For those who like the "Ranger's Apprentice" series, this is the story of Tog, who's guardian is murdered one night by a mysterious stranger. With his dying breath, the woodcutter tells Tog to go to a special stone. Once there, he finds an old tomb with a baby's skeleton and a small sword with a man carved on it, and he also has to flee the stranger who has followed him there. Tog then sets out to try and return the sword to the High King. On the way across Dark Ages Britain, where tribes compete for supremacy in the wake of the collapse of the Roman Empire, Tog frees two captured slaves - a huge (but timid) Briton called Allanza, and a tattooed mute Pict girl called Jenna. Together they travel the length of Britain, piercing together the pieces of Tog's past until all is revealed in the final chapter. First of two in a series.

A different take on the Arthurian Saga. It does take some twists on the story andremoves the magic. Tog lives with his guardian , a woodcutter, and suddenly his life changes when a man comes, kills the woodcutter and starts to chase Tog. The Woodcutter gives hims some whispered advice and it's the start of a chase and a quest, that ends on Avalon.

The start isnt' obvious where the story is going, but it was an interesting read, I had fun trying to work out the links! ( )

Exciting quest across Cornwall as the young Arthur (or Tog, as he is known here) travels from intagel to Glastonbury Tor to claim the throne that he is does not know is his until he arrives. It is not immediately apparent that Tog is Arthur but once the Arthurian parallel is recognised other links appear: Jenna the Pic is Guenivere, Allanza is Lancelot, Melanius is Merlin. Events from the classic Arthurian legends are woven into the tale without fanfare and everything is downplayed to a mundane struggle with no grandeur. The result is a tour de force; a powerful retelling of the origin of Arthur, which should engage any reader over the age of 11. ( )