King Arthur is destined to return, and Tom is destined to wake him.
When sixteen year old Tom’s grandfather mysteriously disappears, Tom stops at nothing to find him, even when that means crossing to a mysterious and unknown world.
When he gets there, Tom discovers that everything he thought he knew about himself and his life was wrong. Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, has been watching over him and manipulating his life since his birth. And now she needs his help.
Danger threatens the old forest of Vivian’s world. To save it, Tom must wake King Arthur, who’s been sleeping for centuries. But first, he’s determined to find his grandfather.
Tom starts a journey that will change his life forever. He discovers that fey and magic still exist, and myths are very real.–from the description of Call of the King
If he wants to survive, he must learn to fight, and find courage he never knew he had.
I’ve mentioned previously that I love Arthurian legend. T.A. Barron’s Merlin saga is one of my favorite series of all time; I used to love Nancy McKenzie’s Guinevere’s Gift; The Once and Future King never fails to delight me. But up until this weekend, I hadn’t read any new Arthurian-inspired books in a while. There are quite a few on my TBR list, but I am forever failing to make progress there.
But thankfully, I found the time to read T.J. Green’s take on the stories of Arthurian legend. I enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to share with you what I loved about it!
Review
Admittedly, the book starts off a little shaky. The plot jumps into action without much segue, and without really establishing any kind of status quo. But the short prologue gives the context for that, and I didn’t mind it all that much. And from there, the storyline is exciting as it follows the adventures of the four main characters. It might not have been the most complex plot I’ve read, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it!
As for those four central characters, I honestly liked each and every one of them. Tom, the true main character, had all the markings of the classic young hero. His cousin, Beansprout, reminded me Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, and I absolutely loved her! And the other two, Woodsmoke and Brenna, who live in the magical world that the bulk of the story takes place in, added a lot to the otherworldly feel of the book.
When it came to the Arthurian aspects of the story, I don’t think this was my favorite interpretation, but I definitely didn’t dislike it! I think there could have been more references to Arthurian legend, but overall, it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story. And maybe there will be more mentions in the next two books!
Also, I liked the other influences in the book. I didn’t expect the mentions of sidhe (fairy mounds) or sprites, but I loved that little surprise. Many of those things made the fantastical world that the book took place in vibrant and exciting; I’m glad Green chose to include them.
TL,DR Recommendation
All things considered, I would definitely recommend reading Call of the King! Though, in my opinion, I would recommend it to the younger end of the YA-spectrum. It just seems targeted toward a slightly younger audience. Though, really, new adult fiction needs to be made a more established genre so I and everyone else can just say a book like this is YA and be done with it. But now isn’t the time to be getting into that!
I hope you find the time to check this one out; it’s definitely worth reading! And let me know if you; I’m interested in hearing what you have to say!
Find it here!
