Publishers Weekly
Third in the Arthur trilogy, King of the Middle March by Kevin Crossley-Holland begins amidst attempts to launch a European crusade against the Saracens. Young Arthur-who views the actions of the legendary king through the magic stone of the launch title, The Seeing Stone-struggles to understand why Saracens are sworn enemies and to deal with his tempestuous father. In a starred review of the series debut, PW called Arthur a "clever, ethical and passionate hero." Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-A glorious and uplifting conclusion to the trilogy. As before, Arthur de Caldicot tells his story, which this time finds the teen on an island off the coast of Venice waiting for a Crusade to begin. He is full of both wonder at his surroundings and the multinational band of men and anxiety over what is expected of him. Arthur is knighted and takes his oath to defend God seriously, but he is conflicted to learn that the Saracens are educated and devout people not unlike the Europeans. At the forefront of his thoughts is Merlin's admonition to keep asking questions. When money and politics wreak havoc with the plans for the Crusade, Arthur becomes disillusioned, and he faces a crisis of faith when the Venetians bring the Crusaders into an internal conflict to siege the city of Zara. Concurrently, Sir Stephen, Arthur's lord, is wounded and must be taken home to England, and because of duty, Arthur takes him and leaves the Crusade. Parallel to Arthur's own quest is that of legendary King Arthur and the Grail knights, whom Arthur watches in his seeing stone. He watches as Camelot is thrown into chaos, and he learns that not all battle ends in glory and that treachery exists even there. In a return home at Easter that is full of symbolism, Arthur finds answers to lifelong questions. Whether readers are familiar with the two previous Arthur sagas or not, they will be gratified by the majestic resolution to the parallel stories of Sir Arthur's coming of age and King Arthur's demise.-Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Concluding a trilogy that began with The Seeing Stone (2001) and continued with At the Crossing-Places (2002), this handsome, beautifully written volume weaves several threads into a magnificent whole. Young Arthur de Caldicot journeys on the Fourth Crusade in 1201, observes the spectacle of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in the seeing stone Merlin gave him, and returns home, having grown into his name, as Merlin has said he must. It's a rich and wise tale, full of moral questioning: Is poverty in God's plan? Are all Saracens evil? Do innocent and helpless people always get caught up in war? Mentors along the way help Arthur to see and learn, and as Arthur returns to his inherited estate Catmole, curiously similar in name to Camelot, he knows he must create a humane fellowship among the people of his manor. Superb writing, prodigious research, a wealth of detail, and fine bookmaking make these the best tales of the Middle Ages for young readers, an epic they will hate to see end. (cast of characters, author's note, word list, calendar) (Fiction. 9-14)
