so-soA simple quick retelling of yup, you guessed it, The Sword in the Stone. The story doesn‘t really follow anyone in particular, the pacing is pretty quick and the “twist” came literally in the last few pages and wasn‘t that grand or dramatic. Easy story for a child to follow along with if they have an interest in King Arthur but doesn‘t really do a good job making the characters interesting.
so-soThe story has perhaps too much simplicity to meet my expectations. I wish there were more characters, more plot lines, more action. The twist the summary promises - someone else pulling the sword from the stone - happens at the very end. I read to know what came AFTER, but the book told of what came BEFORE. Morgause is not a very satisfying villain, despite the author‘s efforts. Gawen‘s identity did surprise me, but I should have seen it coming.
so-soI really, really wanted to like this one.
This is my first Jane Yolen novel and I was loving every minute... until the ending.
It felt like what should have been another 60 pages was shoved into 10. The final reveal was abrupt, and the promised twist (not Arthur pulling the sword from the stone) was lackluster. I‘m glad I got this one for free.
If not for the sudden and confusing ending, this one would have been a pick!
What did you guys think?
Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur | 
