Customer Reviews

Free Lance and the Lake of Skulls

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lake of Skulls is a quick read that would really appeal to boys who are not that into reading. It's full of odd illustrations from the bestselling author and illustrator of the Edge Chronicles. In this story we follow a free lance knight who calls himself Freelance, on his adventures traveling through the badlands to recover a magical crown from the Lake of Skulls. There are many fight scenes, won of course by Freelance and at times very Middle Ages graphic for me but sure to appeal to young boys.

I first was drawn to this book because my ten year old son read several of the Edge Chronicles' books and loved them. My eight year old son had the same response to the Knight's Story 1 - Lake of Skulls. In fact, I have never seen him take to a book like this story and believe me I have tried a lot of books. The illustrations are wonderful and appeal to the children without being gory. Hooray for a great job done by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell! Keep writing! Every mother loves to see their children read.

I've just turned 13 and I think Freelance and the Lake of Skulls is a funny horror book which has the things to make it a good horror story, like an evil lord and a brave hero. It has an exciting plot. Another good book by Paul and Chris. Can't wait for book three, better get book two.

Freelance, a knight and warrior who doesn't hold a steady job, but rather free lances his services to people as needed, is heading through the Badlands looking for work that will give him enough money for food and shelter during the cold winter months, when he meets up with an evil lord. The evil lord promises to give Freelance money, as well as food and board, if he retrieves a magical crown from the Lake of Skulls. Freelance thinks that the job will be a piece of cake, and heads out. However, once there, he encounters a group of evil hags with sharp teeth and even sharper scythes, who will do anything to protect the magical crown from falling into the wrong hands.

Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell's A KNIGHT'S STORY, is an interesting short novel that is sure to appeal to middle readers, especially males. The prose, by Paul Stewart, is engaging and interesting, and the illustrations by Chris Riddell, while a little strange, will keep the reader turning the pages until the very end. Overall, this was an interesting start to an enjoyable new series.

Erika Sorocco

Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

the first book in "A Knight's Story" by Paul Stewart, illustrated by Chris Riddell. written in first person. Sir Knight is manipulated (but is he really) into making his way to The Lake of Skulls to retrieve a lost artifact.. Stewart's style of writing is sarcastic, realistic and extremely entertaining. his characters are colorful (which Riddell brings to life) written for a younger audience, just means they are meant to be entertaining.. writing for children is tricky.. have to hold their attention, they won't plow through a book like "grown-ups" will.

definitely recommend.

As a school librarian, I naturally thought that these books would be a slam dunk, after reading this team's Fergus Crane and Corby Flood (loved both) and of course their Edge Chronicles series.

I definitely disagree with the age range printed on the back of the book, listed at 7-11. Be warned that the pictures are extreme, most esp. the sword through the throat in either book two or three. Interesting to read, but subject matter rough on me, and imagine it would be on my students, as well, no matter how tough they think they might be. Not opposed to scariness overall, kids love and need scary books. I believe there is a big difference between well-written scary material and straight-up violent matter. Choosing not to enter this series in my collections.