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Brayden Rider #1
Brayden Rider: Tales of a Medieval Boy
Brayden Rider lives in a small medieval village on the outskirts of a great forest in the middle of endless countryside. Only ten-years-old and with his father missing, his life promises to be one of endless toil and struggle. Or does it?
A great storm brings with it a young knight carrying a cryptic message. A message that may point Brayden to those who have imprisoned his father, and who are now hunting Brayden, for what, he has no idea.
For Brayden embarks on a journey to the great castle, where he'll have to adapt to the life of a page, make new friends and unravel the mystery of who or what is after him. In this coming of age story, Brayden will confront all the danger and intrigue of life in the medieval age, while starting down the path to his destiny.
A great storm brings with it a young knight carrying a cryptic message. A message that may point Brayden to those who have imprisoned his father, and who are now hunting Brayden, for what, he has no idea.
For Brayden embarks on a journey to the great castle, where he'll have to adapt to the life of a page, make new friends and unravel the mystery of who or what is after him. In this coming of age story, Brayden will confront all the danger and intrigue of life in the medieval age, while starting down the path to his destiny.
334 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2013
10 people are currently reading
830 people want to read
About the author
C.L. Barnett
2 books15 followersI'm originally from Canada, but have lived in Northern Virginia since 1978 or so, attending college in Ohio and completing graduate work in Washington, DC and Charlottesville, Va. "Brayden Rider" is the first is a series following Brayden's adventures as he grows up, and is my first novel.
The inspiration for Brayden and his adventures grew out of my many trips to the UK, and the games I used to play with my friends as a boy.
The inspiration for Brayden and his adventures grew out of my many trips to the UK, and the games I used to play with my friends as a boy.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 14, 2013
I read this book without stopping on a flight across country -- an intriguing mystery and adventure in a world of knights, lords and ladies, vicious bandits, and a castle riddled with secret passageways. Great for family reading but be forewarned that characters travel among dangerous company, and some do not survive. Barnett creates a fascinating setting complete with medieval cures, feasts and battles.
January 21, 2017
Yes, I'm biased--obviously. This book is a great adventure story set in the Middle Ages--lots of action and a generally fun read. Clearly a lot of research went into the subject matter and I walked away from this feeling as if I had learned something. The book is well written with an eye on the language of the time about which it was written, but in a modern style. Watch for the glossary in the back of the book, it is quite helpful.
March 26, 2014
Received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
First one of these I have ever received.
Took a little while to get into, I think there is to much time spent of describing the settings and not enough on characterization. Definitely got better as it went along.
Story line was pretty good just never really got into the characters until the ending chapters.
Still would get the next one as I do what to find out what happens next.
First one of these I have ever received.
Took a little while to get into, I think there is to much time spent of describing the settings and not enough on characterization. Definitely got better as it went along.
Story line was pretty good just never really got into the characters until the ending chapters.
Still would get the next one as I do what to find out what happens next.
March 11, 2018
Fantastic read
This is a fun and exciting book, I read it to make sure it was suitable for my kids. I am please to say it is.
This is a fun and exciting book, I read it to make sure it was suitable for my kids. I am please to say it is.
August 15, 2017
BRAYDEN RIDER: TALES OF A MEDIEVAL BOY by C.L. Barnett is the first book in an upcoming series. Barnett is an independent author and this is his first book. He doesn't have the other books out yet, but I'm excited about it.
As the title states, this book is about a boy in the Medieval times. When I first started reading it, I was having a bit of trouble. It was because though Brayden is the main character, the first chapter was centering on the friar Bernard. The book is not written in only Brayden's viewpoint, but also in two other characters: Bernard and Caelan, the knight. This is important to know so that the reader doesn't have the brain fart I did. (I don't know why I assumed the first chapter would be about the boy first, I just did.)
That said, the book is awesome. There is an intricate mystery in the book that leads onto a bigger mystery for the rest of the series. Barnett cleverly gives the reader tidbits of what is happening. For instance, you find out right off that Brayden's father is a Knight Templar and is on his way to be arrested for heresy. For those who don't know, the King of France had ordered the arrest and deaths of many Templar Knights on a Friday the 13th. It was said he did it to obtain all of the riches the Knights had secreted (National Treasure the movie hints at it), but legally speaking he had them arrested for heresy and witchcraft (which doesn't make sense for a Christain military force. I favor the treasure theory).
Anyways, Barnett uses this fact and delves into the story of a young boy, the son of one of those knights. As if that isn't enough, there is a group of bandits trying to kidnap the boy. You don't know the full story until about 75 to 80 percent in. I found myself trying to figure things out, question who is good and who is bad. My theories were not successful, but the outcome of the book leaves me wanting more.
I would say that this book is good for middle school and up. There's action, mystery, and a bit of history. Though, you may not know that the history is there. Definitely something to pick up and read. I'm seriously going for the second one once it's out.
