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Crispin #2
At the Edge of the World
The more I came to know of the world, the more I knew I knew it not.
He was a nameless orphan, marked for death by his masters for an unknown crime. Discovering his name -- Crispin -- only intensified the mystery. Then Crispin met Bear, who helped him learn the secret of his full identity.
And in Bear -- the enormous, red-bearded juggler, sometime spy, and everyday philosopher -- Crispin also found a new father and a new world. Now Crispin and Bear have set off to live their lives as free men. But they don't get far before their past catches up with them:
To find freedom and safety, they may have to travel to the edge of the world -- even if it means confronting death itself. In this riveting sequel to the Newbery-Award winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead -- the second book in a planned trilogy -- Avi explores themes of war, religion, and family as he continues the adventures of Crispin and Bear.
He was a nameless orphan, marked for death by his masters for an unknown crime. Discovering his name -- Crispin -- only intensified the mystery. Then Crispin met Bear, who helped him learn the secret of his full identity.
And in Bear -- the enormous, red-bearded juggler, sometime spy, and everyday philosopher -- Crispin also found a new father and a new world. Now Crispin and Bear have set off to live their lives as free men. But they don't get far before their past catches up with them:
To find freedom and safety, they may have to travel to the edge of the world -- even if it means confronting death itself. In this riveting sequel to the Newbery-Award winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead -- the second book in a planned trilogy -- Avi explores themes of war, religion, and family as he continues the adventures of Crispin and Bear.
234 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
148 people are currently reading
1745 people want to read
About the author
Avi
346 books1,716 followersAvi is a pen name for Edward Irving Wortis, but he says, "The fact is, Avi is the only name I use." Born in 1937, Avi has created many fictional favorites such as
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle,
Nothing but the Truth,
and the Crispin series. His work is popular among readers young and old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
January 21, 2016
The first installment of the Crispin trilogy had an interesting cast of characters who were entirely controlled by a predetermined plot, leaving behind character development. This sequel, however, is practically the opposite. Plot is minimal, completely driven by the characters, and while I would describe it as interesting, I would not call it very exciting. There's a vague goal of survival, but even the life-threatening situations don't feel very intense. Ultimately, the whole journey feels very aimless. Most of the book is a character study of Crispin, exploring how he reacts to and learns from different events, emotions, and people, which is very well done. I would definitely recommend this series to both younger and older audiences, because Avi really does touch on some important topics and has some fantastic similes and metaphors within the writing.
June 8, 2025
Rather than build on the events of the first novel, this sequel just spends the entire time fleeing them. This pointless road trip has Crispin and Bear on the run from one place to another, meeting random people and being buffeted by circumstance, always reacting, never advancing. And the point where Avi chooses to stop writing -- not an actual ending, mind you -- is just miserable.
I have no desire to read the last book in the series, especially since summaries and reviews make it sound even worse than this one.
I have no desire to read the last book in the series, especially since summaries and reviews make it sound even worse than this one.
March 18, 2025
Hmmm. Not as engaging as the first one, but man didn't see that ending coming. Though I probably should have. Bear got himself beat up again and again. Poor guy couldn't catch a break. And the amount of times he shouted at Crispin, who, to be fair, was acting quite the teenager....
December 7, 2016
Not as captivating as the first book in the trilogy, but still worth it! Readers probably do not have to read Crispin #1 to appreciate this story. What you will get is an action/adventure historical fiction book that takes place in the late 1300s in Medieval England. I enjoyed some of the characters but not the other truly wicked ones. Don't want to give any spoiler alerts. Book 1 was so terrific that I now have to read Book 3, which I checked out from my local library! Tough reading (level W) for most 4th and 5th graders, I would think.
July 31, 2021
I like the simple storytelling. I like the relationships of the characters. I'm hoping for a happy ending for Crispin and Troth, so I'll be reading the next book in the series.
June 16, 2011
Crispin: At the Edge of the World picks up right where its critically lauded predecessor left off, with Crispin and Bear fleeing after Crispin's noble sacrifice of his birthright as the lord's son in exchange for Bear's life, the man who had slowly morphed to become the type of father figure that Crispin had never previously known.
Now, though given free pass to leave the city where the endgame action in Crispin: The Cross of Lead had reached its climax, Crispin and Bear find themselves in no less danger than before as they try to put distance between themselves and their enemies as quickly as possible. The failed revolt that Bear had been integrally connected to was sacked by government soldiers, and the men that had somehow survived the deadly effects of the stricken rebellion have placed the blame for the plan's failure squarely on Bear's broad shoulders. They are on his track, now, and will kill him if given an opportunity to do so. Revenge burns hot when a whole group's dreams for the future begin to disintegrate, and Bear has become the obvious target for most of the wrath pouring forth from the broken revolutionary movement.
