Waiting on Wednesday: Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

Image: Penguin Random House

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken. 496 p. Knopf Books for Young Readers/ Random House Children's Books, April 4, 2023. 9780593481653.

Happy Wednesday! Waiting on Wednesday features Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken. I have enjoyed everything I've read by Ms. Bracken so far and I really love stories that touch on or retell Arthurian legend. This sounds amazing. It's due out on April 4. Isn't that cover gorgeous?

Publisher synopsis: #1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken cements her status as one of the top fantasy authors writing today in this stunning series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

Tamsin Lark didn’t ask to be a Hollower. As a mortal with no magical talent, she was never meant to break into ancient crypts, or compete with sorceresses and Cunningfolk for the treasures inside. But after her thieving foster father disappeared without so much as a goodbye, it was the only way to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.

Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian vanished with a powerful ring from Arthurian legend. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring.

As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitors in the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipers’ nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother. . .

Teen Tuesday: Sword in the Stars by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Image: Hachette Audio

Sword in the Stars by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, 10 hours, 48 minutes. Read by Lauren Fortang. Hachette Audio, April, 2020. 9781549105166. (Review of e-audiobook downloaded from the public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Sword in the Stars by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Mature teen readers who loved Once and Future will absolutely adore the concluding volume. Ari Helix (the 42nd reincarnation of the legendary King Arthur) and her Rainbow Knights may have won a battle against the murderous Mercer Corporation, but the war is not yet over. Merlin has concluded that the only way to defeat them is to find Arthur's Holy Grail. Only Merlin can't seem to remember where it is hidden. The band travels back to the time of King Arthur where they must attempt to blend in with the Medieval folk and avoid disturbing the space-time continuum lest they be lost forever.

The pace is whiplash fast in this gender-bending, mind-bending sci-fi interpretation of Arthurian legend. The characters are all well-developed and easy to care about. There were many humorous moments, but there were also tears. The more you know about the legend, the more you will appreciate what the authors have done here. No knowledge of the legend is necessary to enjoy this rip-roaring adventure, though you must absolutely read the two books in order. I read both volumes with my ears and utterly enjoyed Ms. Fortang's performance in both. I am definitely purchasing this duology for my personal collection of King Arthur variations and will enjoy rereading with my eyes.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Image: Hachette Book Group

Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Once and Future series #1. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~10 hours, 55 minutes. Read by Lauren Fortang. LBYR/ Hachette Audio, March, 2019. 9781549178863. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Regular readers of this blog might know that I'm a fan of King Arthur retellings. The legend gets a gender-bending, sci-fi twist here and it's utterly delightful! Ari Helix is on the run from the Mercer Corporation, which literally controls the galaxy. Planet Earth has been abandoned, Ari's planet has been destroyed and her parents murdered. She has been raised by two adoptive mothers and adored Kay, her adoptive older brother. 

The two are eluding capture when they crash-land on Earth. Ari finds a sword embedded in a stone, yanks it out and discovers that she is the forty-second incarnation of King Arthur. This awakens Merlin, Arthur's mentor and wizard. He has been aging backward and is now a teen-age boy.

The pace is whiplash fast, the humor is high and surprises abound. I had no idea what to expect going into this. I hadn't read a review. I just knew it was a King Arthur retelling. This book sizzles and that cliffhanger ending left me needing the next installment ASAP! The good thing about coming to a series later is not having to wait for the sequel. Sword in the Stars is in my Libby queue. I cannot wait.

Once and Future is not quite middle school fare. Mature teens who are into King Arthur, science fiction and/ or lgbtq literature where the sexuality of characters is not the issue will go gaga over this adventure. Once and Future was my final book of 2020. What a way to end a reading year. Highly recommended!

#tbt: King Arthur Continued: The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Image: Scholastic Inc.

The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland. 342 p. Arthur A. Levine Books/ Scholastic, 2001. 9780439263263. (Own.)

We'll conclude our #tbt theme about King Arthur this week with The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland. This is a complicated reworking of the legend. It is told from the first-person viewpoint of Arthur de Caldicot, a wealthy teen who is eager to become a knight. He is given a piece of obsidian by his father's friend, Merlin. Arthur sees another world and another Arthur in the stone. Who is this Arthur whose life closely mirrors his own? Is this Arthur's future? The past? Or are there other universes? 

