ALA Booklist

Morris' retellings of Arthurian legends d others from English lore, mostly medieval ver disappoint. His language is sly and charming and funny; his characters embody both the tale and the gentle lessons he imparts. Here a Candide-like innocent, called Beaufils (Fair son), buries his mother, the only other person he as ever seen, and sets out to find his father, a knight of Camelot. Beaufils encounters the uptight Galahad and the blustery Sir Bors; makes a friend of the fiesty Lady Ellyn; finds the Grail and a dragon and the World of Faeries d his father and his real name. The theme of finding and recognizing real goodness runs like a bright gold thread through this tapestry of unholy hermits, stodgy knights, and devious ladies, braided with the silver of good friends, wise counsel, and Beaufils' sweetly blinding innocence.

Horn Book

After growing up in innocent isolation, seventeen-year-old Beaufils is exposed to the world’s dangers, contradictions, and rewards (friendship chief among those) for the first time when he journeys to Camelot in search of his unknown father. This latest Squire’s Tale maintains the trademark balance of epic adventure, earnest idealism, and gentle humor that has made the series so successful.

Kirkus Reviews

Morris continues his intelligent retellings of Arthurian legends with a tale of multiple quests, centered on a young man so innocent of the world that he makes Candide look like Casanova. Never having met another human besides his just-deceased mother, or ventured far from his isolated forest home, Beaufils sets out to find his unknown father and his real name. Regarding all he sees with a fresh eye, and nearly everyone he meets as a potential friend, Beaufils arrives at Camelot just in time to join the Grail Quest, and, traveling with several Knights of the Round Table—notably invincible, tiresomely sanctimonious Galahad—falls into all sorts of colorful encounters with dreamers, schemers, bandits, sectarian hermits and baroque enchantments. With Beaufils, who combines sharp common sense with a fundamental simplicity (not to mention a hunky appearance and plenty of natural martial prowess), Morris creates another immensely likable character whose adventures will leave readers ruminating on foolish promises, surface beauty, narrow-minded religious views, silly misconceptions about the nature of honor and ways of identifying truly worthy quests. (Fantasy. 12-15)

School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up-Morris continues his tradition of effectively translating the tales of King Arthur for a new generation of readers. Beaufils spends the first 17 years of his life in a forest cottage with his loving mother, never meeting another human being. Then, upon her urging, he goes forth into the world of men, to seek out King Arthur's court and his erstwhile father. This unique background makes the protagonist the perfect foil for the other characters' antics. He bumbles along, innocently taming evil as he seeks his father and helps his friends complete their own quests. While less mature readers will be carried away by the compelling story line and interesting characters, more sophisticated teens will appreciate the dry wit with which Morris reveals his character's flaws. A heartwarming and thought-provoking tale, this story is sure to entertain readers.-Nicki Clausen-Grace, Carillon Elementary School, Oviedo, FL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Voice of Youth Advocates

Following his mother's deathbed instructions, seventeen-year-old Beaufils buries her and sets off on a quest to find his father. His only clue is that his father was a knight in Camelot. Beaufils meets Galahad, and the two travel to Camelot, arriving in time to witness a vision charging Arthur's knights to take up the quest for the Holy Grail. Leaving Camelot, Beaufils and Galahad soon encounter Gawain, who joins them for a time, to Beaufils's pleasure. They encounter various adventures along the way, the first of which results in the addition of the Lady Ellyn to their group of travelers. As Galahad single-mindedly pursues extreme virtue in his quest for the Grail, Beaufils-whom Gawain prefers to call Le Beau Desconus or "The Fair Unknown"-departs to accompany Lady Ellyn on her as yet undefined quest. With a na´ve innocence that belies his native intelligence, Beaufils is a keen observer of human behavior and an eminently cheerful foil for the various "holy men" encountered on their journeys. Weaving together several French and English stories, Morris creates a spiritual complement to The Squire's Tales, stating in his author's note, "I've had heroes who were squires, ladies, pages, minstrels, knights, and fools, and to be fair to the medieval world, I really needed a religious hero too." Morris's signature wry humor, silliness, and occasional dashes of magic continue to revitalize tales from the Middle Ages. This latest allegorical tale will be best appreciated by series aficionados.-Kim Carter.