Bera the One-Headed Troll - Eric Orchard

Summary: Bera doesn't ask for much in life. She's a solitary, humble troll, tending her island pumpkin patch in cheerful isolation. She isn't looking for any trouble.

But when trouble comes to find her, it comes in spades. A human baby has arrived in the realm of the trolls, and nobody knows where it came from, but Bera seems to be the only person who doesn't want it dead. There's nothing to it but to return the adorable little thing to its parents.

Like it or not, Bera's gone and found herself a quest. (image and summary from goodreads.com)

My Review: I happened upon this book in the graphic novel section, and, of course since I love troll stories, I knew I had to check it out.  

First of all, I enjoyed our main character, Bera, a simple, contented troll who ends up having to go on a great quest to try and save a little baby.  Her little owl friend is a great companion to Bera, willing to help her out even when the situation gets dangerous, and it gets dangerous quickly with our villain, a creepy witch who is looking for the baby.

While on her quest she meets a lot of other spooky and cool characters, my particular favorite being a troop of giant hedgehogs who help her on her way.  The other trolls she meets are intimidating and only sort of helpful, which leads Bera to realize that she can't rely on these old heroes and must end up being the hero herself.

I loved the illustrations in this book, the kind of dark, creepy art with the glowing, orb-like eyes.  It really added to the ominous atmosphere of the story.

My Rating: 4 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Just the spooky element of being hunted by a creepy witch and baby endangerment