It's no longer as easy for Crispin and Bear to move around the English countryside as it was in the previous novel. Bear suffered severe injuries in that first book, and incurs further wounds near the start of this one, making him a near-invalid who depends on Crispin to physically help him hobble at top speed away from their enemies. Even when Crispin manages to find a seemingly peaceable English town, he knows that it will not remain so for long; Bear's pursuers are relentless, and hiding from them on a permanent basis is an impossible notion.
While trying to avoid ensnarement by Bear's dogged foes, Crispin comes to learn more about the man who has become his surrogate father. Bear's demons run deep, traceable back to his days not so long ago serving as a fighter in the Hundred Years' War between the English and the French, and it's obvious that he performed some actions as a soldier that haunt him worse than any of the wrong decisions he has made since that time, things too terrible to even confide to Crispin. Crispin is worried about Bear; the necessarily rigorous speed of their flight, added to the mental weight of Bear's dark past and the physical toll exacted by his considerable injuries, are clearly becoming a severe strain on the man, and there's no telling how much longer he can hold out under such conditions. But what would Crispin do without his brave friend and leader, the only one besides Crispin's mother who has ever shown any sign of caring about the boy? Crispin knows that he must save Bear, no matter where the journey to hide his sizable companion from his enemies may take them.
Along the way, the duo of Crispin and Bear meet a couple of new characters, some of whom become major players in the odyssey of this embattled young peasant from the 14th century. The new figures will have a dramatic impact on the story as it unfurls, and shed light on some facets of Crispin's and Bear's personalities that we didn't really see in the first book. I think that readers will be surprised by the Crispin: At the Edge of the World turns out, how it lays the groundwork for the final work in the Crispin trilogy that I hope will prove a fitting end to Crispin's memorable journey.
I think that the time period in which this book and its companion volumes are set is a good fit for Avi's writing. His unique brand of descriptive phrase resonates well in the context of feudal England, and his double ability in forming good characters and finding adequate means to express the vivid nature of the lands that they inhabit just seems to fit in well at this particular spot in history. I no doubt preferred Crispin: The Cross of Lead to this its sequel, as I perceive greater imaginative power and surprising plot developments of more depth and seasoning in the former novel, but this is a good book, as well. I wonder how the story will ever reach a fitting conclusion in just one more installment, but I'm sure that Avi has what it takes to close the deal in the best way possible. I would give two and a half stars to Crispin: At the Edge of the World.
Now, though given free pass to leave the city where the endgame action in Crispin: The Cross of Lead had reached its climax, Crispin and Bear find themselves in no less danger than before as they try to put distance between themselves and their enemies as quickly as possible. The failed revolt that Bear had been integrally connected to was sacked by government soldiers, and the men that had somehow survived the deadly effects of the stricken rebellion have placed the blame for the plan's failure squarely on Bear's broad shoulders. They are on his track, now, and will kill him if given an opportunity to do so. Revenge burns hot when a whole group's dreams for the future begin to disintegrate, and Bear has become the obvious target for most of the wrath pouring forth from the broken revolutionary movement.
It's no longer as easy for Crispin and Bear to move around the English countryside as it was in the previous novel. Bear suffered severe injuries in that first book, and incurs further wounds near the start of this one, making him a near-invalid who depends on Crispin to physically help him hobble at top speed away from their enemies. Even when Crispin manages to find a seemingly peaceable English town, he knows that it will not remain so for long; Bear's pursuers are relentless, and hiding from them on a permanent basis is an impossible notion.
While trying to avoid ensnarement by Bear's dogged foes, Crispin comes to learn more about the man who has become his surrogate father. Bear's demons run deep, traceable back to his days not so long ago serving as a fighter in the Hundred Years' War between the English and the French, and it's obvious that he performed some actions as a soldier that haunt him worse than any of the wrong decisions he has made since that time, things too terrible to even confide to Crispin. Crispin is worried about Bear; the necessarily rigorous speed of their flight, added to the mental weight of Bear's dark past and the physical toll exacted by his considerable injuries, are clearly becoming a severe strain on the man, and there's no telling how much longer he can hold out under such conditions. But what would Crispin do without his brave friend and leader, the only one besides Crispin's mother who has ever shown any sign of caring about the boy? Crispin knows that he must save Bear, no matter where the journey to hide his sizable companion from his enemies may take them.
Along the way, the duo of Crispin and Bear meet a couple of new characters, some of whom become major players in the odyssey of this embattled young peasant from the 14th century. The new figures will have a dramatic impact on the story as it unfurls, and shed light on some facets of Crispin's and Bear's personalities that we didn't really see in the first book. I think that readers will be surprised by the Crispin: At the Edge of the World turns out, how it lays the groundwork for the final work in the Crispin trilogy that I hope will prove a fitting end to Crispin's memorable journey.
