Longbow Girl

Reviewed by: Brooke Faulkner - McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 15, 2016

Review

Fifteen-year-old Welsh teen Merry Owen, a skilled long bow archer, must save her family's ancestral home in this suspenseful novel involving time travel and a centuries-old rivalry between her family and the aristocratic de Courcys, whose castle looms over the Owens' farm.

Merry, who wears an eye patch following an accident with her bow several years before, is a tough, resourceful protagonist and her close friendship with James de Courcy is believable despite the strife between their families. The first chapters of this novel take their time building to the action, but most readers will be carried along with the story, guessing at the motives of various characters, and then will be swept up as the pacing picks up.

Interesting historical details, plenty of adventure, a touch of romance and a fascinating setting add up to cross-genre appeal. This would be a great suggestion for readers who liked Buckley-Archer's Gideon the Cutpurse or Spradlin's Youngest Templar trilogy.

Overall Book Score: very good