The Quest of the Fair Unknown

Book excerpt: The author of The Lioness and Her Knight “continues his intelligent retellings of Arthurian legends with a tale of multiple quests” (Kirkus Reviews). On her deathbed, Beaufils’s mother leaves him with a quest and a clue: find your father, a knight of King Arthur’s court. So Beaufils leaves the isolated forest of his youth and quickly discovers that he has much to learn about the world beyond his experience. Beaufils’s innocence never fails to make his companions grin, but his fresh outlook on the world’s peculiarities turns out to be more of a gift than a curse as they encounter unexpected friends and foes. With his constant stream of wise fools and foolish wise men, holy hermits and others of rather less holiness, plotting magicians and conniving Ladies, Gerald Morris infuses these medieval stories with a riotous humor all his own. “A heartwarming and thought-provoking tale, this story is sure to entertain readers.” —School Library Journal “Morris’ retellings of Arthurian legends—and others from English lore, mostly medieval—never disappoint.” —Booklist “Maintains the same comfortable balance of epic adventure, earnest idealism, and gentle humor that has made the series so successful in bringing Arthurian legends to young readers.” —The Horn Book