The Islands of the Blessed is a fantasy novel for children, written by Nancy Farmer and published by Atheneum in 2009. It is the third, and so far the last, in the Sea of Trolls series, which is named for its first book (2004).
Content
Jack, the young Saxon bard, and Thorgil, the Viking shield maiden, deal with the draugr, an undead sea creature, who leaves a path of destruction around her in her quest for revenge on Father Severus. Their journey takes them to the mysterious realm of Notland and, ultimately, to the Islands of the Blessed.
Sequel
In her blog Nancy Farmer mentions a possible sequel but says she is writing a sequel to The House of the Scorpion first.
As of May 2015 no further information has surfaced.
Characters
Jack- Age thirteen; an apprentice bard.
Hazel- Jack's sister; age eight; stolen and raised by Hobgoblins.
Thorgil Silverhand-Jack's friend, a shield maiden crippled after an encounter with a demon, who now lives with his family
Lucy- Jack's foster sister; lost to elfland.
Aldiltha- Jack's mother; a wise woman.
Giles Crookleg- Jack's father.
The Bard- A druid from Ireland; also known as Dragon Tongue, who possesses great wisdom, and serves as Jack's teacher
Eithne- Daughter of the elf queen and The Bard.
Pega- An ex-slave girl; age fifteen.
Father Severus-A grim monk rescued from elfland
Brother Aiden-One of the few surviving monks from Lindisfarne, the Holy Isle
The Draugr-The malevolent spirit of a mermaid with a grudge against Father Severus