Swords For Hire
 Will Allen
 (Reviewed by Associate Student Reviewer Karrie G.)
 2003 CenterPunch Press
  ISBN: 0972488200
Two of the Most Unlikely Heroes You'll Ever Meet. Illustrated by David Michael Beck & edited by Paul Allen, with a Foreword by Nancy Cartwright.

Once upon a time there's a conspiracy against a king named Olive & he has the misfortune of having an evil, stupid & rather bizarre, brother named Boonder. After poisoning King Olive, Boonder sends him away to the far north, where the fearsome Boneman lives in a monstrous castle. He sends him there to be kept in a cell to the end of his days, & announces to the people that the king is dead.

Associate Student Reviewer Karrie G. writes:

Meanwhile, miles & miles away from such terrible & interesting things, Sam Hatcher lives an ordinary life on his father's farm. However, his life takes a rather exciting turn when he turns sixteen & is legally a man. His father advises him to join the Royal Guard, as he once did. Sam has doubts about his abilities but is eager to have an adventure.

The head of the Royal Guard tells him they simply have no place for a boy with no experience, & refers him to another Royal Guard reject, Rigby Skeet.

Rigby Skeet lives in a tiny shack with a rusty sign that reads: Sword For Hire. He is, quite obviously, completely out of his mind. Rigby does seem to be a fairly nice guy, questionable thirst for life-&-death adventures aside. Just as Sam agrees to be a Sword-For-Hire-in-training, the door bursts open revealing a man struck by arrows. On his person they find a note from the “late” King Olive, asking for help.

This is the beginning of a dangerous, possibly fatal quest (just the kind Rigby likes) to find King Olive & save him from the horrifying Boneman.

I simply could not put Swords For Hire down. After reading the first intriguing line, I just kept reading & didn't stop till the last word. It was possibly one of the funniest, most imaginative & spellbinding books I have read in a very long time. I would recommend it anyone! I'm delighted to give it four teacups, & I'd give it five if I could.

Will Allen wrote this book before dying of cancer in 1980. His gift for writing was obvious to everyone around him. In high school Will was awarded a scholarship, for his “humorous interpretation and dramatic duo” with Nancy Cartwright. In college he wrote & produced a daily radio comedy show called Campus. In Nancy Cartwright words: “...I have no doubt in my mind that Will would have gone on to be a respected writer for film, television and literature.”

Well, this book undoubtedly proves that.
(05/04/03)

Karrie G.
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Student Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
Karrie G. lives in The Netherlands. She is 15 years old, attends a Dutch Language School & is originally from Wisconsin, USA

Her favorite colors are: light blue, sea green, lavender & black!
Favorite sports are: swimming & soccer.
Favorite school subjects are: languages & creative writing class.
Favorite things to do are: playing the piano, reading, writing short stories & poetry, drawing & going to the movie theater.
The Netherlands is one of the smallest countries in Europe. Most people call the Netherlands Holland & it is about the size of Connecticut, but with a lot more people, sixteen million. You may think of tulips, chocolate, windmills & wooden shoes when you think of Holland. Although there are still lots of tulips & chocolate, & there are still some windmills, you wouldn't see many people wearing clogs today.