Book Review of The Golden Sword by Rosie Morgan

Synopsis:

All Arthur Penhaligon wants is to have a normal life, doing normal things.
But before he was born - a VERY long time before - Arthur was Chosen.
His life is going to be anything but ordinary.

Skateboarding down his local street Arthur realises that everyone has disappeared, except for one man – and a crow. And the man is waiting for him.

Arthur and his friends, Nick and Tamar, quickly find themselves pulled into a strange and dark world of ancient magic, deep mystery and danger.
A world where people travel through time, animals take control and a mythical sword becomes real.
A world where the murderous Crow Man, and Matearnas, the self-crowned Queen of Cornwall, are determined to rob Arthur of his ancient birthright.
At any cost.

Normal is about to go out of the window.

And it all starts on page 1....

At the end of the street the mist swirled and shifted. A shape flew out of the enveloping cloud and circled before settling on a gate post.
Moments later a tall, dark shadow silently followed. His long coat flowed behind him, and he wore a broad-brimmed hat pulled down low over his face. He strode purposefully along the street before coming to a halt outside the house where the bird waited.
The stranger examined the house intently. Then he nodded towards the bird and taking something out of his pocket, tossed it to the ground. Satisfied, he spun around and retraced his steps to disappear once more, into the mist.
The bird cawed once, spread its wings and followed.

Review:


The Golden Sword by Rosie Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the first book in a series for middle grade children that takes the myths and legends of Arthur and gives it a modern twist. I loved it!

Arthur Penhaligon is a fabulous character. I liked him very much. He is an intelligent young man, with some wonderful friends. He's a normal teenager, who loves to use his skate board and hang with his friends. Little does he know what danger awaits.

This story intrigued me. I have read many stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, from history text books to fictional re-tellings. King Arthur's myth and legend has intrigued many people over the years. There have been several books, TV programmes and movies made over the years. However, this book is a completely unique and modern tale that captured me from the first page! Set in Cornwall, England, this book was eerily creepy and spooky in places, especially some of the scenes on Bodmin Moor - I had chills! There are some interesting characters in this book. Arthur's friends, Nick and Tamar, are complete opposites. Nick is fun loving, and has an easy going attitude. Tamar is a more serious and studious person; she is quite logical in her thinking.
This tale has magic and myth wrapped in an exciting adventure that will capture young readers' imaginations. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Rosie Morgan is a debut author who has written an extremely atmospheric tale that children will love. Her take on the Arthurian legend is most certainly unique! I will follow her career with interest.

I highly recommend this story to both boys and girls in the 7 to 14 age range. However, I also recommend this book to adults if you love YA or fantasy genres. - Lynn Worton

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