Lowthar's Blade Trilogy, Book 1: The Forging of the Blade [Hardcover]

R.L. LaFevers (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Lowthar's Blade

Written for young fantasy lovers who can't yet tackle Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain or Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series on their own, The Forging of the Blade introduces Kenric, who stumbles into danger when he goes in search of his missing father. The evil Lord Mordig has been capturing blacksmiths--including Kenric's father--to forge the legendary sword that will ensure his dominion. Kenric's courage takes him to Mordig's fortress to challenge the dark lord himself. Reassuringly concise and brimming with spine-tingling adventure, the Lowthar's Blade Trilogy leads young readers straight to the heart of high fantasy, preparing them for the classic works of the genre.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1 edition (October 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525473491
• ISBN-13: 978-0525473497
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,173,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

R. L. LaFevers (Robin Lorraine when she's in really big trouble) grew up surrounded by shelves of old dusty books, a passel of brothers, and a wide variety of pets, including a goat, chickens, chipmunks, a baby anteater, and, for a few short weeks, two bear cubs, who were very wild and untamed. She has also spent a large portion of her life being told she was making up things that weren't there, which only proves she was destined to write fiction. She is the author of eight books for young readers, including Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, (Houghton Mifflin, 2007) which received starred reviews and was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Booksense Summer Pick, and nominated for the Malice Domestic's Agatha Award. Kirkus calls her most recent book, Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix, (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) ". . . an exciting tale." Look for the sequel, Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Basilisk's Lair (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) in Spring of 2010.

R. L. lives in Southern California with her family and spends her time daydreaming, making up stories, and wallowing in old forgotten texts. Although she no longer has any exotic pets, she does have raccoons who visit her back porch, coyotes who howl at her window, and hawks that soar high overhead.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a WONDERFUL story!, November 3, 2004

By 

Michele D. Vanzuylen (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lowthar's Blade Trilogy, Book 1: The Forging of the Blade (Hardcover)

I'm an adult female, and The Forging of the Blade was the first book in some time that captured my interest. I read all 123 pages in one night! What an exciting adventure filled with a young hero you could root for who would stop at nothing to find his missing father, and the most adorable little goblin sidekick to add a touch of humor.

I can't recommend this book enough to kids and adults. If you just want to get away for a while from *real* life, and be a kid again, take a trip with Kenric through the Land of Lowthar in this wonderful new fantasy story. I promise you and your children won't be disappointed!!

I can't wait for book two!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lowthar's Blade, a wonderful read for kids. Especially boys, but I loved it too!, August 4, 2005

By 

D. Weinstein (Carpinteria, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lowthar's Blade Trilogy, Book 1: The Forging of the Blade (Hardcover)

My son read Falconmaster and couldn't WAIT till the new R.L. La Fevers book came out. He devoured this one too, and he is a kid who isn't real excited about reading in general.I was very pleased that he found a book that is both fun to read, plus bursting with lots of 'new' vocabulary. I highly recommend it to kids who like adventure and fantasy. This is a great book! We (yes I've enjoyed the story too) are excited to read the next installment, and want to find out what mythical creatures Kenric will run into next!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent fantasy story for the young reader, April 8, 2006

By 

S. L. Maderos "menageriemom62" (Modesto, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lowthar's Blade Trilogy, Book 1: The Forging of the Blade (Hardcover)

When I was a child, one of my favorite series of books to read were the "Chronicles of Narnia" by CS Lewis. In Jr High my English Lit teacher introduced me to the wonder of Tolkien and I fell madly in love with all things Middle Earth. In high school I discovered Terry Brooks all on my own, and in college I finally met Madeline L'Engle. Imagine my delight when, as an adult, I met a wonderful author of children's fantasy through my association with the Cherries, a fan forum for the great romance author Jenny Crusie. Even though I am way beyond childhood I still love fantasy so I decided to purchase Ms. LaFevers books and see how I liked them. Because of my hectic personal schedule, reading is a real treat for me and finding the time to sit down and immerse myself in the land of Lowthar has been a challenge, but today was the day that I felt that I could give this book my full attention and I jumped in, feet first. After only reading the first book in the trilogy, let me just assure you it was well-worth the wait!

"The Forging of the Blade" introduces us to Kenric, an 11 year old boy from the small town of Penrith, whose father, the village blacksmith, has disappeared. When Kenric and his mother are told that they have to leave their house because his father has left and they cannot pay their bills, Kenric decides it is up to him to find his father and prove that he hasn't abandoned his family. Kenric embarks on his journey with little more than the clothes on his back and a determined spirit. As he travels through the kingdom of Lowthar, Kenric discovers a curious fact. All the blacksmiths in the land have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Kenric meets a gray stranger who tells him that if he wishes to save his father he must go to the castle Tirga Mor and confront the evil Mordig who has been taking the blacksmiths and forcing them to forge a blade of power so that he can rule all of the lands with it. Kenric must rely on his own smarts to help him reach the castle, save his father, and free Lowthar from the evil king.

I absolutely loved this book! Ms. Lafevers has created some wonderful evil creatures that are scary enough for a child but not so scary as to give nightmares! Kenric is a great hero, who must be brave and fight when necessary, yet who has a gentle heart and has compassion even for the creatures that try to harm him. He doesn't judge any of the creatures he meets by their looks, and discovers that even the most horrible-looking can be a loyal and true friend. The story is simple and straight-forward, well-told with enough description to entice but not so much as to overload the senses. The wording is simple and easy to understand, especially the names! The plot is well thought out, and had some interesting twists. I was pretty sure that I knew the identity of the gray stranger, but I wasn't sure what the quote he gave Kenric meant until the very end, and the ending was great and totally unexpected! A lot of fun to read, and I can hardly wait to get into the next book in the series, "The Secrets of Grim Wood".

If you have a young reader in your family who is perhaps too young to get around all of the details in Harry Potter and the like, I think this would be a wonderful book for them to try instead. Very readable, with the younger reader in mind throughout. The story flows smoothly and I think would lend itself to being read out loud quite well. I was completely enchanted and I give this book high marks, especially if your young reader is just beginning to enjoy fantasy. Off to enjoy the next book--TTFN!