The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer
Fantasy

Coming of Age/Family/Bravery/Loyalty

The Land of the Silver Apples is a sequel to The Sea of Trolls. I read it without having read the first book and I was very confused for the first 50 pages or so. I started understanding it a little better but I never came to love it and it was difficult for me to get into. Jack and Pega are sent on a dangerous mission by Jack's father to go to the elves and retrieve the water for their wells. These two characters, as well as Thorgil who joins them later on in the book, are the only characters that Farmer develops. The little band travels through the realm of the hobgoblins, through Elfland, through tunnels and knucker holes, and they meet many interesting characters along the way. But the book feels very jumpy because odd characters and creatures will appear for a chapter or two and then disappear without any reference to where that have gone. The book carries a good message: family comes first, and determination coupled with bravery is an essential tool of success. This book also has a curious struggle of Christianity vs. Paganism that I had never seen in a novel before. I would recommend Nancy Farmer as an author for fantasy readers but if you are a non fantasy reader (like me) then you might want to stay away from this series.