Shield of Stars: The Shield, Sword and Crown Trilogy, Book One

Weasel must free his foster father from the dungeons, and quickly, before the Regent sends him to the gallows for treason. The wickedness of the prince’s advisor is well-known, but perhaps Weasel can talk the Prince into letting Justice Holis go – how could such an old man do the Prince any harm? If only the Shield and Sword of the true Kings still existed to prove the Prince’s right to rule - then there would be no need for the wicked Regent who is trying to stamp out the beliefs of the country people and keep the Prince ignorant of the conditions in his kingdom.

But Weasel’s venture into the palace fails, and he must flee from the city. The young former-pickpocket decides that breaking the Justice out of prison is his only hope, and the only person who might help him is the notorious bandit, the Falcon. The country people don’t trust the Regent any more than Weasel does, so they always help the Falcon’s men slip away from the Royal Guard and vanish into the woods.

With only a few days left before hanging day, Weasel meets Arisa, who says that she knows someone who will take them to the Falcon. Can he trust Arisa? How else can Weasel find someone who doesn’t want to be found? Will they even be able to find their way through all the old armor in the palace cellar to get to the dungeon and save Justice Holis?

The first book in The Shield, Sword, and Crown trilogy, this exciting tale of power and treachery has more twists and turns than the path to the Falcon’s camp, and more surprises than the predictions of Arisa’s fortune cards. (267 pages in paperback)

Recommended by: Katy Manck, Librarian-at-Large (retired academic/corporate/school librarian), Gilmer, Texas, USA