The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights

by Alexandria Rogers

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Ellie and Caedmon are from different realms — quite literally. When they’re both drafted to serve as knights of King Arthur’s legendary Round Table, they learn of a deadly curse affecting the knights and must work together to stop it. This imaginative spin on Arthurian legend blends adventure, wit, and of course, magic to create a wholly captivating tale.

Perfect for fans of The School for Good and Evil and A Tale of Magic…, this Barnes & Noble Children’s Book Award finalist and Amazon Best Book of the Month is a charming fantasy debut that puts a new spin on the legend of Camelot

Twelve-year-old Ellie can’t help that she’s a witch, the most hated member of society. Determined to prove her worth and eschew her heritage, Ellie applies to the Fairy Godmother Academy—her golden ticket to societal acceptance. But Ellie’s dreams are squashed when she receives the dreaded draft letter to serve as a knight of King Arthur’s legendary Round Table. She can get out of the draft—but only if she saves a lost cause.
 
Enter Caedmon, a boy from Wisconsin struggling with the death of his best friend. He first dismisses the draft as ridiculous; magic can’t possibly exist. But when Merlin’s ancient magic foretells his family’s death if he doesn’t follow through, he travels to the knights’ castle, where he learns of a wicked curse leeching the knights of their power. 
 
To break the curse, Ellie and Caedmon must pass a series of deathly trials and reforge the lost, shattered sword of Excalibur. And unless Ellie accepts her witch magic and Caedmon rises to become the knight he’s meant to be, they will both fail—and the world will fall to the same darkness that brought King Arthur and Camelot to ruin. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759554573
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	02/08/2022
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	237,112
File size:	6 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Alexandria Rogers received her bachelor's degree in creative writing and English literature from Miami University of Ohio and her master's degree in narrative non-fiction from City, University of London. Originally from Wisconsin, she's now based in Edinburgh with her husband and dog. 

Editorial Reviews

01/31/2022

Camelot has fallen and the world is divided into the Twenty-Five and a Half Realms, magical and nonmagical, in Rogers’s quirky fantasy debut. In one realm, olive-skinned Ellie Bettlebump, 12, who maintains an extensive toad collection, yearns to be accepted into the Fairy Godmother Academy and attend society events such as her stepsister’s wedding —both unlikely given that she has witch’s “contaminated, malevolent magic” in addition to fairy magic. In another realm—Boulder Falls, Wis.—pale-skinned Caedmon Tuggle grieves over the inexplicable death of his best friend, Jimmy. Everything changes for the two youths, and the book gains considerable narrative steam, when they’re each drafted as Knights of the Round Table, leaving home far behind. In third-person chapters that alternate between the protagonists’ perspectives, it’s revealed that a curse is draining the Knights of their power—and will continue if Ellie and Caedmon can’t solve the mystery of its origins. The two leads aren’t consistently engaging (Caedmon sometimes comes off as maudlin, while Ellie’s emotional age ranges from child to adult), but they’re surrounded with a solid core of supporting characters: a close-knit friend group (characters read as white), a kindly mentor, and a Maleficent-worthy antagonist. Rogers deftly weaves Arthurian legend around universal concerns of the target audience, and the ending is both satisfying and sequel-ready. Ages 8–12. Agent: Katelyn Uplinger, D4EO Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Witch, The Sword, and the Cursed Knights:

A Barnes & Noble Children's & YA Book Award Finalist
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
A 2022 Bank Street Best Book

*"A fantasy in the highest tradition. Ellie and Caedmon are perfectly drawn as insecure but determined protagonists, and the story’s themes of courage, friendship, hope, and self-acceptance freshly resonate. An engaging and intelligent fantasy: up there with the best of them."—Kirkus, starred review

“From page one, Rogers’ debut delivers. …it’s the vibrant bond between the two leads that gives the story its abounding heart. Middle-grade fantasy at its most epic.”—Booklist, starred review

"Rogers’s creativity in constructing the multiple-realm setting is outstanding, including minute details that keep its audience riveted. A kinetic and novel fairy tale with themes of friendship and perseverance that will engage fans of Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon."
 —School Library Journal, starred review

"The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights is a joy to read – a delightful, heartfelt adventure with characters you’ll root for. It has all the intrigue of the original source material, but it’s also packed full of imagination. Perfect for any child who’s ever wished for magic!"—Carli Sorosiak, author of I, Cosmo

“This is a delightful book that cleverly combines reimagined elements of Arthurian legend and fairytales in a fresh adventure full of magic lessons, dangerous quests, lost lands, and true friends – with a sugar-dusting of humor sprinkled throughout. I enjoyed every page!”—Jennifer Adam, author of The Last Windwitch

"Rogers deftly weaves Arthurian legend around universal concerns of the target audience, and the ending is both satisfying and sequel-ready."—Publishers Weekly

"Debut author Rogers combines elements from beloved fairy tales and legends, blending recognizable patterns with humor and excitement to produce something charming and new."—Horn Book

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2022

Gr 4–8—Ellie and Caedmon do not expect to be Knights of the Round Table, let alone friends who are destined to save their separate worlds. Ellie, from the Tragevelia Realm, wants nothing more than to get accepted into the Fairy Godmother Academy; however, she harbors a secret that could cause the end of all her hopes and dreams. Caedmon, living in Wisconsin, cannot come to grips with the death of his best friend. The two have nothing in common, except that they both receive an invitation to be a Knight of the Round Table. Their ensuing adventure proves that they need each other in order to survive the formidable tests they encounter. Meeting new friends from across the realms, they push themselves to their limits as they struggle to free their worlds of a witches' curse meant to doom all of humanity. Told by Madame Mystérieuse using the alternate perspectives of Ellie and Caedmon, along with humorous and often sarcastic comments in footnotes, this title is sure to engage readers with its heterogeneous cast of characters and humor. Rogers's creativity in constructing the multiple-realm setting is outstanding, including minute details that keep its audience riveted. Readers will sympathize with Ellie in her futile attempts to please her mother, and Caedmon's heartache in losing a loved one. Information at the beginning of the title will help readers define each realm of the world. Fans of Harry Potter's magical world and its characters will enjoy this fantasy title. VERDICT A kinetic and novel fairy tale with themes of friendship and perseverance that will engage fans of Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon.—Elena Schuck

School Library Journal

★ 2021-11-16
A fantasy in the highest tradition.

Ellie Beetlebump, 12, is enrolled in Roses and Needles Finishing School for purposes of socialization. Her sharp-tongued, highborn mother wants her to become a fairy godmother—and Ellie does too, except that she has witch blood as well as fairy blood, and witches are outcasts in Aurelia Realm. Caedmon Tuggle, also 12, lives in Wisconsin and is depressed and withdrawn over the recent inexplicable death of his best friend, Jimmy. Unable to process his grief, he speaks cruel words to his parents and little sister—words he regrets. When Ellie and Caedmon receive mysterious letters informing them they are recruits for the Knights of the Round Table and must report to Château des Chevaliers, they are puzzled. Ellie expects to attend Fairy Godmother Academy instead, and Caedmon, unaware of the existence of magical realms, thinks it’s a prank. But soon, the two find themselves with 48 other recruits at the Château, where they become friends. Knight training begins, but it’s clear there’s a grave evil threatening all the realms, magical and nonmagical. The intricate plot incorporates references to Arthurian legend as it ultimately builds its own original story. Ellie and Caedmon are perfectly drawn as insecure but determined protagonists, and the story’s themes of courage, friendship, hope, and self-acceptance freshly resonate. Main characters read as White.

An engaging and intelligent fantasy: up there with the best of them. (list of realms) (Fantasy. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews