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S.C.A.R.S by Julia Ibbotson
Gavin is an ordinary boy with problems like everyone else, when he finds himself in an extraordinary situation and facing the fight of his life. People are calling him Gawain and sending him on a medieval quest. How has he found himself on a horse when he has never ridden one before? How come he has a sword in his hand and terrifying creatures bearing down upon him? He seems to have slipped through into another universe. But can he win the battle of Good against Evil, and can he save the land of Unor ̶ and more importantly, can he save himself?
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First published October 22, 2014
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373 people want to read
About the author
Julia Ibbotson
12 books53 followersAcclaimed award-winning author Dr Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and concepts of time. She writes the Dr DuLac series of medieval time-slips/time travel mystery romances: A Shape on the Air, The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone are the first three. Her new series (Dr Anna Petersen mysteries) starts with Daughter of Mercia. She studied English at Keele University, England, specialising in early medieval language, literature and history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics. She wrote her first novel at age 10, but became a school teacher, then an academic as a university lecturer and researcher. Julia spent a turbulent but exciting time in Ghana, West Africa, teaching and nursing, which inspired the Drumbeats trilogy (which begins in Ghana in the 1960s and continues through to the 1990s). Apart from insatiable reading, Julia loves world travel, choral singing, swimming, yoga, and walking in the UK and Madeira. Check out her website at http://www.juliaibbotsonauthor.com She is a member of the Society of Authors, the Historical Novel Society and the Romantic Novelists' Association.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 5, 2015
S.C.A.R.S was initially written by the author as a child, reworked 40 years later and published as a children’s novel. As an avid King Arthur and the Knights fan and could not be put out by a little blurp that states “children’s book”.
This is a story of adventure, finding courage, friendship, betrayal and slaying monsters….everything that makes a good adventure story great. The writing, switching between modern day English and the Medieval English creates atmosphere as much as the words used by the writer. Flawless, imaginative and alive…every word a story.
This tale is destined to become a classic and to be read and re-read many, many times until it bears its well thumped pages like the scars left by the monsters in Unor.
Gavin is a normal kid, though somewhat insecure, but troubled by everything that troubles normal boys growing up. He is an avid reader, smallish and wears glasses…easy pickings for any bullies around. He gets lured into a parallel world where he is Gawain, the most respected knight of the Land of Unor and tasked with saving, not only his king, but the whole Kingdom from a new evil…. monsters with powers beyond any normal Medieval weapon. He sets off on his quest to the far corners of the kingdom of Unor or to forge a weapon to slay this unimaginably strange force. He is aided by Rowan, his best friend Royce, and the old Kings of Unor who guard the oceans, forests, rivers and mountains as half-gods.
His nightly quest into Medieval Unor spills over into his current life in strange ways, and there are subtle changes of behavior of teachers, his classmates and himself. Gavin and Royce struggle nightly through the adventures and compare tactics and happenings during the day back in school, just to face even more perilous dangers on their next quest.
They learn about friendship, courage, despair, trust and betrayal. Nothing is ever as it seems and they start to dig deeper into themself and find the ability to face anything, even the monsters on Gavin’s trail and bullies.
This is a story for boys, filled with battle, dressed in armor, riding horses and the smell of adventure in every breath. A tale of modern day life spilling over into medieval England and spilling back to modern day England time and time again, the lessons, adventures, friendships and courage found moving between the lines, filling both lives.
A tail so vivid and real that I could not put the book down once I started reading it. A must read for young avid adventurers who will be taken on a journey of emotions, laughs and magic that will not easily be forgotten, tickling that spot of belief in magic, tucked into a corner somewhere, that all children harbor, it is true, there is still magic in the world.
Tristan’s (11 years old) opinion:
“It is a mysterious and wonderful tale of a boy who emerges into the land of Unor that is full of magic and sorcery. Gavin, who is bullied and taunted at school, is an odd boy, who at night turns into the Knight Gawain. He must protect the land Unor from fearful monsters and gets involved in great adventures. A wonderful book that I loved reading and can’t wait to tell all my friends about.”
This review was done in collaboration with E.Haward (epic King Arthur fan) and T.Moore (a young avid reader)
This is a story of adventure, finding courage, friendship, betrayal and slaying monsters….everything that makes a good adventure story great. The writing, switching between modern day English and the Medieval English creates atmosphere as much as the words used by the writer. Flawless, imaginative and alive…every word a story.
This tale is destined to become a classic and to be read and re-read many, many times until it bears its well thumped pages like the scars left by the monsters in Unor.
Gavin is a normal kid, though somewhat insecure, but troubled by everything that troubles normal boys growing up. He is an avid reader, smallish and wears glasses…easy pickings for any bullies around. He gets lured into a parallel world where he is Gawain, the most respected knight of the Land of Unor and tasked with saving, not only his king, but the whole Kingdom from a new evil…. monsters with powers beyond any normal Medieval weapon. He sets off on his quest to the far corners of the kingdom of Unor or to forge a weapon to slay this unimaginably strange force. He is aided by Rowan, his best friend Royce, and the old Kings of Unor who guard the oceans, forests, rivers and mountains as half-gods.
His nightly quest into Medieval Unor spills over into his current life in strange ways, and there are subtle changes of behavior of teachers, his classmates and himself. Gavin and Royce struggle nightly through the adventures and compare tactics and happenings during the day back in school, just to face even more perilous dangers on their next quest.
They learn about friendship, courage, despair, trust and betrayal. Nothing is ever as it seems and they start to dig deeper into themself and find the ability to face anything, even the monsters on Gavin’s trail and bullies.
This is a story for boys, filled with battle, dressed in armor, riding horses and the smell of adventure in every breath. A tale of modern day life spilling over into medieval England and spilling back to modern day England time and time again, the lessons, adventures, friendships and courage found moving between the lines, filling both lives.
A tail so vivid and real that I could not put the book down once I started reading it. A must read for young avid adventurers who will be taken on a journey of emotions, laughs and magic that will not easily be forgotten, tickling that spot of belief in magic, tucked into a corner somewhere, that all children harbor, it is true, there is still magic in the world.
Tristan’s (11 years old) opinion:
“It is a mysterious and wonderful tale of a boy who emerges into the land of Unor that is full of magic and sorcery. Gavin, who is bullied and taunted at school, is an odd boy, who at night turns into the Knight Gawain. He must protect the land Unor from fearful monsters and gets involved in great adventures. A wonderful book that I loved reading and can’t wait to tell all my friends about.”
This review was done in collaboration with E.Haward (epic King Arthur fan) and T.Moore (a young avid reader)
May 26, 2016
An enjoyable quest for younger readers. 4/5 stars.
Thank you to Julia Ibbotson for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review. This review was originally posted on my book blog.
I studied Old English in my first year of university. You may think I mean Chaucer, but he wrote in Middle English, a language which resembles the language we use today. Old English, a.k.a. Anglo Saxon, looks like a cross between German and Norwegian. We had to translate large chunks of OE texts, which wasn’t the most fun I’ve ever had. However, while the language itself may have been the bane of my life, the stories were fantastic. Stories like Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Stories full of warriors, kings, treasure, quests, monsters, and grand themes like kinship, virtue and honour. And it’s these brilliant stories which are the inspiration for S.C.A.R.S.
Gavin is an ordinary eleven/twelve year old (his age isn’t specified, but he’s in his first year of high school), apart from when he goes to sleep. In his extremely vivid dreams he becomes Gawain, a brave knight driven to pursue a quest to save the land of Unor from an all-encompassing evil.
The “dream” sections of the book are dramatic and evocative. The quest sets off at a cracking pace as Gawain is sent headlong into a vicious battle against some nasty dragon-like creatures, and continues in this vein for the rest of the book with plenty of threat and peril. This facet of the story will also be familiar to anyone who enjoys the world of The Lord of the Rings – after all, Tolkein was a professor of Anglo Saxon. I also imagine this will be the favourite part of the book of the middle grade target audience.
Maybe it’s because I’m a bit (*ahem*) older, but I think I preferred the “waking” sections of the plot. In the present-day setting, we see Gavin struggle with bullies, unsympathetic teachers and his stressed-out mum and slowly notice the overlap between his waking and dreaming experiences. I’m also a mum now, and couldn’t help but worry if he was going to be ok!
Overall: if I were eleven, I think I’d have just found a new favourite book. A fun quest for younger readers and the young at heart.
Thank you to Julia Ibbotson for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review. This review was originally posted on my book blog.
I studied Old English in my first year of university. You may think I mean Chaucer, but he wrote in Middle English, a language which resembles the language we use today. Old English, a.k.a. Anglo Saxon, looks like a cross between German and Norwegian. We had to translate large chunks of OE texts, which wasn’t the most fun I’ve ever had. However, while the language itself may have been the bane of my life, the stories were fantastic. Stories like Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Stories full of warriors, kings, treasure, quests, monsters, and grand themes like kinship, virtue and honour. And it’s these brilliant stories which are the inspiration for S.C.A.R.S.
Gavin is an ordinary eleven/twelve year old (his age isn’t specified, but he’s in his first year of high school), apart from when he goes to sleep. In his extremely vivid dreams he becomes Gawain, a brave knight driven to pursue a quest to save the land of Unor from an all-encompassing evil.
The “dream” sections of the book are dramatic and evocative. The quest sets off at a cracking pace as Gawain is sent headlong into a vicious battle against some nasty dragon-like creatures, and continues in this vein for the rest of the book with plenty of threat and peril. This facet of the story will also be familiar to anyone who enjoys the world of The Lord of the Rings – after all, Tolkein was a professor of Anglo Saxon. I also imagine this will be the favourite part of the book of the middle grade target audience.
Maybe it’s because I’m a bit (*ahem*) older, but I think I preferred the “waking” sections of the plot. In the present-day setting, we see Gavin struggle with bullies, unsympathetic teachers and his stressed-out mum and slowly notice the overlap between his waking and dreaming experiences. I’m also a mum now, and couldn’t help but worry if he was going to be ok!
Overall: if I were eleven, I think I’d have just found a new favourite book. A fun quest for younger readers and the young at heart.
December 30, 2014
S.C.A.R.S is a fantasy story for children in their early teens. Gavin and Roly are quiet lads who are the victims of bullies at school. Gavin enjoys the tales of King Arthur and medieval style heroes.
One night he hears a voice calling and following the voice, he finds himself in a strange land where others call him Gawain and he is a knight. He rides off with a group called the Host of Red to try to defeat an evil enemy. But the enemy is strong and only Gawain is left after the battle. He reaches King Bercivorn who tells him of a quest he must go on to save the people of Unor.
Each night Gavin slips from his world to the next as his adventure as Gawain takes him onwards to find a weapon to defeat the enemy. Each day he returns to his world as Gavin. This is a tale of friendship and strength when the world about you is full of evil.
One night he hears a voice calling and following the voice, he finds himself in a strange land where others call him Gawain and he is a knight. He rides off with a group called the Host of Red to try to defeat an evil enemy. But the enemy is strong and only Gawain is left after the battle. He reaches King Bercivorn who tells him of a quest he must go on to save the people of Unor.
Each night Gavin slips from his world to the next as his adventure as Gawain takes him onwards to find a weapon to defeat the enemy. Each day he returns to his world as Gavin. This is a tale of friendship and strength when the world about you is full of evil.
January 30, 2015
S.C.A.R.S by Julia Ibbotson
THE BLURB
Dragons, knights and a boy who slips through a tear in the fabric of the universe into a fantasy medieval world …
Gavin is an ordinary boy with problems like everyone else, when he finds himself in an extraordinary situation and facing the fight of his life. People are calling him Gawain and sending him on a medieval quest. How has he found himself on a horse when he has never ridden one before? How come he has a sword in his hand and terrifying creatures bearing down upon him? He seems to have slipped through into another universe. But can he win the battle of Good against Evil, and can he save the land of Unor ̶ and more importantly, can he save himself?
PLEASE NOTE: This is a children’s novel.
WHAT I SAY
Julia wrote this book as a young girl and it so good you would never know that . i like Julia writhing style it so easy to read and just flows so well you just get caught up in this wonderful fantasy story
I would say the book aim at children in their teens but i am a adult and i really did enjoy it so i say anyone could read
Gavin a lovely boy but he seem to be having a hard time at school as he getting bullied
He seem to love king Arthur and he alway reading about all things medieval this is his escape i felt he did enjoy it so much
Sometimes at night he hears voices calling him one night he followed the voice into this wonderful fantasy world of Unor
Here they call him Gawain he so powerful and so happy here trying to save the land can the good overpower the evil
This world is full of knights , dragons and kings, The king set him on a quest .Did he do the quest ?
The book will just captures your imagination you will want to read more to see what going to happen next
Julia Descriptions just instantly transport you into this world you can see it all in your mind you are there with them all
As i said before Julia Writhing style just flowed seamlessly and just draw me into this fascinating story .
I want to tell you more about the plot but i want you all to read
The book shows you want friendship all about and what evil all around us in one way or another .i loved that GavinI
THE BLURB
Dragons, knights and a boy who slips through a tear in the fabric of the universe into a fantasy medieval world …
Gavin is an ordinary boy with problems like everyone else, when he finds himself in an extraordinary situation and facing the fight of his life. People are calling him Gawain and sending him on a medieval quest. How has he found himself on a horse when he has never ridden one before? How come he has a sword in his hand and terrifying creatures bearing down upon him? He seems to have slipped through into another universe. But can he win the battle of Good against Evil, and can he save the land of Unor ̶ and more importantly, can he save himself?
PLEASE NOTE: This is a children’s novel.
WHAT I SAY
Julia wrote this book as a young girl and it so good you would never know that . i like Julia writhing style it so easy to read and just flows so well you just get caught up in this wonderful fantasy story
I would say the book aim at children in their teens but i am a adult and i really did enjoy it so i say anyone could read
Gavin a lovely boy but he seem to be having a hard time at school as he getting bullied
He seem to love king Arthur and he alway reading about all things medieval this is his escape i felt he did enjoy it so much
Sometimes at night he hears voices calling him one night he followed the voice into this wonderful fantasy world of Unor
Here they call him Gawain he so powerful and so happy here trying to save the land can the good overpower the evil
This world is full of knights , dragons and kings, The king set him on a quest .Did he do the quest ?
The book will just captures your imagination you will want to read more to see what going to happen next
Julia Descriptions just instantly transport you into this world you can see it all in your mind you are there with them all
As i said before Julia Writhing style just flowed seamlessly and just draw me into this fascinating story .
I want to tell you more about the plot but i want you all to read
The book shows you want friendship all about and what evil all around us in one way or another .i loved that GavinI
February 10, 2015
When I was an older child and then a young teenager I absolutely adored this type of novel. My love for fantasy novels has never left me and although S.C.A.R.S is primarily a children's novel, I found that I absolutely loved it and think that children and adults alike will enjoy this book. If you like dragons, knights and quests then S.C.A.R.S has it all. It reminded me a little of a Lord of the Rings type adventure.
Our hero Gavin is an unhappy kid. Dad is gone and poor Gavin worries about his mum. As if that wasn't enough to contend with, he only has a few close friends and is bullied. Life however is about to get a whole lot more complicated for poor Gavin when he suddenly finds himself slipping through time and becoming the hero he thought he could never be!
S.C.A.R.S is not only a fantastic fantasy novel but it also explores issues pertinent to young readers - divorce, bullying and loneliness. However, Gavin will take readers, young and old on an amazing adventure. The book is very cleverly written, slipping between Gavin's quest as he becomes the brave knight Gawain, to Gavin the schoolboy who must overcome his own difficulties and deal with the quests that real life throws at him.
I really hope that S.C.A.R.S is going to be the first book in a series as I'd love to see our hero and his friends on more exciting adventures. Highly recommended! Just brilliant!
Our hero Gavin is an unhappy kid. Dad is gone and poor Gavin worries about his mum. As if that wasn't enough to contend with, he only has a few close friends and is bullied. Life however is about to get a whole lot more complicated for poor Gavin when he suddenly finds himself slipping through time and becoming the hero he thought he could never be!
S.C.A.R.S is not only a fantastic fantasy novel but it also explores issues pertinent to young readers - divorce, bullying and loneliness. However, Gavin will take readers, young and old on an amazing adventure. The book is very cleverly written, slipping between Gavin's quest as he becomes the brave knight Gawain, to Gavin the schoolboy who must overcome his own difficulties and deal with the quests that real life throws at him.
I really hope that S.C.A.R.S is going to be the first book in a series as I'd love to see our hero and his friends on more exciting adventures. Highly recommended! Just brilliant!
April 9, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It has everything a grand adventure needs! Knights that fight evil creatures set on destroying the kingdom, wise wild horses that know who is worthy to ride them, and, above all, a young hero you care for from the beginning.
Gavin is a quiet boy. He lives a simple life with his mom and enjoys the company of his best friend Roly. He tries to get through each day without getting picked on too much by the school bully.
He suddenly starts to go on daring adventures at night that involve knights and for some reason they know him as Gawain. Of course, there is going to be a quest that he must undertake if he is to overcome the evil that is destroying the kingdom.
During the day he is back to normal, going to school, doing homework, and trying to figure out what is going on with this nighttime adventure. In both his daytime and nighttime life he has challenges to face.
So, what do you think so far? Is it a dream? Is he being magically transported to another realm? Does he vanquish the evil? Does he finish his homework, do well in class, and avoid the school bully?
You will just have to read it and find out!
I recommend this to fantasy lovers, young and old. While is is written for younger folk, I believe any age will find it an enjoyable read.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to leave a positive review.
Gavin is a quiet boy. He lives a simple life with his mom and enjoys the company of his best friend Roly. He tries to get through each day without getting picked on too much by the school bully.
He suddenly starts to go on daring adventures at night that involve knights and for some reason they know him as Gawain. Of course, there is going to be a quest that he must undertake if he is to overcome the evil that is destroying the kingdom.
