Sir Morien: The Legend of a Knight of the Round Table by Holly Black (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Sir Morien: The Legend of a Knight of the Round Table by Holly Black Natalie Berglind Black, Holly Sir Morien: The Legend of a Knight of the Round Table; written by Holly Black and Kaliis Smith; illus. by Ebony Glenn. Little, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780316424134 $18.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs In this picture book adaptation of the Arthurian romance, Prince Morien grows up on adventure with his mother in northern Africa, but he yearns to know his father, a knight of the round table. Morien's trusty steed takes him "over land and sea" to England, but, annoyingly, every knight he encounters would rather challenge him to a duel than answer questions about his father. Eventually, a duel with Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain leads the three to recognize their group as a good trio, and together they go to find Morien's father, and maybe save King Arthur along the way. Once the king has been rescued properly, Morien is knighted, and he and his trio live out a lifetime of adventures. Glenn's crisp-lined vector art pair with speech-bubble quips to evoke Pixar-like style, lending an appealing quirkiness to Morien and company's questing. The overall focus on friendship gives plenty of contemporary relatability to an aged tale, and adventurous readers may be able to forgive Morien for seemingly forgetting his mother in lieu of a life of knighthood. Give this to the viewer who loves fantasy media, who is ready to be introduced to the Matter of Britain at an early age, or who could benefit from the reminder that the legends of King Arthur included a Black knight of the round table. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois