The Tale of Oriel (3)

Tales of the Kingdom #3

by Cynthia Voigt

Oriel, a strong and remarkable young boy taken into captivity as an infant by a cruel man, decides to escape from his life of hardship and betrayal and takes Griff, his loyal companion, with him. Reprint. K. SLJ. PW.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Childrens

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Cynthia Voigt is an American author of books for young adults dealing with various topics such as adventure, mystery, racism and child abuse.


Awards:
Angus and Sadie: the Sequoyah Book Award (given by readers in Oklahoma), 2008
The Katahdin Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Anne V. Zarrow Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Margaret Edwards Award, for a body of work, 1995
Jackaroo: Rattenfanger-Literatur Preis (ratcatcher prize, awarded by the town of Hamlin in Germany), 1990
Izzy, Willy-Nilly: the Young Reader Award (California), 1990
The Runner: Deutscher Jungenliteraturpreis (German young people's literature prize), 1988
Zilverengriffel (Silver Pen, a Dutch prize), 1988
Come a Stranger: the Judy Lopez Medal (given by readers in California), 1987
A Solitary Blue: a Newbery Honor Book, 1984
The Callender Papers: The Edgar (given by the Mystery Writers of America), 1984
Dicey's Song: the Newbery Medal, 1983

Reviews

[Sunyi Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy books get a lot of flack from "established" literature. Children or young adult fantasy books get ignored by adult fantasy readers. So between the two, I guess it's not surprising to find that this book is an undiscovered gem. But I urge anyone who has a few hours and spare 99p or whatever ridiculously cheap cost it is on amazon, to pick this book up and give it a try.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes it so good, possibly because it conveys different things to different people. To me, I see a lot of is as an analogy for morality - moral codes, justice, love, selfishness; about growing up and understanding these things, about making the right decisions and becoming a good person in the face of a corrupt and terrible world. I guess that really appeals to me. Other people I know whom I've made to read it all had different interpretations or things they focused on, although they all enjoyed it just as much.

Ostensibly, WoaF is about a couple of kids who grow up in what is basically slavery and cruelty, escape, and keep going. There is no magic, all sword and no sorcery so to speak; there is no epic quest, save that of survival and endurance; there is nothing you will expect, and an ending that will surprise and touch you. But despite that, it IS magical, and it IS epic in its own right.

The supposed hero, Oriel, is a (somewhat ironic) example of the perfect hero; a force of nature who succeeds at everything he touches, who inspires everyone he meets. But to be honest, I actually think the hero of the book is Griff, his quiet companion/follower, who also escapes with Oriel and follows him from one adventure and conquest to the next. Griff is no leader among men, but he has an unshakable sense of morality, and never once makes the 'wrong' decision about anything. But for Griff, Oriel could easily have become a villian; his only interest is in being the best in a given situation, and he often aims towards that irrespective of the people who get hurt in the process. From Griff, Oriel learns to be a good person; from Oriel, Griff learns to be a strong person; and from Beryl, the third (and lately introduced) protagonist, both boys learn about love and sacrifice.

There are actually a lot of themes which some adults find upsetting, particularly the relationships between Oriel, Griff, and the two women characters. Rather than go into details or spoil things, I would remind readers that Cynthia Voigt is an avid feminist, and (in my opinion) her portrayal of Beryl and Merlis is designed to provoke and challenge (both the fantasy world she has made as well as the reader's assumptions about Oriel's character) rather than to blandly offend. As I've said before... (SPOILER ALERT)... Oriel isn't truly heroic, and his actions in regards to both women underscore that more than anything else in the book. Whether or not he gets redeemed - well, you'll have to read to find out.

A lot of so-called "children's books" are books designed to 'trick' kids who don't want to read, into reading. This book is NOT that. This book is for children who DO want to read, and for that reason I suspect it probably isn't very popular among a lot of younger readers, certainly when compared to the other 3 books in the series, which are comparatively a lot simpler, and definitely more kid-like. It is also likely to get missed over by adults, who will just see "a kid's book" and not give it a try, but actually it has a LOT going for adult readers.

