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The newly crowned King Arthur is unsure of himself; worse, the people are unsure of him. Too many people want the throne, and treachery is everywhere. Merlin must do something before the king is betrayed, or murdered, or—worst of all—gets married. So Merlin magically places a sword into a slab of rock, lets it be known that whosoever removes the blade will rule all of England, and invites any man who would dare to try to pull out the sword. After a bit of showmanship, Arthur will draw the blade (with a little magical help, of course), and the people will rally around the young king. Except someone else pulls the sword out first . . .
A Booklist Editors’ Choice
ABA’s Pick of the Lists
A Parent’s Guide Children’s Media Award Winner
“Yolen takes elements of Arthurian legend and makes them her own in this involving novel.”—Booklist (starred review)
“[A] page-turning tale of magic and adventure, betrayal, loyalty, and love.”—School Library Journal (starred review)
“A subtle, many-layered tale . . . It is, as the book’s ending tells readers, ‘an old story but a good one,’ and Yolen does it honor.”—VOYA (5Q—highest rating)
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 11, 2020 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780544271890
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780544271890
- File size: 358 KB
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- ATOS Level: 5.1
- Lexile® Measure: 1010
- Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
- Text Difficulty: 3-4
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Reviews
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Starred review from April 14, 2003
In Yolen's spellbinding twist on the Round Table legend, Morgause feels that her 17-year-old son Gawaine belongs on the throne of England. As she attempts to install him there, she tangles with both the court wizard and Gawaine himself. The author makes Gawaine the emotional lynchpin of the story; he mistrusts his mother and is wholly devoted to the only slightly older King Arthur. Portrayed here as the North Witch, Morgause detests Arthur (her half-brother, according to Arthurian lore), who she feels has usurped the throne. Morgause sends three of Gawaine's brothers back with him to Arthur's court under a diplomatic pretext, and Merlinnus, learning that one of Morgause's sons intends to assassinate Arthur, manufactures the tale of a sword lodged in a block of stone (which, of course, will prove Arthur's fated place upon the throne to a kingdom that has yet to fully embrace him). Yolen constructs a fascinating history linking Morgause to Merlinnus, and breathes fresh life into well-established characters; their encounters crackle with the vitality of overheard conversations. The dynamic between Merlinnus and Arthur is especially well realized: the former a shrewd, resourceful, fatherly man battling the discomforts of age, the latter a restless young king who merely tolerates the mundane responsibilities of monarchy ("Arthur had never met a chair he liked. Or a sport he disliked"). Yolen has explored Arthurian legend before, but her latest foray is a standout in this enormous canon. Ages 12-up. -
Starred review from August 23, 2004
Morgause feels that her 17-year-old son Gawaine belongs on the throne of England, in what PW
's starred review called "a spellbinding twist on the Round Table legend." Ages 12-up.
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