About the Book
Title: Young Knights of the Round Table: The King's Ransom Author: Cheryl Carpinello Publication Date (Kindle): May, 2012 Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing Number of pages: 84 Recommended age: 9+ Summary (Amazon):
In medieval Wales, eleven-year-old Prince Gavin, thirteen-year-old orphan Philip, and fifteen-year-old blacksmith's apprentice Bryan are brought together in friendship by one they call the Wild Man. When an advisor to the king is killed and a jewelled medallion is stolen from the king’s treasury, the Wild Man is accused of the theft and murder. Filled with disbelief at the arrest of the Wild Man, the three friends embark upon a knight’s quest to save their friend’s life. To succeed, the three must confront their fears and insecurities, and one of them will have to disclose the biggest secret of all. Join Gavin, Philip, and Bryan on their quest and share the adventures that await them in the land of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
My Review:
We begin the adventure first with Gavin, a young prince, fearful of his ability to fulfil his duty to his King. Then we meet Philip, a young boy orphan boy who lost his entire family to a dreadful blight. Philip, seeks refuge in the village that Gavin and his family rule over. Last but not least we meet Bryan, a young man who dreams of becoming a Knight, who has to accept his station in life and work hard to become a Blacksmith. Gavin, Philip and Bryan, become fast friends, united in their desire become expert swordsman. Each of the three, unwittingly befriend a mysterious man new to the village. "The Wild" man has no station in life and is of no one of consequence to anyone in the village. He seems to know an awful lot about how to handle a sword, patiently instructing the three each night as they practise.
That is until the day he is accused of the theft of "The Kings Ransom", a gold medallion, rumoured to be impart great power to anyone who in possession of it. The theft alone was bad enough, but a beloved an trusted servant to the king was also killed during the theft.
Gavin, Philip and Bryan unite in their quest to clear the "Wild Man's" name, but to do that they must discover the identity of the real murderer and thief.
Each of the boys, must overcome their fears and demonstrate great courage, in order to fulfil their part on the quest to bring the murderer to justice.
This was a delightful rollercoaster of a read, taking us on a journey with each of the characters. There were moments of great sadness, where I felt so wholeheartedly for the characters and their situations. Ms Carpinello has woven a wonderful tale of facing your fears, and finding the courage within, as each character plays their part in solving the crime.
I loved the twist at the end, and Ms Carpinello weaves in her vast knowledge of King Arthur and the legendary knights of the round table so wonderfully.
This was a quick read, which I recommend to 10+ due to some of the vivid imagery and mild language.
Purchase
Amazon * Muse it Up * Barnes and Noble
The Buzz
"The King's Ransom is a fast-moving story, a tale of knights and castles and villains. As Gavin, Phillip, and Bryan set about to save their friend, the reader is brought vividly into the medieval world of King Arthur. There is just the right balance of action and character development to entice young readers and reluctant readers to pick this book up, as was the author's intent. I recommend it to all middle grade readers." ~ Laurie C., Amazon, 5 Stars
"The adventures these future Young Knights of the Round Table experience in their quest to save their friend are filled with the fantasy and adventure story elements that children love to read. There's a villain, secret passages in castles, swordplay, and even a witch. And with King Arthur's appearance, astonishing secret identities being revealed, and a happy ending, what more could anyone want in a good read?" ~ Tyler T., Amazon, 5 Stars
"This was a great book! I liked all of the action and excitement in it. Ms. Carpinello wrote this book really well and it was very appropriate for kids even though it deals with fighting and a wrongfully accused person. Ms. Carpinello described the time period really well, I felt like I was a knight in medieval times! I really love that the story features a bit of King Arthur legends in it! The ending had a couple fo great twists that had me totally surprised!." ~ Erik @ This Kid Reviews Books, 5 Stars.
Awards
2013 EVVY Finalist and EVVY Merit Award for Juvenile/Young Adult from Colorado Independent Publishers Assoc.
2013 Ariana Cover Finalist
2012 Silver Award Recipient for YA Fiction from Children's Literary Classics and the CLC's 2012 Seal of Approval.
2012 Finalist E-Book Children from USA 2012 Best Book Awards
About the Author: Cheryl Carpinello
Although a retired teacher, Cheryl Carpinello still has a passion for working with kids. She regularly conducts Medieval Writing Workshops for local elementary/middle schools and the Colorado Girl Scouts. She is not the only one who loves Medieval Times and the King Arthur Legend. The kids thoroughly enjoy writing their own medieval stories complete with dragons, wizards, unicorns and knights! She loves to travel and her other job is with a major airline. Her favorite trip was a two week visit to Egypt with her husband that included traveling by local train from one end of Egypt to the other. Some of her favorite books include The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Once and Future King, and any by the duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
Author Site: http://www.beyondtodayeducator.com/
Author Blog: http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com
Facebook page: Author Cheryl Carpinello
Goodreads author page: Cheryl Carpinello
Twitter: @CCarpinello
Google+: Cheryl Carpinello
Young Knights of the Round Table Blog Tour Schedule (2013)
September 9September 10
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September 30
*** Young Knights of the Round Table Blog Tour Giveaway ***
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash
Contest runs: September 9 to October 6, 11:59 pm, 2013
Open: WW
How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. If you have any additional questions - feel free to contact Renee at Mother Daughter Book Reviews.
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Julie, thank you so much for hosting me on my blog tour. I am grateful for your review. Cheryl
ReplyDeleteA pleasure Cheryl. I hope it is going great.
DeleteAm already reading this one - made it so much more fun to read your review :)
ReplyDeleteLOL that is great, thanks so much for stopping by,
DeleteThanks so much for your review of Young Knights and for taking part in the Blog Tour. It's true - there are moments of sadness as we learn more about the main characters. All comes together beautifully in the end!
ReplyDeleteYes Cheryl did a wonderful job. And another great blog tour organised...
DeleteCool review Julie. Great to see you on the tour.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Steve!
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