In short, if you like Harry Potter and not much else, you won't like this book either.
If you like Gene Wolfe's writing and aren't too proud to read a young adult's book, you will probably find something to enjoy.
If you like Ursula LeGuin, you'll probably also enjoy this book; it's that same kind of distant, epic-style narrative with an emphasis on heavy characterisation and character development.
If you like this review you might like the book =) If you think I'm an arrogant twit then you probably won't ;)

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book that I picked up as a younger kid. I remember reading it, loving it, returing it to the library then going back a week later to borrow it again. I must have read it several times never knowing it was part of a series.

Strangely enough I forgot about it but somehow it always stayed with me. I remember talking about books with one of my best friend and somehow this book came up in discussion. Neither of us could remember the name of the book but we remembered the plot and the name of the main character (Oriel/Orion).

I take that as the best indicator of a good book--that years after reading it you still remember it and can talk about it with fond memories. I haven't reread it, and I don't think I really plan on doing so (too many new books to read). I think I'll just bask in the warm feeling that memories of this book induce.

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems that I read this book very differently than most, but it was years ago.

It is a serious book, about two characters who escape an oppressive environment and try to survive in a world that is incredibly cruel. It is not a light-hearted book, but it is rich and I would not categorize it (as many have) as a hero-quest by any means. It seemed to me more a painful send-up of that "genre" of story. The secondary hero becomes the hero life is hard in ways that never seem to be in most fantasy (except for modern "gritty" fantasies which are occuppied with nothing else).

Also this isn't fantasy...not really. It's set in an invented country, but does not depart from the rules of reality. No dragons, epic prophecies, magic or wizards here.

Although the other was the main character, it was Griff who captured my attention and I felt that the position he rose to was a direct result of his steady, strong nature which was quieter and more subtle than the other. Both are engaging to read about, but it was Griff, out of the whole story, who I remember all these years later.

This is a sad, fascinating, rich book of a deep friendship and of a more realistic type of heroism (at least relatively) than is generally expected. It's subtler, simpler and I highly recommend this book. It's probably been about a decade since I read this book, and it's still with me and I still remember how I felt when I was reading it.

[larrytheimp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This follows Oriel and Griff, two boys raised as servants to cruel man called the Damall, on an island off the coast of a medieval world. The beginning is creepy - the Damall purchases young boys at the slave market to work his fields and tend his flocks, and trains them into useful slaves to be resold at a profit later on.

Early on we learnt Oriel is being trained to become the next Damall. This sets up the journey that will take the two boys on a journey beyond the world as they know it.



I loved this book when I was younger, and on a recent reread it held up remarkably well. I loved how Oriel and Griff were always trying to do the right thing despite living in a shit world where they had no real role models to model their morality on. They more or less use the actions of the Damall and Nichol as a template on what not to do.

Will they become soldiers in one of the many armies scrabbling for power? Will Oriel marry the saltweller's daughter and settle down to the homesteading life? Will they be captured and sold back into slavery? These questions kept my pulse up throughout the book. The tension and suspense of the treacherous Kingdom world are always there in the background ready to tear our heroes plans asunder.

This is a book that I really was able to inhabit, which is a testament to the author's awesome world. This is supposedly a book for young adults and teens, but I shamelessly love this book.

I love Jackaroo, but I think if I had to only keep one of the Kingdom books it would be this one. I've probably read it 15 times and it never fails to deliver.

*****SPOILER ALERT************



SCROLL DOWN FOR SPOILER CONTAINING CONTENT















I have to say that Tintage killing Oriel totally shocked me the first time I read this. I remember yelling outloud the first time I read this on a family roadtrip when I was 12. It was a very vivid moment that sticks with me to this day. I can even remember the song on the radio (Jim Croce's Leroy Brown) when I read this crazy plot twist.

The crossing of the mountains with the barbarians was also an awesome part and one of the coolest things young Larry had read at the time. Oriel why couldn't you have just stayed with Beryl and been the puppeteers husband?

[Betsy Dion · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first installment of a project to reread books from my childhood and see what I think of them as an adult.
This is definitely a character and world book. Don't read it for the plot. It has the appearance of a fantasy story, but it breaks just about every "rule" of standard fantasy. The beginning is familiar--a young man of mysterious origin embarks upon a journey with a loyal friend, and together they overcome many challenging situations through their superior wit and charm. But that, along with the pre-industrial setting, are about the only standard fantasy elements of this story. The mystery of the young man's origin is never solved. The protagonist is more opportunistic than "good." Characters that seem important are left behind and never heard from again. None of the romantic subplots resolve in a satisfactory way. The meanings of certain portentous objects are never revealed. Don't read this book if you want answers. Instead, read this book if you want to follow the path of two young men--one: ambitious, charming, fair-minded, well-liked, and good at getting what he wants. The other: good, humble, quiet, and willing to suffer for others. You can decide for yourself who the hero of the story is.
I like the "Kingdom" world that Voigt creates in this novel, and I also like her writing style, so I will probably reread her other stories that take place in this same world. I'm curious to see if they read more like standard fantasy, or if they are like this book.

[Sylvia McIvers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story cheats - it fails to follow genre standards in two places! Well done.

Nameless boy, who might or might not be related to heroes from previous books, has leadership written all over him. This does not sit well with one other boy, who would quite like leadership and has a sharp knife to take it with.

He steals the beryl marked with a falcon which was only of moderate importance in the last book, but over the 2 generation legends have grown up around it. I like the way that every book in this series skips a generation, and 'grandparent's days' are mostly forgotten or else very distorted, just like the real world.

Nameless boy finds a name under the falcon's wing, nice bit of storytelling which is mostly ruined by sticking the name in the title. Of course all this falcon business leads to the Earlship, and everyone agrees that Oriel will be an excellent Earl. However, various plot twists occur, because Voigt is an excellent storyteller.

In further continuation of Previous Books, meet Beryl, the puppeteer. Her grand'da is someone we may have met already, but he's not really part of the story.

[Kay Iscah · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I read the book, in the about the author note at the end I discover it's the third in a trilogy....I think however it must be a very loose trilogy for the main characters start as children with no past they can remember...ah, I see in on the back book flap that even the book says the other books are loosely connected.

I wasn't very comfortable with how the main character treated women. It might have been realistic and/or match historical modes of thinking. But it was still wrong/disturbing. There's a very Ayn Rand philosphic vibe running under everything, though I don't think that would be obvious to everyone.

The twist toward the end came, but it was kind of a too much, too late situation that glorified rather than rebuked the behaviour of the main character. Ultimately it was still a teenage boy fantasy, but the kind that makes you worry about the minds of teenage boys. The fact it was written by a woman makes the whole thing a little stranger...there's feminism sprinkle on at the end, but it doesn't make up for the fact that the main female character is just as self-absorded (and more deluded) than the main character.

There are several characters and locations that are developed then abandoned over the course of the story, making you wonder to some degree why we spent so much time on them. Overall grade B-.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third in Cynthia Voigts loosely connected Novel of a Kingdom Series. I love reading these 4 books and finding those tiny moments that connect the dots. Each book is easily read on its own, but there is much added to the story when you read them in order, and understand the interconnections within this world. These are some of my favorite books. This book is generally out of print, which I think is a tragedy. It is the darkest of the 4 stories, and I think the one that deals closest with human suffering and pain while still being a story of triumph and hope.
I loved this story, and strongly recommend it for everyone.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a dark, dark epic: it's clear early on that this story is about the journey, but it's such hard going that I kept holding out hope for some sort of happy ending.

But in the end, this is more a commentary on the nature of heroism and charisma than on happy endings, and a lot about the ending frustrates me, because I felt almost cheated as a reader. Not because of the death: that's pretty gutsy; but because Griff, who until then is relegated to the background and barely developed, is positioned as the hero all along. I felt that was unfounded.

[Curlemagne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so strange. Elegant, sparing, a vivid setting and complex feudal politics, but so tonally different than Jackaroo. Still no magic. Where books 1 & 2 read like typical YA, this felt like a high fantasy quest narrative, with stirring, nearly unbelievable, adventures and little emotional interiority. The arc of Merlis and Tintage could have come straight from L'Morte d'Arthur (which I mean as high praise, just not the story I thought I was getting).

I was fascinated by it, I finished it, but I still don't know what to make of Oriel as a protagonist. The cultural misogyny is harder to stomach with an oblivious male lead. Very curious to see how the series concludes.

[˚༚✧˳⁺⁎davm⁎⁺˳✧༚˚]

DNF

I really wanted to like it but it’s just so slow. Maybe I’ll try it again some other time.

[Jinx:The:Poet {the LiteraryWanderer & WordRoamer} · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wings of a Falcon (Tales of the Kingdom, #3)

"There was something different about him. He had no name. He showed no emotion, never yielded. And Griff had always stood by him. Even in this place where cruelty and betrayals were the way of life..."

The Wings of a Falcon is a book I've read about four times so far, (and counting). For some reason the story, the adventure, the characters, really have stuck with me over the years. When I first read this book I was a jaded teenager, and probably bored with the usual books I had been reading at the time. So, drawn in by the epic-ness of the cover (judging a book by its cover is usually a no-no with me, in case you were wondering, but I think we all do it sometimes) I picked it up from the local library and blasted through it almost immediately. It was love, in it's purest form. Since then, I have looked for other books that grip me in the same way, but never seem to find one that can replace this particular story, in my heart and mind. It's a really fantastic read, and an amazing adventure story as well as being immensely underrated. It's perhaps best classified as a "young adult fantasy/adventure", though having read it as both a teenager and adult I personally feel the YA aspect of it a bit untrue. It doesn't appeal to youths only, nor are its main topics teen oriented. Aside from the story being centered on two young men, there really isn't any young adult "cliche" to it. To me, the story questions fate or chance, justice and morality? And how the paths we walk will either lead us into the becoming of either a hero or villain...

Here's the story with as few spoilers as possible: Two young boys, abused orphans, decide to escape from their lives of slavery, abuse and suffering on an grim, isolated island and having no real idea as to where they will end up, or what perils await them, they leave and choose to follow the road beneath their feet. On their journey they encounter danger and adventure everywhere they turn.



It's not just a mere wandering adventure story though, but a complex discourse on humanity with themes of justice, fate and morality. This book shows the deep platonic bonds of two abused young men, part brotherly, part friendly, being tested and tried. It shows the strengths and weakness of these two vastly different figures, through bitterness and strife. It is a heroic journey of, in my humble opinion, epic proportions, and the characters are very unique themselves. Our main character, a nameless young man, is brilliant, bold, calculating and driven, but somewhat emotionless, repressed, even volatile at times being the product of violence and suffering. Once he escapes from the torturous islands he finally takes on a name for himself, Oriel. Oriel, is a figure that charms and persuades others, nay magnetizes people into his schemes and goals. He is clever, and strong, while his silent counterpart, Griff, lingers always loyal at his side, and remains a somewhat shadowy figure until later on. The two are nearly opposite in every way but their personalities balance each other out, which in turn balances the hardships of the journey itself. It feels, in some ways, each man perhaps represents the balance of light and dark, though it'd be hard to say who is which. At the same time, it almost seems they must be the two sides of a single coin.

Oriel feels somewhat of an anti-hero to me, personally. I found myself confusedly loving and hating him. But that is how most of the characters are in this wonderful book; diversely unique, humanly flawed, and completely multi-facetted, though not all facets can be seen right away, but are gradually exposed through the chaotic storms and hardships of their lives. This book shines like a brilliant gem in my mind. It will never be forgotten.

After having read this book those multiple times, I find it's still hard to decide whether it's a tale of Fate or one of Chance. One of Lightness or Darkness, one of Heroism or one of Villainy...? Perhaps another read would do those unanswered questions justice. The Wings of a Falcon is one I must highly and strongly recommend. Please, dear fellow reader, do yourself a favor.

[OFFICIAL RATING: 5 STARS]

[SPOILER ALERT: This book, however amazing, is not one that ends very happily, (in the sense of the traditional "happily ever after") but, after long, poignant grieving and heavy contemplative meditation, I felt the ending was satisfying and well suited for the story.]

[Leah Carabajal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story. Part of the Kingdom series. I've read these books a few times, and enjoy them every time.

[pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this such a long time ago as a kid and had a sudden memory about it today. A very surprising story ultimately. Looking back it has some kind of Gene Wolfe quality to it. Or maybe just because the cover reminds me of the Book of the New Sun haha. I want to revisit this and try out the rest of the series.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

A stark, swashbuckling adventure story with a lot of romance and heart, despite a few missteps. The world itself is thick and obscure and mysterious, with cultures sketched perhaps too broadly for a true sense of intimacy, but with lots of vivid settings: the saltweller's, the house in the mountain, the Damall's island, etc. The world made more interesting by the lack of high fantasy baggage (no elves or dwarves or knights of the realm). Voigt does a nice job of joining character and context: these two boys, Oriel and Griff, and Oriel's various mentors and foes and lovers, all seem coherent and plausible, given the world that has shaped them.

The missteps are in nuance and characterization, and in pacing, as well, to a certain degree. The book is broken into very cleanly-differentiated phases... four if you just count the broad regions, and six or seven if you count specific settings. The transitions from one phase to another... the escapes, the sudden turns of fortune, Oriel's migratory decisions... these often felt abrupt, and whole characters and lifestyles seemed to disappear from the boys' lives at a moment's notice. A bit more patience might have been warranted on the author's part.

The other problem was the flatness of the protagonist himself. There is no single, strong antagonist, and the secondary characters are often reduced to love interests and sidekicks. Oriel, who carries the entire narrative on his own back, is an inspiring leader and driving force, but he ultimately lacks nuance. Some ongoing moral struggles might have done him some good. Instead, Voigt seems to treat him as an unqualified hero, and the narrative never opens up the question of his character or the merit of his actions.

Even so, a smart, earthy, and enjoyable fantasy adventure, made even better by the independent spirit of its storytelling: a good eye, fast-moving, and a world that's worth spending some time in.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 2 out of 5]

The worst of the series thus far, which is disappointing given that said series began so strongly with Jackaroo. Look, Voigt's writing is as good as ever here: she's talented at putting words together and I enjoy her style, and in all honesty it has to be said that this book ended very strongly. Not strongly enough, however, to counteract the protagonist, who was horribly off-putting - something not helped by the fact that the text was determined to batter me over the head with his apparent wonderfulness. While he had a few good points, they were consistently overshadowed: Oriel is one of those personalities that counts loyalty as a good... but only when directed towards other men. Every women he meets he fucks over, willingly and emotionlessly, and I seethed through most of the book, hoping beyond hope that someone would kill this unpleasant little prick in order to put him out of my misery. Well, what do you know? :)

Griff, on the other hand, is eventually a decent character - but he's essentially a cipher until the last 50 odd pages, where he suddenly becomes so thoughtfully interesting I'm even more annoyed he wasn't the main character all along. I strongly suspect, to be honest, that Voigt is making a deliberate commentary on trauma and heroism, showing that a life dedicated to stepping on others to get to the top and general violence isn't the recipe for a happy ending, but though I admire that approach and see the point of it I hate the protagonist too much to care. Perhaps if the book had been better balanced between the two of them, but it wasn't.

I'd never read Voigt before this series, but she's so much more interesting when writing women. Her main male characters - Orien in book 2 and Oriel here - are puffed up by narrative beyond all their deserts, while the women are more thoughtfully managed - at least when out of the orbit of their so-called romantic interests.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book as an adolescent girl and absolutely fell in love with it. I tried reading other books by Voigt later; hoping they would be the same, but could never get into any of them because they were not this book.
It is the story of two young boys who grow up as slaves on an island governed by a cruel master where they learn to do whatever it takes to stay alive. They later escape and their journey is this novel. Oriel is the one I most identified with at the time because his driving hunger for something better is what propels the story forward. Someone so determined to make a life for himself that he will go, do, and suceed wherever he must is a powerful force. All the while his companion Griff is there to help in any way possible because Griff believes in Oriel and his ability to make things happen for the both of them. Theirs is a friendship that grew out of survival into one of brotherhood. It surpasses women, jealousy, and pride.
Overall a great read, I fInd myself re-reading it throughout the years just for fun because it's like watching a favorite movie. Never gets old.

The fact that this is classified as a Young-Adult book to me is irrelevant. The content doesn't shy away from adult themes and the writing is top notch.

[Seth]

(I have been searching for this book for years. I remember picking it up randomly off the shelf of a public library when I was in 6th or 7th grade. When I thought of it years later I couldn't remember anything about it--title, author, basic plot--except that a female character was named Beryl. My typically excellent Google skills could not uncover what book it was. It wasn't until I posted a question in the "What book is that....?" forum in GoodReads that somebody else solved it for me. So I read it again.)