The Seeing Stone was published in the UK in 2000, where it won The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. It was published in the US in 2001 and is the first book of a trilogy.

This collection of #tbts is just a few of my favorite King Arthur retellings. There are many more I've read as well as a heap of retellings I haven't yet gotten to.

#tbt: Ivain: the knight of the lion by M.T. Anderson

Image: Candlewick Press

Ivain: the knight of the lion by M.T. Anderson. Illustrated by Andrea Offerman. 144 p. Candlewick Press, March, 2017. 9780763659394. (Own)

Graphic Novels continue to be highlighted this week, but I ran into a bit of problem for #tbt. Ordinarily, books featured on #tbt are over ten years old, with rare exceptions. But. I needed to find a King Arthur GN that I had read and the only one I can recall is Ivain: the knight of the lion by M.T. Anderson and illustrated by Andrea Offerman. This slim volume was published in March of 2017 and is the award-winning author's first graphic novel

Ivain is a knight at King Arthur's court. Eager to prove himself in battle, he leaps at the opportunity to confront defeat a local lord in battle without thinking of the consequences to the man's widow and the people he swore to protect. Ivain marries the widow, but desires a life of battle and questing. This graphic novel is based on an epic poem by Chretien de Troye. Mr. Anderson not only brings the ferocity of battle during the middle ages to life but also the tenuous lot of women at that time.

#tbt: King Arthur Retellings Continued: Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

Image: Scholastic

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell. 398 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., 2007. 9780439918480. (Own)

#tbt features Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell to continue the King Arthur theme. This verse novel, inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, was published in 2007. Elaine, the sixteen-year-old Lady of Ascolat or Shalott grew up in Arthur's encampment after her home was destroyed. She has a crush on Lancelot and has hope he might return her feelings until he returns to camp with Gwynivere. She is betrothed to Arthur, but she and Lancelot are in love. Ms. Sandell's verse depicts the rigor and danger of camp life and war. The legend of Arthur told from Elaine's perspective intrigues. An Author's note follows.

#tbt: King Arthur Retellings Continued - Nancy Springer and the Anti-Heroes

Image: Penguin Random House

I am Mordred by Nancy Springer. 192 p. Philomel Books/ Penguin Random House, 1998. (Own)

Image: Penguin Random House

I am Morgan le Fay by Nancy Springer. 240 p. Philomel Books/ Penguin Random House, 2002. (Own)

#tbt continues to highlight King Arthur and the many possible retellings. Author Nancy Springer imagined the backstory of two of Arthur's nemeses, Mordred, his illegitimate son, in 1998 and Morgan le Fay, his half-sister in 2001. Both I am Mordred and I am Morgan le Fay are first-person, character-driven novels that are fast-paced and suspenseful. Each humanizes the "villains" that were a threat to Arthur and his reign as well as villainizing a few heroes. Very few people are all good or all evil. These are probably best read after reading other retellings; but they are not to be missed. 

On another note, if you are a fan of Robin Hood, Ms. Springer wrote several books based on that legend as well. Happy reading.

#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!

#tbt: King Arthur Retellings Continued: Gerald Morris

The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris. 224 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008. 9780618737437. Own.

Oops! Didn't get a chance to post this week's #tbt! Last week, I mentioned that I would highlight some of my favorite King Arthur retellings. This week, I would like to tell you about Gerald Morris. He has two series of books that retell various aspects of the legend starting with The Squire's Tale, which was published in 1998. He added nine more titles in the series between 1998 and 2010. They are notable for their brevity and wit. In 2008, he started a second series called The Knights' tales starting with The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great.

#tbt: King Arthur

Image: Penguin Random House

Welcome back to the second day of school TMS Readers! The next few #tbt posts will have a theme, King Arthur legends. There are many and I will share a few of my favorites over the next few Thursday. Arthur really was King in the fifth century. He defended Britain against the Saxons. Over the years that followed historians decided stories about the king, which included a wizard and a magic sword, were not historically accurate. Primary source material is sparse. But they are fantastic stories!

