Book 136: Searching for Arthur by Donna Hosie
Book 136: Searching for Arthur (The Return to Camelot #1).
Author: Donna Hosie, 2013.
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy. Arthurian Legend. Young Adult.
Other Details: ebook. 300 pages.
It is hard to make friends when you’re constantly on the move. Seventeen-year-old Natasha Roth’s father is a diplomat, and so her mother - who is paranoid about terrorists - has moved Natasha and her brother, Arthur, to their eighteenth house in seventeen years: Avalon Cottage, deep in the heart of a Welsh forest. Yet the terrorists are closer than they realize. While out running, Natasha falls into a hidden tomb and awakens the legendary knights of Camelot: young warriors who have been in an enchanted sleep for a thousand years. All have been waiting patiently for the return of Arthur from the mysterious land of Avalon. And now the knights are awake, they intend to reclaim their king.
When Arthur goes missing, Natasha joins forces with his girlfriend, “Slurpy” Samantha, in order to look for him. Natasha believes Samantha has fewer brain cells than an amoeba; Samantha believes Natasha is a freak. Retracing Natasha’s original steps to the hidden tomb, they bicker their way into a Welsh mountain and beyond, to the realm of Logres where the Knights of the Round Table are rallying once more. - synopsis from author's blog.
I found myself enjoying this even though at times I wanted to throttle its narrator, Natasha, over her immature behaviour especially in regards of Sir Bedivere. Her jealousy was so infantile and kicking blokes in the goolies really is a very unattractive quality. Still, she also was extremely possessive of her brother as well, making for a lot of tension between her and his girlfriend, Samantha, who she dubs Slurpy Sammy. I will admit that Sir Bedivere is my favourite of the Arthurian knights and she just seemed unworthy of him. I could not see for the life of me why he was attracted to her. One might expect a diplomat's daughter to be less of a spoiled brat.
Yet despite Natasha I did feel that the author's heart was in the right place in terms of wanting to update the Arthurian legend for a new young adult readership. The fight scenes were well realised and quite brutal in places.
I have bought Book 2 in the series, which is a good indication that I enjoyed this to the point of wanting to see how things continue for Natasha , Arthur and the delightful Sammy, who seems to be taking her notions of evilness from studying episodes of 'Merlin' and then emulating Katie McGrath's Morgana.
Cross-posted to 50bookchallenge.