Book of the Week

A Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt
Reviewed by Joseph Lakatos 

A Letter for the King is a fantasy novel set in roughly the middle ages. It is about a young squire named Tiuri who is sent on a mysterious and dangerous mission to deliver a secret message to the King of Unauwen beyond the Great Mountains.

On the night before he will be knighted a stranger approaches him and leads him for help.On his mission he encounters both friend and foe but whatever happens he must not trust anyone nor tell anyone the contents of the letter.

The book is full of excitement and adventure as Tiuri evades countless dangers ranging from Red Riders to murderers sent to kill him and take the letter. However Tiuri meets many friends among all those he cannot trust some which will stay with him for longer than this journey. The book is gripping, fast moving and really gets your pulse moving.

I loved this book as Tonke Dragt really puts you in the shoes of Tiuri and his companions. She also takes time to reveal the secrets in the book leaving you to think 'Who is this character?', or 'What does this part of the book have to do with the rest?' The book also has its fair share of suspense leading onto the next book The Secrets of the Wildwood, and Tiuri’s adventures are clearly unfinished. My favourite part of the book is the suspense when he is being pursued by an assassin sent to kill him in order to make sure the letter isn't delivered. He finds another messenger entrusted with the same job murdered before him and knows the murderer is still nearby. It is my favourite part as it is full of suspense and realisation that that dead person could have been him.

However, the one problem with the story is the plot in some parts is slightly predictable as it is a trilogy, so the adventure can’t end in the first book. Also the start of the book can be confusing as not all of the information is revealed. Overall, I thought the book was extremely gripping and well written in the sense that the information isn't revealed to the reader all at the same time. 

Joseph Lakatos