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The King's Ransom: Tales & Legends Kindle Edition

by Cheryl Carpinello (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 46 ratings
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A legendary time full of intrigue, betrayal, murder in Medieval Wales.
Castle against castle. King against king.

Three caught in the middle, determined to prove their friend innocent.
One, the youngest heir of Pembroke Castle, Gavin longs to be worthy.
Fear of failure sits heavy on his 11-year-old heart.
Will he run? Will he stand and fight?

A riveting coming of age story for today, set in the mystical days of King Arthur.

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    9 - 15 years
  2. Print length
    158 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 9
  5. Publication date
    June 22, 2020
  6. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Testimonial:


The adventures these future Young Knights of the Round Table experience in their quest to save their friend are filled with the fantasy and adventure story elements that children love to read. There's a villain, secret passages in castles, swordplay, and even a witch. And with King Arthur's appearance, astonishing secret identities being revealed, and a happy ending, what more could anyone want in a good read?

--Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D. and author of "King Arthur's Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition"

From the Back Cover

A Middle Grade Adventure Novella by Cheryl Carpinello


In medieval Wales, eleven-year-old Prince Gavin, thirteen-year-old orphan Philip, and fifteen-year-old blacksmith's apprentice Bryan are brought together in friendship by one they call the Wild Man. When an advisor to the king is killed and a jewelled medallion is stolen from the king's treasury, the Wild Man is accused of the theft and murder.


Filled with disbelief at the arrest of the Wild Man, the three friends embark upon a knight's quest to save their friend's life. To succeed, the three must confront their fears and insecurities, and one of them will have to disclose the biggest secret of all.

Join Gavin, Philip, and Bryan on their quest and share the adventures that await them in the land of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08BPL7R59
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Silver Quill Publishing; 3rd edition (June 22, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 22, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 44705 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 158 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 46 ratings

About the author

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Cheryl Carpinello

Cheryl Carpinello

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I'm a lover of all mythology (myths, legends, & tales) from the ancient/medieval worlds. Myths & legends don't fade away. They are just repackaged for a new audience. As a H.S. English teacher, I challenged my students to find the connections between today & times long gone by. Some took more digging than others, but the connections are always there.

I write Arthurian Legend for young readers & teens. These stories exhibit what I consider to be cornerstones of that Legend: Courage, Friendship, Honor, & Loyalty. My tales from Egypt & my new series Feathers of the Phoenix meld the ancient/medieval worlds with today. The Atlantean Horse (Book 1 of Feathers of the Phoenix) also brings the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse out of the Bible & into the modern world.

My Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales, short illustrated tales, help youngest readers build their reading skills. The stories can be used with age 4 up to age 7 or higher if your child is an emerging reader.

P.S. I believe in magic & Unicorns!!

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
46 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

W. Stuart
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Arthurian era adventure!
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
King Arthur and the legends surrounding him and the Knights of the Round Table are fascinating. Cheryl Carpinello combined the legendary figure with the coming of age story of three friends in her book King’s Ransom (Young Knights of the Round Table), and I had to add it to my reading list. Here are my thoughts!

Synopsis (from the author): Three Friends. Three Quests. Three Mysterious Predictions

In medieval Wales, eleven-year-old Prince Gavin, thirteen-year-old orphan Philip, and fifteen-year-old blacksmith's apprentice Bryan are brought together in friendship by one they call the Wild Man. When an advisor to the king is killed and a jewelled medallion is stolen from the king's treasury, the Wild Man is accused of the theft and murder. Filled with disbelief at the arrest of the Wild Man, the three friends embark upon a knight's quest to save their friend's life. To succeed, the three must confront their fears and insecurities, and one of them will have to disclose the biggest secret of all.

What I liked: Adding a coming of age twist to the King Arthur era was a neat storyline to me. Gavin, Philip, and Bryan all have different fears to confront, and each handled their quest bravely. The idealism each displayed was inspiring, and there was enough action and intrigue to keep my attention. Add to that a few interesting secrets, and the stage is set for a good story. Lastly, although written for ages 9-12, I enjoyed the read!

What I didn’t like: King’s Ransom (Young Knights of the Roundtable) had a few predictable parts, especially during the three quests. Additionally, though I liked the characters, they were a bit clichéd.

Overall impression: King’s Ransom (Young Knights of the Round Table) by Cheryl Carpinello captured the essence of the King Arthur legends and the idealism embodied in the stories. With good characters, nice plot twists, and a few surprises, the book is an excellent read for ages 9-12 (or anyone who simply enjoys a good book!

