FANTASTIC FRIDAY: A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying by Kelley Armstrong
ABOUT THE BOOK
Twelve-year-old Rowan is next in line to be Queen; her twin brother, Rhydd, to be Royal Monster Hunter. Rowan would give anything to switch places, but the rule is, the oldest child is next in line, even if she is only older by two minutes. She resigns herself to admiring her royal monster hunter aunt's official sword and having tea with dignitaries with her mother, the queen. But a tragic event breaks up longstanding rules, and now Rowan finds herself in hunt of a dangerous gryphon.
Accompanied by a feisty and determined baby jackalope and a giant wolf that barely tolerates her, she sets off on a journey that will see her join forces with other unlikely allies: a boy who has ambitions of his own to hunt monsters, and a girl from a nearby clan with hidden motives for befriending Rowan. It will take all of Rowan's skills, both physical and diplomatic, to keep this journey on track. The future of the kingdom depends on it.
REVIEW
I absolutely adored this book. The characters won me over immediately. Rowan, brave and impulsive and well-meaning along with her twin brother, Rhydd, loyal and smart, make a pretty great team. But being royal doesn't mean their lives are easy. Rowan is intended to become queen when what she really wants is to be the Royal Monster Hunter. Rhydd is destined to be the Royal Monster Hunter, but doesn't have the desire or fierceness necessary to be really good at it. As the story opens, Rhydd is heading out on a monster hunt with the current Royal Monster Hunter, who happens to be the twins aunt. Rowan, unhappy at being left behind, sneaks out to join them. When tragedy strikes, Rowan and her family are left to pick up the pieces. Things get more complicated when a political rival steps forward to insinuate his children into the picture as possible heirs to the throne and as Royal Monster Hunter.
The only way to save the throne is for Rowan to train to be the Royal Monster Hunter. But when she arrives at the place where the trainer lives, he is unable to train her because of an injury he has suffered. Rowan is left to her own devices as she works to find a way to become the Royal Monster Hunter. But wild pegasi, bandits, and arrow-shooting apprentices cause major headaches for Rowan, not to mention the griffin that started all this in the first place.
Not only is this book thoroughly entertaining and exciting but it's also amusing (see baby jackalope) and heart-warming (Rowan's relationships with her family). This is the kind of speculative fiction that I get really excited about because it's well-written, with a great plot (interesting twists and turns), and characters with some depth. Rowan is a fierce fighter, but she's not dumb, foolish sometimes, but not dumb. Her ability to relate to animals is an interesting twist since she plans to become a monster hunter. I also liked the ethics that her aunt taught her, about not killing monsters unless absolutely necessary. A fabulous new book that is perfect for middle grade fantasy lovers. I eagerly anticipate the sequel.
I won a copy of this recently and am looking forward to reading it. I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it!
ReplyDelete