The Squire's Tale

Rating:
Summary: This is one heck of a great book!
Review: First thing: This book is awesome!!! Mr. Morris captured my attention like no other author has been able to do.

"The Squire's Tale" is a wonderful book based around Terence, a boy searching for his past, who comes to be Sir Gawain's squire, and soon encounters more adventure than he ever thought he would! Sharp, witty dialogue and absolutley lovable charaters (Like Tor, Polgrun, Gawain, Robin, Lori, Ganscotter, Authur, Kai, and, of course, Terence himself!) made this book one of my favorites (Bested only by it's sequal, "The Squire, His Knight and His Lady).

After Gawain, a young man seeking to be Knighted by King Authur has a(rather humorous, stewpot) fight with Sir Hautubris, he recrutes a Squire out of young Terence (With the help of the Hermit of the Gentle Wood, Trevensent.)

The two set out to Camelot, on the way meeting young Tor, who also wants to be a knight. Gawain gets his wish of being knighted,(Poor Tor doesn't, yet!) but only after Terence tells of the fight with Sir Hautubris. ("I have an ill-mannered squire." Gawain replied. "Will you punish him for telling of this deed?" Gawain hesitated, then shook his head. "No, sire. How could I punish him for telling what I wish to be known?")

After a wonderful fight scene with the five kings, who were threatening Camelot and Aurthur, Gawain, Tor (He's knighted, yay!), Kai and Terrence are all rewarded by the king.
A few months later, King Authur is married to Guinevere. During the party, a hart and hound, both almost compeletly white, wreak havoc. Soon after them, a hag on a white mule appears. A brief quarrel causes the hag to have Gawain pursue the hart and Tor follow the hound. ("King Aurthur," The woman said, "Send Sir Gawain after the hart." She looked at him through the corner of her eye. "Perhaps he will find adventure where he saw none before.")

Gawain and Terence set out Questing. In the course of three months, they encounter quarreling brothers, rude men, one beautiful, but unusually blood-thirsty girl, one quiet knight who befriends them after a quick jousting competition, Gawain's "autie" Morgan Le Fay, ("You always were a twisted wench, Morgan.") two love-sick fools, The Lady of the Lake, Ganscotter the Enchanter, Lorie, his daughter (Also the hag from the feast), and many others. (I won't say who else! Surprise, Surprise!)

All around, I'd say this is one execllent book for young readers. I'm 13, and even though I've read it many, many times, it still enchants me! HIGHLY RECOMENDED!!!

Rating:
Summary: A very fun read!
Review: Gerald Morris' writing does not have the depth and description of many books, but I do love the story and the characters, especially Terence. The story has a slight mystery to it: who is Terence really? It is adventurous and set in the time of King Arthur, in fact Arthur is a part of this story as is Merlin and the greatest knight of all: Sir Gawain. As the story goes, Terence becomes Gawain's squire and later Gawain becomes a knight of the round table. It very quickly becomes apparent that Terence has faery blood in him, and he makes an excellent squire for the good knight Gawain, as they both go questing and encounter several adventures. And eventually, Terence does find out who he really is. "The Squire" has its bit of humor and is a book worth reading, very fun and charming.

Rating:
Summary: To become a knight
Review: Here there be humor! For those of you tired of the relentlessly upstanding and humorless knights of the Round Table, stodgy King Arthur and the umpteenth retelling of the Guinevere/Lancelot legend, this is the book for you!

The main character is Terence, a young boy who lives with a rather befuddled old hermit deep in the woods. One day he encounters a massive young Irish knight named Gawain who, the hermit tells them, will soon have Terence as his squire (the hermit can see the future, but only dimly knows of the past--he gets mixed up). When arrogant Sir Hautubris arrives and threatens the three, Gawain fends him off with a stewpot - and soon ends up going to his uncle's castle, Camelot, with his new squire.

Shortly thereafter, at a banquet, a white hound and hart (deer) go bounding through, followed by the most hideous woman anyone there has ever seen. Somehow she manages to get Sir Tor, Sir Gawain and Terence to go a-hunting for the hound and hart, and so off they go. They meet a bizarre assortment of knights and ladies, dwarves and enchanters -- most of whom are one bean short of a pound -- and eventually bump into the Seelie Court...

It all sounds fairly dry, but the charming way in which it is written will have you grinning at least once per page. These knights aren't invulnerable and infallible - they bicker and tease and embarrass themselves like everyone else. The faerie elements are more in keeping with traditional mythos than the gauze-winged little creatures.

Terence is just great - smart, funny, and intelligent without any of those qualities being annoying. He and Gawain are excellent foils for each other during the absurd scenarios that arise on their quests. Gawain himself is also great, sexy and wry and just hilarious during the "stewpot" incident. I visualize him as a young Liam Neeson type. Another applause-worthy character is Sir Tor, the young field hand who dreams of becoming a knight. Though you will despise, to some degree, Queen Guinevere, the readers will feel extremely sympathetic to old faves like Arthur and Merlin.

Of the many retellings of traditional Arthurian myth (as the story about the hideous woman is a real legend) Gerald Morris may succeed the most completely. He makes the characters full-fleshed and sympathetic, in the traditionally English settings of the old stories we heard as children. (I particularly like his portrayal of Gawain, who is often treated badly in the stories)

"Squire's Tale" is a must-read for fans of Arthuriana, fantasy, and humor. (As are the three sequels)

Rating:
Summary: GET THIS BOOK!
Review: Look if you don't get this book you'll be disapointed. On the other hand if you do get this book you won't be. This is the best well written book i've ever read. The adventure is a heart warming story that shows what a real friendship should be, sacrificing yourself for other people. Terence is a young squire of Gawain from the knights round table. In this book there are many thrilling adventures. I couldn't even put it down! so Get this book you won't be disapointed i guarentee you will love it! This book is not one of them Sir Lancelot story's you've heard about....It's better! . Also Try The squire his knight and his lady written by Gerald Moris.

Rating:
Summary: The Squire's Tale
Review: This book focuses mainly on two characters. One of them, Gawain, is a famous knight who goes on adventures here in the book. The second, Terence, is his young squire and the brave hero. In the book, King Arthur orders them to go "questing" to bring back a hart. On this journey, they meet people who challenge them to rounds of fighting and jousting. Once they find the hart and send someone back to the castle with it, they begin looking for adventures. They encounter more challenges, creatures, and kind people who lead them the way. When they come back, however, King Arthur faints. To find out why, Terence and Gawain ride Gawain's horse to a hill where an enchantress is caught conducting magical spells to harm King Arthur. They realize that she is behind it all. In the end, they destroy her and live happily ever after back at the castle where King Arthur is well.
I recommend this book because it is packed with details, characters, and adventure. I like how the author described the knights in armor. The book is pretty easy to read. It's also quite simple to understand. It's even quite easy to tell why I'd recommend such a book.
My favorite part of the book was when Gawain and Terence waded through the lake, looking for an underwater pathway. During this time, they encounter poison eel that wrap themselves around the knight and squire. They wade even more cautiously. This part of the story, I believe, is described well enough that you won't need to read it a second time before understanding what has happened. I believe the book has been well-written, overall.