Sword of the Rightful King – By Jane Yolen

This book report is on the novel Sword of the Rightful King, written by Jane Yolen. The book is about the newly crowned King Arthur, who rules the kingdom, but not the people’s hearts. If he fails to prove his worth. his power will always be in question. Too many want him dead, and treachery is everywhere. So the warlock Merlinnus secretley creates a test for Arthur…

A sword in a stone is founded-a stone that contains a legend promising that whosoever draws the blade from the stone will rule all England. If all goes according to plan, King Arthur will draw the blade from the stone (With the help of Merlinnus’s magic), and the people will at last rally around the king. Except someone else pulls the sword out first…

A young man by the name of Gawaine occasionally ventures to Arthur’s court to practice swordsmanship and meet new folk. His mother, Morgause, demands him to tell her everything that happens at Arthur’s court, yet Gawaine angrily refuses. Three days later, he set off for the court along with three of his younger brother; Medraut, Agravaine, and Hwyll. Once they arrive, Gawaine becomes an even closer friend to the king, but Arthur suspects the brothers were sent to kill him, due to the mothers desire to have her children rule all Britain.

While the brothers are visiting, Merlinnus starts to put his plan into effect. He puts the stone in the churchyard for all to see, and a crowd starts to gather. Arthur holds a contest, in which whoever pulls out the sword will obtain the crown.

I would recommend this book because it has an excellent storyline that is loaded with adventure, action, and romance. The suspense urges you to read on, and the endless fighting sequences have continous replay value. It was a pleasure to read this book, and I’m sure many readers would enjoy it also.

There was seen in a churchyard, against the high altar, a great stone four square, like unto marble stone; and in the midst thereof was like an anvil of steel a foot on high, and therein stuck a fair sword naked by the point, and letters there were written in gold about the sword that saiden thus:- Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England.

-Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d’Arthur