Bera the One-Headed Troll by Eric Orchard was a book that just looked interesting when I saw it on a list of graphic novels. The story seemed okay, but nothing earth shattering. Yet, I still was intrigued. The biggest attraction was that Bera was only a one-headed troll (as the title obviously points out). I suspected the story had something to do with that. Perhaps a one-headed troll is rare in her world, therefore considered ugly or something along those lines. Instead, the story by Orchard is more of a quest of finding a home and family.
There are a few gaps in the story-line. This might be a translation issue (if it is a translation, I cannot find anything to say it is) or perhaps it is due to the fact the author is not American and it is written in a style I am just not familiar with (he is Canadian, and the story is based in Norse mythology). I am thinking these combined styles just make the story a bit bumpy at first for me.
Yet, this was interesting story about choice and sometimes not really having one. You just do the right thing, no matter how hard it might be, how much you do not want to or even if you will succeed. The all sepia inside illustrations makes a few comments odd (the goblins, while green on cover, look brown in the book and when mentioned they are green it takes you out of the story). It seems aimed at ages 8 to 10, but they might not get all the subtle points. One Amazon reviewer had read it to their 3-year-old and 7-year-old. I think they can enjoy the action, while slow, is traditional. It can even be a tad on the spooky side (the witch of the story is a Baba Yaga character who wants to “cook the baby up” to make a monster and creatures are almost eaten by wolves in another scene).
As said, based on Norse myth this is not your Disney Trolls. Reads as a solo story and as a continuation story.