The Letter for the King is a Dutch children's book that has just been translated into English. I got this at the American Book Centre in Spui, Amsterdam. The man on the checkout told me that this is one of his all time favourite children's books. I'm pretty sure it's up there in mine.
It's about a 16 year old boy, Tiuri, who is sitting in a chapel keeping his vigil before being knighted the following morning. He hears a knock at the window and opens the door and undertakes a dangerous task that stop him becoming a knight.
I think if I were to compare it to another children's book I'd compare it to The Hobbit. However, I hated The Hobbit (sorry Tolkien lovers) and I really loved Letter to the King. It has the same dynamic and both involve travelling to a destination and back from it. Letter to the King however is has no fantastical beasts or creatures (think BBC Merlin without the magic and bromance, mainly knights riding through places) which I really enjoyed. Also Letter to the King felt very much like all the plot points linked unlike The Hobbit which felt like a collection of shore stories. The Letter to the King's plot twists were better and more exciting. The style seemed to really work with The Letter to the King.
I really liked the pace of Letter to the King especially as it started very quickly which is actually what sold it to me. It had me hooked from a very early point. It does slow down but I don't think the matters. The suspense keeps it going from the constant danger he feels.
I read a lot of books that are either set in America or feel American because the YA genre is dominated by the US. This was beautifully European as a book. I felt like I had a lot of heritage as a book, in it's European Dynamic and the history of it with it's forests and knights and wars about land. I felt like this was a real strong point to this book.
The relationships between the characters were captured really well and were complex especially as there was a lot of prejudice to Tiuri. I liked the misconceptions. My favourite character was the horse. That horse. I think it's because it is Tiuri's validation as a hero symbolically.
If you get the amazing hardcover version like I have (I'm not sure about 1) if there is an English paperback 2) if it contains the map) it has a beautiful map at the cover which made the story really come alive and a lot of the reason I loved this book was because I could relate this book to something visual.
I would read this book if:
You want a children's book that is just wonderful
You want a book that captures European culture
You just want to own the world's most beautiful book
Five stars for you Glenn Coco, you go Glenn Coco
I think if I were to compare it to another children's book I'd compare it to The Hobbit. However, I hated The Hobbit (sorry Tolkien lovers) and I really loved Letter to the King. It has the same dynamic and both involve travelling to a destination and back from it. Letter to the King however is has no fantastical beasts or creatures (think BBC Merlin without the magic and bromance, mainly knights riding through places) which I really enjoyed. Also Letter to the King felt very much like all the plot points linked unlike The Hobbit which felt like a collection of shore stories. The Letter to the King's plot twists were better and more exciting. The style seemed to really work with The Letter to the King.
I really liked the pace of Letter to the King especially as it started very quickly which is actually what sold it to me. It had me hooked from a very early point. It does slow down but I don't think the matters. The suspense keeps it going from the constant danger he feels.
I read a lot of books that are either set in America or feel American because the YA genre is dominated by the US. This was beautifully European as a book. I felt like I had a lot of heritage as a book, in it's European Dynamic and the history of it with it's forests and knights and wars about land. I felt like this was a real strong point to this book.
The relationships between the characters were captured really well and were complex especially as there was a lot of prejudice to Tiuri. I liked the misconceptions. My favourite character was the horse. That horse. I think it's because it is Tiuri's validation as a hero symbolically.
If you get the amazing hardcover version like I have (I'm not sure about 1) if there is an English paperback 2) if it contains the map) it has a beautiful map at the cover which made the story really come alive and a lot of the reason I loved this book was because I could relate this book to something visual.
I would read this book if:
You want a children's book that is just wonderful
You want a book that captures European culture
You just want to own the world's most beautiful book
Five stars for you Glenn Coco, you go Glenn Coco
Great review! Did you also read the sequel, 'Secrets of the Wild Wood'? (personally, I think that one is even *better* than 'Letter')
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