A real adventure! With political intrigue; murder; class injustice and cruelty; and unforgettable characters - all this and more woven together artfully to create a fascinating literary escapade for older children.

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This book is a historical adventure about a peasant boy living in late 1300’s England. A dangerous fast-paced plot keeps the readers involved. At the same time readers learn a lot about the organisation of England’s medieval feudal society.

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Church and Christian faith play a large part in the backdrop of the story. This is historically correct as medieval English society was such; however the author presents both the positive and negative elements of the historical relationship to Christianity. This makes the book even more interesting. This book is well written; the pace is exciting; the characters are captivating.

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This book is certainly worth reading. It stands head and shoulders above many children’s historical novels because it manages to create characters that are realistic but also to embody in them very interesting conceptual questions about the historical period. An entertaining book to read with a lot to think about afterwards. It has rightly won a John Newberry Medal.

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The author went to write two sequels so if you like this book there will be more to enjoy.