Helga the Fair

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?

About the author

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.

Product details

• Authors: S J Taylor, S J Taylor, Taylor S. J.
• Assisted by: Alla Khatkevich (Illustration), Alla Khatkevich (Illustration)
• Publisher: Harper Collins
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 8 to 12
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 16.07.2026
• EAN: 9781665974493
• ISBN: 978-1-6659-7449-3
• No. of pages: 368
• Dimensions: 140 mm x 210 mm x 17 mm
• Illustrations: 6C jacket (sfx: metallic stock, spot gloss uv), matte film; b-w int ill. (35 pcs); digital
• Subjects: Children's and young people's books > Story books, fairytales, sagas, rhymes, songs > Fairytales and sagas; JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General, JUVENILE FICTION / Legends, Myths, Fables / Norse, JUVENILE FICTION / Family / Alternative Family, Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Family & home stories (Children's / Teenage), Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Adventure stories (Children's / Teenage), Traditional stories (Children's / Teenage)