This is a long-winded book, which is very slow to get to the point. I found this book a rather dull version of the King Arthur tales. The only interesting factor of the book was that it came from the character Gwyn(a)’s point of view.

The beginning of this book is really hard to understand, because the author Philip Reeve throws in a lot of the characters straight away. I also found this book really complicated, because the narrator of the book Gwyn(a), changes from a girl into a boy.

I think Philip Reeve could have made the book more exciting and readable by adding in the characters at a much steadier pace. I also think that retelling the story of King Arthur, by using characters like “Myrddin” instead of Merlin, and the narrator

“Gwyn(a)” instead of Guinevere, doesn’t make the book sound better or different.

When you get into the book it was a better read, and I think the best line of the book is “Men see whatever you tell them to see”

It starts with a maid called Gwyna who escapes from an Arthur raid, because her master couldn’t pay for the rent. She stumbles across Arthur’s magician Myrddin, who tells her the real secrets behind Arthur’s magic. Myrddin explains to Gwyna why he helps King Arthur, to unite all of the regions of England and to drive away the Saxons.

By being in King Arthur’s presence, she has seen opportunities to become so much more than just a maid, she realises she can become a squire to the knight’s.

As Arthur raids more unpaid landowners it makes Gwyna’s job harder to restore the faithful and loyal King Arthur that we have all heard about.

I would definitely not recommend this book because I found it such a drag; it was not exciting and I didn’t get the impression of having the drive to read the book.

Overall I would rate this book 6 out of 10.