BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom
SERIES – Book I
AUTHOR – Cheryl Carpinello
GENRE – Middle Grade Arthurian Legend
PUBLICATION DATE – 2016/2012
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 120 Pages
DISTRIBUTOR – Bublish, Inc.
PUBLISHER – Beyond Today Educator
COVER ARTIST – Berge Design
Formats – paperback, ebook
BOOK SYNOPSIS
Three friends. Three quests. Three mysterious predictions.
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.
BUY & TBR LINKS
Prince Gavin
Gavin’s gaze was drawn back to the castle’s battle-scarred walls and the heavily armed guards. The evil emanating from the structure surrounded and held him captive, like a lone deer surrounded by hungry wolves in the dead of winter, unable to move, its eyes glassy with fear, its limbs frozen by the hypnotic gleam of the wolves’ yellow eyes. Even knowing its life was ending, the deer wouldn’t break and run. So Gavin sat frozen in front of the castle.
The enormity of his quest enveloped Gavin and he sighed. Continuing on meant he might save the Wild Man, but he might put himself in danger as well. King Edward was his father’s enemy and possibly responsible for Aldred’s murder. If Gavin were caught, Edward wouldn’t treat him kindly. The young prince summoned his courage and focused on the Wild Man. It had seemed so simple last night in the company of Bryan and Philip.
********************
Philip
Looking at the stack of chopped wood, he smiled sadly. Two years ago he would never have dreamed he’d be here, chopping wood for food and a dry place to sleep. He shook his head at his thoughts, his shaggy, ill-cut black hair falling unevenly across his forehead. Two years. It seemed like forever.
Two years earlier, he had lived with his parents and baby brother on their small farm up north. His parents worked hard to put food on the table and to pay off the farm. Philip’s main job was to watch baby Benjamin while his mother helped his father in their small field. When Benjamin fell sick, Philip helped his father clear the old stalks and rocks from the soil while his mother nursed the baby. He helped his father carefully plant the winter wheat and barley for harvest in the spring.
As autumn slipped into winter, Benjamin hadn’t gotten better. His tiny body burned with fever. Those last few days when Philip held him, the heat coming from Benjamin threatened to slowly engulf him like the embers of a dying fire.
**********************
Bryan
In the five years he’d been James’s apprentice, Bryan had learned a lot. He made a sturdy sword, so James said. Two years still remained in his apprenticeship. Two long years.
Like most sons of tradesmen or farmers, his family had secured this apprenticeship early on. At eleven, he and his father had made the three-day journey south to the Pembroke Castle blacksmith. At first, the prospect of being away from home, on his own, and learning a respectable trade, was exciting. More importantly, it allowed him to see and talk with real knights.
He spent every day learning how to forge stronger swords, tougher armour, how to shoe horses, and even make pots and pans. It was a satisfying trade and one that would ensure him a livelihood. But Bryan didn’t want just a livelihood. Even now, only two years away from completing his apprenticeship, he still couldn’t see himself working with metal for the rest of his life. As long as he could remember, he had wanted only one thing: to be a knight like Sir Lancelot.
Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom
Double Decker Books Questions and Quotes
1. Do all the stories you write have a history feel?
Yes, they do. I’m a lover of the ancient and medieval worlds. This came from my college classes and then teaching the literature of these worlds for 25 years.
2. How is Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom different from or similar to your other stories?
Young Knights differs only in the setting from my ancient Egypt stories. All my books for middle grade and YA readers have protagonists who—in the course of looking for who they are—take readers on an adventure that at times can be dangerous and even life threatening.
3. How is Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom inspired by King Arthur?
Young Knights takes the concepts—loyalty, friendship, courage, honor, and justice—at the heart of Arthurian legend and allows readers to explore those ideas in themselves just as the characters do.
4. How are the three main characters alike?
All of them—Gavin, Philip, and Bryan—have dreams for their futures, and are afraid that they may not be able to realize those dreams. They share many of the traits found today’s pre-teens and teenagers: they are fiercely loyal to each other and The Wild Man; they are reckless in that their decisions are not fully thought out; and they desperately want to belong to their world in some way. They have all found that friendship with The Wild Man fills up a hole in their lives.
5. How are they different?
Each of them approaches life from very diverse backgrounds. Gavin is a prince; Philip is an orphan; and Bryan is learning to be a blacksmith so that he can help support his family and himself. This colors how they look at their life. Gavin knows what is expected of him, but fears that he will fall short of his family’s expectations. Philip has lost everything and is trying to survive day-to-day. Bryan harbors a secret hope for his future that he fears will never happen because he doesn’t have the means to make that happen.
6. How did you develop the world?
The world of Arthurian Legend was already there—the castles, the knights, the honor code, the lifestyle—just waiting for my story to drop in with its adventures and characters.
7. How is this fantasy, magic story different from others?
I’ve built unique relationships between my three characters that would not be found in the Medieval Ages. That a prince, an orphan, and an apprentice would form such a strong bond of friendship would have been prevented because of the social structure of that time period in England. However, for today’s teens, I don’t believe this would be the case even in England, which still holds onto the old ways in many instances.
8. Would you please tell us a bit about what you have planned for Book II?
In brief, one of the main characters goes missing and a new character joins the adventure and danger. No more for now!
9. What was the hardest part of writing Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom?
For me, the hardest part of any of my stories is getting the story in my head down on paper the way I want. In the case of The King’s Ransom, I had the story done, and then realized that I had a major problem with one of the main characters. I had to go back in and completely rewrite every section that character appeared in!
10. What do you hope readers take away from Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom?
For my Middle Grade readers—and adults who read this—there are two things: How important it is to work together to accomplish the most difficult of tasks; and how important it is to be yourself and trust in who you are, even if that differs from who you thought you were.
AUTHOR BIO
I am a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales & Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds.
AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
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