Shield of Stars (The Shield, Sword, and Crown) [Hardcover]

Hilari Bell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 2007 | Age Level: 8 and up | Series: The Shield, Sword, and Crown (Book 1)

Weasel fumbled the cloth aside. It was a shield, steel plate over dark wood, with rotting leather straps. It looked old, and battered, and real.

A former pickpocket, Weasel is the type of boy most people would avoid. Certainly, no one would ever trust him -- except for one man. Justice Holis took Weasel off the streets, gave him a home, a job as his clerk, and a key to his house. Weasel's new life may be a bit boring, but for the first time someone actually cares about him.

Now Justice Holis is the one in trouble. Arrested for treason, he will surely hang unless someone saves him -- and that someone can only be Weasel. But what can one boy do? Not much without help.

So with a mysterious girl named Arisa by his side, Weasel goes in search of the Falcon, the most dangerous bandit in Deorthas, but also the one person who would be able -- and possibly willing -- to stage a prison break.

But Weasel's fate changes when he stumbles upon a shield. Could this be the one said to have been lost for centuries, the one that bestows power on whoever holds it? If so, Weasel, once a lowly pickpocket, could be the most powerful person in the land.

With extraordinary craftsmanship, Hilari Bell weaves a fantasy adventure story that will have readers captivated from the first word to the last.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10–In this exciting adventure, Weasel, a former pickpocket, has been given a home and a position as a clerk by Justice Holis. When Holis is arrested for plotting against the regent for Prince Edoran, the 14-year-old sets out to save him, becoming involved in politics at the highest levels. He sneaks into the palace and appeals to Edoran himself, who demands a public trial and gives Weasel a deadline for producing evidence to save Holis. Weasel thinks the outlaw called the Falcon, known for being a freedom fighter, can help him, and he and Arisa, a girl whom he has helped escape from prison, travel in search of the Falcon. Weasel's schemes to rescue Holis lead him to pretend that he has found a legendary shield that gives legitimacy to kings but has been lost for centuries. When Weasel's deception may be reality, he has to decide what to do with the shield, whom to trust, and what he can do to right past wrongs. The boy's development from a character who says he cares about me first, me second, and nobody else to one who is willing to risk everything for his friends and the fate of his kingdom is believable and authentic. Bell's trademark shades of gray help shift readers' perceptions of the characters and their motivations, adding an unusual layer of depth that moves this story beyond simple adventure. Weasel's choices are complex and believable, and readers will be left waiting for the second volume in this proposed trilogy.–Beth L. Meister, Pleasant View Elementary School, Franklin, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Thief-heroes abound in youth fantasy, as in Cornelia Funke's The Thief Lord (2002) and Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief (2006). Bell, author of the Farsala Trilogy, introduces one more streetwise trickster here. When kind Justice Holis is seized for plotting against Deorthas' unjust ruler, the nimble reflexes of Weasel, his 14-year-old clerk and a former pickpocket, serve both in good stead. First, Weasel escapes his own imprisonment; then, with the help of his scrappy cellmate, Arisa—a country lass who, startlingly, excels in hand-to-hand combat—he rounds up outlaw allies to rescue his beloved mentor. Throughout, Bell illuminates tensions between new and ancient ways, and explores the potency of symbols (like a lost royal shield) to tilt public opinion. Weasel's history with Justice Holis is too briefly summarized to convincingly motivate all of this risk taking, and it's easy to miss the political nuances shading the conclusion. But with its Artful Dodger action and the satisfying expansion of its protagonist's social conscience, this first entry in the Shield, Sword, and Crown series will leave many readers wanting more. Mattson, Jennifer
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (March 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416905944
• ISBN-13: 978-1416905943
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,689 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

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Bell Masterpiece!, December 14, 2007

By 

K. A. Schreiber (Bangor Maine USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shield of Stars (The Shield, Sword, and Crown) (Hardcover)

Hilari Bell never disappoints her readers, giving us fresh ideas and life-like characters with intriguing situations that keep the pages turning. I've been a fantasy and science fiction fan for several decades and enjoy the novelty of her novels. Although her books are labeled "young adult", even us seniors and those between will enjoy her work. If the other books in the The Shield, Sword, and Crown series are as spectacular as Shield of Stars readers are in for a treat they'll read again and again! This one is as great as Hilari Bell's Songs of Power and Matter of Profit, my two favorites of her books (and in the top 10 of all books I've read.)

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent adventure book, October 5, 2007

By 

S. Pratt (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shield of Stars (The Shield, Sword, and Crown) (Hardcover)

I read this book aloud to my daughter in an effort to get her to realize that there are more books out there than Harry Potter!

It was a good read with enough action, twists and suspense that she frequently asked for "one more chapter..." at bedtime.

We're looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy!

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not her best, January 22, 2012

By 

Melinda - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shield of Stars (Shield, Sword & Crown) (Paperback)

-Very good writing
-Great setting, with swords and guns and very little magic, modern laws and tarot cards based on old gods. A good example of Hilari Bell's world-building talent.
-Interesting enough characters, though not as great as some of her other books
-Slightly contrived plot, based on long shots and coincidence.
-Bit slow in the middle, bit confusing at the end
-Characters making clever plans and carrying them out in a very entertaining manner, as usual in Bell's books.
-An evil regent (what's not to like about that?)

"Shield of Stars" is a good book, but for Hilari Bell's masterpiece, read the Farsala Series (beginning with "Fall of a Kingdom.")