 2017
Charming. Suspension of disbelief in many places besides the magic (in fact, the Nis was one of the most believable elements, somehow), but I thorough, thoroughly enjoyed myself on this one! Practically devoured it.
March 9, 2018
Good story for children. Takes a while to get going, and most of the action happens in the last third of the book. But well-written, good characters, and a satisfying ending. Recommended for strong (young) readers.
March 7, 2019
Está novela contiene diferentes elementos de la cultura material vikinga o incluso de mitología, como es el caso de las roane, merrows o selkies.
Si queréis conocer más de la mitología nórdica e irlandesa en esta novela haz click en el enlace: https://eloctavohistoriador.com/2019/...
Si queréis conocer más de la mitología nórdica e irlandesa en esta novela haz click en el enlace: https://eloctavohistoriador.com/2019/...
July 3, 2024
I love a good YA folklore book! Simple and to the point with enough going on that you are hooked as a reader! The only downside is now I have to search for the rest of the series! A book I’ll keep for my children to read in the future!
May 19, 2017
Full review coming soon.
April 1, 2018
I absolutely loved this. It was Redwall with a human, Scandinavian feel to it. Definitely catered toward a younger audience, but it was completely enjoyable to me as an adult. What a wonderful find!
December 24, 2018
Absolutely brilliant, I loved this book!
February 23, 2019
I like this book. I like how it ended.
August 22, 2019
3.5 stars. Enjoyed when I was younger, I know I reread it at some point.
September 23, 2025
loved this book as a child and still good as an adult. great coming of ages series.
June 30, 2018
This book was just mediocre. Nothing very compelling about the characters. The plot for kidnapping kids is the smallest part of the book maybe the last 50 pages if that. It was ok and I will read the other two to see if it gets better but I don’t have high hopes.
July 14, 2021
The book was awesome, I'm going to read the other two in the series
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews