Helga the Fair
Will be published approx. on 16. July 2026
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-6659-7449-3 (ISBN)
Description
A heartwarming fantasy inspired by the Icelandic sagas about a girl and her friends who must save their found family when a swarm of terrifying undead invade their village, perfect for fans of Kelly Barnhill and Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase.
The undead are up to no good.
Helga doesn't know where she comes from. All she knows is life with Goat-Thigh, who found her as a baby in the highlands and gave her a home. Goat-Thigh used to be plagued with fits of berserk fury-a battle rage that made him dangerous to everyone around-until he took in Helga. Now, Helga won't ever leave his side, even if their neighbors shun him.
But their lives are disrupted when a nearby haunted mountain cracks open and a mob of vengeful undead invades the land. In the chaos, Goat-Thigh's berserk fits are triggered...and he's unable to break free.
To save her adoptive father, Helga will need the help of some unlikely friends to banish the undead-from mischievous ox tails to rowdy house crashers and frightening monsters with family secrets. Can Helga and her allies outsmart these specters and confront the deep wounds from their tangled pasts?
The undead are up to no good.
Helga doesn't know where she comes from. All she knows is life with Goat-Thigh, who found her as a baby in the highlands and gave her a home. Goat-Thigh used to be plagued with fits of berserk fury-a battle rage that made him dangerous to everyone around-until he took in Helga. Now, Helga won't ever leave his side, even if their neighbors shun him.
But their lives are disrupted when a nearby haunted mountain cracks open and a mob of vengeful undead invades the land. In the chaos, Goat-Thigh's berserk fits are triggered...and he's unable to break free.
To save her adoptive father, Helga will need the help of some unlikely friends to banish the undead-from mischievous ox tails to rowdy house crashers and frightening monsters with family secrets. Can Helga and her allies outsmart these specters and confront the deep wounds from their tangled pasts?
Reviews / Votes
"Helga's first-person narration effectively captures a universal longing for acceptance, combining elements from Icelandic sagas and Norse mythology with themes of difference and acceptance. . . An adventurous tale with a heartwarming message of acceptance." -- <I>Kirkus Reviews</I> "A terrific fantasy adventure with a rich world, cool monsters, and a protagonist who is bighearted, fierce, and so much fun to follow."-- -Anne Ursu, author of <I>The Lost Girl, Breadcrumb</I><span style="font-family: "Open Sans" "S. J. Taylor weaves words together like magic, making Helga the Fair a delight from start to finish. . . . A moving story of found family, love, and self-acceptance." -- -Cassandra Ramos-Gomez, author of <I>Lost on Doll Island</I><BR> <BR> "An adventurous tale rich with Icelandic lore, this is a page-turner of a book!" -- -Moniza Hossain, author of<I> Bad Things Happened Here</I> "A fun twist on Icelandic folklore, packed with suspense, humor, and an undead army that refuses to behave like proper monsters." -- -Shakirah Bourne, author of <I>Nightmare Island</I><span style="font-family: "Open Sans", s "Strange, lovely, and fierce . . . A rollicking fantasy at its most imaginative." -- -Mary Averling, author of <I>The Curse of Eelgrass Bog</I><span style="font-family: "Open Sans&q
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Simon & Schuster
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Third Grade to Seventh Grade, Interest Age: From 8 to 12 years
Illustrations
6C jacket (sfx: metallic stock, spot gloss uv), matte film; b-w int ill. (35 pcs); digital
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
438 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6659-7449-3 (9781665974493)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
S. J. Taylor
Helga the Fair
E-Book
approx. 06/2026
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
€10.87
Not yet available
Persons
S. J. Taylor writes stories steeped in folklore and magic, where young protagonists tackle big adventures and bigger questions. Although she grew up in Arizona's desert, her heart yearns for the Nordic lands. When she's not writing, she can often be found knitting yet another sweater (sweater weather is the best weather). She lives with her family in Connecticut. Visit her at SJTaylorbooks.com.