It was good but not great. There was little character development, and the main character seems practically perfect in every way (h/t Marry Poppins) even from a young age. Many story lines were introduced, only to be abandoned and unresolved. The villain's surprising betrayal was unexpected--in the sense that I didn't see it foreshadowed except immediately beforehand, so it didn't seem realistic. Of course this is a young-adult novel and I'm not a young adult anymore, so maybe I'm too critical. Either way I'm glad a read it. One fewer unsolved literary mystery in my brain.

[April Hochstrasser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down. It is a stand alone book and I never even suspected it was part of a trilogy. The answers to many questions are left hanging such as the mystery of the young man's origin. The protagonist is more opportunistic than "good." None of the romantic subplots resolve in a satisfactory way. The meanings of certain beryl with carved falcon winds in it are never revealed. Don't read this book if you want answers. Instead, read this book if you want to follow the path of two young men--one: ambitious, charming, fair-minded, well-liked, and good at getting what he wants. The other: good, humble, quiet, and willing to suffer for others. You can decide for yourself who the hero of the story is. I liked the old world Kingdom flavor of the book with the heroes passing through many different Kingdoms and finding out how to survive in each one. I almost couldn't fathom how they could keep going because of the hard tasks required of them.

The ending was a total surprise. The denoument was a little long, otherwise, a fantastic book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago, and loaned it out to a friend telling her she had to read it. Well as those things are wont to happen, I never got the book back. Years passed and I would occasionally think of that book and it's story, but had forgotten the title. I've spent some recent years searching for the title,and have finally found it.

What's the point of me telling you this? Just that this is a story that will stick with you for the rest of your life, as it has for me. It's a gripping story about survival, friendship, bravery, weakness, strength, love, and every other emotion or value known to humans. I cannot wait to re-read this novel that I have found again.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, this is my favorite book in this series (and that’s saying something, because the first two were incredible). This was an adventure both quiet and epic. I’ve never seen someone write action scenes in such a contemplative yet exciting way. Griff and Oriel’s bond is very reminiscent of Frodo and Sam, but forged out of less gentle circumstances than growing up in the Shire, so their relationship felt tougher, but gentle at the very heart of it. Cynthia Voigt says so much with just a few words, and I kind of hate that not many people know about her.

[Magda · Rating 4 out of 5]

***2018***
I had completely forgotten this story, all the way through. It was good at first, then strange, then amazing... and then it floored me near the end and it seemed to grow even better-hearted than it started out.

***2012***
An exciting, well-told tale. I keep associating Cynthia Voigt with required reading for sixth grade (painful), but am always surprised to just drop into her stories and love them.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite in this series thus far. The main character seems to me to be one of the most pompous gentlman ever to set foot on "Earth," and the book is only saved by Voigt's superior writing and a well-conceived ending.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mmmm, I've read this before, but in the context of the multigenerational events in (and out of) the Kingdom, it has so many more resonances. There are some shockers here - stunning plot twists. Great characters too. Love it.

[Scot Eaton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took me a month to get through it. Writing style is all telling, no showing. Main character is unlikable, despite everyone in the story seeming to like him. All in all, a very disappointing followup to Jackaroo, which was an AMAZING book.

[Dogeared Wanderer · Rating 1 out of 5]

A young man escapes from a slaver's island with his best friend and tries to survive on the mainland. He is faced with dangers from warring lords, wandering soldiers, cruel "wolfers", and seeks to find his place as the next Earl Sutherland. He is everything a hero should be: strong, courageous, loyal, handsome, wise through suffering and experience, and consistently fair with those around him.

On the one hand, the story was incredible and had sufficient plot twists. I enjoyed reading a story from a young man's perspective, and there were sufficient connections with the previous two books in the series.

But it was another flop in the series. The violence was a necessary part of the story but it didn't let up for 350 pages. The paragraphs were wordy about people, history, and connections that never came up again. There is a sex scene which is unnecessary in a YA novel. I realize the main character is a wild man who hasn't been raised with moral standards, but this is a book for teens and should be written as such. A significant character becomes pregnant, though there is very little commitment or emotional involvement, and Oriel "beds" various women in his travels.

The wordy interchanges between lords later on distracted from the story and ... (SPOILER) the death of Oriel seemed anticlimactic. Everything seemed very matter-of-fact, but perhaps that's the author's writing style.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynthia Voight’s book “The Wings of a Falcon: Quest for Truth” was released by Scholastic Inc in 1993. Cynthia is a Newberry Medalist award winning author. The novel begins with a description of the corrupt governance on Damall Island. The corrupt governance included despotic whippings, brutal tortures, and abusive confinements of inhabitants under the authority of a despot. Many who lived on the island were shackled and sold into slavery. Two Island residents, Griff and Oriel, escaped the Island on a stolen boat and sailed to a territory named Celinden. When they arrived, their boat was stolen. They were then stalked and captured by a terrorist group called the Wolfers. They were able to escape from the Wolfers by climbing a snow mountain. At the top of the mountain they built a sled using thin logs that they wrapped in fur coats. On the sled, they cascaded down the back side of the snow mountain. When they arrived at the mountain base, Griff and Oriel found a farm home where they met Beryl, a kind young woman who lived alone on the farm. She fed and cared for Griff and Oriel. The novel then profiles a remarkable chain of events that led to Griff and Oriel meeting the territory King. The King bonded with the young men and made them Earls of Sutherland.. The Earls and Beryl were able to promote justice through love and kindness. I very much enjoyed reading Voight’s “quest for truth” novel. (P)

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first in this series, Jackaroo, clear back in 2016 and the second, On Fortune's Wheel, in 2019. While not a series in the traditional format, the books are somewhat loosely connected but can easily be read as stand alone books. I read the other two so long ago I can't make any connections to this book, the third in the series, other than an occasional mention of Jackaroo and the similarity of the main characters' names, Orion and Oriel and Birle and Beryl. I think maybe Beryl might be somehow related to Birle and Orion, generations removed, but I don't think there is any hard evidence to prove that.

This was my least favorite book in the series. I enjoyed the more psychological aspect of it but I thought it was a whole lot longer than it needed to be. The Wolfer section went on for far too long - I began reading every other page after awhile and that is NOT me! The "hero" was not the warm fuzzy type that you warmed up to and rooted for and his sidekick, Griff, was kind of a robot - a sweet robot though. I found them largely believable but I seriously doubt Griff could have been quite so subservient.

There is one left in the series - not sure I will follow through.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is supposedly a sequel but could be read as a stand alone. It is set about 3-4 generations after the previous book as aside from Beryl being a decendent of Beril in the previous book and finding out what Damall did with the Berlys given to him by Oriel for Yul, the book barely references the previous books.

The book is about an unnamed boy who is being raised on an island by Damall (the5th of his kind) who buys and sells slaves (which is how we find out what Damall did with the Beryl's Oriel gave him for Yul). He has a friend and protector (Griff). When the Damall dies Griff and the unnamed boy escape. They do find themselves on the same deserted Island Beirl and Oriel are on in the previous book and the unnamed boy calls himself Oriel.

They end up on a homestead that mines salt but are attacked by a itinerate tribe called the "Wolfers" and become slaves. When the head of the clan hear about riches in the north in a place called "The Kingdom" they head through the mountains to that land.

I didn't like this book as much as the earlier books in the series. It feels slow even though a lot is happening, particularly when they are with the Wolfers. It is an easy read though.

[Jamie Dacyczyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my least favorite of the Kingdom series, though I still think it stands better than a lot of other YA historical stuff that's coming out these days. This one seemed a bit too long with too many "chunks" of narrative, and I never felt particular attached to the main character, Oriel, or his sidekick Griff. The latter barely says a word or shows any personality the whole book, so when the POV suddenly shifts to him toward the end of the book it was particularly jarring. Oriel is also a bit of a cad, too willing to fall in with bad guys and too willing to ditch a lady when a prettier/richer one comes along. ALSO, how confusing that the names of two major characters are Oriel and Beryl, the same as the names of the main (different) characters in the last book.

So, still a good medievalish adventure story, but when it comes down to rereading books from this series, this won't be the first one I reach for.