I think that the time period in which this book and its companion volumes are set is a good fit for Avi's writing. His unique brand of descriptive phrase resonates well in the context of feudal England, and his double ability in forming good characters and finding adequate means to express the vivid nature of the lands that they inhabit just seems to fit in well at this particular spot in history. I no doubt preferred Crispin: The Cross of Lead to this its sequel, as I perceive greater imaginative power and surprising plot developments of more depth and seasoning in the former novel, but this is a good book, as well. I wonder how the story will ever reach a fitting conclusion in just one more installment, but I'm sure that Avi has what it takes to close the deal in the best way possible. I would give two and a half stars to Crispin: At the Edge of the World.
August 11, 2011
I liked this one less than the first. Crispin and Bear just kept aimlessly running, never even planning what they would eat. At one point, Crispin gets food, realizing he hasn't eaten for three days. In that case, I would have thought the author would include more of his fatigue and hunger on the previous pages. That he didn't seemed to weaken the story's accuracy.
Also I can't enjoy a book as much that portrays pagans positively and Christians as barbaric. Sadly, the Christianity of the Middle Ages did not reflect the teachings of the Bible so it is certainly historically accurate to show English "Christians" treating others cruelly. At one point, Bear says, "Find a way to live that lets you be yourself. No God - yours or mine - can ask for more." Actually, the God of the Bible does ask for more. Later, Crispin says, "In Jesus's name, we need you." And Troth said, "In Nerthus's name, you must live." This equating of the two names as if they were equal bothers me. As a devout Christian, I prefer books that do not portray one of the most sympathetic characters as a pagan.
Also I can't enjoy a book as much that portrays pagans positively and Christians as barbaric. Sadly, the Christianity of the Middle Ages did not reflect the teachings of the Bible so it is certainly historically accurate to show English "Christians" treating others cruelly. At one point, Bear says, "Find a way to live that lets you be yourself. No God - yours or mine - can ask for more." Actually, the God of the Bible does ask for more. Later, Crispin says, "In Jesus's name, we need you." And Troth said, "In Nerthus's name, you must live." This equating of the two names as if they were equal bothers me. As a devout Christian, I prefer books that do not portray one of the most sympathetic characters as a pagan.
March 10, 2016
Crispin and Bear are on the run. After saving Bear from prison in the first book, they are trying to get as far away from thy from their enemies as possible, but Bear is still not well after his incarceration. And to make matters worse, when Crispin tries to find them shelter, a member of the Brotherhood that Bear belonged to, decides that he must be a traitor, and soon they are running from a new enemy. Another adventure, fraught with peril, meanwhile Bear and Crispin are growing closer than ever - finding the family they never really had.
I have to say, I was very bored as I read this book. Unlike the first one, this one lacked the magic for me, and so even though there was plenty of action, I couldn't wait to finish the book. Not nearly as good as the first book.
I have to say, I was very bored as I read this book. Unlike the first one, this one lacked the magic for me, and so even though there was plenty of action, I couldn't wait to finish the book. Not nearly as good as the first book.
December 13, 2016
some of the observations in this book were eerily observant & relevant to this day -- from the opening quote "The more I came to know of the world, the more I knew I knew it not."
Crispin struggles with figuring out good and evil, the role of Christianity vs. the old religion (of Troth & Aude), ideas about poverty, disability (Troth has a hairlip and is shunned by most people & indeed some even consider her evil) and kindness -- which is figuring out the stuff of life. And learning about the horrors of war and what it is to be a refugee.
Other favorite sayings:
Bear says there is an old saying "No matter where they go, the ignorant never travel far." (84)
"a loving heart hears more than ears." - (Bear, 86)
"He who thinks his enemies are fools is the bigger fool." (96)
Crispin struggles with figuring out good and evil, the role of Christianity vs. the old religion (of Troth & Aude), ideas about poverty, disability (Troth has a hairlip and is shunned by most people & indeed some even consider her evil) and kindness -- which is figuring out the stuff of life. And learning about the horrors of war and what it is to be a refugee.
Other favorite sayings:
Bear says there is an old saying "No matter where they go, the ignorant never travel far." (84)
"a loving heart hears more than ears." - (Bear, 86)
"He who thinks his enemies are fools is the bigger fool." (96)
May 18, 2013
Age:11
What a bore you go to ride on a ship but you don't now how to navigate. Crispin clams him a man win he still cant do anything right. Why does Bear even try to help a boy that doesn't need help but brain surgery. Crispin meet a girl named Troth that she was a witch marked by the devil how rude. But he take her with them on the way to "Ice Land " never mind that they took Troth to France were they got captured by French solders.
My teacher wanted use to read the second one. I didn't like the first book why make me listen to you read me the second one.
What a bore you go to ride on a ship but you don't now how to navigate. Crispin clams him a man win he still cant do anything right. Why does Bear even try to help a boy that doesn't need help but brain surgery. Crispin meet a girl named Troth that she was a witch marked by the devil how rude. But he take her with them on the way to "Ice Land " never mind that they took Troth to France were they got captured by French solders.
My teacher wanted use to read the second one. I didn't like the first book why make me listen to you read me the second one.
November 30, 2016
This was good, but it felt like it kind of meandered on a bit too much...
June 26, 2018
Crispin: At the Edge of the World is a riveting historical fiction novel set at the end of the 14th century in the turmoil after King Edward III’s death and in the middle of the 100 Years War. How did all these events of kings affect a common boy? This novel is second in the series set after the events of Crispin: The Cross of Lead.
After being attacked in the previous novel, Bear is in a weakened state. Crispin tries to hide him from those who wish him harm, but he’s not sure how to care for his wound. Luckily, he meets Troth and Aude in the woods. Scared of them as they obviously don’t follow the Christian faith, Crispin eventually realizes that they are still good people. Troth was born with a harelip and is viewed with suspicion and violence wherever she is seen. After an unfortunate incident, Troth makes a trio with Bear and Crispin and they set off overseas to find their fate. Will they be able to outrun Bear’s past?
I enjoyed this look at the middle ages through a boy’s point of view as did my 12-year-old son Kile. I am still sad that he spoiled the book for me as he read it first and I edited his book review for class. He really liked the adventure and the fact that there is a sea voyage. I liked that Crispin is growing and realizing there is a larger world where everything isn’t black and white, good and evil. I can’t wait to read the third book in the series after Kile finishes it.
Favorite Quotes:
“But then men fear most what they understand least. Ignorance makes fear.”
“Then best learn: freedom is not just to be, but to choose.”
“In truth, a wise man has as many hopes as reasons.”
Overall, the Crispin series is great historical fiction that can be enjoyed by both parents and young readers a like. My ten-year-old son is not a fan of the series, but my twelve-year-old son loves it.
Book Source: The Kewaunee Public Library
This review was originally published on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2018...
After being attacked in the previous novel, Bear is in a weakened state. Crispin tries to hide him from those who wish him harm, but he’s not sure how to care for his wound. Luckily, he meets Troth and Aude in the woods. Scared of them as they obviously don’t follow the Christian faith, Crispin eventually realizes that they are still good people. Troth was born with a harelip and is viewed with suspicion and violence wherever she is seen. After an unfortunate incident, Troth makes a trio with Bear and Crispin and they set off overseas to find their fate. Will they be able to outrun Bear’s past?
I enjoyed this look at the middle ages through a boy’s point of view as did my 12-year-old son Kile. I am still sad that he spoiled the book for me as he read it first and I edited his book review for class. He really liked the adventure and the fact that there is a sea voyage. I liked that Crispin is growing and realizing there is a larger world where everything isn’t black and white, good and evil. I can’t wait to read the third book in the series after Kile finishes it.
Favorite Quotes:
“But then men fear most what they understand least. Ignorance makes fear.”
“Then best learn: freedom is not just to be, but to choose.”
“In truth, a wise man has as many hopes as reasons.”
Overall, the Crispin series is great historical fiction that can be enjoyed by both parents and young readers a like. My ten-year-old son is not a fan of the series, but my twelve-year-old son loves it.
Book Source: The Kewaunee Public Library
This review was originally published on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2018...
March 17, 2023
I picked this one up at the book exchange shelves in the waiting room of the local Subaru dealer. Pretty good so far, though the setting seems familiar(medieval England) - think Edward II(I think).Our protagonists are on the run from some John Ball fanatics and have just departed from Rye headed for the continent. The edge of the world is Iceland - I think. We'll see...
- This prolific, eighty-something author is still alive as of this moment(3-15-2023).
- The French sacked the city in 1377(and about a week before our protagonists got there), so Longshanks couldn't have been the king. Must've been Edward III. However... he died in 1377 and was succeeded by the underage Richard II, so I don't know who was king at the time of the story. Doesn't matter much I guess.
Finished recently with this engaging and historically accurate(as far as I know) and gritty tale. Life was tough back in the day. This is book #2 in a series but I'll likely not continue. Other book-fish to fry... The boat on the cover is based on the Bremen cog, a much-intact 14th c. ship dug out of the mud in the 1960's. You can go see it if you like. Several functional replicas have been built. On a local note, a group of dedicated volunteers in the Bath area have recently finished building a replica of the pinnace Virginia, which was built by the Popham(Maine) colonists to take them back to England when their colony failed to thrive for various reasons back in the early 1600's. The first ship built by Europeans in the New World. Cool!
- This prolific, eighty-something author is still alive as of this moment(3-15-2023).
- The French sacked the city in 1377(and about a week before our protagonists got there), so Longshanks couldn't have been the king. Must've been Edward III. However... he died in 1377 and was succeeded by the underage Richard II, so I don't know who was king at the time of the story. Doesn't matter much I guess.