My rating: 5 Stars
2 people found this helpful
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Conda V. Douglas
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read for all ages
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2012
Verified Purchase
This is a fast, enjoyable read that I believe any middle grade boy would be enthralled with, and girls too. Set in the fantasy world of King Arthur, the story follows 12-year-old Gavin and his friends on their individual quests to save their friend, the Wild Man. The story also is accurate as to the medieval time period in many respects. I was most impressed by the complexity of the emotional world of the main characters, their character and story arcs were surprising but rang true and satisfying. The author did an excellent job of portraying rich and varied people in a rich and varied culture. Only one small thing bumped me as a reader, I do not think that one of the surprises at the ending was well enough foreshadowed. But overall, I'm looking forward to reading this author again--and I'm an adult.
4 people found this helpful
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Mommynificent
3.0 out of 5 stars Not enough character building for my taste
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2021
I found this story rather strange. I didn’t feel like I truly understood the motivation of the main characters because I didn't know enough about them to care about them and they were all trying to save a character that I didn’t meet until at least 80% of the way through this book. I also found that a lot of the plot twists at the end seemed to come out of nowhere and were kind of unnecessary.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.
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Clio
5.0 out of 5 stars Great adventure for Middle Grade readers
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2020
No adventure story worth its salt is complete without a quest, but when that quest is bound up in Arthurian legend and filled with castles, knights and heroes, then you have a real adventure on your hands. At the beginning of the book, we meet a trio of unlikely friends, Prince Gavin, Bryan the blacksmith’s apprentice, and poor orphaned Philip, who take a solemn oath to solve a mystery. But time is against the youngsters if they are to unmask a murderer and recover a precious stolen jewel – The King’s Ransom – before an innocent victim is wrongly executed for the crime. The victim in question is the Wild Man of the woods, a mysterious recluse who has befriended them over the past couple of years, and although they don’t really know anything about him, they are all convinced that he cannot be guilty of murder and theft.
Fraught with danger, this quest tests each of these three young people who all have dreams, desires and tribulations of their own. Prince Gavin cannot wait until he’s old enough to become a Squire, but first he must face his fear of not being brave enough in combat. Bryan longs to be a knight, a position surely beyond his reach, because he is too lowly. Philip must cope with heart-rending sorrow, for his whole family died of a fever, one after another, leaving him all alone in the world.
Will the intrepid threesome succeed in their quest? Will they track down the murderer and recover the stolen treasure? Will they be in time to save the Wild Man? And will their individual dreams come true? All is revealed in a conclusion that has a couple of surprising twists, leaving the reader guessing right till the very end. This story is an exciting page-turner, sure to thrill young readers.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

eppingstrider
5.0 out of 5 stars You really felt you were standing on those castle walls
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is a well-constructed, exciting story of three friends from very different social backgrounds, set in West Wales in Arthurian times. Gavin, Bryan and Philip band together to clear their mysterious friend who has been framed for murder and the theft of a priceless jewel, the King's Ransom.

I love the way the three are introduced, each in their own chapter, giving their background, their hopes and their fears. As misfits, they are drawn together, and guided in some of their more ambitious studies by the Wild Man. The castles, and the rivalries between different ones, are beautifully described. You really feel you are standing on those castle walls or ducking under rough-hewn low stone entrances. I was slightly distracted by Philip's journey to St David's Head, where he stood on the headland in a storm and got buffeted about a bit. In my experience, he would have crawled on hands and knees up the hill and lain flat hanging on for dear life, so as not to be blown away! It's really exposed up there, even on a mild day! The distances ridden by the friends are considerable, but then I've never ridden from Pembroke to St David's Head, and Cardigan Bay covers a huge area so maybe it's ok, if they only had to go as far as Cardigan itself.

It is a highly enjoyable story with plenty of tension and the added comfort of a mysterious seer who gives each of them a bit of advice. The characters are well drawn, the pace is good, and the sentence structure and language choices should encourage reluctant readers. I found it a quick read, but an attention-grabbing one! I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
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Eddie Nessuno
5.0 out of 5 stars Story telling at its best!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2022
Verified Purchase
I bought this book for my twelve-year-old Swiss granddaughter for Christmas to encourage her to read English, not just French, and was tempted to read it first. Glad I did! It truly is story telling at its best, as three boys fom different backgrounds, like young knights of the Round Table, join forces to save the life of the 'Wild Man' wrongly accused of stealing a precious medallion from the king, and of murder. Superbly written; the author never 'talks down' to her young readers which I see so often in books for middle graders and young adults. Highly recommended!
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ron Lalonde
4.0 out of 5 stars Ron511
Reviewed in Canada on August 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
Cheryl's writting was pleasent and witty. The story line was a nice twist of bravery and companionship. .
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