Have Sword, Will Travel - Garth Nix and Sean Williams

Published by Allen & Unwin: Crows Nest, New South Wales, 2017.

A book on sale at a local bookshop, I got Have Sword, Will Travel with the intent of simply adding it to my classroom bookshelf and forgetting about it. However, I decided to have a read of it first, and wound up quite enjoying it. The story is simple yet fun: two children - Odo and Eleanor - find a magical talking sword (Biter) stuck in the mud of their drying up river. When Odo accidentally wakes the sword up by cutting himself on it, Biter decides that Odo must be a knight, and seeks about training the boy. Biter also determines that they need to go on a quest, and so the two children set off upriver to find out what has happened to the water. Along the way, the duo encounter mysterious creatures and other knights, fight a muscular dwarf, and begin to hear rumours of a dragon that may need vanquishing.

Throughout the adventure Eleanor is a little resentful of Odo, particularly because Eleanor has wanted to be a knight and Odo has not. This jealousy leads to occasional issues, but its nice that both children have strengths and that, as the story progresses, they learn to work together more. Biter is also a fun character. He is vain, self-important and full of dreams of glory - he actually kept reminding me of Sir Didymus from the movie Labyrinth - and adds a level of humour to the proceedings.

There are a few twists and turns, but this is a book aimed at older children, so don't expect it to go too far beyond what is expected. There is a level of violence, and although it is not intense there are a few deaths, some even at the hands of our heroes. 

Overall, an enjoyable read.

Completed 28 October 2022.

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