Nancy Farmer does it again. Island of the Blessed does not disappoint, it is filled with action, adventure, and a rip-roaring pace. This book is the conclusion to the Sea of Trolls trilogy. Jack and the Bard are back and Jack has been gaining more experience telling stories and using magic. A draugr, a village devastated by a tornado, and a hogboon are some of the trials Jack must overcome in this volume. Thorgil, the Northland berserker, his sometimes exasperating companion in adventure, accompanies him on his quests once again. After Jack’s village is destroyed by a tornado, which Thorgil thinks was the Norse God Odin on a Wild Hunt, the Bard decides that they need to go to Bebba’s Town to ask for food and supplies for the winter. In the meantime a draugr, a mermaid turned seahag, is looking for revenge against Father Severus. Jack’s sister, who had been kidnapped in the first book, is returned to her family but she has a hard time living as a human as she has been raised by hobgoblins since she was five. Jack, Thorgil, and the Bard reunite with the Northmen for part of the adventure and familiar characters from the earlier books are just as entertaining. Enough of the back story is included to allow this volume to stand alone. Give this book and the series to readers who enjoyed The Ranger’s Apprentice and the Percy Jackson series. ( )

I love the way Nancy Farmer blends folklore with adventure, linking together all kinds of old tales. However, it's less effective when the tales are more obscure, simply because you miss all the cool things she's doing. This installment lacked excitement. Plot elements came out of nowhere, and all was wrapped neatly with a bow at the end. I miss Olaf One-Brow.

What I appreciate most about this series is how many characters are a mixture of horrible and honorable characteristics. For instance, the Northmen are blood-thirsty pillagers, but are also incredibly loyal and brave. If they are to be your allies, you must accept the bad with the good. I'm noticing villains like this in other books as well, and am wondering if it's a new trend that reflects a more inclusive world view. ( )

The Islands of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer is the third book in her Sea of Trolls trilogy. Although I loved the first book of this children’s adventure story, the second book had me almost deciding to give up on the trilogy. My completest nature decided the issue and I finally picked up the third and final book, and, while The Islands of the Blessed was not as good as the first book, for me it was much better than the second except for the questionable ending which for a book this long felt rushed and incomplete.

In this book Jack, the apprentice wizard, Thorgil, the viking shield maid and the Bard, their mentor, are off on another adventure. Their quest this time to to find a way to dispel a mermaid’s ghost as she has been drawn into this world by the ringing of a magical bell. She is intent on wrecking havoc and is out for revenge for her own untimely death.

The Islands of the Blessed is full of adventure, magic and humor. I would recommend that these books be read as a complete set as they very definitely follow each other in a linear style. The setting is of ancient Britain somewhere about 750. The plot interweaves Druid, Christian, and Norse legends and religion and it is obvious the author has done extensive research in these areas. The characters are all well drawn and even the assorted magical creatures such as hobgoblins, mer-folk and trolls have distinct personalities which keeps the book lively and exciting. ( )

This one was odd. There were parts that was great, particularly the island/Skull-Splitter section were there is a story to work through and a resolution to be had, but the novel just doesn't seem to work -- too many disparate elements. And the ending was terribly abrupt. ( )

Two years have passed since their journey to and escape from the land of the fairies, and Jack and his friend Thorgil are again confronted by supernatural perils. First the village is devastated as a terrible storm smashes through it and the crops in the surrounding fields. Thorgil, a Viking attempting to remain incognito among Jack’s Saxon neighbors, is emotionally devastated as well. She believes the storm was Odin leading the wild hunt, and although she had run into the midst of the storm and begged to be taken, she was left behind. Then the sound of an ancient bell awakens the malicious undead spirit begins to prowl the night. Lead by Jack’s master, the bard Dragon Tongue, Jack and Thorgil set out on another magical quest to bring peace to the village.

Once again Farmer has masterfully concocted a fantasy adventure out of Norse and Germanic myth and folklore, this time adding some Celtic and Scots folklore into the brew particularly that of the northernmost Orkney Islands, islands originally settled by the Norse. ( )