Finished recently with this engaging and historically accurate(as far as I know) and gritty tale. Life was tough back in the day. This is book #2 in a series but I'll likely not continue. Other book-fish to fry... The boat on the cover is based on the Bremen cog, a much-intact 14th c. ship dug out of the mud in the 1960's. You can go see it if you like. Several functional replicas have been built. On a local note, a group of dedicated volunteers in the Bath area have recently finished building a replica of the pinnace Virginia, which was built by the Popham(Maine) colonists to take them back to England when their colony failed to thrive for various reasons back in the early 1600's. The first ship built by Europeans in the New World. Cool!
June 13, 2018
Crispin: At the Edge of the World was actually a heartwarming book. For a short time it was just Crispin and Bear but after Bear got hurt the got help from Aude and Troth. It was inhumane of the villagers to kill Aude and try to kill Troth just because of a birth defect but at least she survived that encounter. It was a good book and I liked how Bear took Crispin and Troth as his cubs. It was quite sweet up until Mr. Evil Dudley interrupted and began doing what he did best: Pillaging and being a pig. It was awful luck to be met by those soldiers. But at least fate was kind when she led the man’s arrow not into Bear’s heart in the beginning of the book. He died next to his cubs which is where any father bear would have wanted. I still wonder what will happen to Crispin and Troth. I also wonder what Iceland is. Could it be the actual Iceland as in the country or just Antarctica under another name? It could be Greenland for all I know. I still hope that one day Crispin will go back and claim his birthright as Lord Furnival’s true heir. It would lead to quite a fun battle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2022
Set in England in 1377, this is heavy with barbarianism and Catholicism under the guise of Christianity. It is wonderful to hear the name of Jesus used as a helper, friend and protector, but there seems to be confusion with prayers to the saints. Lest the reader be led astray, I feel compelled to point out that nowhere in God's word does He instruct us to do so. The Bible also tells us those who have put their trust alone in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, are now called saints. We are not in a position to answer the prayers of others unless God leads us to act and meet a need voiced by those prayers. Also, there is much turmoil over sin and being good enough and fear of not meeting the requirements for eternity. Rest assured, if we have trusted Christ, it is only His goodness, His righteousness that meets God's standards, and Jesus imputes that to us. There is much violence in this story, but a heart-warming, tenderness shown two orphans by the main character. I did not like the ending. (Some good quotes added)
May 26, 2023
I would recommend this book to people who like adventure and historical books.
An orphan boy who did not even know his own name was facing some very scary and lonely times. When Crispin is found being falsely accused of murder he goes into flight mode. As the story unveils Crispin hopes to find who he is supposed to really be and find family in the middle of his war.
The author knows how to capture the attention of a variety of ages. He is able to make a series of books for children and also interesting for adults. He used great details so the readers are able to easily visualize the story. He keeps the plot so the readers want to keep reading the sequels.
As a person who likes to see the end at the end of the book; I wish there was not a sequel. This book was not as adventurous as I like but still used great details. This book does not have to be read in order to understand what is going on. I would have enjoyed more action that had a purpose to it.
An orphan boy who did not even know his own name was facing some very scary and lonely times. When Crispin is found being falsely accused of murder he goes into flight mode. As the story unveils Crispin hopes to find who he is supposed to really be and find family in the middle of his war.
The author knows how to capture the attention of a variety of ages. He is able to make a series of books for children and also interesting for adults. He used great details so the readers are able to easily visualize the story. He keeps the plot so the readers want to keep reading the sequels.
As a person who likes to see the end at the end of the book; I wish there was not a sequel. This book was not as adventurous as I like but still used great details. This book does not have to be read in order to understand what is going on. I would have enjoyed more action that had a purpose to it.
August 4, 2025
This is not a bad story, but I am ready to read a little more action. This book does have a found family, one more joins Bear and Crispin in their goal to stay away from those who mean them harm. There are also themes of being kind to those that look or act differently. There are moments of violence, but the 1300s in England was a rough time a time of unrest. I did like that some of the people and events were based on real people and events. I think we believe that a time before things like the internet were simpler, which in some aspects they were. But it did not necessarily make life easier or more stable. Living in America in the 2000s it is hard to think that Britain and France warred over land for over 100 years! Crispin and Bear find themselves in the middle of some of the consequences of all that fighting and unrest. A good read based on historical events and times, this was a slower read for me and I am ready to move on to another land.
January 12, 2018
Really, if you start the first book, you've got to read the next two. They tell a unified story of Crispin's growth as a person and his finding his place in the world. And they are centered--none more strongly than this second book--on his relationship with his foster father, Bear.
As they flee Great Wexley, Bear is injured by a follower of the rebel John Ball, who thinks Bear has betrayed them. In order to save his father's life, Crispin must trust a wisewoman and her foster daughter, Troth. But they are outcasts, and soon enough the little found family is on the run again--
This book made me cry! Therefore, 4 and a half stars, shading up to five. Bear is a wonderful character, and Crispin's growing understanding of his foster father is at the heart of the three-volume tale.
As they flee Great Wexley, Bear is injured by a follower of the rebel John Ball, who thinks Bear has betrayed them. In order to save his father's life, Crispin must trust a wisewoman and her foster daughter, Troth. But they are outcasts, and soon enough the little found family is on the run again--
This book made me cry! Therefore, 4 and a half stars, shading up to five. Bear is a wonderful character, and Crispin's growing understanding of his foster father is at the heart of the three-volume tale.
March 13, 2020
There's something about the writing style of this series that I really enjoy. The style and the time period (feudal England) mesh well, but in a way that is fun and easy to understand.
I loved the introduction of the new characters in this sequel, particularly Troth. I felt immersed in the historical setting and I enjoyed seeing the way Crispin was more proactive that in the first.
The main reason I dropped a couple stars is, I was bored more often than I felt I should be. There was a lot of action, but very little purpose. The characters mostly wandered around trying to survive. While this worked for me in the beginning of the book, I quickly found myself wanting more.
Overall, I enjoyed it enough to finish off the last book in the series. It's a fun middle grade historical fiction.
I loved the introduction of the new characters in this sequel, particularly Troth. I felt immersed in the historical setting and I enjoyed seeing the way Crispin was more proactive that in the first.
The main reason I dropped a couple stars is, I was bored more often than I felt I should be. There was a lot of action, but very little purpose. The characters mostly wandered around trying to survive. While this worked for me in the beginning of the book, I quickly found myself wanting more.
Overall, I enjoyed it enough to finish off the last book in the series. It's a fun middle grade historical fiction.
February 16, 2022
Compared to the first installment of the trilogy, "At the Edge of the World" tends to meander and wander, much like its protagonists. Picking up immediately after their escape from John Aycliffe, Crispin and Bear make their way through the mid-14th century English countryside. Crispin dreams of bigger things and far-away lands, while Bear begins to lose his own hope. They meet Troth and Aude and slowly, the pair of them begin to heal - Bear finds new hope and strength in his adoptive children, while Crispin becomes more of a man in his newfound responsibility and cares. Overall, the writing is beautiful and the descriptions are crisp, making this a joy to read, but this feels more like a grueling overland trek, rather than the intrigue and machinations seen in the first book.
April 1, 2025
This was good. I don't think it was as good as the first one though. I don't feel as if I will ever have the urge to revisit this. The whole time it was just Bear almost dying over and over and over again. Like, bro never really got better. There was no satisfaction. I also feel like all of the new characters felt slightly flat.
Definitely not a bad book, but not a favorite. I do want to read the final book now, but I can't find our copy :( Tears.
Definitely not a bad book, but not a favorite. I do want to read the final book now, but I can't find our copy :( Tears.
June 10, 2025
I (mildly) enjoyed The Cross of Lead and finished it wanting, if not particularly eager, to read the next book in the series. And even going in with that incredibly lackluster attitude, this was such a disappointment. My favorite character, Bear, spends this entire book injured or sick as well as miserable, guilty, and generally useless. This book has no mystery, no drive, and no purpose. After this one I have no desire to read the next one whatsoever.
March 15, 2019
2.5 stars.
As a follow-up to Crispin, The Cross of Lead, the 2003 Newbery Award-winning children’s book, I decided to take the second step of Avi’s trilogy. Unfortunately, I did not find this novel as exciting as the first installment. I thought Crispin and Bear lost some of their chemistry and the introduction of some new characters didn’t resonate with my reading heart. The conclusion of the book had a nicely paced adventure, but the beginning and the middle lacked interest. I doubt that book #3 will hit my reading list for a while.
As a follow-up to Crispin, The Cross of Lead, the 2003 Newbery Award-winning children’s book, I decided to take the second step of Avi’s trilogy. Unfortunately, I did not find this novel as exciting as the first installment. I thought Crispin and Bear lost some of their chemistry and the introduction of some new characters didn’t resonate with my reading heart. The conclusion of the book had a nicely paced adventure, but the beginning and the middle lacked interest. I doubt that book #3 will hit my reading list for a while.
June 11, 2019
This one definitely was more grim and violent than the first book. Still love Bear and and his fierce protection of Crispin, even though he has his own battles to fight within himself. He, as before, says some pretty profound things as he reflects on the state of the world. And like the previous book, it’s refreshing to read a book where the protagonist is just normal, no superpowers or amazing abilities, maybe even weaker than normal. It’s a story about loss and survival and it’s very touching to see the bonds of family develop among the characters.
June 27, 2017
The ending was much better than the beginning. This book picks up exactly where the first leaves off, almost as if it was more chapters of the first than an entirely new book. Bear killed me several times. I hated Crispin for a good, long while and then I finally realized that he really is just a thirteen/fourteen year old boy with no idea how to do things for himself. I love Troth so much, I almost wish she were real so I could adopt her myself.