During the day he is back to normal, going to school, doing homework, and trying to figure out what is going on with this nighttime adventure. In both his daytime and nighttime life he has challenges to face.
So, what do you think so far? Is it a dream? Is he being magically transported to another realm? Does he vanquish the evil? Does he finish his homework, do well in class, and avoid the school bully?
You will just have to read it and find out!
I recommend this to fantasy lovers, young and old. While is is written for younger folk, I believe any age will find it an enjoyable read.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to leave a positive review.
March 8, 2015
I would like to thank Deb at Brooks Cottage Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I was aware when starting this book that it is aimed at the younger audience, but I didn't mind as I have read other books that are. I would say this is aimed at possible the 10-15 age range rather than the YA that I usually read. This however didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. It is a wonderful fantasy read that easily gets the reader caught up.
Gavin is a lovely character who is being bullied at school and uses books as his escape, especially tales of King Arthur and his medieval knights.
One night, Gavin hears his name called on the wind, this leads him into a world where his is Gawain a Knight who must fight to save the land of Unor from evil.
This is a magical story that had me turning page after page, dying to know what happens next, so I can imagine what a younger reader would make of it. Julia creates a magical world full of knights and dragons, good and evil. This is just perfect to engage the younger audience into a fantasy land. The story is fast enough paced to keep anyone glued to it.
I still can’t believe that Julia wrote this story while still at school and it has sat in her attic for forty years, I’m so glad that she dug it out and decided to release it.
I was aware when starting this book that it is aimed at the younger audience, but I didn't mind as I have read other books that are. I would say this is aimed at possible the 10-15 age range rather than the YA that I usually read. This however didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. It is a wonderful fantasy read that easily gets the reader caught up.
Gavin is a lovely character who is being bullied at school and uses books as his escape, especially tales of King Arthur and his medieval knights.
One night, Gavin hears his name called on the wind, this leads him into a world where his is Gawain a Knight who must fight to save the land of Unor from evil.
This is a magical story that had me turning page after page, dying to know what happens next, so I can imagine what a younger reader would make of it. Julia creates a magical world full of knights and dragons, good and evil. This is just perfect to engage the younger audience into a fantasy land. The story is fast enough paced to keep anyone glued to it.
I still can’t believe that Julia wrote this story while still at school and it has sat in her attic for forty years, I’m so glad that she dug it out and decided to release it.
February 10, 2015
A good children’s book captures the imagination and awakens a sense of adventure in the reader, regardless of whether that reader happens to be a child or an adult. That is the marvelous thing about children’s stories and why so many adults return to their favourites time and again. Julia Ibbotson does this perfectly. Anyone who loves stories about knights – pick up this book now!
When you hear the phrase ‘fantasy medieval world’ there are certain things that you expect – knights, dragons and some sort of quest, to name just a few. And as expected, Ibbotson delivers these in style. If you are feeling a little lost and in need of a fantastical escape, this is the book for you, regardless of your age!
review by Elizabeth A. Wright on behalf of BestChickLit.com
When you hear the phrase ‘fantasy medieval world’ there are certain things that you expect – knights, dragons and some sort of quest, to name just a few. And as expected, Ibbotson delivers these in style. If you are feeling a little lost and in need of a fantastical escape, this is the book for you, regardless of your age!
review by Elizabeth A. Wright on behalf of BestChickLit.com
February 14, 2015
Gavin lives alone with his mother, his father having left the family home. He is daily at the mercy of school bullies and has only one true friend: Roly. One night as he lies awake in bed the clock strikes midnight something draws him to the bedroom window. Climbing out he finds himself in a time slip, taken to a land of adventure with knights and dragons where he wears armour, wields a sword and everyone calls him Gawain. This pattern follows on subsequent nights and he becomes involved in a quest to save the land of Unor from the evil that stalks the land. A quest only he can achieve.
This book has everything; adventure, magic, heart stopping moments - a lovely story beautifully woven. Although a children's novel I found it a very enjoyable and entertaining read.
This book has everything; adventure, magic, heart stopping moments - a lovely story beautifully woven. Although a children's novel I found it a very enjoyable and entertaining read.
January 27, 2015
Even though this is a fantasy story for children in their early teens, I really found myself drawn to the story. I loved the fact that Julia had written this book when she was a child and it had been in a desk drawer for 40 years. I am so glad she found it as it is a brilliant book. It is about two boys who in the night slip into a world of knights and medieval heroes, where they try to defeat the evil enemy and then during the day they are just ordinary boys. I love the fact the book is about friendship, when the world around you is full of evil. Brilliant story. Loved it from the start.
January 27, 2015
Won this book on first read.its more for young adult to read good story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews