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The Shield, Sword, and Crown #1
Shield of Stars
Having been befriended by only one person in his whole life, former pickpocket Weasel is devastated when his mentor, Justice Holis, is sent to prison for treason, thus with the help of a bandit and a mystery girl named Arisa, Weasel begins to plot his dear friend's escape from his unjustifiable imprisonment. 50,000 first printing.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
14 people are currently reading
811 people want to read
About the author
Hilari Bell
100 books648 followersAs far as writing is concerned, I call myself the poster child for persistence. Songs of Power, the first novel I sold, was the 5th novel I'd written. When it sold I was working on novel #13. The next to sell, Navohar, was #12, and the next, A Matter of Profit, was #9. The Goblin Wood was #6, and the first Sorahb book, Flame (later renamed Farsala: Fall of a Kingdom), will be #15. You get the picture.
My reviews: Mea culpa! I got onto Goodreads years ago, and haven't been reviewing--but I now mean to start! I should add that as writer, I tend to read a bit more critically. Or at least, when I think a book is going off the rails I usually see technical, writer problems with it. In short, any time a book stops working for me, that author becomes an honorary member of my writing critique group--whether they want to or not! So I apologize in advance for any technical critiques my fellow writers may recieve.
Biography: My personal life? I was born in Denver in 1958—you can do the math. I'm single and live with my mother, brother and sister-in-law. I used to be a part time reference librarian for a mid-sized public library, but in the beginning of ’05 I achieved a writer’s dream and quit the day job. Librarian turned writer is a very schizophrenic state—when I try to urge people to buy my books, I have to beat down a lifetime of professional reflexes demanding that I tell them to check them out at the library instead.
I enjoy board gaming and fantasy gaming, both table top and live. But my favorite thing to do is the decadent version of camping my mom and I practice. We have a pop-up trailer with a fridge, a sink, a stove and (if electrical hookups are available) a space heater, heating pads and a toaster. Our motto is "No unnecessary work." We don't cook, we don't wash dishes, we don't...you name it. What we do is spend all day, every day, reading and hiking and reading some more. Camping is the only time I can get in enough reading. Well, I take that back—when it comes to reading, there's no such thing as enough.
My reviews: Mea culpa! I got onto Goodreads years ago, and haven't been reviewing--but I now mean to start! I should add that as writer, I tend to read a bit more critically. Or at least, when I think a book is going off the rails I usually see technical, writer problems with it. In short, any time a book stops working for me, that author becomes an honorary member of my writing critique group--whether they want to or not! So I apologize in advance for any technical critiques my fellow writers may recieve.
Biography: My personal life? I was born in Denver in 1958—you can do the math. I'm single and live with my mother, brother and sister-in-law. I used to be a part time reference librarian for a mid-sized public library, but in the beginning of ’05 I achieved a writer’s dream and quit the day job. Librarian turned writer is a very schizophrenic state—when I try to urge people to buy my books, I have to beat down a lifetime of professional reflexes demanding that I tell them to check them out at the library instead.
I enjoy board gaming and fantasy gaming, both table top and live. But my favorite thing to do is the decadent version of camping my mom and I practice. We have a pop-up trailer with a fridge, a sink, a stove and (if electrical hookups are available) a space heater, heating pads and a toaster. Our motto is "No unnecessary work." We don't cook, we don't wash dishes, we don't...you name it. What we do is spend all day, every day, reading and hiking and reading some more. Camping is the only time I can get in enough reading. Well, I take that back—when it comes to reading, there's no such thing as enough.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
July 31, 2015
Weasel is a former pickpocket who’s been working as a clerk for Judge Holis for some time now. Judge Holis, though, is involved in more than just the law; he’s part of a secret group intent on taking down the corrupt and greedy Regent. When their group is betrayed, Weasel sets off on a journey to free his master and keep him from being executed. He hopes to find the Falcon, a brigand who commands an army of bandits and is also opposed to the Regent, but tracking him down proves difficult, and Weasel has a deadline. With his unexpected companion Arisa, who has surprising talents and isn’t forthcoming about her past, he puts his less legal abilities to work, but nothing happens according to plan and Weasel’s straightforward assumptions are tested as the plot against the Regent comes to fruition.
This felt more like a middle grade fantasy than YA, at least in parts. Specifically, while the *content* was definitely YA (more graphically depicted violence, threats of sexual violence), the way the story was told felt...light. And I never had a sense of Weasel being as old as he was supposed to be, especially given his history. So although I did enjoy the book, some of what dissatisfied me was the disjunction between two age categories that I think made it less powerful than if it had been solidly one or the other.
Weasel as a character is a little uneven. He lived a life of crime until he was rescued from it by Judge Holis, whose pocket he tried to pick, and now he’s going straight, but he has moments of cynicism and moments of honor and moments in which he tries to convince himself that he should do the cynical thing and moments in which he changes his mind about what the honorable thing is, and this didn’t make him a nuanced character, it made him muddled. There were a couple of times when I (a true cynic) felt he was being soppy rather than honorable; war is not pretty, insurrection even less so, and even good people choose to do bad things and sacrifice their own honor for the sake of something bigger. There were other times where Weasel had to decide whether to be noble or be a weasel, and some of those simply made no sense; given what we’d already seen of his character, some of those choices shouldn’t have been hard at all. And Weasel’s moments of indecision always came at times that coincided with the plot ramping up, so once or twice I felt as if they were only moments of indecision because that made the story more exciting.
I found Arisa interesting because she’s the tough, skilled, sneaky fighter you’d normally expect to see as the hero of a story, and I loved the reveal of who she was and the reasons she gave for not telling Weasel sooner were perfect . Her religious faith is a little hard to read, because it seems mostly wrapped up in her ability to read the cards (these were one of my favorite inventions of the story--very nice extrapolation from the traditional Tarot) but at times is more spiritual. She makes for a good foil for Weasel and is set up for some interesting changes in the next book in the trilogy.
The final conflict between the Regent, the Falcon’s men, and Judge Holis’s faction is satisfyingly complex, even if the coincidence was a little too much to take, and the setup for Weasel’s importance in the overarching story was a little too standard a plot point. I think the sequel, if it really does follow the events described here, could be a very good political fantasy, with a lot of different sides all wanting power. It would also be interesting to see how the Prince develops as a character; he was the only one whose waffling made sense and helped define him as a weak-but-not-really-weak Prince who’s been under someone's thumb and whose efforts to break free are just what you’d expect someone with no real life experience to do.
It’s going to be hard to rate this one, because I’d really give it 3.5 stars, and I rarely give half-star ratings. But I’m going to round down simply because, even though I did enjoy it, it was with too many qualms for me to want to shelve it with my other four-star books. I liked it enough to want to read the rest of the trilogy.
This felt more like a middle grade fantasy than YA, at least in parts. Specifically, while the *content* was definitely YA (more graphically depicted violence, threats of sexual violence), the way the story was told felt...light. And I never had a sense of Weasel being as old as he was supposed to be, especially given his history. So although I did enjoy the book, some of what dissatisfied me was the disjunction between two age categories that I think made it less powerful than if it had been solidly one or the other.
Weasel as a character is a little uneven. He lived a life of crime until he was rescued from it by Judge Holis, whose pocket he tried to pick, and now he’s going straight, but he has moments of cynicism and moments of honor and moments in which he tries to convince himself that he should do the cynical thing and moments in which he changes his mind about what the honorable thing is, and this didn’t make him a nuanced character, it made him muddled. There were a couple of times when I (a true cynic) felt he was being soppy rather than honorable; war is not pretty, insurrection even less so, and even good people choose to do bad things and sacrifice their own honor for the sake of something bigger. There were other times where Weasel had to decide whether to be noble or be a weasel, and some of those simply made no sense; given what we’d already seen of his character, some of those choices shouldn’t have been hard at all. And Weasel’s moments of indecision always came at times that coincided with the plot ramping up, so once or twice I felt as if they were only moments of indecision because that made the story more exciting.
I found Arisa interesting because she’s the tough, skilled, sneaky fighter you’d normally expect to see as the hero of a story, and I loved the reveal of who she was and the reasons she gave for not telling Weasel sooner were perfect . Her religious faith is a little hard to read, because it seems mostly wrapped up in her ability to read the cards (these were one of my favorite inventions of the story--very nice extrapolation from the traditional Tarot) but at times is more spiritual. She makes for a good foil for Weasel and is set up for some interesting changes in the next book in the trilogy.
The final conflict between the Regent, the Falcon’s men, and Judge Holis’s faction is satisfyingly complex, even if the coincidence was a little too much to take, and the setup for Weasel’s importance in the overarching story was a little too standard a plot point. I think the sequel, if it really does follow the events described here, could be a very good political fantasy, with a lot of different sides all wanting power. It would also be interesting to see how the Prince develops as a character; he was the only one whose waffling made sense and helped define him as a weak-but-not-really-weak Prince who’s been under someone's thumb and whose efforts to break free are just what you’d expect someone with no real life experience to do.
It’s going to be hard to rate this one, because I’d really give it 3.5 stars, and I rarely give half-star ratings. But I’m going to round down simply because, even though I did enjoy it, it was with too many qualms for me to want to shelve it with my other four-star books. I liked it enough to want to read the rest of the trilogy.
June 9, 2014
I really, really adored this book.
Hilari Bell is one of my favorite authors - I started with The Farsala Trilogy, and then the Knight & Rogue books, and this book, the start of another trilogy (I believe) by her, was just about as good as those two.
This first book follows Weasel, a pickpocket-turned-clerk whose employer/savior has been arrested for treason. You're thrown straight into it at the point where his employer is arrested and Weasel escapes; as always, the escape/pickpocket/general criminal ideas are so clever it's a little worrying. Weasel's idea to help free his employer, Justice Holis is to, of course, find the most notorious bandit in the country and have them storm the castle. It's an incredibly fun book.
Weasel runs in the same vein as Kavi (The Farsala Trilogy) and Fisk (Knight & Rogue), though they are visibly different characters. Still, the similarities were definitely there, "I only care about me", yeah, okay, whatever young sir. I did really like him, though, I have a weakness for those types of characters.
I didn't like him as much as I liked Arisa, though - she was definitely interesting to read and learn more about. She had a more straightforward way of doing most things, and I did really like her. Also, the Prince Edoran is a character that I really, really want to see grow and develop, because I do think that he has a lot of potential.
As always with Bell's books, it was exciting, with just enough magic in it that worked with the world it had been set it, and I thoroughly adored it.
Hilari Bell is one of my favorite authors - I started with The Farsala Trilogy, and then the Knight & Rogue books, and this book, the start of another trilogy (I believe) by her, was just about as good as those two.
This first book follows Weasel, a pickpocket-turned-clerk whose employer/savior has been arrested for treason. You're thrown straight into it at the point where his employer is arrested and Weasel escapes; as always, the escape/pickpocket/general criminal ideas are so clever it's a little worrying. Weasel's idea to help free his employer, Justice Holis is to, of course, find the most notorious bandit in the country and have them storm the castle. It's an incredibly fun book.
Weasel runs in the same vein as Kavi (The Farsala Trilogy) and Fisk (Knight & Rogue), though they are visibly different characters. Still, the similarities were definitely there, "I only care about me", yeah, okay, whatever young sir. I did really like him, though, I have a weakness for those types of characters.
I didn't like him as much as I liked Arisa, though - she was definitely interesting to read and learn more about. She had a more straightforward way of doing most things, and I did really like her. Also, the Prince Edoran is a character that I really, really want to see grow and develop, because I do think that he has a lot of potential.
As always with Bell's books, it was exciting, with just enough magic in it that worked with the world it had been set it, and I thoroughly adored it.
October 12, 2007
This book, the first of a new series, was full of adventure. Well written and very involving, it sucked me in from page 1. Set in less modern times, this book involves two main characters, a young girl and boy who end up in a makeshift cell together for separate reasons. Their stories become intertwined and is wrapped up nicely by the end of the book. Of course, there are more books to come, but I did feel some closure with this first novel.
March 31, 2016
Bell builds a nice fantasy world where magic is just out of reach for most people, yet tantalizingly moving in currents around them. This novel features a reformed pickpocket determined to free his friend from a corrupt politician and a spitfire teenage girl with secrets of her own.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
August 22, 2012
This, simply put, is an excellent trilogy for a YA reader, or a reader who enjoys YA books. Adventurous, multi-layered, rewarding.
A great book, or series of books, to put into the hands of a voracious young reader.
A great book, or series of books, to put into the hands of a voracious young reader.
Read
February 15, 2015Still holding my cards verrrrry close to my chest. (CARDS!?!)
July 15, 2016
Well, this is an awesome book. There's something indefinably attractive about Hilari Bell's plots; I think it has something to do with how all her characters relate to one another. There's heart and realism in every relationship in this book (none of which are romantic), and that makes it a real joy to read :)
My favorite character was Weasel. Whether he's maneuvering through the criminal world or heroically riding a complacent mule to a friend's rescue, he's just fun to read about.
Weasel is a boy who claims to care about no one but himself. He was a pickpocket, but he was caught--and let off--by Justice Holis, who subsequently gave him a job as a clerk in his house. this might have been a happy ending, but the politics of the realm have stepped in to make sure it isn't; and when Holis is arrested as a traitor, Weasel (still insisting he only cares about himself, silly fellow) does everything in his power to save him.
Along the way he meets up with Arisa--a plain girl, with a good head on her shoulders, whose combat skills aren't entirely in line with her claims of being no more than a the daughter of a seamstress.
I think Arisa and Weasel's relationship is a lot richer for not being romantic. There's a real friendship and camaraderie between them, and it was fun to see their strengths and weaknesses played against one another. the story has a lot of serious undertones, but it's never humorless; and the humor in turn serves to make the serious bits--some rather deep and confusing questions about life, loyalty and lesser evils--somehow more gripping.
I'd almost forgotten about the epic worldbuilding and mythology. the story paints a picture of the world it takes place in with surprising brevity and clarity, no more than a suggestion here or there giving the impression of a very full and rich history behind the bits we're allowed to see.
All in all, this book has gained a place in my favorites (along with almost all of Bell's other books) and I can't wait to read the next one!
My favorite character was Weasel. Whether he's maneuvering through the criminal world or heroically riding a complacent mule to a friend's rescue, he's just fun to read about.
Weasel is a boy who claims to care about no one but himself. He was a pickpocket, but he was caught--and let off--by Justice Holis, who subsequently gave him a job as a clerk in his house. this might have been a happy ending, but the politics of the realm have stepped in to make sure it isn't; and when Holis is arrested as a traitor, Weasel (still insisting he only cares about himself, silly fellow) does everything in his power to save him.
Along the way he meets up with Arisa--a plain girl, with a good head on her shoulders, whose combat skills aren't entirely in line with her claims of being no more than a the daughter of a seamstress.
I think Arisa and Weasel's relationship is a lot richer for not being romantic. There's a real friendship and camaraderie between them, and it was fun to see their strengths and weaknesses played against one another. the story has a lot of serious undertones, but it's never humorless; and the humor in turn serves to make the serious bits--some rather deep and confusing questions about life, loyalty and lesser evils--somehow more gripping.
I'd almost forgotten about the epic worldbuilding and mythology. the story paints a picture of the world it takes place in with surprising brevity and clarity, no more than a suggestion here or there giving the impression of a very full and rich history behind the bits we're allowed to see.
All in all, this book has gained a place in my favorites (along with almost all of Bell's other books) and I can't wait to read the next one!
June 10, 2016
I was pretty impressed by Shield of Stars. It’s relatively short, but Bell does a lot with the little that she has, and does it fairly well. It’s not as instantly gripping as I found Melina Marchetta’s Lumatere Chronicles, but it has a charm of its own that I found appealing.
Perhaps my biggest quibble with the book was the shield. I was left uncertain as to whether the shield was actually magical in itself or it was merely a symbol, granting figurative power rather than literal. It’s not made clear in the novel, although the characters speak of it as if it’s a magical object—yet when it’s found, nothing special happens beyond what one would expect if a lost treasure or symbol showed up again.
Beyond that, Shield of Stars is a well-crafted high fantasy; it’s well-written, the world is consistent even if the background and history of it is a little confusing, and the characters, while not incredibly original, are at least interesting. I enjoyed the “tarot card” reading and the way the cards revolve around the world and the plot.
However, it is a bit forgettable. That and my confusion over the shield is why I’m not rating it higher. Also, I found it hard to believe that the guards would let Weasel keep his penknife (quillknife), no matter how small the blade was.
Overall, I thought Shield of Stars was pretty impressive, even if in the end I found it a little forgettable and had some issues with consistency. But for the most part, Shield of Stars is focused, nicely crafted, has some cool bits of worldbuilding, and has enough appeal for me to get the next book—even if I’ll have to refresh myself on what went on.
Perhaps my biggest quibble with the book was the shield. I was left uncertain as to whether the shield was actually magical in itself or it was merely a symbol, granting figurative power rather than literal. It’s not made clear in the novel, although the characters speak of it as if it’s a magical object—yet when it’s found, nothing special happens beyond what one would expect if a lost treasure or symbol showed up again.
Beyond that, Shield of Stars is a well-crafted high fantasy; it’s well-written, the world is consistent even if the background and history of it is a little confusing, and the characters, while not incredibly original, are at least interesting. I enjoyed the “tarot card” reading and the way the cards revolve around the world and the plot.
However, it is a bit forgettable. That and my confusion over the shield is why I’m not rating it higher. Also, I found it hard to believe that the guards would let Weasel keep his penknife (quillknife), no matter how small the blade was.
Overall, I thought Shield of Stars was pretty impressive, even if in the end I found it a little forgettable and had some issues with consistency. But for the most part, Shield of Stars is focused, nicely crafted, has some cool bits of worldbuilding, and has enough appeal for me to get the next book—even if I’ll have to refresh myself on what went on.
May 13, 2008
This book “the shield of stars” is a book written by Hilari Bell. Main characters in this book include a boy named weasel and Arisa a girl whose mother is a notorious bandit of the countryside. The summary of this book is that Weasel and Arisa travel all over the countryside searching for a bandit named the falcon who ended up turning out to be Arisa’s mother. And then with the help of the falcon they over threw the ruler of the country and took over making the country better for all. This is a fantasy book and like a lot of fantasy books takes place in an unknown area. I think that the plot was put together quite nicely.
