The Falconmaster

by R.L. LaFevers

This fantasy combines wizardry and magic with an absorbing animal-rescue story and should appeal to all fantasy lovers, but especially boys. Wat, a crippled boy, is an outcast in his village and retreats often to the forest, away from the cruel taunts of the villagers. There he witnesses the lord's handlers heartlessly kill a nesting pair of falcons so they can take the baby birds for their master. Wat, outraged, steals the nestlings and escapes into the heart of the forest, where he meets a mysterious old man. He is a mage-a wizard-who teaches him many things, among them how to care for the birds so that they may eventually fly free, and how to find some helpful magic-which is closer to him than he ever believed.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Young Adult, Adventure

176 pages, Hardcover

First published November 10, 2003

About the author

R.L. LaFevers (Robin Lorraine when she’s in really big trouble) grew up surrounded by shelves of old dusty books and a passel of brothers. She has also spent a large portion of her life being told she was making up things that weren’t there, which only proves she was destined to write fiction. She is the author of over fourteen books for young readers, including THEODOSIA AND THE SERPENTS OF CHAOS, (Houghton Mifflin, 2007) which received starred reviews and was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Booksense Summer Pick, and nominated for the Malice Domestic’s Agatha Award, and the NATHANIEL FLUDD, BEASTOLOGIST series. R.L. also writes the His Fair Assassin books using her full name, Robin LaFevers, but cannot get Goodreads to link the two, so you have to check out a separate profile for that. So sorry for the inconvenience!

Reviews

[Adelas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kids might enjoy it. I like RLF's other stories, but this one felt way too predictable.

[David Salmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always I can never put a book down and probably will never be able to. However, this books plot is very wild. How do you go from a normal boy to all of a sudden their are spirits all around you. It seems more mystical than magic. Then finally all of a sudden magic is popped out of no where he turns into a bird and the book ends. I loved reading the book as I always have but the plot was probably one of the worst ever.

[Lydia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be the tale of Wat of the Sword in the Stone/Robin Hood tales, but it's not. It is also not a Norman/Saxon tale, which it suggested it was going to be in the first chapter. Mistreated boy runs away and finds his long lost grandfather who shows him how to do magic. I didn't find it particularly riveting. There's not much of a plot.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this book; it just did not sound appealing to me at all. I read it for a class project and I ended up really enjoying it. You don't have to be a lover of fantasy or a boy to like this book. Great story, full of suspense and imagination.

[Karen Dransfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting author. Fantasy medieval style story, with the main character a young boy who is disabled. I rather enjoyed this story and it would be another great book to share with a young reader if they liked this genre.

[Xaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!!!!! I Love this book! You will too if you like magic and birds! :D

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love LaFevers and so I thought I would love this. However, it's her first novel and it's painfully obvious.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A handicapped hero who finds power within himself to defend others makes for a very appealing story.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's kinda confusing so far.

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story isn't what I remember it to be. There was something less enchanting and more disturbing about a boy becoming a bird under the influence of forest magic of which he has no control.