Player's Ruse

January 1, 2010
Gr 7-10-This book continues the adventures of Michael Sevenson, a self-proclaimed knight errant (although they went out of fashion a couple of hundred years ago) and his squire, Fisk, a former con artist. The duo travel to Huckerston, a port town where wreckers are at work. Michael's distant cousin and love interest, the fair Rosamund, has run away to Huckerston to join her love, Rudy, a tightrope walker who is missing some toes. He is a traveling player with Mr. Makejoye's troupe, which the knight and squire join. Much of the book's humor and appeal comes from the friendship and interplay between Michael and Fisk, the former well-intentioned but foolhardy, while the latter is more reality-based and cynical. They tell the story in alternating chapters as they encounter murder, piracy, robbery, and all sorts of chaos while they try to expose the wreckers, find the loot, and woo Rosamund. Michael is able to see magic in objects and has the gift of animal handling, which is helpful in offsetting his gift of attracting trouble. The time period feels medieval, yet street lamps are mentioned, as is Fisk's former job as a bouncer in a tavern. This incongruity adds to the book's humor. A blend of fantasy, adventure, and mystery, with a large cast of characters and a fast-paced plot, this installment will appeal most to fans of the previous titles."Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2009
Grades 7-10 When an irresistible young woman from his past appeals to Sir Michael for help, an initially awkward situation swiftly escalates into mortal danger. Soon he and Fisk are attempting to unravel a mystery in a harbor town, where a gang of wreckers has been luring the crews of merchant ships to death and destruction on the rocky coast. The engaging first-person narrative alternates, chapter by chapter, between Michael, who stalwartly pursues the outmoded profession of knight errantry, and his squire, Fisk, who sees life from a more ironic perspective. The latest adventure from the always-entertaining Knight and Rogue series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)