THE SECRETS OF THE WILD WOOD

Young Sir Tiuri, recently knighted following the events in The Letter for the King (2015), finds the adventure he seeks deep in the mysterious Wild Wood.

Restless after a winter spent at home following his knighting, Tiuri longs to become a traveling knight-errant. He and his squire, Piak, travel to meet knight-errant Sir Ristridin and his friends at Ristridin’s castle at the former’s invitation. However, once the party arrives there, they learn that Ristridin has not yet returned from his scouting mission into the Wild Wood, a forest shrouded in strange stories of “robbers and dangerous bands of men…woodland spirits and Men in Green.” Tiuri and Piak resolve to venture into the Wild Wood itself, following clues to Ristridin’s whereabouts. No sooner do they uncover their first hint as to what really happened to Ristridin and his men, than Tiuri is captured and taken prisoner by men of questionable loyalties. From there, this episodic adventure tale bounces between Tiuri’s narrow escapes from various forces inhabiting the Wild Wood and Piak’s attempts to alert the kingdom to the dangers that lie within and rescue his friend. The meandering pace of this lengthy adventure may prove frustrating for some, though the translation flows smoothly and may well appeal to young fans of knightly adventure tales. The book assumes a white default.

An old-fashioned Arthurian-esque adventure for those who enjoy that genre’s satisfying storytelling pleasures.