This book was one I didn’t particularly enjoy but thought that the story line was decent enough. During the story Weasel never gave up his hope that they would find the falcon and once again be reunited with his caretaker, I believe this to be the author’s message, one of never giving up and always persevering. Also this story resembles persevering because Weasel kept on having set backs but also kept rolling with the tide and going with the punches and making the best of everything that came his way. Altogether this author made a perfectly fine story but I just felt that the story line could have had more to it outside of finding the person and saving Weasel’s friend.
This book was one I didn’t particularly enjoy but thought that the story line was decent enough. During the story Weasel never gave up his hope that they would find the falcon and once again be reunited with his caretaker, I believe this to be the author’s message, one of never giving up and always persevering. Also this story resembles persevering because Weasel kept on having set backs but also kept rolling with the tide and going with the punches and making the best of everything that came his way. Altogether this author made a perfectly fine story but I just felt that the story line could have had more to it outside of finding the person and saving Weasel’s friend.
July 13, 2018
I enjoyed this book. It was a lot more political than the average junior fiction reader, but everything was presented clearly and logically; the motivations made sense, and the actions different people took were easy to follow. Because of this keener focus on politics, I felt like it stood out from other books you might find near it on the shelf. Besides that, the "Chosen One" and "Object of Power" tropes get turned on their heads somewhat, in a surprising and refreshing way. I highly recommend, and I will definitely be checking out the second installment.
May 17, 2015
This was a re-read. Took me a while to get back into it again, but I think it's because I've read this book several more times than the rest of the series and I remembered it so well I was bored. Whoops. Sorry about that, memory.
March 11, 2015
Super-solid interesting fantasy!
(I liked this round of battle books, but I guess they didn't all inspire me to say a lot.)
(I liked this round of battle books, but I guess they didn't all inspire me to say a lot.)
October 8, 2009
I loved this book. It is now one of my favorites
September 22, 2019
2.5 stars, but I'm rounding up to 3 for the sake of entering a rating. I had high hopes for Shield of Stars because I generally enjoy YA fantasy. However, this book fell flat for me in a lot of places. As I usually do in my reviews, though, I'll go over what I loved and then go over what didn't work for me.
What I loved:
-The tarot card system and the history of the Hidden religion versus the One God religion were fascinating. I especially enjoyed the scenes in which Arisa reads Weasel's fortune using the arcana cards. I only wish the author had explored the culture even further! It was truly delightful.
-I also liked that, as a YA novel, it veered more middle grade in terms of how little graphic content was shown "on screen." I would be very comfortable with my children reading this book in late elementary school.
-I also enjoyed the action sequence involving stalling the guards at the warehouse. The bit with the wine barrels was fun and exciting!
-Arisa is a gem of a character! I loved her bold, spunky, no-nonsense attitude.
What didn't work for me:
-Shield of Stars isn't a fantasy novel. Yes, it takes place in a country that doesn't exist (Deorthas) in a vaguely pre-Industrial milieu. But there was zero magic. Even if we consider the tarot cards to be magic (which is a stretch, since they do not bestow any powers or have any restrictions), they did not ultimately impact the plot. So, in a way, I felt cheated because I was promised a fantasy book, which this wasn't. If the shield (and presumably sword and crown as well) possess magic, then that was not at all shown in this first instalment of the trilogy. In short, Shield of Stars is as much a fantasy novel as a La Croix is actual juice: not at all, but with a vague hint of flavour.
-The book vacillated between a medieval setting and an industrial setting, which was jarring. The homes have thatched roofs, and everyone travels by horse, which would suggest a pre-Industrial era. However, there is mention of pocketwatches, ink pens, warehouses, and published university studies, which would indicate an Industrial age. It came across as though the author put little thought or research into the time period.
-Weasel was difficult to like. I think the author was trying to portray a character who has his preconceived notions and prejudices challenged by his journey. However, it came across as though he was simply elitist (continually referring to country citizens as "bumpkins") and sexist (assuming all girls cry a lot and are weak). Throughout his journey, Weasel's prejudices are challenged when he encounters smart, kind country folks, and when he sees how tough and strong Arisa is. If the author was trying to portray a protagonist who learns to let go of his biases, it fell flat. It came across more as though the author herself shared Weasel's prejudices, which I doubt was the case.
Overall, I would recommend this book for fans of YA adventure stories with a light fantasy flavour. If you prefer fantasy books with strong magic systems, this may not be the book for you. I, unfortunately, do not feel compelled to read the other two books in the series, given the lack of true fantasy elements.
What I loved:
-The tarot card system and the history of the Hidden religion versus the One God religion were fascinating. I especially enjoyed the scenes in which Arisa reads Weasel's fortune using the arcana cards. I only wish the author had explored the culture even further! It was truly delightful.
-I also liked that, as a YA novel, it veered more middle grade in terms of how little graphic content was shown "on screen." I would be very comfortable with my children reading this book in late elementary school.
-I also enjoyed the action sequence involving stalling the guards at the warehouse. The bit with the wine barrels was fun and exciting!
-Arisa is a gem of a character! I loved her bold, spunky, no-nonsense attitude.
What didn't work for me:
-Shield of Stars isn't a fantasy novel. Yes, it takes place in a country that doesn't exist (Deorthas) in a vaguely pre-Industrial milieu. But there was zero magic. Even if we consider the tarot cards to be magic (which is a stretch, since they do not bestow any powers or have any restrictions), they did not ultimately impact the plot. So, in a way, I felt cheated because I was promised a fantasy book, which this wasn't. If the shield (and presumably sword and crown as well) possess magic, then that was not at all shown in this first instalment of the trilogy. In short, Shield of Stars is as much a fantasy novel as a La Croix is actual juice: not at all, but with a vague hint of flavour.
-The book vacillated between a medieval setting and an industrial setting, which was jarring. The homes have thatched roofs, and everyone travels by horse, which would suggest a pre-Industrial era. However, there is mention of pocketwatches, ink pens, warehouses, and published university studies, which would indicate an Industrial age. It came across as though the author put little thought or research into the time period.
-Weasel was difficult to like. I think the author was trying to portray a character who has his preconceived notions and prejudices challenged by his journey. However, it came across as though he was simply elitist (continually referring to country citizens as "bumpkins") and sexist (assuming all girls cry a lot and are weak). Throughout his journey, Weasel's prejudices are challenged when he encounters smart, kind country folks, and when he sees how tough and strong Arisa is. If the author was trying to portray a protagonist who learns to let go of his biases, it fell flat. It came across more as though the author herself shared Weasel's prejudices, which I doubt was the case.
Overall, I would recommend this book for fans of YA adventure stories with a light fantasy flavour. If you prefer fantasy books with strong magic systems, this may not be the book for you. I, unfortunately, do not feel compelled to read the other two books in the series, given the lack of true fantasy elements.
January 6, 2019
This review is intended for the whole trilogy:
My preteen son and I picked up vol. 1 to page through on a library trip, and had borrowed the entire trilogy before we left the library! It did not disappoint either of us. We will be looking for more of her books in the future.
Bell's plots are exciting, and her worldbuilding feels solid. Each of the three main characters has a believable emotional journey throughout the books, and they each have strengths and weaknesses that make sense for their situations. The writing is excellent and engaging. It's hard to put these books down once you've gotten going!
My problems with the book are mainly quibbles:
-Many authors have a problem with trusting their readers too little. They overexplain to make sure we don't miss anything. Bell, on the other hand, thinks we're all geniuses and mind-readers. ;-) There are a few points in each book where I had to reread a paragraph or two to figure out how someone reached a conclusion from the information given--and even then I didn't always make it! A minor but slightly frustrating issue.
-Sometimes situations appeared over-the-top. I am thinking specifically about the disconnect between city and country, and the prince's plot . However, I'm often unpleasantly surprised by what can happen in real life, so I may be wrong about this.
My preteen son and I picked up vol. 1 to page through on a library trip, and had borrowed the entire trilogy before we left the library! It did not disappoint either of us. We will be looking for more of her books in the future.
Bell's plots are exciting, and her worldbuilding feels solid. Each of the three main characters has a believable emotional journey throughout the books, and they each have strengths and weaknesses that make sense for their situations. The writing is excellent and engaging. It's hard to put these books down once you've gotten going!
My problems with the book are mainly quibbles:
-Many authors have a problem with trusting their readers too little. They overexplain to make sure we don't miss anything. Bell, on the other hand, thinks we're all geniuses and mind-readers. ;-) There are a few points in each book where I had to reread a paragraph or two to figure out how someone reached a conclusion from the information given--and even then I didn't always make it! A minor but slightly frustrating issue.
-Sometimes situations appeared over-the-top. I am thinking specifically about the disconnect between city and country, and the prince's plot . However, I'm often unpleasantly surprised by what can happen in real life, so I may be wrong about this.
