Troll Blood by Katherine Langrish

(11+) The third in the Troll series, Troll Blood can be read alone. The story is one of adventure, cold blooded murder and justice. Norse mythology and Native American mythology play an important part in the tale as Katherine Langrish tries to get into the minds of both groups of people and see life through their eyes.
The story emerges from the belief that Norsemen sailed to North America, or Vinland, and settled there. The voyage across the Atlantic must have taken great courage and strong leadership to undertake and survive (I would have like to have known more about this … how did they keep their food dry in an open boat, and where did the water come from?)
The characters are well drawn. There is Gunnar, the leader, his son, the handsome smiling Harald, Peer the self doubting inexperienced lad and Hilde, who seeks adventure and a life away form the drudgery of a northern winter. There are problems however; Gunnar, Harald and some of the crew have a dreadful secret that threatens them all.
This is a story that can be read at several levels. An adventure story, it can also be a starting point for looking at the mythologies of the Norse and Native American, as well as looking at the sociological aspects of how we treat others (eg bullying, indigenous peoples, understanding of those different from ourselves)
It is an interesting read, made more so because it is not Anglo-Celtic in its mythology, nor in its fantasy, although I wouldn't class the book as fantasy.
Mark Knight