The Forging of the Blade: Lowthar's Blade Book # 1: Lowthar's Blade Book # 1

by R.L. LaFevers

Book Overview

Written for young fantasy lovers who can't yet tackle Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain or Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series on their own, The Forging of the Blade introduces Kenric, who stumbles into danger when he goes in search of his missing father. The evil Lord Mordig has been capturing blacksmiths--including Kenric's father--to forge the legendary sword that will ensure his dominion. Kenric's courage takes him to Mordig's fortress...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525473491
• ISBN13: 9780525473497
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 4.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 8 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 3 and higher

Customer Reviews

Great Journey

This book is a great journey for those young readers that are ready for exciting story lines without the added pages. I teach 5th grade and I find this story a great one to use for those students who have a below level reading ability and yet do not want the "baby" looking books but rather something that is as engaging as the books being read around them. Sometimes it is simply the length of a book that must be conquered to truely appreciate a great story. This short but engaging story accomplishes this for me as well as keeps my own son entertained.

Read this Book!

I think this book has alot of action and really keeps your interest. I couldn't put the book down and I just wanted to keep reading and reading and reading. It's not that long, less than 200 pages. Once you read this one, you'll have to read all three!

Great Family Read!

I started this entire series with my children and nephews listening to me read one weekend when I had to watch my sisters kids. This book kept the rowdy bunch settled and eagerly listening. Can you imagine sitting in a bed with5 children ranging from age 1-13 listening to this book quietly... well it happend. Very well written and even interesting to any adult who might pick it up as well. The story is easy to follow and the descriptions really paint the pictures in the kids heads. I loved this series and am buying the whole set for my son for christmas just so we can sit and read it all over agian.

Excellent fantasy story for the young reader

When I was a child, one of my favorite series of books to read were the "Chronicles of Narnia" by CS Lewis. In Jr High my English Lit teacher introduced me to the wonder of Tolkien and I fell madly in love with all things Middle Earth. In high school I discovered Terry Brooks all on my own, and in college I finally met Madeline L'Engle. Imagine my delight when, as an adult, I met a wonderful author of children's fantasy through my association with the Cherries, a fan forum for the great romance author Jenny Crusie. Even though I am way beyond childhood I still love fantasy so I decided to purchase Ms. LaFevers books and see how I liked them. Because of my hectic personal schedule, reading is a real treat for me and finding the time to sit down and immerse myself in the land of Lowthar has been a challenge, but today was the day that I felt that I could give this book my full attention and I jumped in, feet first. After only reading the first book in the trilogy, let me just assure you it was well-worth the wait! "The Forging of the Blade" introduces us to Kenric, an 11 year old boy from the small town of Penrith, whose father, the village blacksmith, has disappeared. When Kenric and his mother are told that they have to leave their house because his father has left and they cannot pay their bills, Kenric decides it is up to him to find his father and prove that he hasn't abandoned his family. Kenric embarks on his journey with little more than the clothes on his back and a determined spirit. As he travels through the kingdom of Lowthar, Kenric discovers a curious fact. All the blacksmiths in the land have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Kenric meets a gray stranger who tells him that if he wishes to save his father he must go to the castle Tirga Mor and confront the evil Mordig who has been taking the blacksmiths and forcing them to forge a blade of power so that he can rule all of the lands with it. Kenric must rely on his own smarts to help him reach the castle, save his father, and free Lowthar from the evil king. I absolutely loved this book! Ms. Lafevers has created some wonderful evil creatures that are scary enough for a child but not so scary as to give nightmares! Kenric is a great hero, who must be brave and fight when necessary, yet who has a gentle heart and has compassion even for the creatures that try to harm him. He doesn't judge any of the creatures he meets by their looks, and discovers that even the most horrible-looking can be a loyal and true friend. The story is simple and straight-forward, well-told with enough description to entice but not so much as to overload the senses. The wording is simple and easy to understand, especially the names! The plot is well thought out, and had some interesting twists. I was pretty sure that I knew the identity of the gray stranger, but I wasn't sure what the quote he gave Kenric meant until the very end, and the ending was great and totally unexpected!

Lowthar's Blade, a wonderful read for kids. Especially boys, but I loved it too!

My son read Falconmaster and couldn't WAIT till the new R.L. La Fevers book came out. He devoured this one too, and he is a kid who isn't real excited about reading in general.I was very pleased that he found a book that is both fun to read, plus bursting with lots of 'new' vocabulary. I highly recommend it to kids who like adventure and fantasy. This is a great book! We (yes I've enjoyed the story too) are excited to read the next installment, and want to find out what mythical creatures Kenric will run into next!