Young Terence has had a pleasant, if uneventful life living with the Hermit in the forest. But the 14-year-old's peaceful existence is exchanged for a dramatic series of adventures when he becomes Sir Gawain's squire. As the two face trials and tribulations--and experience some very humorous situations reminiscent of Chaucer--Sir Gawain successfully completes the quests that will earn him the title The Maiden's Knight, and Terence himself finally learns the secret of his own family history. This well-written, fast read is not just a story of jousting, rolling heads, magic, and damsels in distress, though all that is included in abundance. It also effectively portrays the growing friendship between Terence and Sir Gawain and their searches for identity and meaning, both individually and as a pair, as they conquer fears and challenges and develop confidence and compassion. Well-drawn characters, excellent, snappy dialogue, detailed descriptions of medieval life, and a dry wit put a new spin on this engaging tale of the characters and events of King Arthur's time, both familiar and new. (Reviewed April 15, 1998)

A 14-year-old boy lives the adventure of being a knight's squire in this novel based on the legends of Camelot. Terence seems a typical youth of medieval England, except for the rumors that he has faeries for parents and a guardian who "remembers" the future. When Sir Gawain offers Terence the chance to become his squire, and to teach him how to become a knight, the lad agrees and soon the pair are on the road. Morris packs his story with plenty of familiar faces, including King Arthur, Merlin, and the Lady of the Lake, and the narrative is constructed of events drawn from Arthurian legend. There are plenty of sword fights and flashes of sorcery to delight readers, while the plot moves at a swift clip. Although the tale ends long before Terence earns his knighthood, he does learn the true identity of his parents, especially his father, Ganscotter the Enchanter. An author's note discusses the sources for the novel, providing plenty of additional territory for budding Arthurians to explore. (Fiction. 12-14)

Gr 5-9-Terence, the squire in question, is not Chaucer's but a 14 year old of unknown parentage in Arthur's England, raised in the woods by a wizard who can see the future clearly but is foggy about the past. Gawain, not yet of the Round Table, comes across the boy and, needing a squire, takes him along. The story then follows the nobleman through Terence's eyes. New adventures weave through the familiar, threaded on the story of the loathly damsel, here called the "ugly woman," one of the strongest of the Gawain legends. The entertaining action moves rapidly through encounters with fools and villains to Gawain earning knighthood and the love of a smart and worthy woman. His squire, who has recurring visions and contact with an interesting shape-changer, eventually learns the mystery of his own birth and his destiny. Overall, this is a good story, well told, both original and true to the legend of Gawain, counteracting his lesser position in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Readers who savor swashbuckling tales of knighthood will enjoy this adventure. Librarians will find a great choice of comic and breathtaking quests for booktalks.-Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Public Library, MI