- Graphic Novels
- Ages 9–13
- Fantasy
Nordlys: Book One
Book 1 of 2 in NordlysView the full series
A lush Norwegian portal-fantasy graphic novel with trolls, mountains, mystery, and a strong fairytale adventure feel. It is a good choice for readers who like Hilda-style folklore but want something more epic and manga-adjacent.
- Best for9–13
- FormatGraphic
- Length320 pp
- Read aloud~2 hr30 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
Tone
- Adventurous
- Whimsical
- Exciting
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Sonja is staying with her uncle when she encounters a strange boy who leads her through a magical portal into the world of the northern lights. There she finds trolls, mountain people, mysterious creatures, and a landscape shaped by Norwegian folklore. What begins as a moment of escape becomes a larger adventure tied to family secrets, danger, and the question of where Sonja really belongs. Malin Falch's art gives the series a vivid sense of place, blending snowy wilderness, mythic creatures, and soft emotional moments. Nordlys: Book One is visually rich and accessible, with enough peril and mystery to feel exciting without becoming too dark for confident middle-grade graphic-novel readers.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 9–13
- Read aloud · 8–12
- Independent · 9–13
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery, violence.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Folklore graphic novel
- Portal fantasy
- Norwegian myth
- Hilda gateway
- Beautiful art
Avoid if
- Wants realistic school story
- Very sensitive to monsters
- Needs simple comedy
Particularly good for children who are…
- Making friends
- Anxiety and worry
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A sweeping Norse-mythology adventure-comic series — a reluctant-reader favourite that also nods to myth and landscape.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific kick is the portal — Sonja staying with her uncle, a strange boy leading her through into the world of the northern lights, trolls and mountain people and a landscape shaped by Norwegian folklore. The Falch graphic novel for a Hilda reader who wants more epic, more manga-adjacent territory.
- Secret world
- Going on a quest
- Adventure and freedom
- Magic powers
- Being special or chosen
Why parents love it
The Malin Falch Norwegian portal-fantasy — vivid sense of place, snowy wilderness and mythic creatures, the family-secret thread giving the adventure emotional weight. Visually stunning. Strong indie-gem pick for middle-grade graphic-novel readers.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Indie gem discovery
In the series
Nordlys.
2 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Malin Falch.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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