Sword of the Rightful King : A Novel of King Arthur

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults. “[A] spellbinding twist on the Round Table legend . . . a standout in this enormous canon.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) The newly crowned King Arthur is unsure of himself; worse, the people are unsure of him. Too many people want the throne, and treachery is everywhere. Merlin must do something before the king is betrayed, or murdered, or—worst of all—gets married. So Merlin magically places a sword into a slab of rock, lets it be known that whosoever removes the blade will rule all of England, and invites any man who would dare to try to pull out the sword. After a bit of showmanship, Arthur will draw the blade (with a little magical help, of course), and the people will rally around the young king. Except someone else pulls the sword out first . . . A Booklist Editors’ Choice ABA’s Pick of the Lists A Parent’s Guide Children’s Media Award Winner “Yolen takes elements of Arthurian legend and makes them her own in this involving novel.”— Booklist (starred review) “[A] page-turning tale of magic and adventure, betrayal, loyalty, and love.”— School Library Journal (starred review) “A subtle, many-layered tale . . . It is, as the book’s ending tells readers, ‘an old story but a good one,’ and Yolen does it honor.”— VOYA (5Q—highest rating) The newly crowned King Arthur has yet to win the support of the people. Merlin must do something before the king is betrayed, or murdered, or--worst of all--gets married. So Merlin creates a trick: a sword magically placed into a slab of rock that only Arthur can withdraw. Then he lets it be known that whosoever removes the blade will rule all of England, and invites any man who would dare, to try to pull out the sword. But then someone else pulls the sword out first . . . .

a Boldly Imagined Tale Of The Early Days Of King Arthur's Court.

the Washington Post

yolen Works Her Reliable Magic On The Old Tale Of The Sword In The Stone, Not By Re-telling It But By Borrowing Its Themes And Characters And Shaping It Into A Whole New Story, Shot Through With Equal Parts Humor, Intrigue And Poetry.

Merlinnus The Magician Devises A Way For King Arthur To Prove Himself The Rightful King Of England--pulling A Sword From A Stone--but Trouble Arises When Someone Else Removes The Sword First.