January 22, 2018
This book surprised me: I was expecting a typical fantasy: young apprentice type with a sketchy past learns a better way and then has to rescue his master, gets help from friends along the way (enter the clever don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover young girl), and eventually learns that his moral compass has been adjusted, that he now cares for what's right, etc. It has all of these elements, but it also is a well-written treatment on political strife, power, control, and symbolism. Bell addresses these topics through her characters: while you are enjoying the story, you are learning a lot about human behavior, and how different systems of power and control have different effects on the populace. She spends a lot of pages contemplating the age-old philosophical question: do the ends justify the means? This is a perfect read for a middle grader seeking to create his or her own identity, and getting ready to define his or her moral limitations. It would even provoke good class discussion: comparing past and present political systems, historical events shaped by those systems, and, always good for discussion: where do you draw the line? Clever, engaging, and moderately-paced. It made my favorites because it was a good story on top of everything else.
October 5, 2017
Seen through the eyes of the young male protagonist (Weasel, to you), Shield of Stars is an interesting tale, set both in the city and in the country, which--in this culture--is practically two different worlds. Nimble pickpocket turned law clerk, Weasel is firmly of the opinion that he is his own primary responsibility; and secondary, etc. His rule gets challenged and broken repeatedly as those he feels obligated to are put in danger.
Realizing he can do nothing to help them by himself, he sets off to find the Hidden, an illegal religious group, or the Falcon, a bloodthirsty bandit. Naturally, nothing turns out as he expects, but as the events turn, so does his thinking. By the end of the book, he's almost ready for the final challenge of keeping the solution to a very bad situation from being worse than the very bad situation!
I liked Weasel (aka William, Will, and Willy). He's smart, resourceful, and capable of learning. He doesn't make friends easily, per se, but he makes good friends. And he's a good friend to have.
Realizing he can do nothing to help them by himself, he sets off to find the Hidden, an illegal religious group, or the Falcon, a bloodthirsty bandit. Naturally, nothing turns out as he expects, but as the events turn, so does his thinking. By the end of the book, he's almost ready for the final challenge of keeping the solution to a very bad situation from being worse than the very bad situation!
I liked Weasel (aka William, Will, and Willy). He's smart, resourceful, and capable of learning. He doesn't make friends easily, per se, but he makes good friends. And he's a good friend to have.
January 19, 2018
A street urchin is taken in by a kindly man of means to become his apprentice and ends up in the middle of momentous events. It's a common YA story, but I've seldom seen it done better. This one has the typical quasi-medieval kind of setting (short on tech but long on dirt, poverty, and oppression), but it doesn't rely on magic. It does bring in politics, religion, and a bit of economics, making it far more relevant to real-world concerns than many such stories. In addition to the urchin and his kindly master, we are also presented with a young female rogue, a Robin Hood kind of figure, a fairly clueless but not all that bad prince, and (of course) his truly evil regent. It's a quick, light read and quite enjoyable.
January 4, 2019
My favourite part was when Weasel and Arisa snuck out of the room they were imprisoned in, and tricked the guards into thinking that they had climbed out of the window and fallen to their deaths. My least favourite part was when the Falcon killed the regent, even if the regent was quite mean and very few people liked that he was the one in power until the prince became old enough. The most surprising part was when it was revealed that Arisa was actually the daughter of the Falcon the whole time that they were looking for the Falcon, and Arisa didn't reveal her mother's identity until she knew she could trust Weasel, and that he wasn't just someone the regent had sent to trick her into revealing the location of her mother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2020
I have read this book three times since I first picked it up in the summer of 2008. It is intriguing and full of adventure. The opening lines are enough to draw you in . It feels thoroughly like a Lloyd Alexander classic: the quest, the magical objects, the endearing gypsy-type rogues, the corrupt employer. And best of all, it's a trilogy. Writing about it makes me want to dive back in.
July 10, 2019
I needed a break from everything else I’ve been reading - and what could be better than a fantasy author I loved when I was 13? I always like how tight and well-planned (both on the characters and her part) Hilari Bell’s plots feel.
March 4, 2022
I've wanted to read Hilari Bell for a long time but hadn't gotten around to it. I don't know if this was the best book to start with, but it just worked out that way. I liked it, but probably not enough to continue with this particular trilogy.
March 8, 2023
My ten-year-old and I just couldn't get into it- rather dry and political for our personal tastes- and only read about half. It might be more someone else's cup of tea. It doesn't make a great readaloud because the chapters are long and don't have a lot of breaks.
January 7, 2024
My favorite trilogy. I've only ever had one friend say they've heard of it, and they said it was their second favorite trilogy! But their ultimate favorite was Hilari Bell's Farsala trilogy, so the same author!
March 21, 2018
It's a quick adventure that's fueled by loyalty.
June 6, 2021
Not a bad book. For middle school kids (10-14) but hey I'm 16 and it was still a good book. Considering reading the next ones (because I'm like that and once I start I don't start).
September 4, 2022
Many well-worn tropes but still a nice read. Likable, capable characters, lots of adventure. Will be reading the sequels.
January 8, 2017
Read this with my daughter for an assignment she had and it was pretty good.
