Jack is amazed to have caused an earthquake. He is thirteen, after all, and only a bard-in-training. But his sister, Lucy, has been stolen by the Lady of the Lake; stolen a second time in her young life, as he learns to his terror. Caught between belief in the old gods and Christianity (790 AD, Britain), Jack calls upon his ash wood staff to subdue a passel of unruly monks, and, for his daring, ends up in a knucker hole. It is unforgettable -- for the boy and for readers -- as are the magical reappearance of the berserker Thorgil from a burial by moss; new characters Pega, a slave girl from Jack's village, and the eager-to-marry-her Bugaboo (a hobgoblin king); kelpies; yarthkins; and elves (not the enchanted sprites one would expect but the fallen angels of legend). Rarely does a sequel enlarge so brilliantly the world of the first story. Look for the conclusion in The Islands of the Blessed in 2009.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 13 reviews)

Great adventure on CD

I listened to the book on CD and once again found the narrator to be excellent. Gerard Doyle has a wonderful ability to bring characters to life with this wide range of voices. In regards to the book itself, I found that The Land of the Silver Apples, while not quite as captivating as The Sea of Trolls, is still a most worthy sequel. Jack's beautiful but spoiled sister, Lucy, is revealed to be a changeling. Jack sets out for the land of the silver apples (the elf kingdom) to win Lucy back and to discover the fate of his true sister. Along the way we meet some wonderful new characters, the homely slave-girl Pega who has a heart of gold and the hobgoblins, Bugaboo and Nemesis. Nancy Farmer's characters are always three-dimensional. None are perfect; all have their flaws but most are lovable even so. I am eagerly awaiting the final chapter in this wonderful series.
October 09, 2008

Okay sequel

This did not quite grab my attention as much as the first one. I admit that probably part of the reason is the fact that I simply am not all that interested in this particular mythology. However, Farmer sets up a great story that stays good, but never goes quite up to great. In fact, the ending was something of a letdown and I felt emotionally cheated.However, this is still a very imaginative story with a few great new characters (such as Pega, the ugly slave girl). I really liked the "battle" between Christianity and the old religions and yet how they so peacefully interacted with one another. Daring move on Farmer's part.
September 13, 2008

Awsome

It was amazing--it has become my favorite book and I cant wait for the next one to come out :D
September 10, 2008

Great literature with an unusual message

A beautifully written novel with a unique combination of high adventure, 8th century history, and fantasy that children will love. Note that it carries an unusual message for a children's book, embedded in its plot and summarized on page 476: "Christianity is only one leaf" among "many branches on the Great Tree" of life.
May 18, 2008

A Childs View of The Land of the Silver Apples

This book is a very descriptive book with memorable characters and places. The story line twists and turns with big suprises in almost every chapter. I think that this is a "non-put-down-able" for anyone (kids OR young adults) who likes books with magic, mystery, myths, and medival times.
January 19, 2008

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

The Sea of Trolls
by Nancy Farmer

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4)
by Rick Riordan

Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3)
by Christopher Paolini

Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (The Starcatchers)
by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson

The House of the Scorpion
by Nancy Farmer