As the title states, this book is about a boy in the Medieval times. When I first started reading it, I was having a bit of trouble. It was because though Brayden is the main character, the first chapter was centering on the friar Bernard. The book is not written in only Brayden's viewpoint, but also in two other characters: Bernard and Caelan, the knight. This is important to know so that the reader doesn't have the brain fart I did. (I don't know why I assumed the first chapter would be about the boy first, I just did.)
That said, the book is awesome. There is an intricate mystery in the book that leads onto a bigger mystery for the rest of the series. Barnett cleverly gives the reader tidbits of what is happening. For instance, you find out right off that Brayden's father is a Knight Templar and is on his way to be arrested for heresy. For those who don't know, the King of France had ordered the arrest and deaths of many Templar Knights on a Friday the 13th. It was said he did it to obtain all of the riches the Knights had secreted (National Treasure the movie hints at it), but legally speaking he had them arrested for heresy and witchcraft (which doesn't make sense for a Christain military force. I favor the treasure theory).
Anyways, Barnett uses this fact and delves into the story of a young boy, the son of one of those knights. As if that isn't enough, there is a group of bandits trying to kidnap the boy. You don't know the full story until about 75 to 80 percent in. I found myself trying to figure things out, question who is good and who is bad. My theories were not successful, but the outcome of the book leaves me wanting more.
I would say that this book is good for middle school and up. There's action, mystery, and a bit of history. Though, you may not know that the history is there. Definitely something to pick up and read. I'm seriously going for the second one once it's out.
July 30, 2015
I wanted to love this book. I wanted to like it. Unfortunately, I had to stop about halfway through and pick up a different book to read.
I do like the idea of this story, but I felt a lot of the writing was just to hit a word count or page count. It dragged and felt like a lot of unnecessary information that slowed down the pace of the story.
I had a difficult time connecting with the main character and I started to confuse the characters with each other.
I don't doubt in the author's ability to write, but I do think a lot of it could be cut out and the story would be better for it. The punctuation was perfect, by the way, which is not something that is said for all self-published novels, so that was refreshing.
I do like the idea of this story, but I felt a lot of the writing was just to hit a word count or page count. It dragged and felt like a lot of unnecessary information that slowed down the pace of the story.
I had a difficult time connecting with the main character and I started to confuse the characters with each other.
I don't doubt in the author's ability to write, but I do think a lot of it could be cut out and the story would be better for it. The punctuation was perfect, by the way, which is not something that is said for all self-published novels, so that was refreshing.
April 1, 2014
Brayden Rider: Tales of a Medieval Boy by C.L.Barnett is a superb tale of a young boy with a stead-fast heart shielded by strong morals,and a lineage that makes him a valuable target to the most evil driven men from both near and far.
Young Brayden Rider is a heroic boy for his mother, his town and his King! Yes, with honorable friends, a marked knight and Friar by his side, this young boy stood his ground to face evils that others could not.
Take this medieval adventure and suspense through a pure heart, and face the dangers of those who seek to quench their greed at all costs.
I recommend this for ages 10 and up.
Young Brayden Rider is a heroic boy for his mother, his town and his King! Yes, with honorable friends, a marked knight and Friar by his side, this young boy stood his ground to face evils that others could not.
Take this medieval adventure and suspense through a pure heart, and face the dangers of those who seek to quench their greed at all costs.
I recommend this for ages 10 and up.
April 4, 2014
Brayden Rider was an ok book from a new author but unfortunately I couldn't really get into it. My son said it was ok as well. If you're looking for a decent medieval book for tweens it might be a good choice. *Received our copy through goodreads first reads but that doesn't affect my review of the book.
August 15, 2014
Good read for those who want to know about the Middle Ages
Good read for those who want to know about the Middle Ages
lots of great information here...and adventure. It's peppered with anachronisms like "distancing himself" and "independent contractor" but otherwise true to the times. Good for fourth through sixth graders.
Good read for those who want to know about the Middle Ages
lots of great information here...and adventure. It's peppered with anachronisms like "distancing himself" and "independent contractor" but otherwise true to the times. Good for fourth through sixth graders.
May 3, 2014
I received this book for free through the First Reads program. I really appreciated this book! The writer did a high-quality job on characters/imagery and added in a number of unforeseen twists. It kept me extremely keen to discover what would occur next.
November 20, 2014
cool book - awesome adventure story for young readers!
March 27, 2014
I read this as part of good reads first reads giveaways and it's really good. I'd recommend it to lovers of adventure, especially in children's books. Great book!
March 20, 2019
I can't. I just can't finish this laborious wandering tome. I love to read. I even like the medieval time period. So why can't I get through more than 30% in 3 whole months? Why do the characters remain flat as the plot proceeds at a snail's pace? Life is too short and there are many more books on TBR.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews