The Telling Pool - Hardcover

Clement-Davies

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810957582 ISBN 13: 9780810957589

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2005

Synopsis

A thrilling new fantasy from the author of the cult favorites Fire Bringer and The Sight.

From the author known for his popular, "intricately crafted" novels, as praised by The Boston Globe, comes a new tale set against the backdrop of Richard the Lionheart's Crusade to Jerusalem. The Telling Pool's richly atmospheric tale draws on Authurian legend and pagan belief, following the fate of young Rhodri Falcon and his crusader father as they become entangled in the war of a king and the machinations of a seductive sorceress who literally steals men's hearts. Its up to Rhodri to defeat the sorceress and save his father before all is forever lost. As Rhodri discovers the evils of war fought in the name of religion with enemies who will stop at nothing to defeat him, he must dig deep within to discover the hero who will save his father and lead himself toward the man he will become.

Expertly told, The Telling Pool transports young readers to the days of the Crusades, magic sorcery and the land where legends were formed. In the best-selling tradition of his previous books, Clement-Davies introduces readers a new character, Rhodri Falcon, who will forge ahead, determined to find good and in a land of evil.

About this title

About the Author

David Clement-Davies is the author of two highly acclaimed and best-selling novels, Fire Bringer and The Sight. His books have been called "a hurtling ride" (Kirkus) , and "a masterpiece" (Booklist). David travels extensively and has trekked across a desert, swum with dolphins, and skydived on assignment for various travel magazines. He lives in London.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10–The late 12th century in England brought anguish to a divided land as King Richard led many of the ablest men on the quixotic and dangerous journey known as the Third Crusade. Rhodri, the son of Owen, master falconer on a manor in the Welsh borderland, is left in charge when his much-admired father follows their overlord to the Holy Land. Interweaving this historical fiction with a liberal dose of Arthurian legend, Clement-Davies creates a rich mixture of themes and metaphors. Two archetypal figures vie for Rhodri's soul: Tantallon, a Merlin figure who teaches the boy to look for answers in an ancient, magical pool deep in the forest; and Homeira, an evil-hearted Morgana figure who entraps his returning father's heart. Descriptions of Owen's behavior after experiencing the Crusade will ring true with anyone familiar with posttraumatic-stress symptoms. Rhodri's journey through the countryside to free his father from Homeira's enchantment tests the boy's courage, though a subplot involving an ostracized Jew and his daughter tests readers' credulity. The descriptions of medieval falconry, life on the manor, and Rhodri's interactions with other boys are carefully delineated, but those not steeped in Arthurian legend may find themselves confused by the context of Tantallon's teachings and Homeira's treachery. On the other hand, that could spur them to read further. The power of old legends to effect children's lives is always an interesting theme, one that is more fully developed in Kevin Crossley-Holland's The Seeing Stone (2001), At the Crossing-Places (2002), and King of the Middle March (2004, all Scholastic).–Connie C. Rockman, Stratford Library Association, CT
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About this edition

• Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0810957582
• ISBN 13: 9780810957589
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320