"Meryl's mother was a great bard -- a storyteller and musician who sang of life and the world around her. Meryl, already an orphan, wants fo follow in her mother's footsteps. Highly spirited and curious, she has broken a sacred rule and has been suspended from her studies. Undaunted, Meryl decides to achieve her goal another way -- she undertakes a quest in search of the mythical Avalon. Her great adventure leads her to find her own true voice through music and song. Set in a time when legends are part of everyday life, A Riddle of Roses is an intriguing fantasy springing from Celtic myth and tradition."
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Gr. 4-7. Meryl, expelled from the Hall for a year for reading the great bard Taliesin's collection of songs and adventures, heads on her own quest to Avalon. She vows to return with wisdom, the sign of being the bard that she so desperately wants to become. Canadian author Mullin has written a fantasy replete with genre conventions: magical talismans, fairy helpers, and a variety of humans, both good and evil, who facilitate--and interrupt--her quest to become a bard. Simultaneously far-fetched and charming, this offers that special intermediate reader a glimpse into an imaginative world that combines elements of myth, Arthurian legend, folklore, and fairy tale. Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
About the Author
Caryl Cude Mullin grew up in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She currently lives in Montreal where she works as a teacher, a writer, and an actor.
Kasia Charko has illustrated many children’s books including The Princess who Danced With Cranes and the recent young adult novel, Riddle of Roses. she started doing illustrations when she lived in England. She now lives in Alton, Ontario with her family.
Kasia Charko has illustrated many children’s books including The Princess who Danced With Cranes and the recent young adult novel, Riddle of Roses. she started doing illustrations when she lived in England. She now lives in Alton, Ontario with her family.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful, original fantasy,
This review is from: A Riddle of Roses (Paperback)
It was sheer luck that a local bookstore happened to be carrying a copy of this book, and that I was intrigued by the description of it. What I found was a delightful fantasy story, with some intelligent lessons to teach (lightly, not heavy-handedly), a brave and realistic heroine, a band of fun sidekicks, heavy Celtic influence and a dash of Arthurian presence.Meryl is a mabinog (bard-in-training) who is currently being punished for what she sees as a minor transgression: taking a peek into the book of Taliesin, the first bard. Now she lives with an old woman away from the hall where the Bards live, unable to study or interact with the others. Frustrated by her punishment and still grieving for her mother, Meryl decides that she will become a bard by going on a quest, to the mystical isle of Avalon. (There is also supposed to be a magical cauldron -- if you drink from it, you either go mad or become a great bard) But she rapidly finds that it's not as easy as she assumed. After a humiliating experience in a village, she meets a grumpy draoi (think a very tiny "ent") named Halstatt, who blames the ancient bard Taliesin for taking his magical rose. And when she and Halstatt venture onto a Twlwyth Teg (fairy) Way -- Meryl wearing an iron brooch -- they are in serious trouble, ordered by the King to go to Avalon and either be punished or rewarded, as the Queen says. He sends a flighty little Twlwyth Teg, Leaflighter, along with them just in case. But when one of Leaflighter's jokes goes wrong, they end up delayed with a healer-woman, whose son is a trained king's fool. Heini comes along as well, as the troubles of the little band grow worse -- and Meryl must learn what it truly is to be a bard. It's kind of surprising that this delightful fantasy wasn't snapped up by a larger publisher. This story is somewhat reminiscent of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, with the easy-to-comprehend Celtic mythos (much of it real legend -- something I noticed and enjoyed greatly) and the band of mildly idiosyncratic characters on a journey. The writing is also somewhat similar to Alexander's, though less of it is devoted to dialogue than to very evocative descriptions. The scenes in Avalon fairly chime with magic and beauty, without losing the real edge of the rest of the book. There's also a good dollop of humor: Leaflighter less so than you'd imagine, in favor of Halstatt's blunt observations about humans (and Meryl in particular). And the scene where they "transform" as a practical joke is pretty hilarious. However, like all good fantasy, we have a few lessons sprinkled throughout it -- the cauldron of Ceridwen is one. Another is the judge's conversation with Meryl about Taliesin: That if he did take Halstatt's rose, "Would that make his achievements less great, or his ideals less worthy?" The adjustment of ideals is skilfully written. As is the poetry -- many authors stink at writing poetry within the confines of a novel, but Mullin does it very well. Kasia Charko's illustrations are soft and slightly flowing, but never unrealistic-looking. In short, this is a delightful fantasy book for all ages. Highly recommended to fans of the Prydain Chronicles, with a dash of Tamora Pierce and T.A. Barron.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marvelous!,
By
This review is from: A Riddle of Roses (Paperback)
I ran across this book while looking for books to recommend for elementary school children. I read hundreds of great books in a few months, but this was, by far, my favorite. It's original, funny, and well-written.
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