The book that made me a King Arthur fan as a teen was, The Once and Future King by T.H. White. Originally published in the UK in 1958, this story contains four or five books, but some, such as the first part, The Sword in the Stone, are published as single volumes. White was inspired by a much earlier book, Le Morte d'Arthur, but added details from recent (at the time) history.

The Once and Future King is an ambitious read for most teens as it was published for an adult audience, but it's a good starting point to learn about the legend and all the colorful characters associated with Arthur.

#tbt: Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell. 416 p. Scholastic Inc., May, 2007. 9780439918480. (Own.)

If you are a fan of Arthurian legend or of verse novels, check out Song of the Sparrow. Inspired by the Tennyson poem about this minor character, Sandell depicts Elaine, the Lady of Shalott as a tomboy who is entirely at home and happy growing up in an army camp. She has many 'brothers,' freedom and is a healer though she can do without the constant mending and laundry. Her hopes that her love for Lancelot might be reciprocated are dashed when he fetches Gwynivere for Arthur and returns to camp with her, smitten. 

I adore the cover, the writing is lovely and the setting is vivid.

#tbt: The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris

The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris. 224 p. The Squire's Tales #1. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April, 1998. 9780395869598. (own)

I am a fan of retellings, especially King Arthur retellings. #tbt features The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris. This is book one in the aptly named, The Squire's Tales series. Fourteen-year-old Terrence lives in the woods with a hermit who can see the future but is unable to tell Terrence anything about his past. It is rumored that Terrence was born of fairy folk. Gawain, King Arthur's nephew comes upon Terrence and, needing a squire, offers to take Terrence along on his adventures. Morris tells the story of Gawain, a minor character from Arthurian legend from Terrence's point of view, so while much of the story may be familiar, there are twists as well as plenty of action and humor. The Squire's Tale was originally published in 1998 and Morris wrote nine more books in the series ending in 2010 with The Legend of the King.

#tbt: Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve. 352 p. Scholastic Inc., November, 2008. 9780545093347.

It's time for #tbt. Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve was published in England in 2007. There have been many retellings of the legend of King Arthur since the Middle Ages. Here Lies Arthur is a retelling of the legend of King Arthur with a few tweaks and twists. It is told from the point-of-view of Gwynna, a young girl who disguises herself as a boy to travel with Arthur and his band. To Gwynna, Arthur is no shining paragon of chivalry but a pig-ish brute of a man as sixth century warriors were wont to be. And Merlin is not what the legends make him out to be either. A bit of knowledge of the stories of King Arthur is helpful to appreciate what Reeve has done here, but not necessary to enjoy this tale of adventure.

Arc Review: Yvain: the knight of the lion by M.T. Anderson

Yvain: the knight of the lion by M.T. Anderson. Illustrated by Andrea Offerman. 144 p. Candlewick Press, March 14, 2017. 9780763659394. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher.)

Master storyteller M.T. Anderson makes his graphic novel debut with the story of Yvain, one of King Arthur's Knights. The story was originally a poem by Chrétien de Troyes as the author explains in his note at the end of the graphic novel.

A prelude introduces an unseen narrator, we see just hands, one gloved with a hooded hawk perched on it. The other unhoods the hawk, which then soars overhead. From this bird's eye view, we see a bloody trail following a horse carrying a knight slumped in a saddle. He is severely injured and returning to a castle seen in the distance.

The saga is told in three action-packed parts. Yvain leaves a feast at King Arthur's palace to avenge his cousin's beating at the hands of Sir Esclados. He mortally wounds the lord and follows his retreating horse to the castle where a maid, Lunette,  finds Yvain and hides him using magic to make him invisible. When Yvain sees the lord's widow, Laudine, he falls instantly in love with her and begs Lunette to find a way for him to meet her. The wily Lunette manages to convince her lady to meet Yvain and they quickly wed. He for love, she for the safety of her people. Unfortunately, when King Arthur and Sir Gawain come for a visit, Gawain goads Yvain into traipsing about the countryside jousting and competing in tournaments. When Yvain does not return within the prescribed time, Laudine renounces him. This repudiation sends Yvain spiraling into self-destructive despair.

