Song of the Sparrow

Lisa Ann Sandell

Published May 2007

416 pages

Rating: A-

Synopsis
Since the days of King Arthur, there have been poems and paintings created in her name. She is Elaine of Ascolat, the Lady of Shalott, and now there is a book all her own. The year is 490 A.D. and 16-year-old Elaine has a temperament to match her fiery red hair. Living on a military base with her father, brothers, and the rest of Arthur's army, Elaine pines for the handsome Lancelot, and longs for a female friend. But when the cruel, beautiful Gwynivere arrives, Elaine is confronted with startling emotions of jealousy and rivalry. Can Elaine find the strength to survive the birth of a kingdom?

My review

I've never read a book about medieval times before because to be honest, I thought they would be quite boring. I usually read paranormal romance novels but I decided to broaden my book interest and try out a totally different book type. I read the synopsis for this book and it sounded great and I definitely was not disappointed. The book is about war, love, honor and friendship. It starts off interesting and as the story progresses, it just gets better and better. I loved going through this gripping adventure with Elaine. She's a heroic female character; one of my favorites. She's very loving, strong and courageous. That being said, I felt like the characters' relationships lacked in depth a little bit.

The story is very beautiful, touching and Lisa did an excellent job of creating a new version of an old story, The Lady of Shalott. The original story is pretty depressing and sad but this story has a light, happy feel about it. The entire story had a lot of action, suspense and twists that kept me begging for more. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that it wasn't long enough! I was sad when it ended but satisfied with the outcome.

I recommend this book to history fans, romance fans, action fans etc. This book is very imaginative and charming; a must-read. Loved it!

-Marisa