#tbt: King Arthur Retellings Continued: Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

Image: Scholastic

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve. 340 p. Scholastic Press, Scholastic Inc., 2008. 9780545093347. (Own.)

#tbt features one of my favorite King Arthur retellings, Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve. This novel was published in the U.K. in 2007, where it received the Carnegie Medal given to the best children's book of the year. It was published in the U.S. the following year. Gwynna is a servant girl, who runs away when her village is attacked and burned to the ground. She is discovered in the woods by Myrddin, a bard who proposes a deal. He will protect her if she binds herself in service of him. Myrddin, himself is bound in service to Arthur, the young conquerer who would be king and unite Britain. The two set about king-making and myth-making, knowing that there would be dire consequences if they are discovered. This first-person narrative is so immersive, pages will fly!