Bloodline [Hardcover]

Katy Moran (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2009

Warring kingdoms, bloody feuds, and a boy’s battle for survival. Step back into the Dark Ages with this riveting epic adventure.

In the wilds of Dark Age Britain, a bard abandons his son, Essa, in a village trapped between two feuding kingdoms. As the once-nomadic boy grows rooted in the life of the Wolf Folk, forging allegiances and young love, King Penda of Mercia threatens to attack, thrusting Essa into the violent and cunning world of the tribal rulers. Joined by unlikely friends, unsure of whom to trust — or even of who he is — Essa sets off on a dangerous journey, using his newfound intuitive gifts to guide them as a deadly battle brews. Will his desperate efforts to save his loved ones bring him closer to understanding why his father has never returned? Fast-paced and full of intrigue, this debut novel transports readers to a time of blood and steel, when peace was fleeting and won only at a cost.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 7–10—Essa has traveled the lands of seventh-century Britain with his father, Cai, for many years without incident. In a Wolf Folk settlement, he wakes to find that his father has left without any explanation. Feeling angry and alone, he slowly comes to appreciate the people of the village, but never forgets his father's betrayal. Eventually Essa becomes sworn to a king and is sent out on a small errand. He gets himself deeper and deeper into tribal disputes and finds that the errand has become a full-blown adventure across kingdoms, with Essa taking matters into his own hands to try to influence the outcome of a potential tribal war. Well written and deeply researched, Bloodline moves along at a steady pace with enough intrigue and mystery to keep readers turning pages. It is a wonderful story of emotional and physical discovery that reads with "you are there" immediacy. The historical details are effortlessly woven throughout as the plot develops into a complete picture of the times. A map and an outline of the characters are included. This novel would make an excellent companion to a study of the Early Middle Ages and/or British and European history.—Dylan Thomarie, Johnstown High School, NY
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From Booklist

The sword-and-shield pageantry found in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth and Paolini’s Alagaesia gets a historically based tweak in this adventure set in Britain circa 650 CE. In a land where allegiance to lords is held above all else, Essa is a young man with no king. The son of a roving trader and secret-peddler named Cai, Essa finds himself consumed with his ancestry: he is neither fully Wolf Folk nor Wixma nor Northumbrian, treads the line between British and Anglish, and has no mother—and then Cai disappears, too. Three years later, a routine reconnaissance mission mires Essa within a coming war between kingdoms. Keeping track of the various factions is a chore eased somewhat by a chart at the front of the book; Moran, nonetheless, prevails on the strength of her theme of shifting loyalties, as only fealty to his true self can pull our hero through. Essa’s ability to see through the eyes of animals seems a bit tacked on, but once the climactic struggle kicks in, the result is no less than rousing. Grades 9-12. --Daniel Kraus

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (February 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763640832
• ISBN-13: 978-0763640835
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,305,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Katy Moran has been writing since the age of about 10, and has been publishing books since 2008. She lives in a beautiful and mysterious corner of the UK and writes as much as she can.

10 things you didn't know about Katy Moran:
I love fancy dress - especially being a pirate. They had such great clothes.
I hate maths because I'm so bad at it.
I am scared of spiders - still.
I went to school in Texas when I was five years old, and I still want to be a cowboy.
I want to sail around the world one day.
I wish I could travel back in time but wonder what I would do about my contact lenses.
I really should learn to ride a horse.
My husband is a drummer in a band, so I know how to take apart a drum-kit.
I love going to the countryside with my friends and sleeping outside in the middle of nowhere.
I am scared of heights - I wish I could jump off rocks into the sea but I just can't.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome book!, September 25, 2010

By 

bookfan09 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bloodline (Hardcover)

hey! i got this book over a couple months ago, and i LOOOOVE it. i already read it at the library ages ago, but it is just too good to put down so i had to buy it lol. i am reading the next book, Bloodline Rising, and i can't wait til Katy Moran writes another book for this series. thanks so much!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, April 8, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bloodline (Hardcover)

Essa's father brings him to a camp one day and leaves him there without any explanation. Essa's forced to grow up in the village without any sense of home. Years pass peacefully until the village's rival threatens war. Essa must do his duty and spy on the neighboring village.

He's expected back in two days, but he's gone for much longer. He's caught while spying on the camp. The father he thought was dead is alive in the village. Essa's forced to swear another oath - to his enemies - and join their side.

He doesn't understand why his father is there and his reasons for not returning. Essa figures he'll have plenty of time to ask these questions, but the next day he's sent on a mission with the King's son to fetch back his bride.

The two boys form a friendship and gradually realize the pending war isn't best for both sides. They attempt to stop it with knowledge they've gained. But are they too late?

Katy Morgan makes the Dark Ages come alive with her tale of war and courage, friendship and loyalty, and family and belonging.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel