Overview
When eighteen-year-old Simon, the half-English, half-Norman son of a noble family living in Norman-occupied England in 1100, is offered the chance to accompany the king's friend Walter Tirel on a royal hunt, he is flattered by the honor. He hopes his association with Tirel will help him advance in a country where being English means being subject to the whims of the Norman upper class. But when the king is killed by Tirel's arrow during the course of the hunt, Simon must join Tirel in fleeing for their lives. Accident or murder? Based on real events, this heart-pounding tale from acclaimed author Michael Cadnum reconstructs one of the most fascinating mysteries of English history.
Synopsis
When eighteen-year-old Simon, the half-English, half-Norman son of a noble family living in Norman-occupied England in 1100, is offered the chance to accompany the king's friend Walter Tirel on a royal hunt, he is flattered by the honor. He hopes his association with Tirel will help him advance in a country where being English means being subject to the whims of the Norman upper class. But when the king is killed by Tirel's arrow during the course of the hunt, Simon must join Tirel in fleeing for their lives. Accident or murder? Based on real events, this heart-pounding tale from acclaimed author Michael Cadnum reconstructs one of the most fascinating mysteries of English history.
KLIATT
Set in England in the year 1100, not long after the Norman Conquest, this novel tackles a real-life historical mystery: was King William murdered? Our hero is Simon, the 18-year-old son of a Norman nobleman and an Englishwoman. He is invited to accompany the king's friend, Walter Tirel, as his varlet (game servant) on a royal hunt in the New Forest. This is a great honor, but Simon's pride and excitement are replaced by horror and fear when the hunt goes terribly wrong and the king is struck down by Thiel's arrow. Pursued by Marshal Roland, the king's guardian, Thiel and Simon are forced to go on the run, escaping first on horseback and then by boat. Welcomed in Normandy, where he meets Thiel's pretty sister, Simon starts a new life. Was the accident really just a convenience for conspirators (including the king's brother, Prince Henry), who had plotted to take over the throne? Cadnum, the author of many acclaimed historical novels, makes a good case for this interpretation in this carefully drawn portrait of a pivotal event in English history. Despite the rather abrupt ending, this fast-moving, realistically brutal adventure will be welcomed by fans of the genre. Age Range: Ages 12 to 18. REVIEWER: Paula Rohrlick (Vol. 42, No. 1)
Editorials
Children's Literature -
This story is set about fifty years after the Normans conquered England. The year is 1100 and there is a great deal of animosity between the Normans and the English. Simon is the eighteen-year-old son of an English aristocrat and a Norman nobleman. Simon is a respectful young man anxious to find a place for himself in the troubled kingdom known as New Forest. He is proud and excited when given the opportunity to go hunting with the King. Accompanying them on the hunt is Walter Tirel, a mysterious man whose loyalty is questioned all the more when his arrow goes astray and strikes the King. The action escalates as Simon and Walter suddenly find themselves fleeing for their lives. To make matters worse, Simon must rely on Walter, a man he does not truly trust. Based on some actual events, the author recreates a realistic and intriguing story that readers will find difficult to put down. Reviewer: Denise DaleyKLIATT -
Set in England in the year 1100, not long after the Norman Conquest, this novel tackles a real-life historical mystery: was King William murdered? Our hero is Simon, the 18-year-old son of a Norman nobleman and an Englishwoman. He is invited to accompany the king's friend, Walter Tirel, as his varlet (game servant) on a royal hunt in the New Forest. This is a great honor, but Simon's pride and excitement are replaced by horror and fear when the hunt goes terribly wrong and the king is struck down by Thiel's arrow. Pursued by Marshal Roland, the king's guardian, Thiel and Simon are forced to go on the run, escaping first on horseback and then by boat. Welcomed in Normandy, where he meets Thiel's pretty sister, Simon starts a new life. Was the accident really just a convenience for conspirators (including the king's brother, Prince Henry), who had plotted to take over the throne? Cadnum, the author of many acclaimed historical novels, makes a good case for this interpretation in this carefully drawn portrait of a pivotal event in English history. Despite the rather abrupt ending, this fast-moving, realistically brutal adventure will be welcomed by fans of the genre. Age Range: Ages 12 to 18. REVIEWER: Paula Rohrlick (Vol. 42, No. 1)School Library Journal
Gr 6-10- Cadnum attempts to answer a historical mystery: Did Walter Tirel shoot King William II of England by accident or design? Set in south England in AD 1100, the novel follows 18-year-old Simon's journey from bystander to Tirel's de facto accomplice. Born of a Norman-English union, Simon doesn't fit in with the conquerors or the vanquished. Thrilled to be invited to assist on a deer hunt, he witnesses the fateful shot (meant for the king's marshal Roland) and, with Tirel, flees for his life by horse and by sea. William's successor, Henry, turns a blind eye to the escape, hinting at Henry's own plans for his brother's demise. Readers could wish for no better guide through medieval England than Cadnum. He explores the concepts of fate, honor, and the changing political landscape with the surefooted poise of his noble characters. Through Simon's eyes, readers understand the difficulties of assimilating to foreign rule as well as the importance of each word spoken to powerful men like William and Tirel. Always, Cadnum's language is king. "English, the language of hill and river, but not the language of government." Until the hunt, the plot moves deliberately, explaining medieval customs and jobs and seamlessly setting the scene, but once the arrow is loosed, the action takes over, and the story becomes a breathless ride to freedom. Cadnum's elegiac style gracefully complements his tale of a time when honor and right speaking could cost or save a man's life.-Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT
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