When the author contacted me to see if I would review the audio version of this book, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. But I was pleasantly surprised with this young adult spin on the King Arthur legend.

As the blurb notes, the protagonist in this book is Ariana, a girl who has had a rough start to her life. Her father is not in the picture, her mother mysterious disappeared years earlier, she was then placed in foster care because her aunt had been going through cancer treatment. Now her aunt is well and able to care for her, she finds herself in a new school that is ruled by a group of mean girls who have singled her out to be bullied. When she fights back she finds herself suspended. Then things take an interesting twist.

Ariana befriends Wally, and unexpected nerdy sidekick, who looks younger than he is. Wally is still waiting impatiently for his adolescent growth spurt to kick in. As they both try to evade Wally's older sister (ringleader of the mean girls), they find themselves in the woods where they encounter a supernatural presence who identifies as The Lady of the Lake and who claims Ariana is her heir. She then tasks them both with a quest to find the broken pieces of Excalibur before the evil Merlin can do so.

This was the type of book my kids would have loved when they were younger. The characters are believable and real, the story is full of adventure and danger, and the re-imagining of the Arthur legend is entertaining. In addition, Willett has set his series in Canada, which was a nice bonus to the book. Song of the Sword has a Harry Potter-like feel to it. Willett has a real gift for capturing the young adult voice.

I really enjoyed this novel. I'm looking forward to seeing where Ariana and Wally go on their next adventure in Book 2. ( )

Don't you just love it when an author starts by saying, "Remember that old story we all know and love? Well, what if it had actually happened, but then it got mangled over the years in the retelling? What do you suppose really happened, and what was really going on?"

Well, that's exactly what Ed Willett has done here. I've read dozens of different books based on the legend of King Arthur, his sword, and his band of merry men, but this one stands out as a refreshing remix of that old tale, with plenty of gasps, twists and turns for readers of any age, that will have you flipping the pages at a frenzied pace.

And best of all, the adventure is just beginning. ( )

After spending several years in foster care, Ariane is finally trying to start a new, happier life with her aunt. On her first day of school, she manages to make friends with Wally Knight, a shy boy who turns out to be into mythology as well. Unfortunately, he also happens to be the brother of the school bully who has taken it upon herself to make Ariane’s life miserable. To make matters worse, Ariane has been having nightmarish premonitions that seem to be coming true. When one of her frightening apparitions brings her and a boy named Wally Knight to a lake, the two discover that they have been chosen to find the various parts of the mythical sword called Excalibur. Merlin, turns out, is evil and has come back to Earth as Rex Major in order to forge the sword back together. If the two don’t defeat him, he will destroy everything as they know it. Can Ariane and Wally defeat Rex Major and keep at bay Wally’s sister?

A funny, quick read for fans of King Arthur, Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, mythology, and fantasy. The characters are well-developed. The plot is intense, well-developed, and paced well. Readers will have an easy time relating to Wally and Ariane and will enjoy following them on their adventure. ( )