Product Description

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. . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #809246 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

From Amazon.com
Bestselling author Jane Yolen does not retell the tale of King Arthur in this imaginative novel for young readers so much as re-invent it. There are familiar characters such as Arthur, Gawaine, and Merlin (here called Merlinnus), and elements from the traditional story, including the famed sword in the stone. But The Sword of the Rightful King treats these as ingredients to cook up an entirely new story. In Yolen's version, Arthur is a young king. He wears the crown but sits perhaps a bit uneasily upon the throne. It has been reported to the king that there are some who will betray or even kill him in order to rise to power. To assure the subjects, the magician Merlinnus places a sword in a stone and announces that whosoever pulls it out, will be the rightful ruler of England. The fact that someone else pulls the sword out of the stone first is just one of numerous intriguing twists. Yolen manages to update the legend and make it fresh for a modern younger audience without resorting to gimmickry and incongruous references (no one says "dude", Lancelot does not ride a skateboard). Instead, she recasts the characters as real people: flawed, troubled, and altogether human. And while they still exist in long-ago England, the people we meet and the situations they find themselves in are accessible to readers of any age. (All ages) --John Moe

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–This recording of Jane Yolen's fantasy novel about King Arthur is set in post-Roman Britain when Arthur is already king (Harcourt, 2003). The main characters are a young Sir Gawaine and a page named Gawen. Gawaine is loyal to Arthur, but is the son of Morgause of Orkney, the sorceress who believes one of her sons, not Arthur, should be on the throne of Britain. Gawen appears at Cadbury Castle and becomes an apprentice to Merlinnus, the great mage. Their stories intertwine, and include many of the familiar Arthurian elements. Adventure, magic, intrigue, and surprises abound. Steven Crossley's narration is smooth and makes for easy listening. However, the novel's many abrupt changes in point of view are sometimes confusing to listeners because Crossley only makes vocal changes for the dialogue and not the straight narration. Still, fans of the Arthurian tales will find this an entertaining tale.–Sarah Flowers, Santa Clara County Library, San Jose, CA
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From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 6-9. Yolen takes elements of Arthurian legend and makes them her own in this involving novel. The central image of the sword in the stone comes to prominence not as the way an unknown boy becomes king but as a means devised by Merlinnus the mage to bind the people's allegiance more firmly to the young King Arthur. Besides Arthur and Merlinnus, the narrative closely concerns Sir Gawaine, who is determined to stay loyal to Arthur despite his mother's traitorous plots against the king, and young Gawen, who arrives at court to train as a knight and becomes an assistant to Merlinnus instead. In Yolen's hands, many characters who have been colorful cardboard figures in other books come to life as sympathetic human beings. Even Sir Kay, for all his flaws, is somehow likable as portrayed here, and Arthur's affection for him is understandable. Yet all is not well in Arthur's realm, even at his court: evil is real, magic is dangerous, assassins are abroad, and power is the only language universally understood. The revelation of a secret creates a surprise ending that departs from traditional Arthurian legend, though many will find it a satisfying climax. Combining old and new, adventure and idealism, this will leave many readers hoping for a sequel that is just as well written and intriguingly crafted. Carolyn Phelan
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