Player's Ruse (Knight & Rogue (Hardback)) [Hardcover]

Hilari Bell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Knight & Rogue (Hardback) | Publication Date: January 19, 2010

Friends Are More Trouble Than Foes

Sir Michael Sevenson and his squire, Fisk, were just beginning to enjoy the quiet life. They really should have known better. When Lady Rosamund runs away from home to marry a traveling player, former knight errant Michael makes a noble promise to help the object of his unrequited love. The quest takes our would-be heroes to the coastal town of Huckerston, where savage sea pirates called wreckers terrorize the coast. With the help of a reluctant Fisk, Michael plans on catching the wreckers and winning back his lady; but when mysterious murders and dangerous accidents threaten the town and its players, love might be the least of his problems. . . .

Part buddy novel, part medieval whodunit, the latest installment of Hilari Bell's Knight and Rogue Novels continues the boys' saga with another classic tale of mishaps, wit, and adventure.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–10—This book continues the adventures of Michael Sevenson, a self-proclaimed knight errant (although they went out of fashion a couple of hundred years ago) and his squire, Fisk, a former con artist. The duo travel to Huckerston, a port town where wreckers are at work. Michael's distant cousin and love interest, the fair Rosamund, has run away to Huckerston to join her love, Rudy, a tightrope walker who is missing some toes. He is a traveling player with Mr. Makejoye's troupe, which the knight and squire join. Much of the book's humor and appeal comes from the friendship and interplay between Michael and Fisk, the former well-intentioned but foolhardy, while the latter is more reality-based and cynical. They tell the story in alternating chapters as they encounter murder, piracy, robbery, and all sorts of chaos while they try to expose the wreckers, find the loot, and woo Rosamund. Michael is able to see magic in objects and has the gift of animal handling, which is helpful in offsetting his gift of attracting trouble. The time period feels medieval, yet street lamps are mentioned, as is Fisk's former job as a bouncer in a tavern. This incongruity adds to the book's humor. A blend of fantasy, adventure, and mystery, with a large cast of characters and a fast-paced plot, this installment will appeal most to fans of the previous titles.—Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
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From Booklist

When an irresistible young woman from his past appeals to Sir Michael for help, an initially awkward situation swiftly escalates into mortal danger. Soon he and Fisk are attempting to unravel a mystery in a harbor town, where a gang of wreckers has been luring the crews of merchant ships to death and destruction on the rocky coast. The engaging first-person narrative alternates, chapter by chapter, between Michael, who stalwartly pursues the outmoded profession of knight errantry, and his squire, Fisk, who sees life from a more ironic perspective. The latest adventure from the always-entertaining Knight and Rogue series. Grades 7-10. --Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (January 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006082509X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060825096
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Me the writer--a loose, not-really-biography of Hilari Bell.

A lot of writers will tell you that they've been writers from the time they were children--well, I'm not one of those people. I was always a reader. There's nothing better than falling into the world of a book and just living there till the story's over...and even then, it stays in your head and heart. At least, the best ones do. But writing came a lot later, in school assignments--which I enjoyed, but still, assignments. Homework no less.

I started writing seriously when I first got out of library school. I'd been reading picture books preparing to do storytimes, and I thought, "Picture books. They're short. They're for little kids. How hard could it be?" Several years and dozens of unsold--and unsalable--picture books later I'd found out how hard they could be! Picture books are harder to write (a good one, anyway) than anything except poetry. And they're harder to sell than anything but poetry, too.

One of the things I've learned about writing over the years is to never say never, because whenever I've said "I will never write XYZ" within a few years I end up writing it. Some true examples: I could never write a novel. I could never write a young adult novel. I could never write science fiction. I could never write an adult novel. I could never make those books a romance. (OK, so I haven't actually made them into a romance, but a lot more romantic elements are creeping into my writing.) I should probably say, I could never write a best seller, just to see what would happen... Hmm. I could never write a best seller!

OK, Murphy's Law being what it is, that probably won't work. If for no other reason than that, primarily, I write for me. This is something I probably shouldn't admit, but I don't really care that much about my audience. (Sorry, audience.) I write the books I want to read. I tell the stories that I want to tell. And I write to make the story the best it can be...because the story is what I care about it. I love it when other people care about my stories too, but that's not my primary motivation. Which is the other reason "I could never write a best seller."

(I know it probably won't work--but it doesn't hurt to try, now does it?)

--Hilari

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The latest adventure, January 30, 2010

By 

GirlOnTheBlackPony - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Player's Ruse (Knight & Rogue (Hardback)) (Hardcover)

The latest in the Knight and Rogue series is wonderful. It's a good bit different from the other two books in the series and fleshes out the characters some more. It's also nice to see Michael and Fisk aging a bit and growing up. It wraps up well, but leaves enough room for another adventure. I would recommend this book (and the other two) to anybody that likes a clean adventure story, with entertaining and lovable characters, and good plot twists. There was also the bonus appearance of a character that so far, we had only heard about from Fisk's point of view. Love it and eagerly await a fourth installment in the series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful fantasy adventure!, February 12, 2010

By 

oceanwishin "bookaholic" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Player's Ruse (Knight & Rogue (Hardback)) (Hardcover)

This series is so under rated! My favorite series of all the Hilari Bell by far and I really enjoy all her books. This series however is written at a higher level altogether. Some of the humor is targeted to an older reading group. The book is written from two different peoples perspectives (Michael and Fisk) who are quite different by nature. Fisk is self preserving and Michael is a do-gooder no matter the cost, with some very unusual talents which makes for some interesting situations. This series is wonderful for ages teen through adult.

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, August 19, 2010

By 

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

This review is from: Player's Ruse (Knight & Rogue (Hardback)) (Hardcover)

Fisk and Michael encounter Lady Rosamund in their journeys. She's searching for the man she loves, but her Uncle (Michael's father) refuses to allow her to marry. Hopelessly in love with her himself, Michael agrees to help her find Rudy - a traveling player.

Just as they're arriving into the town where their information leads them to believe Rudy will be staying, they come across a fire. When they arrive and give word of the fire, they're taken back out into the night, where they must show the sheriff and his men the exact location.

Wreckers have been making havoc on the ships and therefore the town. No one knows who's behind the deeds, but if they don't stop them the town will go to ruins. Michael wants to investigate the matter further.

When Rosamund finds her love, trouble follows her. When the bounty hunter attempting to take her back ends up murdered, the sheriff refuses to let Michael, Fisk, Rosamund, and the players leave town, as they're witnesses to the wrecking and the murder. Resigned, Michael and Fisk join the players in their acts.

There's something not right amongst the players as accidents keep happening. Are they really accidents or is someone looking to cause trouble? Could these incidents be related to the wreckers, or does someone just have a grudge against Michael?

This is the third book in the KNIGHT AND ROGUE series about two teen boys. Michael and Fisk seem like an unlikely pair, but their partnership works, as Michael tends to be softhearted, which often leads him into trouble, and Fisk's streetwise skills save the boys often. Their adventures always contain action, danger, and the strength of brotherhood.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel