Kel is snatched from the orphanage at a very young age and taken to the palace. He trains for years to be the Sword Catcher – someone who studies Prince Connor so intently he can substitute for him any time things get too dangerous, and who can defend him from a plethora of attacks. As the boys get older, and the kinds of trouble Prince Connor can get into multiply, Kel’s efforts to defend him get more and more convoluted and dangerous. When Lin Caster, a second-class citizen and female doctor (as well as granddaughter to the King and Queen’s closest advisor) is called to help cover for the boys’ exploits, her path becomes intertwined with Kel and Connor. Just when Kel thinks he’s on top of everything, Connor makes an Earth-shattering decision behind everyone’s backs and sets the whole country on a path to chaos. Break-neck action, fabulously flawed characters, a unique and relatable world setting, and warring dark influences propel Sword Catcher to a cliff hanger ending. Write faster, Cassandra Clare!
-Andrea, Circulation