Swords for Hire: Two of the Most Unlikely Heroes Youll Ever Meet

by Will Allen

Book Overview

National award winner, with foreword by Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson. The day Sam Hatcher turns sixteen he meets Rigby Skeet, a wise-cracking guard, and their adventure in the ancient... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0972488200
• ISBN13: 9780972488204
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Centerpunch Press
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

Charming and funny

Farm boy Sam Hatcher has just turned 16, the age of "manhood." Having a serious heart to heart talk with his father, Sam leaves the safety of his farm to join the Royal Guard. The next day Sam is interviewed by Captain Clerret of the Royal Guard. Due to his youth and inexperience the captain refers Sam to Rigby Skeet for his education and training. Rigby Skeet is the kingdoms resident Sword for Hire. Eccentric and quick with the puns Rigby takes Sam under his wing. King Olive has been dethroned and imprisoned by his scheming brother Boonder. Boonder has employed the evil Boneman to hold his brother prisoner while he enjoys the distinction of being King. King Olive has thought of only two things during his years of captivity, his escape and his hatred for Boonder. A smuggled note in King Olives' writing reaches Rigby and Sam and it's now their mission to find and return their beloved King to his rightful throne. SWORDS FOR HIRE is a charming and funny, wholesome and entertaining story from beginning to end. Being fast paced and engaging SWORDS FOR HIRE will keep the interest of any child.. My own children took one look at the cover and couldn't wait to get their hands on it. Listening to my kids giggle and hearing them quickly turn pages is a testimonial to this book.

Do yourself a favor: Swords is good medicine

Swords is sublime. Smart, quick, funny and unexpected -- you'll gulp it down and then wish you had made it last longer. You'll share it with everyone you know just so you can talk about it again and again. Get at least two copies; one to keep and some to share. Swords stirs up classic adventure with offbeat characters and waggish dialogue to deliver a hearty, crowd-pleasing read. After I finished the book, I read it to my 2nd grade son. He was hooked at the opening line and begged, "Please just one more chapter!" Several friends' kids from 8 to 17 have quickly devoured Swords as soon as I passed it on, choosing it for book reports and telling friends about it. My first copy still hasn't made it back to me I'm told it's been read by an entire household and is making its way through another. Few books have the potential to be a favorite among multiple generations, but Swords for Hire seems to have enough magic for everyone.Though Swords is the first we've seen from the young late Allen, don't think you're getting lightweight writing with this book. Swords may be fresh and witty but it exhibits the sophistication and craftsmanship of a seasoned novelist. I found it no surprise to learn that Allen wrote for most of his short life: his Swords is an unconventional classic that can stand with the best. You'll be proud to say you read it and loved it.

Great piece of fun fiction

Swords for Hire" is a humorous and exciting medieval adventure. Inspired by "The Princess Bride", the style is similar enough that anyone who enjoyed that book should enjoy this one. Although it is written for the juvenile market (age 9 or so and older) it is still a delightful read for anyone. For a younger person the first thirty pages are somewhat slow but required in order to lay the foundation for the rest of the book. On the other hand, once you get to the section on "The Oddball" it picks up speed, the two primary characters become well developed and the book takes off. After that it is hard to put the book down and you may find yourself sitting up to finish it. "Swords for Hire" is a highly recommended and enjoyable read.

For truth, freedom, and little bunnies with pink eyes

Some of the most entertaining books are the ones nobody knew about. The not-exactly-new fantasy novel "Swords for Hire" is one of those, written over twenty years ago by a very talented young man, and now available because of his brother. Fans of "Princess Bride" and the works of Craig Shaw Gardner should check this one out. The good and kindly King Olive is dead. Actually, he isn't - he was quietly usurped from his throne by his greasy, incompetent brother Boonder (who likes to put worms on his head). Olive has been held captive for three years in a cell guarded by the horrifying Boneman. All of this is unknown to the farm boy Sam Hatcher, who is sent by his father to become one of the Royal Guard. He doesn't quite make the cut, and is sent to Rigby Skeet, an eccentric but very capable "Sword for Hire" (who likes cute little rabbits).Sam has only been there a short time when a man carrying the king's "Help" message staggers in and dies of three arrows. Soon he and Rigby are making a desperate run for the king's prison to set him free, with the brutal King's elite on their tail. Will they free Boonder's unwilling bride, Melinda? Will they make it past a deceptive sorcerer? And will they get Olive from the clutches of the sinister Boneman?"Swords for Hire," although it was only just published, was actually written in the late 1970s by a very bright young man, Will Allen, who gave copies of it to his family for Christmas. Sadly, he died of melanoma a few months later. (He closely resembled Sam on the cover) He was a fan of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Mark Twain, and particularly the novel "Princess Bride" (there's a clever homage to it late in the book). It also has a very nice foreword written by Nancy Cartwright, best known as the voice of Bart Simpson (yes, THAT Bart Simpson), who knew Will when they were kids.It's a funny, quick-paced adventure story with lots of fighting, loathsome villains, feisty damsels, underestimated heroes and the occasional gruesome specter. Allen wrote several nice twists on this story: The secret of the Boneman, the growing friendship between Rigby and Sam, the thing about the worms, and the sorcerer who... well, isn't. Sam is a likeable kid in the classic fantasy mold, although thankfully he has a lot more personality than most. Boonder is repellent in every way, especially since he isn't very smart or very menacing; Olive, conversely, is likeably blunt and unbreakable. And Rigby Skeet, a hardened and slightly weird swordsman (he dug an escape route because he was bored, and used it to avoid the neighbors), is the gem of this story. Of course, he gets all the good lines. ("Not even just a little cannibalism? On weekends?")Fans of funny, fast-paced fantasy and adventure will definitely enjoy this, especially if they like the "Ebenezum" trilogy or "The Princess Bride."

An exciting cross-country adventure

Swords For Hire: Two Of The Most Unlikely Heroes You'll Ever Meet by Will Allen is a rollicking, clever, novel for young readers ages 8 to 14. Sam Hatcher grew up on a farm with his parents. When Sam turned 16 he meets Rigby Skeet and the two of them uncover a plot that has thrust the rightful king into a "Boneman" guarded dungeon and placed the king's evil brother upon the throne. To free the king and expose the plot, Sam and Rigby embark on an exciting cross-country adventure complete with evil guards, a magical sorcerer, ambushes, and a beautiful girl held captive against her will. Swords For Hire is a terrific read, one of those heroic action fantasy novels that are so easy to pick up and so hard to put down!