Once upon a time, the North Pole had enemies.
When most people think of the North Pole, they imagine cheer, joy, and magical traditions passed down through generations. But The Rise of Nicholas the Noble, the epic origin story from the Santaverse, reveals something few have ever considered: the North Pole wasn’t always safe.
Before sleigh bells rang and Scout Elves took flight, One True North was a kingdom under threat. Its magic was at risk, its future was uncertain, and its enemies were very real.
In this magical middle grade fantasy, readers are introduced to a cast of surprising foes who are powerful, mysterious, and sometimes misunderstood beings who test Nicholas’ bravery and help shape the Santa he will become.
Gangleri: The Knowledge-Hungry Shapeshifter
First among the foes is Gangleri, the North Pole’s original villain. A powerful shapeshifter who practices seidr magic, Gangleri craves control, not for power alone, but to possess all knowledge. He believes the Lumistella Stone will make him unstoppable.
He spies on the heroes through raven scouts, captures Barry and Radnow, and tries to twist Nicholas’s fate before the prophecy can be fulfilled.
“The Stone knows that I am its destiny! It chooses me! The knowledge of the gods is finally mine!”
But when Gangleri finally confronts the stone’s power, something inside him shifts:
Gangleri fell to his knees like a puppet with its strings cut. “No…oh no, oh no,” he murmured softly. “What have I done?”
Gangleri may be dangerous, but he’s also complex, and his fate remains one of the novel’s most haunting threads.
Mother Earth: Powerful, Unpredictable and Watching
While not a direct enemy, Mother Earth is one of the novel’s most compelling and ambiguous foes. She is ancient and powerful, a being tied to the land and deeply suspicious of the elves’ involvement in what she sees as mortal affairs.
Fisbee explains:
“She wasn’t really a friend to us elves, but we didn’t think of her as an enemy, either. Not like Gangleri.”
Later, her presence is felt through the creatures that guard her realm, especially the ice giants, and through the calculated way she withholds help, watching events unfold with chilly detachment. Could it be that she sees the threat upon the Kingdom of the One True North as a means to achieve her own interests?
Ice Giants: Ancient Beasts of Snow and Force
Towering, fast, and ferocious, the ice giants are among the most physical threats in the novel. They belong to the Mimosian creatures who are loyal to Mother Earth and serve as her patrols across the land. One attacks Delshimerry, Kendor, and Radnow in Chapter 2, nearly killing Delshimerry.
“The ice monster dodged in with inhuman quickness and snatched [Delshimerry] in its huge snowy arms… tendrils of ice crept up [her] body and face from the ice giant’s hands. It was clear that [she] couldn’t survive for much longer.”
Only with teamwork, and Barry’s brave leap, do they bring the creature down. It dissolves in a whirl of ice crystals, a chilling reminder that the North Pole was not always tame.
Saumen Kar: Proud and Dangerous
The Saumen Kar, giant horned creatures with fur known as the most ferocious of the yetis, are introduced at the very end of Chapter 12. They serve as part of Gangleri’s Lightalf army.
“The creature was easily nine feet tall and nearly as wide… Black, twisted horns sprang from its craggy forehead.”
When a Saumen Kar attacks, it’s with precision and when they roar, it echoes across the tundra. Delshimerry is forced to act fast:
“The yeti howled, clutching at its severed horn, and staggered back a few feet.”
These aren’t mindless beasts. They’re territorial, proud, and unwilling to back down from anyone—until someone like Delshimerry shows them who they’re dealing with.
The Snowy Owl with a Lion’s Head: Clawed and Vicious
In one of the novel’s most visually striking scenes, a majestic bird with the head of a lion and the shape of a snowy owl descends from the sky. The creature is part of Gangleri’s army, but its nature remains uncertain. Scout Elves shoot needles of ice toward the creature while Delshimerry defends with her larlork sword.
“A direct hit sent the creature tumbling.”
Delshimerry and Nicholas face this beast together in a moment of breathtaking magic and danger.
Many other foes exist for Nicholas and his partners in the battle to save One True North. Huge rodent-like creatures with yellow teeth and long tails, hairless dogs the size of ponies, foaming skunk-harpies, among others.
“None of the attacking monsters looked the same…they were all uniquely horrible, uniquely grotesque…they had a shared cruelty and violence. Snarling and snapping, they tore at all who opposed them.”
Their viciousness threatened destroy the power of the Lumistella stone and ultimately, the spirit of Christmas.
Foes of Christmas?
If you’ve always imagined the North Pole as a place of light, laughter, and magic, the foes may. seem surprising. But The Rise of Nicholas the Noble invites readers to imagine a deeper past, where magic was still being claimed, and the Spirit of Christmas had to be fought for. It captures a truth we all know deep down: that light is something we have to choose and defend, again and again.
These foes test Nicholas not just physically, but emotionally. They challenge his courage, his kindness, and his choice to stand for something greater than himself.
And in doing so, they help define what it really means to become Santa.
What Happens to the Foes?
You’ll have to read the book to find out! But even then, you’ll still have questions.
Some of these enemies may return in future stories. Others may shift roles or reveal unexpected truths. And if you read really closely, and look to all the other stories in the Santaverse, you may even discover a few Easter eggs that reveal the future of specific ones.
In the Santaverse, not everything is as it seems, and redemption is always possible, even for those who once stood against the light.
One thing is certain: the magical North wasn’t always peaceful. And the story of how it became a place of joy is one worth discovering.
Take a deeper dive into The Rise of Nicholas the Noble by discovering its heroes and its mysteries.