Sword of Waters (Shield, Sword & Crown) [Hardcover]

Hilari Bell (Author), Drew Willis (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Shield, Sword & Crown

"I'D LIKE YOU TO FIND THE SWORD FOR ME. DO YOU THINK YOU COULD HANDLE THAT?"

Arisa isn't certain how to respond when her mother, the Falcon, formerly a dangerous bandit but now lord commander of the army and navy of Deorthas, entrusts her with this extremely special mission.

Everything changed for Arisa when she and her friend Weasel stumbled upon the ancient shield rumored to bestow power upon whoever holds it. With the shield, the Falcon was able to gain her new station, bringing Arisa into a world of royalty Arisa isn't even sure she enjoys. Now the Falcon wants Arisa to get close to young Prince Edoran, and join with Edoran and Weasel to search for the legendary sword that matches the shield.

As Arisa's search progresses, however, she realizes she may be in danger from a deadly stranger. Worse -- she and her friends may be in even graver danger from someone they know all too well!

Critically acclaimed fantasy author Hilari Bell continues the captivating trilogy begun in Shield of Stars with another thrilling, surprising, and wholly satisfying novel.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–9—This second book in the trilogy continues where Shield of Stars (S & S, 2007) left off, and it will be difficult for readers to follow if they're not familiar with the complex connections and tumultuous events in that book. Arisa takes center stage here, and her mother, the Falcon, the notorious bandit-thief turned commander of the army and navy of Deorthas, asks her daughter to befriend the prince and to find the Sword of Waters. With the help of her friend Weasel, Arisa sets about both of these tasks with mixed results. It is clear that there is more to Prince Edoran than meets the eye. His attitude and personality leave Arisa wondering if he's a conceited jerk or simply misunderstood. Her mother's fragile truce with the regent is another layer that confuses Arisa, and the political maneuverings and alliances are numerous. While searching for the sword, Arisa discovers a murder and a treacherous plot, and learns that things are not as they seem. Fans of the first book will be captivated as the layers begin to unfurl and plots and deceptions are exposed that could not have been predicted.—Genevieve Gallagher, Buford Middle School, Charlottesville, VA
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About the Author

Hilari Bell is a librarian in Denver, Colorado, where she lives with her family. Her favorite books are fantasy, science fiction, and mystery -- all the ingredients for a great novel! Hilari is also the author of the Farsala Trilogy -- Fall of a Kingdom, Rise of a Hero, and Forging the Sword -- as well as Songs of Power, A Matter of Profit, and The Goblin Wood.

Drew Willis is an art director and illustrator working in New York City. As a boy he loved stories of mythology. He wishes he could invent a time machine to go back and tell his 8 year old self that he was was going to grow up to illustrate a book about Mythology. Visit him at www.drewwillis.com.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (November 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416905960
• ISBN-13: 978-1416905967
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,129,877 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

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fabulous Fantasy, June 21, 2011

By 

Karen Keyte (Cumberland, ME USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

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

The second book in Hilari Bell's Shield, Sword and Crown trilogy turns the focus from reformed pickpocket Weasel (who was featured in Shield of Stars) to Arisa Benison, his friend and fellow adventurer. As the daughter of the infamous former bandit and rebel the Falcon, Arisa finds her life has changed dramatically in recent months. Since the Falcon was made Lord Commander of the Army and Navy, Arisa has moved into the palace and struggles every day against those who would teach her to be a proper lady. Her mother would like her to befriend Prince Edoran, as Weasel seems to have done so easily, but Arisa has little use for the spoiled, self-centered young royal. She longs for something real to do, a task that is truly meaningful. Even so, when the Falcon asks Arisa to find the Sword of Waters, one of the legendary symbols of Deorthas's power and the King's right to rule, Arisa isn't sure how to respond. It's not clear that anyone can locate the Sword, which vanished from history several hundred years ago. Then again, Weasel stumbled upon the Shield of Stars quite by accident, so it is entirely possible that the Sword still exists.

Once Arisa agrees to undertake the search, she realizes she'll need help from both Weasel and Prince Edoran. As she gets to know the Prince a little better, Arisa admits that, every once in a while at least, he isn't that bad. But the trio have barely begun their research when politics and jealousies threaten to overtake them. When Arisa uncovers a pair of secret plots and a deadly threat to the Kingdom's peace, a conspiracy that could shake Deorthas to its very foundations, she learns that not all dangers come from outside the palace walls.

As she did with Weasel's story in Shield of Stars, Hilari Bell has delivered a top notch fantasy novel in Sword of Waters. Fast-paced and dynamic, the wonderful plot compels readers to keep the pages turning. While the action is exciting and the intrigues suitably tense, it is Ms. Bell's characters that make this middle story of the trilogy shine. No one personality in this book is purely good or purely evil, they are all composed of multi-faceted shades of gray and their actions are shaped by their individual pasts, as well as the larger events of the present. The heroes and heroines can be petulant and jealous from time to time and the villains have moments of kindness and self-sacrifice. The depth of the characters is matched by Ms. Bell's brilliant world-building. Deorthas is so real you can see it your mind's eye. All of this combines to bring the story of the Sword of Waters wonderfully to life.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read, May 23, 2011

By 

V. Nguyen "Nguyen" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sword of Waters (Shield, Sword & Crown) (Hardcover)

A well written and fast paced mystery, the plots kept me guessing. The characters are amazingly well developed and though I haven't read the shield of stars or crown of earth, I wasn't confused and didn't feel left behind. Plus, I'm looking forwards to reading the first and third book. All in all, I love the characters and admire the writing of this book. The only thing I didn't like was the arcanara cards. Just my opinion but like Edoran, I'm not really into those things. But over all, it's a good book!

Edit: And now that I think about it, the plot really IS amazing, the circumstances genius, and the enemy intense! So five stars from me!

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it even better than Shield of Stars, January 27, 2011

By 

Chelsea Gilstrap (SPRING, TX, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sword of Waters (Shield, Sword & Crown) (Hardcover)

I loved Shield of Stars, the antics and action. I was completely enthralled by Arisa in that book. I knew I had to continue reading the series. I was pleasantly surprised this book is from her perspective. I got to see how she coped with her new station in life, a court lady! Her thoughts and dialogue are witty and funny. This girl has a mind of her own for sure. In short, this book doesn't disappoint. There is action and we get to see more of Prince Edoran. I love that every chapter begins with an Arcanara card, where can I get my own?