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Friendship and Responsibility
The Tralls of Maruchus follows a spirited young trall who befriends a water sprite and promises not to reveal their existence, yet after a devastating fire, she is forced to break that promise. What was the inspiration for the set up of your story?
There were two important issues I wanted this story to cover.
Firstly, I wanted to show my young readers that even if someone is very different from them, they can become friends. I firmly believe that, as Australia and indeed the whole world become more multicultural, this is an important concept for children to understand.
Secondly, children quickly learn that promises must be kept, and this can sometimes cause them worry and concern, and even lead to dire consequences. I wanted to demonstrate through this story that there are good promises and bad promises. Promises that make you feel happy and excited are good promises and can be kept, but promises that make you feel unhappy, sad, or worried are bad promises and they can be broken, and should be shared with others.
In many contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
When I was teaching, I would read a chapter of a book to my class each morning, and the stories, although wonderful and exciting, were always about the lifestyle of children living in other countries. By the time I retired, I had three grandchildren, and I wanted to leave them a legacy that would remind them of our family and the close bonds we shared, so I decided to write a portal fantasy, and set it in Queensland so it would showcase an Australian lifestyle.
I included many of the good times we’d shared as a family and the valuable lessons we’d learned along the way. I also included some childhood memories of happy times spent with my own grandparents.
Then, just after the first book was released, my mother and my husband passed away, so I included many of the maxims they loved to pass on. Sadly, a lot of today’s children don’t live near their grandparents, and consequently, they miss out on these nuggets of wisdom.
As more grandchildren arrived, more books were added, and gradually, The Trall Series developed into a stylised biography of our extended family. The tralldoms, for instance, were influenced by the happy carefree existence we had when we lived on Badu Island in the Torres Strait, and the personalities and traits of the various characters are an amalgamation of several family members. There are always a few chuckles when someone is recognized or an event is recalled.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Each book in the series covers issues that I feel strongly about; namely empathy, inclusiveness, fairness, and responsibility.
In The Tralls of Maruchus, I focused on friendship and responsibility. I hope this story encourages young readers to realise that true friendship should be based on shared beliefs, shared interests, a strong commitment to understanding each other, standing by each other in times of need, and embracing differences as well as similarities.
I’m also very committed to preserving the environment and its native flora and fauna. Each book in The Trall Series is based on a different environmental problem that the characters work together to overcome. I truly believe that if we can introduce young people to the beauty of their local environment early enough, they will develop into adults who will take positive steps to care for it.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take the readers?
The series now consists of five books: The Tralls of Nindarry, The Tralls of Mundi, The Tralls of Maruchus, The Tralls of Colum, and The Tralls of Nosa. As previously stated, each story includes an environmental issue (mining, misuse of water, fracking, plastic waste, and local fauna and flora being displaced by introduced species).
They also deal with many of the issues that have an impact on children as they develop their own character and personality.
My hope is that The Trall Series will have a positive effect on young readers and encourage them to make choices that will help them to promote the best facets of themselves. I also hope it will encourage them to become more aware of the environmental problems our world is facing, and that the brave, resourceful young characters that feature throughout the series will motivate them to take an active role in protecting their own environment.
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Eventually, Ellie takes her new friend to her tralldom to meet her kinships and Maya promises the fief that she will never tell anyone about the Tralldom of the Rivers or the water sprites who inhabit it but when their home is destroyed by fire and the lives of the water sprites are put at risk, Maya soon realises that she is unable to help them by herself and that promise becomes a burden too great for her to bear.
Eventually, Maya is forced to break her promise and the story she shares leads to a chain of events that will change the lives of the sprites forever.
Will Ellie, who considers a promise to be a sacred oath be able to forgive Maya or could her betrayal lead to the end of their friendship?
The Tralls of Maruchus is the third book in The Trall Series, a collection of exciting portal fantasies set in Australia. The books may be read as stand-alone books but reading them in sequence opens up the wonderful world of the tralldoms and their inhabitants and uncovers some long-held secrets.
The series has been written for competent readers aged between 9 years and 13 years.
The Tralls of Maruchus
After reading The Tralls of Maruchus, I found myself swept up in a world that’s tender, rich, and surprisingly grounded despite all the magic. The book, third in the Trall series, follows Maya, a spirited young trall, as she faces devastating fire, looming danger, and mysterious encounters that test her courage and shake her world. Set in a fantastical version of Australia, the story braids together environmental themes, tribal lore, and coming-of-age elements through Maya’s eyes. There’s action, but it’s deeply emotional too, with family bonds, old legends, and new friendships all playing their part.
I really liked Torrens’ voice throughout the novel. It’s gentle, like someone sitting cross-legged and telling a story by the fire. At times, the descriptions lingered, but I found that endearing more than distracting. It gave me time to breathe and soak up the world. There’s something powerful about a book that doesn’t rush to its next battle or twist. What I liked most was how seriously the book takes emotions like fear, grief, guilt, and wonder, especially for a younger audience. Maya’s guilt over Ellie and her deep respect for her elders felt incredibly real. This is a story where consequences matter, and that hit me in the heart more than once.
There were moments when the pacing slowed, especially as the action started to build. At times, Maya’s reflections and the revisiting of earlier events felt a bit familiar, and I found myself eager to move forward. I wanted to see more dialogue and dynamic scenes rather than internal reflection. Still, I appreciated the emotional honesty. The way the natural world was treated, fire, water, and wildlife, made me ache. It’s rare to see ecological themes so woven into fantasy without feeling preachy.
I think The Tralls of Maruchus would be a lovely read for kids around ten and up, especially those who like nature, fantasy, or heartfelt adventure. It’s got an old-fashioned charm to it. Not flashy, not fast, but quietly magical. If you’re someone who remembers what it feels like to climb trees, get grass-stained knees, and dream of creatures in the river, then this one’s for you.
Pages: 306 | ISBN : 1797446037
LITERARY TITAN 