June 20, 2011
It's not hard to figure out what's important to Weasel. If you ask him, he's happy to tell you. "I care about me first, me second, and nobody else." That's what he claims, anyway. But in truth, Weasel doesn't really feel that way anymore, even if he won't admit it. Three years ago, Weasel tried to pick the pocket of an absent-minded old scholar and found himself well and truly caught by one of the most powerful men in Deorthas, Justice Holis. Instead of turning Weasel in - and possibly see him hang -the Justice took the young street thief into his own home and gave him a warm bed, an education and a job as his clerk. So Weasel may say he doesn't care about anyone but himself, but that's not entirely true. He cares about himself AND Justice Holis. When Justice Holis is arrested for treason, Weasel has two choices. He can slip away quietly or he can try to help his mentor. And that's when Weasel realizes he has no choice at all.
It's clear that Weasel is not going to be able to rescue the Justice without help, but it will take a force of armed men to break him out of the palace dungeon. With that in mind, Weasel sets out in search of the elusive Falcon, the ruthless leader of a band of road bandits who have no love for Deorthas's Regent or his laws. By Weasel's side is a country girl named Arisa. The daughter of a smuggler, Arisa has surprising skills and a ready willingness to use them which Weasel finds both startling and comforting. With just two weeks until Justice Holis's trial, Weasel and Arisa must use all of their talents, guile and cunning to find the Falcon before time runs out.
Hilari Bell's name deserves to be mentioned on any list of the best middle grade/young adult fantasy authors. Her talent for crafting a world so real you can clearly see, smell and hear it is complemented by her ability to people that world with complex, three-dimensional characters. The plot of Shield of Stars (the first novel in the Shield, Sword and Crown trilogy) may have a familiar feel - quests undertaken in a race against time are not new, after all - but it is so wonderfully rendered and exquisitely paced that the story swallows you whole within the first few pages.
It's clear that Weasel is not going to be able to rescue the Justice without help, but it will take a force of armed men to break him out of the palace dungeon. With that in mind, Weasel sets out in search of the elusive Falcon, the ruthless leader of a band of road bandits who have no love for Deorthas's Regent or his laws. By Weasel's side is a country girl named Arisa. The daughter of a smuggler, Arisa has surprising skills and a ready willingness to use them which Weasel finds both startling and comforting. With just two weeks until Justice Holis's trial, Weasel and Arisa must use all of their talents, guile and cunning to find the Falcon before time runs out.
Hilari Bell's name deserves to be mentioned on any list of the best middle grade/young adult fantasy authors. Her talent for crafting a world so real you can clearly see, smell and hear it is complemented by her ability to people that world with complex, three-dimensional characters. The plot of Shield of Stars (the first novel in the Shield, Sword and Crown trilogy) may have a familiar feel - quests undertaken in a race against time are not new, after all - but it is so wonderfully rendered and exquisitely paced that the story swallows you whole within the first few pages.
May 16, 2018
Weasel, a former pickpocket, is the trusted clerk of Justice Holis. When the Justice is arrested for treason against the king, Weasel must return to the underground community of criminals searching for the outlaw bandit, the Falcon, the only person who could help him break Justice Holis out of prison. With the help of Arisa, an escaped prisoner, Weasel finds a mysterious old shield, rumored to be the long-lost magical shield of the king. The two set out on an impossible quest, to find the Falcon, restore the shield to the rightful ruler of the land, and save Weasel's master.
Weasel is an interesting character, and I loved that Arisa is mysterious and full of surprises. Their sturdy friendship felt real and tugged at my heart. They are both tough and smart, but in different ways. Arisa is country-smart, and Weasel is city-smart. They both bring such different perspectives and ideas into the friendship, and I love how they gradually start to respect each other for their varied accomplishments.
The plot is full of twists and turns, daring escapes, maddening setbacks, hidden transformations, and mystical revelations. There is a wonderful depth to the world-building, with lots of history and rumors flying around. Everyone wants a piece of the shield, and there are signs and portents that guide the characters into a struggle for power.
I enjoyed this book so much, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
Weasel is an interesting character, and I loved that Arisa is mysterious and full of surprises. Their sturdy friendship felt real and tugged at my heart. They are both tough and smart, but in different ways. Arisa is country-smart, and Weasel is city-smart. They both bring such different perspectives and ideas into the friendship, and I love how they gradually start to respect each other for their varied accomplishments.
The plot is full of twists and turns, daring escapes, maddening setbacks, hidden transformations, and mystical revelations. There is a wonderful depth to the world-building, with lots of history and rumors flying around. Everyone wants a piece of the shield, and there are signs and portents that guide the characters into a struggle for power.
I enjoyed this book so much, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
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