January 8, 2019
The book was enjoyable and the was no difficulty reading it because it is a children book. i enjoyed how Crispin, Bear, and Troth all stayed together even though Troth was a stranger to Crispin and Bear. The story included religion and showed how there is difficulties when being part of a religion (christian). I liked how religion was portrayed and showed that you may have to break rules at some point for a good reason.
July 23, 2013
05 May 2006 CRISPIN: AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Avi, Hyperion, September 2006, ISBN: 0-7868-5152-X
"I wonder who they are
The men who really run this land
And I wonder why they run it
With such a thoughtless hand"
--David Crosby, "What are Their Names?"
"What kind of men -- I wondered -- were these that killed by day, drank by night, but prayed each morning?"
(from CRISPIN: AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD)
If you have yet to read CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD, then I urge you to stop reading this review of the second book (in what will hopefully become a CRISPIN trilogy), and proceed immediately to your library or bookstore for a copy of the first book. You can see what I wrote in March 2002 about the first CRISPIN book, including my desire back then for a sequel, at: http://richiespicks.pbworks.com/CRISP....
And if you have already read CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD, you are in for a wonderful surprise: the second CRISPIN book is even more powerful and moving than the first.
In fact, Avi could have chosen to write a safe and forgettable sequel to his 2003 Newbery Medal-winner, CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD. Regardless of such a sequel's significance, or lack thereof, school and public librarians everywhere would add to their collections an author's follow-up to a Newbery Medal-winning tale.
But rather than taking that path of least resistance, Avi has, instead, crafted a breathtaking and oft-brutal medieval adventure story that is underlain with some subtle-yet-biting satire. The result is a sequel that could well stand on its own as the most exciting and thought-provoking book of Avi's long and celebrated career.
"It was a June morning when Bear and I passed beyond Great Wexly's walls and left the crowded and treacherous city behind. The June sun was warm, the sky above as blue as my Blessed Lady's spotless robe; our triumphant sense of liberty kept me giddy with joy. Hardly able to contain myself, I more than once cried out, 'My name is Crispin!' for all the world to hear."
With a seamless transition from the first book, CRISPIN: AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD picks up the harrowing adventures of Crispin and Bear exactly where and when the first book left off. It is still 1377, amidst the era of the Hundred Years War, and the pair are trying to leave Great Wexly behind. At the conclusion of the first book, Crispin has completed the deal with the evil John Aycliffe in which Crispin agrees to leave town and forgo any claim to his newly-found heritage as Lord Furnival's son in exchange for Aycliffe's ordering Bear released from prison. Bear, who had been incarcerated as a suspected member of John Ball's secret brotherhood (a group which seeks to win personal liberties for the people), is finally free but greatly weakened from his time in prison followed by the violent finale with the double-crossing Aycliffe.
Further ill-fortune awaits the pair at the onset of the second book. A number of other brotherhood members have just been inexplicably arrested and, so, when a brotherhood member recognizes Bear, realizes he is no longer in prison, and wrongly concludes that the bearded giant of a man has provided the authorities with names in exchange for saving his own skin, he seriously wounds the fleeing Bear and causes initiation of the manhunt (Bearhunt?) that will cast a long shadow over the duo throughout the second book.
And then there were three:
It is as a result of the pair's crossing paths in the middle of the forest with the wise woman, herbalist, and midwife, Aude, a woman who is severely persecuted for her pagan beliefs, that Crispin and Bear are eventually joined in their flight to evade the brotherhood by Aude's young apprentice, a girl with a cleft palate called Toth. It is this trio who evolve into a family and who then proceed to face the terror and insanity, provided in turn by both nature and by man, that sends the story spinning across Britain and out into stormy seas.
" 'Tell us of the attack,' Bear said to this man as he poled us across.
" 'It was a sweet, cloudless day when they came,' was the reply. 'They came by sea, at dawn, swooping in, killing almost seventy. Four men were taken away for ransom. Looting was rampant. Many houses were burned. They burnt our church, stealing everything they could, even taking the bells.' He paused in his poling to lift a fist in anger. 'May God strike them down, hard!' He marked his words with a shove upon his pole, punctuating them by spitting into the water.
" 'And they claim Saint Dennis as their protector, he who is a defense against strife. May Jesus blast them all.'
" 'Was there no resistance?' asked Bear.
" 'We did resist. Fiercely. But were ill-prepared. Those who failed in their responsibility have paid the penalty.'
" 'How so?' asked Bear.
" 'Execution,' said the man. 'God rot them.' He spat into the water.
