For centuries, the North Pole has held a special place in the imagination of Canadian families. From snowy winters to festive traditions, we’ve all wondered what truly lies at the heart of its icy expanse and how the legends of Santa Claus first began. Now, with The Rise of Nicholas the Noble, a sweeping middle grade fantasy adventure, Canadian readers can finally uncover the hidden story of Santa’s origins.
“Honestly, the answers are varied and
fantastical, if I do say so myself. But I will
answer them for you just the same, and then
you can decide for yourself what to believe.
I, for one, BELIEVE.”
—Fisbee, Narrator
Narrator
Fisbee, Santa’s very first reporting Scout Elf, is the narrator of this epic tale. Through his eyes, we learn that Santa’s story didn’t begin with a sleigh ride, it began with a shipwreck. A boy, nearly lost to the freezing Arctic, was saved by magical beings long thought to exist only in myths. This is the journey of how a boy became a hero… and how that hero became the legend we now know as Saint Nicholas.
The Boy Who Became Santa Claus
Nicholas of Lycia was born nearly two thousand years ago, in 270 AD. After a violent storm leaves him shipwrecked in the frozen Arctic, a place Canadians know well for its harsh beauty, his story takes a dramatic turn. Lost in this mysterious land, Nicholas encounters magical creatures: some kind, others cunning, and some who threaten everything good.
As he journeys through this enchanted world, Nicholas learns that his arrival was no accident. He is part of an ancient prophecy foretelling a noble spirit destined to protect the very essence of Christmas. But Nicholas questions himself, could he truly be the noble one? When his loyal dog, Barry the Saint Bernard, goes missing, Nicholas’s desperate search pulls him deeper into a world of myth, magic, and meaning. Here, in the Kingdom of the One True North, the boy who was nearly lost begins his transformation into the legendary figure who would become Father Christmas.
A World of Wonder… and Danger
The magical setting of this middle grade adventure novel creates a North Pole fantasy world like no one has ever imagined. One True North is no sweet, candy-cane filled playground, not at the time this story takes place, anyway. The Arctic was barren, unexplored and inhospitable. There were myths and legends of mystical appearances, of giants and monsters, and of elfin, warrior-like creatures in the region. Not unlike middle-earth was known to ancient peoples as the realm below the gods (and to Tolkien fans as the main setting in his vast legendarium), these lands that would become the Kingdom of the One True North are home to enchanted creatures, breathtaking and ominous landscapes, darkness, danger and stunning beauty.
“It was an unforgiving landscape—
nothing but white snow and ice as far as the eye could see,
and behind them nothing but the black waves
of a freezing and empty ocean.”
From towering, ice-covered mountains to deep, underground caves, the stark and majestic landscape of The Rise of Nicholas the Noble mirrors Nicholas’ own inner journey, a passage shaped by loss, discovery, and transformation. One True North becomes more than a setting. It’s a living symbol of all he must overcome and all he stands to gain.
The Origins of Christmas Spirit
“Listen closely, for this is the very heart of every elf:
We protect the Spirit of Christmas. And the fate of the world hangs
within that. If the Spirit of Christmas fails, we are all lost. Everything is lost.
To us, that spirit— that love— is everything good in the world.
And as we studied the Lumistella Stone, with all its strengths and weaknesses,
we realized the importance of the task we had been chosen for.”
Long before Nicholas came to One True North, the true source of Christmas Spirit arrived in a blaze of light. A shard from the great Lumistella Star—what many call the Christmas Star—crashed into the frozen land now known as the Kingdom of the One True North. From that moment on, the world changed. This brilliant fragment became the wellspring of all Christmas magic: the force that empowers the Scout Elves, gives Noorah the power to pause time, and stirs the goodwill that glows in hearts across the world.
But such power does not go unnoticed.
In The Rise of Nicholas the Noble, readers glimpse the ancient struggle to protect this gift as the Luminicents (elves who are keepers of this light) stand against those who would see the Spirit of Christmas extinguished forever. It is this celestial spark, hidden beneath snowy mountains, that calls Nicholas toward his destiny and awakens the battle that will define him.
Why Kids Will Love it (and Parents Will Too!)
At its core, The Rise of Nicholas the Noble is a sweeping adventure filled with magic, mystery, and heart, the kind of story that invites middle grade readers to imagine themselves as heroes in their own right. With a brave boy at its center, a loyal dog by his side, and an enchanted land teeming with secrets, the book offers a world that kids will want to return to again and again. The stakes are high, the villains are formidable, and the friendships formed in the snowy corners of One True North are deeply rewarding.
But this is more than just a fantasy story. It’s a journey of self-discovery, courage, and choosing light over darkness. For parents, it’s a meaningful narrative that echoes the values of the season: hope, generosity, and the enduring power of belief. The book sparks conversations about purpose, sacrifice, and what it means to protect something greater than yourself. Whether read together or enjoyed independently, The Rise of Nicholas the Noble offers a timeless tale that will captivate hearts of all ages.
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