The year is A.D. 793. Jack and his sister have been kidnapped by Vikings and taken to the court of Ivar the Boneless and his terrifying half-troll wife. But things get even worse when Jack finds himself on a dangerous quest to find the magical Mimir's Well in a far-off land, with his sister's life forfeit if he fails.

Other threats include a willful mother Dragon, a giant spider, and a troll-boar with a surprising personality — to say nothing of Ivar the Boneless and his wife, Queen Frith, a shape-shifting half-troll, and several eight-foot tall, orange-haired, full-time trolls. But in stories by award-winner Nancy Farmer, appearances do deceive.

She has never told a richer, funnier tale, nor offered more timeless encouragement to young seekers than: Just say no to pillaging.