by Edward Willett
Coteau Books, 2014
ISBN 978-1-55050-580-1
$14.95, 210 pp, ages 13+
coteaubooks.com
My favourite character in this story is Ariana because she is the main character and because she has water powers. Ariana is a foster child whose mom disappeared when she was young. She has just recently moved in with her aunt Phyllis. The story takes place in Regina, Saskatchewan and at the Thunderhill Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories near Yellowknife.
Ariana is kicked out of school and winds up walking beside Wascana Lake. She is pulled into the lake when she thinks that she hears her mother calling for her. What she doesn’t know is that it was the Lady of the Lake from Camelot. A boy named Wally is also pulled into the lake. Ariana accepts the Lady of the Lake and the quest to get all the shards of Excalibur to defeat Merlin aka Rex Major. The journey leads Ariana and Wally to a mine where they have to fight and put their newfound friendship to the test. This story reminds me of another book about King Arthur where Merlin was good instead of bad.
Something that I really like about this book is when Ariana says, “I’m supposed to clean my room too. It’s just—it’s truth. We’re on a quest to find a mystical sword and save the planet from the most powerful sorcerer of all time—but we can’t get to it right now because we have to clean our rooms!” I don’t know what is so funny about this, but it just is.
I recommend this book for anyone who really likes fantasy, any gender or age. The book was definitely a fun read!
Review by Rosie, age 13, grade 8.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Apr/May 2016 issue.