" 'That,' suggested Bear, 'will surely make them better prepared next time.' "
Once again, as with the first book, I am totally entangled in Avi's medieval world and cannot wait for another installment to be written and published.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
"I wonder who they are
The men who really run this land
And I wonder why they run it
With such a thoughtless hand"
--David Crosby, "What are Their Names?"
"What kind of men -- I wondered -- were these that killed by day, drank by night, but prayed each morning?"
(from CRISPIN: AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD)
If you have yet to read CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD, then I urge you to stop reading this review of the second book (in what will hopefully become a CRISPIN trilogy), and proceed immediately to your library or bookstore for a copy of the first book. You can see what I wrote in March 2002 about the first CRISPIN book, including my desire back then for a sequel, at: http://richiespicks.pbworks.com/CRISP....
And if you have already read CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD, you are in for a wonderful surprise: the second CRISPIN book is even more powerful and moving than the first.
In fact, Avi could have chosen to write a safe and forgettable sequel to his 2003 Newbery Medal-winner, CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD. Regardless of such a sequel's significance, or lack thereof, school and public librarians everywhere would add to their collections an author's follow-up to a Newbery Medal-winning tale.
But rather than taking that path of least resistance, Avi has, instead, crafted a breathtaking and oft-brutal medieval adventure story that is underlain with some subtle-yet-biting satire. The result is a sequel that could well stand on its own as the most exciting and thought-provoking book of Avi's long and celebrated career.
"It was a June morning when Bear and I passed beyond Great Wexly's walls and left the crowded and treacherous city behind. The June sun was warm, the sky above as blue as my Blessed Lady's spotless robe; our triumphant sense of liberty kept me giddy with joy. Hardly able to contain myself, I more than once cried out, 'My name is Crispin!' for all the world to hear."
With a seamless transition from the first book, CRISPIN: AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD picks up the harrowing adventures of Crispin and Bear exactly where and when the first book left off. It is still 1377, amidst the era of the Hundred Years War, and the pair are trying to leave Great Wexly behind. At the conclusion of the first book, Crispin has completed the deal with the evil John Aycliffe in which Crispin agrees to leave town and forgo any claim to his newly-found heritage as Lord Furnival's son in exchange for Aycliffe's ordering Bear released from prison. Bear, who had been incarcerated as a suspected member of John Ball's secret brotherhood (a group which seeks to win personal liberties for the people), is finally free but greatly weakened from his time in prison followed by the violent finale with the double-crossing Aycliffe.
Further ill-fortune awaits the pair at the onset of the second book. A number of other brotherhood members have just been inexplicably arrested and, so, when a brotherhood member recognizes Bear, realizes he is no longer in prison, and wrongly concludes that the bearded giant of a man has provided the authorities with names in exchange for saving his own skin, he seriously wounds the fleeing Bear and causes initiation of the manhunt (Bearhunt?) that will cast a long shadow over the duo throughout the second book.
And then there were three:
It is as a result of the pair's crossing paths in the middle of the forest with the wise woman, herbalist, and midwife, Aude, a woman who is severely persecuted for her pagan beliefs, that Crispin and Bear are eventually joined in their flight to evade the brotherhood by Aude's young apprentice, a girl with a cleft palate called Toth. It is this trio who evolve into a family and who then proceed to face the terror and insanity, provided in turn by both nature and by man, that sends the story spinning across Britain and out into stormy seas.
" 'Tell us of the attack,' Bear said to this man as he poled us across.
" 'It was a sweet, cloudless day when they came,' was the reply. 'They came by sea, at dawn, swooping in, killing almost seventy. Four men were taken away for ransom. Looting was rampant. Many houses were burned. They burnt our church, stealing everything they could, even taking the bells.' He paused in his poling to lift a fist in anger. 'May God strike them down, hard!' He marked his words with a shove upon his pole, punctuating them by spitting into the water.
" 'And they claim Saint Dennis as their protector, he who is a defense against strife. May Jesus blast them all.'
" 'Was there no resistance?' asked Bear.
" 'We did resist. Fiercely. But were ill-prepared. Those who failed in their responsibility have paid the penalty.'
" 'How so?' asked Bear.
" 'Execution,' said the man. 'God rot them.' He spat into the water.
" 'That,' suggested Bear, 'will surely make them better prepared next time.' "
Once again, as with the first book, I am totally entangled in Avi's medieval world and cannot wait for another installment to be written and published.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
August 7, 2017
This was one of those books that I read because I liked the first one, but the sequel turned out not only to be unnecessary, but to actually harm the first book. The first one had a very good, satisfactory ending, but this book simply unraveled everything that the first book had tied up. I enjoyed it enough while reading, but afterwards wished that I had not.
March 17, 2022
Just finished Cross of Lead for the second time with my son for school. This book doesn’t begin to compare. Yes, Crispin is still heroic. But the adventure is shallow. And the moral the end a bit perplexing as a believer. Do agree that much damage has been done in the name of the church, but get that the author declared man to be his ultimate savior.
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