The Islands of the Blessed

Foolish boy, whispers the cobwebby voice of the hogboon. You force me to slay you.

But Jack and Thorgil between them possess the rune of protection, and they overpower the soulless spirit who is so intent on murder and marriage, respectively. They've survived worse.

The crowning volume of the trilogy that started with The Sea of Trolls and The Land of the Silver Apples begins with a tornado (Odin on a Wild Hunt, as the young berserker Thorgil sees it). The fields of Jack's village have been devastated, the winter ahead looks bleak, and a monster -- a draugr -- invades the forest outside of town. What's a hogboon in comparison?

In the hands of bestselling Nancy Farmer, the direst prospects are all part of the fun as Jack, Thorgil, and the Bard set off on a quest to right the wrong of a death caused by Father Severus. Destination: Notland, realm of the fin folk, and unfortunately for the adventurers Not Always There.