Lyonesse Book 2: Darksolstice - Hardcover

Llewellyn, Sam

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439934710 ISBN 13: 9780439934718

Publisher: Orchard Books, 2010

Synopsis

In this vivid and epic legend from acclaimed author Sam Llewellyn, a young King and his Knights race to save a sinking Kingdom. . . .

Not long ago twelve year old Idris Limpet was just an ordinary schoolboy. That was until he was taken from his home and taught to tame monsters from another world. Then he pulled a sword out of a stone. Now, he is Idris House Draco, Rightful King of the Land of Lyonesse.

Rightful kings have their problems, however, and Idris has his fair share. He is an exile - hunted from his country by the evil regent Fisheagle and her wicked son Murther. Moreover, Idris's dear friend and sister Morgan has been carried off as a slave to the distant land of Aegypt.

About this title

About the Author

Sam Llewellyn has published half a dozen children's books, including the chronicles of Lyonesse: THE WELL BETWEEN THE WORLDS and DARKSOLSTICE, and the Little Darlings series. He also works as a journalist for British and American newspapers and magazines such as the LONDON TIMES and DAILY TELEGRAPH. Sam now lives with his wife, award-winning children's writer Karen Wallace, and their two sons in a medieval house in the Welsh border country.

Reviews

Grade 5 Up—Now the King of Lyonesse, Idris Limpit must rescue his sister, Morgan, from the far-off realm of Aegypt, and return to Lyonesse by the Darksolstice to reclaim his kingdom from Fisheagle, who is destroying it. The journey Idris takes leads him to a group of thieves and rogues who will become not only his friends but also his Knights of the Round Table. After travels that involve imprisonment and unlikely escapes aided by similarly unlikely allies, Idris and his band arrive in Aegypt only to discover that Morgan may be dead. He now has to learn the truth of his sister's fate while the clock ticks toward the time for his return. Readers familiar with Arthurian myths, and particularly the legend of the Lost Land, the sunken land used so effectively in Susan Cooper's Silver on the Tree (S & S, 1977), will enjoy Llewellyn's take on the story. As an Arthurian retelling, this can't match Philip Reeve's Here Lies Arthur (Scholastic, 2008), and Llewellyn's storytelling sometimes skips over important plot details too quickly. Some of the language used in this world, such as "zupper" for "supper" seems arbitrary and unnecessary. The depiction of the final battle, however, achieves a level of heroism and tragedy that makes this a worthy addition to Arthurian fantasy. Certainly fans of the first book will want to follow Idris's quest, and will want to continue his journey in the next one.—Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO
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Begun with The Well between the Worlds (2008), the prototypical rightful-king story of Idris (aka Arthur) winds to a resolution in this second book in the Lyonesse series. Exiled from his poisoned homeland, Idris sets out to rescue his sister, Morgan, from enslavement in the wicked land of Aegypt, and along the way picks up a half-dozen companions whose names (Gawaine, Galahad, Tristan) will ring familiar. The intricacies of Llewellyn’s unique retrofitting of Arthurian lore at times requires some dedication to wade through, but readers will be rewarded with epic world-building (and—destroying) and an eminently satisfying ending. Grades 5-8. --Ian Chipman

Edition details

• Publisher: Orchard Books
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0439934710
• ISBN 13: 9780439934718
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384