S.C.A.R.S by Julia Ibbotson

Dragons, knights and a boy who slips through a tear in the fabric of the universe into a fantasy medieval world …

Book Blurb

Gavin is an ordinary boy with problems like everyone else, when he finds himself in an extraordinary situation and facing the fight of his life. People are calling him Gawain and sending him on a medieval quest. How has he found himself on a horse when he has never ridden one before? How come he has a sword in his hand and terrifying creatures bearing down upon him? He seems to have slipped through into another universe. But can he win the battle of Good against Evil, and can he save the land of Unor ̶ and more importantly, can he save himself?

PLEASE NOTE: This is a children’s novel.

My Thoughts 5 Stars

S.C.A.R.S was initially written by the author as a child, reworked 40 years later and published as a children’s novel. As an avid King Arthur and the Knights fan and could not be put out by a little blurb that states “children’s book”.
This is a story of adventure, finding courage, friendship, betrayal and slaying monsters….everything that makes a good adventure story great. The writing, switching between modern-day English and the Medieval English creates atmosphere as much as the words used by the writer. Flawless, imaginative and alive…every word a story. This tale is destined to become a classic and to be read and re-read many, many times until it bears its well thumped pages like the scars left by the monsters in Unor.

Gavin is a normal kid, though somewhat insecure, but troubled by everything that troubles normal boys growing up. He is an avid reader, smallish and wears glasses…easy pickings for any bullies around. He gets lured into a parallel world where he is Gawain, the most respected knight of the Land of Unor and tasked with saving, not only his king, but the whole Kingdom from a new evil…. monsters with powers beyond any normal Medieval weapon. He sets off on his quest to the far corners of the kingdom of Unor or to forge a weapon to slay this unimaginably strange force. He is aided by Rowan, his best friend Royce, and the old Kings of Unor who guard the oceans, forests, rivers and mountains as half-gods.

His nightly quest into Medieval Unor spills over into his current life in strange ways, and there are subtle changes of behaviour of teachers, his classmates and himself. Gavin and Royce struggle nightly through the adventures and compare tactics and happenings during the day back in school, just to face even more perilous dangers on their next quest.

They learn about friendship, courage, despair, trust and betrayal. Nothing is ever as it seems and they start to dig deeper into themself and find the ability to face anything, even the monsters on Gavin’s trail and bullies.

This is a tale for boys, filled with battle, dressed in armour, riding horses and the smell of adventure in every breath. A tale of modern-day life spilling over into medieval England and spilling back to modern-day England time and time again, the lessons, adventures, friendships and courage found moving between the lines, filling both lives.

A story so vivid and real that I could not put the book down once I started reading it. A must read for young avid adventurers who will be taken on a journey of emotions, laughs and magic that will not easily be forgotten, tickling that spot of belief in magic, tucked into a corner somewhere, that all children harbour, it is true, there is still magic in the world.

T.Moore (11 years old) opinion:
“It is a mysterious and wonderful tale of a boy who emerges into the land of Unor that is full of magic and sorcery. Gavin, who is bullied and taunted at school, is an odd boy, who at night turns into the Knight Gawain. He must protect the land Unor from fearful monsters and gets involved in great adventures. A wonderful book that I loved reading and can’t wait to tell all my friends about.”

This review was done in collaboration with E.Haward (epic King Arthur and the Knights fan) and T.Moore (avid young reader) 

Buy Link

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