Wendy's Reviews > Petrified

In "Petrified" a short novel which I won through Goodreads Giveaways Oalf Moriarty Solstrand combines trolls, knights, an alien and robot in a creative and unique plot that begins with a bedtime story. To get Ylva to go to sleep her mother weaves a fairytale adventure that not only captures her imagination but eventually unites her divorced parents in the telling.

It begins with Gunhild as strong-willed and impulsive knight sent on a reconnaissance mission to Troll Island in the middle of the fiord after the royal amethyst crown is stolen during the coronation ceremony. Scouting out the island for caves that could house the dangerous, legendary creatures Gunhild meets Kirabo a pacifist from the planet Aberash and his robot RJ who are stranded on her home world after the wrong coordinates are entered into the spaceship. Hunting for fuel to take them home the space traveller and robot not only stumble into the knight but the three form an alliance that has them working together to survive a deadly confrontation with the Trolls.

Cleverly the author weaves a plot that not only unites the storytellers, estranged after their divorce but also whisks their daughter away to a land where a young knight learns to think differently when taking action, about friendship and even self-sacrifice while Kirabo suffering a loss begins to understand that knowledge isn't everything. Mesmerizing from the first page to the last, the plot is well-structured, action-filled, intense and even touching and ends with a twist after a confrontation with the Trolls.

Gunhild Baardsolotter a knight in the Royal Army is tough, bold, strong and reckless. She dreams one day of becoming a general but can't get a promotion because of her insatiable need to be the best and do everything herself. Kirabo is the straight-laced, smart and peaceful alien who uses the spaceship in his garage to earn money for his University education while RJ is his sarcastic, delightfully funny and chatty personal assistant. Together the three form a bond of friendship that's unbreakable even though they're all different and live worlds apart. Like all the characters these three infuse the story with depth, spirit and energy which makes the fairytale compelling in its intensity.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Petrified" and can't wait to see what this new writer has in-store for his readership next.