ISBN: 1481003208
Genre: YA fiction, fairy tales and fantasy, historical fiction Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Themes: adventure, friendship, loyalty, bravery, class
Add it on: Goodreads, / Amazon / Barnes And Noble/ *Indie Bound*
About The Book: When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights she knew she was heading into danger. She didn’t know she’d find a family unlike any other.
Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and restocks the fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death … a death that has more questions than answers.
Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Sir Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything…
Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and restocks the fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death … a death that has more questions than answers.
Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Sir Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything…
First Line: He sat at a small table in a dark corner.
One Great Line: “You know what I know, Mally. Now you must decide what to believe.”
What Others Are Saying: "This was a delightful book filled with excitement and more than a little espionage. Mally is a bright, strong character that is far from happy playing the delicate victim. She speaks up for herself and stands up for what is right, she doesn't hide her talents, but uses them to help those around her and she is loyal and protective of her friends and family. While I admit it was a bit predictable, it was still a fun read. This would be a fantastic book for a young girl and I think boys would enjoy the adventure in it as well. I especially appreciate that it is a book I could recommend to a ten- or twelve-year-old and not worry about inappropriate content. It is a very sweet book and very well written." — Smart Girls Read
More Bloggers Weigh In:
What I Thought: Mally is a stong heroine and I enjoyed following her adventure. LaGette did an excellent job of flushing out her character, often showing the precarious balance of fear and bravery one must have to survive. The "Gooseberry wine, blackberry mead, five-year-old cheddars the size of wagon wheels..." descriptions of food or the "large, black rat (that) sat on the counter, his bald tail wrapped...," all served to created a sense of being there. This is a great adventure, even though Mally is seventeen, this is appropriate for the younger teens and advanced young readers. I recommend this highly as an historical fiction that portrays a time of knights and kings and the contrasting realities of the servants.
About The Author: M.L. LaGette
Who: Melissa LeGette lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright.Her imaginary world is always fantastical.
When: Oddly enough it was my mom who suggested the profession. I was busily penning my first novel and telling her all about it when she asked, “Melissa what do you want to do when you grow up?” (I was probably 15 at the time.) I said, “I don’t know.” (And I really didn’t.) She then said, “Why don’t you be a writer?” The question rather blew me away. It had never dawned on me that I could be a writer. But it was so obvious. I haven’t looked back since.Oddly enough it was my mom who suggested the profession. I was busily penning my first novel and telling her all about it when she asked, “Melissa what do you want to do when you grow up?” (I was probably 15 at the time.) I said, “I don’t know.” (And I really didn’t.) She then said, “Why don’t you be a writer?” The question rather blew me away. It had never dawned on me that I could be a writer. But it was so obvious. I haven’t looked back since.
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