In part two, after some time living as a wild man, Yvain happens upon a bloody battlefield where he sees a lion doing fierce battle with a deadly serpent. Yvain plucks a sword and shield from a corpse and joins the battle, eventually cleaving the serpent in half. The lion bows before him. He collects clothing and armaments from the dead and sets off on foot with his new best friend. Eventually, he rests by a stone hut and finds that Lunette is imprisoned in it and is to be executed the next morning. He vows to be her champion.

Phew! And there's still part three to come! The writing is spare yet compelling. The Medieval setting is vividly drawn by Andrea Offerman, who explains the details of her research and some of the symbolism she incorporated into some of the art. 

We've got something to please many types of readers here - knights, battles, magic, a little chivalry, quite a lot of bloodshed, a touch of romance, a number of quests, misunderstandings and a shrewd Machiavelian maid. Oh! And much magnificent art. The muted palette is evocative of Medieval manuscripts and tapestry. Give this to fans of graphic novels, fantasy, and King Arthur legends. 

I first read this book back in..., hold on, let me check. Whoa! Back in December! I set up a post for a review but each time I sat down to try and write about it, I found myself rereading and getting lost once again. I found something new on each reread and also found the storytelling compelling each time, if not more so. But I got stuck trying to synopsize the circuitous tale first getting bogged down in too much detail, then not enough. I'm still not sure I've got this review right but here it is. Read it. It's magnificent!

Arc Review: The Wizard's Dog by Eric Kahn Gale

The Wizard's Dog by Eric Kahn Gale. 277 p. Crown Books for Young Readers/ Random House Children's Books, January, 2017. 9780553537369. (Review from arc courtesy of publicist.)

I love King Arthur stories. I fell in love with T. H. White's The Once and Future King as a teenager and reread it every so often. I hope to tackle Mallory someday, but for now I enjoy retelling's by contemporary authors. I especially enjoy retellings if there's a twist or something that makes it fresh.* So when I received an email asking me if I would be interested in The Wizard's Dog, I did not respond. 

Wait. What? The email came just before the holidays and got lost in the hustle and bustle of things. Thank goodness for a follow-up email after the New Year for this is a story you will want to share with the young people in your life. 

This is the story of Merlin as told by his dog, Nosewise. Merlin, Nosewise and Morgana live deep in the woods, protected by a wall of magical trees. Both Morgana and Nosewise were rescued by Merlin and Nosewise believes they are all packmates. Nosewise has learned quite a few tricks, like Sit! and Stay! and Speak! He is a bit dismayed to find out that Morgana is learning magic and is something called an apprentice. He wants to learn magic if only to defeat the pesky door that keeps him from things like Merlin's study and the great outdoors.

Morgana takes an interest in teaching Nosewise magic and the two steal away for quiet time to pursue finding Certainty and his Mind's Eye. They discover that he can do more than Speak! when he wears Morgana's Asteria, her magical stone, and both are delighted. Nosewise love speaking human and is eager to learn more magic.

When Merlin is kidnapped and Morgana disappears, it is up to Nosewise to scent the trail and rescue them. What an adventure awaits! 

This fast-paced, humorous yarn will hook tween readers from page one and have them furiously turning pages to the satisfying ending. I happened to start the book while waiting for my flight to Atlanta for ALAMW17 and got about 2/3 the way through by the time I landed. I reluctantly stowed it while making my train, checking in, etc. I could not wait to finish! And I cannot wait to buy a finished copy for my school's collection. 

Illustrations in the arc were not complete but promise to add to the excitement of the story. Oberon is positively scary and his way of speaking in rhyme was totally mesmerizing. I must admit though, Nosewise looks a bit crazed on the cover to me though not in the interior art. 

There's a nifty little trailer online. 

The freeing of the sword in the stone is just the beginning of the King Arthur lore, does this mean there are more Wizard's Dog books in store?


*Philip Reeve wrote one of my favorite retellings, Here Lies Arthur (Scholastic, 2008).