Reading Metrics
Description
In alternate chapters, eighteen-year-old Sir Michael Sevenson, an errant knight, and seventeen-year-old Fisk, his street-wise squire, tell of their journey to Ruesport, where they investigate blackmail and a series of suspicious fires. Book #2
Quick Summary
If you're looking for a middle-grade adventure with a dynamic duo that actually makes you laugh out loud, this is it. Sir Michael and his squire Fisk have this wonderful opposite-attract thing going on the knight is earnest and a bit naive, while Fisk is street-smart and never lets him forget it, and alternating between their two perspectives gives you both sides of every funny (or disastrous) decision. They end up investigating blackmail and a string of suspicious fires in the city of Ruesport, which keeps the mystery moving while still leaving plenty of room for the banter and growing friendship between the characters. It's a great pick for kids who enjoyed books like Rangers Apprentice but want something with a bit more humor, or anyone who loves a good buddy-adventure setup. Parents will appreciate that it's wholesome overall there's tension from the fire mystery and some sketchy villains, but nothing too dark or graphic for the age group. The book works equally well for reluctant readers who might get pulled in by the humor and short chapters, or for kids who'll devour it cover-to-cover and immediately ask for the next one in the series.