Have Sword, Will Travel

Reviewed by: Sarah Cropley - Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 6, 2018

Review

Have Sword, Will Travel is a collaboration between Garth Nix and Sean Williams who tell the story of Odo and Eleanor, village children who are eel-fishing in a river that is running dry when they stumble across a magical, taking sword. The sword instantly knights Odo, to the disappointment of heroically-minded Eleanor, and sends the pair on a quest to find the source of the river's blockage, rumored to be a giant dragon. Along the way, Odo and Eleanor encounter adventures and twists that require them to use every bit of their skills.

Nix and Williams have created a wonderful story. Odo and Eleanor are perfectly balanced and the authors do a great job subverting tropes throughout the book. There are as many women in positions of power as there are men, and it is Eleanor, not Odo, who longs to be knight. Eleanor's dexterity and wit are given equal importance as Odo's strength and kindness. Several twists keep the reader engaged and guessing to the end. The only flaw of the novel is that the talking sword, Biter, is shown in a medieval style font which is sometimes difficult to read. However, this magnificent book will appeal to a broad cross-section of readers and have them clambering for more.

Overall Book Score: excellent