Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur

Yolen, Jane. Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur. Harcourt, 2003. ISBN-10: 0-15-202527-8

Plot Summary
Queen Morgause doubts Arthur's claims to the high throne of Britain. So, she sends her sons to court as spies. There are rumors that she has also sent an assassin. Morgause isn't the only own who rejects King Arthur's authority so Arthur and his mage Merlinnus devise a plan. Merlinnus will put a sword in a stone that only Arthur can pull out. Then they'll start a rumor that whoever can pull the sword from the stone will be the rightful king of Britain. The story is told through the perspective of Gawen, a young boy who comes to court to be a knight and ends up apprenticed to Merlinnus instead. Arthur gives all challengers to the throne until solstice to pull the sword from the stone, then he, hopefully will prove his place as the rightful king. That is, if Morgause doesn't find a way to kill him first.

Critical evaluation
The lore of King Arthur is at once appealing and confusing. There are so many variations and interpretations. By sticking to a small part of the legend, Yolen can go into greater detail and keep the interest of readers whether they are familiar with the tales or not. Some of the terms and spellings will be difficult for hesitant readers. On the other hand, interest in the story may carry the reader through. Overall, I liked Yolen's version of the story.

Readers Annotations
King Arthur sits on the high throne of Britain, but there are those who would challenge his throne. How can he prove that he is the rightful king? Without bloodlines or tradition to support him, how can Arthur make everyone loyal to him? Arthur and his trusty mage Merlinnus devise a trick- a sword in a stone...

Information About the Author
Jane Yolen has been writing for children and young adults since 1963. To date she has written over 300 books and continues to write. In addition to being an author, she is a master oral storyteller and collects folktales from around the world. Many of her works are retellings or interpretations of traditional tales. She also invents new tales.

Genre
Fantasy

Curriculum Ties
King Arthur tales/ folklore

Booktalking Ideas
The untold story-- Arthur was in on the plot all along! The sword in the stone was his idea!

Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 8-10

Controversial Subject Matter and Defense of Ideas
none
Why Book Included
I wanted to include a book by Yolen since she is such a respected and prolific writer.