Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

Reeve, Philip (2007). Here Lies Arthur. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Gwyna's home is burned by Arthur and his war-band. Now she must disguise herself and join the very war-band she hates in order to save her life.

Carnegie Medal 2008
Nestlé Children’s Book Prize Bronze Award 2007
Shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2007
Longlisted for the Manchester Book Award 2008

“HIC IACET ARTHURUS,
REX QUONDAM REXQUE FUTURUS
Here lies Arthur –
King that was, King that will be again.”

King Arthur. Legendary hero. Man of myth. But what if he was not everything he seemed to be. What if the great legend of King Arthur was a series of stories told by one of Arthur’s men to make him look good and attract followers. Gwyna saw the real Arthur. He burned her home and ordered her master and his household to be driven out for not paying tribute. Gwyna was just a lowly servant, and did not think anyone would notice if she ran off. She sneaks away, but is encountered by one of Arthur’s knights - Medrawt. Her only escape is the dark, cold river. How is she going to survive on her own? Will Myrddin help her? or use her and then leave her alone again?

I really liked this book although it was not what I expected. The King Arthur of legend and myth is a great warrior, but also a great leader. In this book that is not the Arthur that we see. This is told through the eyes of a girl who lost everything because of Arthur, and gives a somewhat darker portrayal of the man that many people revere.

The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby

Libby, Alisa M. (2009). The King’s Rose. New York: Dutton Books (Penguin Group Inc.)

Catherine Howard is 15 years old, and is to marry King Henry VIII of England. Can she burn her past and her love and live the life her family expects her to live?

“I smile and nod at the girl, and she steps aside. This is the smile I imagine Katherine of Aragon pasted upon her face when met with the king’s lingering gaze over Mistress Anne Boleyn; or Anne of Cleves’s smile when her new husband first took a fancy to me. I take a sip of my wine, my throat suddenly dry” (Libby, pg. 129).

All I wanted growing up was to fall in love, but my family had other plans for me. Now I don’t know if I will ever see my true love again, and how can I, a young girl, become Queen of England? I cannot disappoint my family as Anne did, or who knows what my fate will be. I must learn to live with the life that has been designed for me and learn to be The King’s Rose.

This was an interesting book about Henry VIII's fifth wife. She is seldom heard of because she did not have any children, yet she was very important to the Howard family who had attempted to put a young girl on the throne before and failed (with Anne Boleyn). Now Henry VIII is an old man with poor health. This book tells of Catherine's struggles to do what her family asks of her and give up the life she wanted to live.