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Searching... Monmouth Public Library | YA Fic Bell, H. 2010 | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Friends Are More Trouble Than Foes
Sir Michael Sevenson and his squire, Fisk, were just beginning to enjoy the quiet life. They really should have known better. When Lady Rosamund runs away from home to marry a traveling player, former knight errant Michael makes a noble promise to help the object of his unrequited love. The quest takes our would-be heroes to the coastal town of Huckerston, where savage sea pirates called wreckers terrorize the coast. With the help of a reluctant Fisk, Michael plans on catching the wreckers and winning back his lady; but when mysterious murders and dangerous accidents threaten the town and its players, love might be the least of his problems. . . .
Part buddy novel, part medieval whodunit, the latest installment of Hilari Bell's Knight and Rogue Novels continues the boys' saga with another classic tale of mishaps, wit, and adventure.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7-10-This book continues the adventures of Michael Sevenson, a self-proclaimed knight errant (although they went out of fashion a couple of hundred years ago) and his squire, Fisk, a former con artist. The duo travel to Huckerston, a port town where wreckers are at work. Michael's distant cousin and love interest, the fair Rosamund, has run away to Huckerston to join her love, Rudy, a tightrope walker who is missing some toes. He is a traveling player with Mr. Makejoye's troupe, which the knight and squire join. Much of the book's humor and appeal comes from the friendship and interplay between Michael and Fisk, the former well-intentioned but foolhardy, while the latter is more reality-based and cynical. They tell the story in alternating chapters as they encounter murder, piracy, robbery, and all sorts of chaos while they try to expose the wreckers, find the loot, and woo Rosamund. Michael is able to see magic in objects and has the gift of animal handling, which is helpful in offsetting his gift of attracting trouble. The time period feels medieval, yet street lamps are mentioned, as is Fisk's former job as a bouncer in a tavern. This incongruity adds to the book's humor. A blend of fantasy, adventure, and mystery, with a large cast of characters and a fast-paced plot, this installment will appeal most to fans of the previous titles.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Library ed.isbn 978-0-06-082510-2 $18.89 g Errant knight Michael and his squire, former rogue Fisk, unwittingly embark on their third adventure when Michael's cousin Rosamund, her "cloud of rose-gold hair...framing a face of heartbreaking beauty," arrives on their doorstep. Determined to marry her true love, a traveling player named Rudy, she begs Fisk and Michael's help in going against her noble guardian's wishes. When the three of them locate Rudy, they are taken in by Rudy's troupe, but not before Michael and Fisk become witnesses to the deadly work of the harbor town's wreckers, who lure ships aground on the rocky coastline and plunder the wreckage. Murder, theft, and sabotage suddenly plague both troupe and townspeople, and Michael and Fisk are prime suspects. At the same time, lovelorn Michael must deal with Rosamund's rejection. Like its prequels, the breezy, good-humored Player's Ruse is an engaging light read that successfully mixes comedy and suspense as it alternates between Fisk's wry, lively voice and Michael's more open, earnest perspective. Bell deftly displays the deepening friendship between the two; exasperation and affection provide a comic foil to their ever-increasing mutual respect and sympathy. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Over a year after their last adventure (Rogue's Home, 2008), Sir Michael, the last knight, and his worldly-wise sidekick, Fisk, are dragged into a new imbroglio when Michael's lovelorn cousin, Rosamund, appears at their boarding house seeking help. After traveling across the country, they join a troupe of traveling actors and become caught up in the search to capture a gang of ship-wreckers. The story unfolds in alternating chapters that reveal the deepening friendship of the duo and yield rich characterization from different perspectives. The writing sparkles with wit: Laugh-out-loud episodes, puns and groaners are sprinkled through the text. Suspense drives the plot, which develops quickly and climaxes in a literal cliffhanger. Fans of the first two books will welcome this installment with enthusiasm. Readers new to the series will appreciate the integration of past information and read on. Michael and Fisk are rapidly approaching adulthoodlet's hope for a few more adventures before they get there. (Fantasy. YA) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
When an irresistible young woman from his past appeals to Sir Michael for help, an initially awkward situation swiftly escalates into mortal danger. Soon he and Fisk are attempting to unravel a mystery in a harbor town, where a gang of wreckers has been luring the crews of merchant ships to death and destruction on the rocky coast. The engaging first-person narrative alternates, chapter by chapter, between Michael, who stalwartly pursues the outmoded profession of knight errantry, and his squire, Fisk, who sees life from a more ironic perspective. The latest adventure from the always-entertaining Knight and Rogue series.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist