The Sword of Straw

I've read the first two books of this trilogy and thought they were wonderful. I can't wait for the third book. Hemingway uses the Arthurian theme of an aged wizard and a young boy living in the present. The boy has a heritage that he slowly discovers throughout the books. These books are on my shelf with other Arthurian themed books. It's extremely well done.

When Anne's husband died, she followed him into a realm beyond ours and when she returned she was pregnant. When Nathan was born, she knew her husband didn't impregnate her but a being from that other dimension did. At the age of fourteen Nathan has the ability when he is dreaming to transport himself into parallel universes and last year he brought the Grail back to his own realm and gave it for safe keeping to his honorary uncle Bartley a wizard who lived for many centuries. The Grail was forged on the planet Eos along with the Sword and the Crown a millennium by the Grandir. The objects were sent to various worlds so they would be out of harms way and will be used at the proper time to save Eos from destruction. Nathan now dreams of a medieval world where the realm is dying due to the illness of the king and the evacuation of the people who fear the hidden spirit sword. Princess Nell and Nathan meet and both care for each other but he has a job to do to save that world and once it is finished he no longer wants to dream himself to that place because he knows he belongs in his own world. Although the target audience for THE SWORD OF STRAW is teenagers, adult will find this enchanting fantasy very enjoyable. Nathan and his mother are matter of fact about his ability to transport himself physically to another world just as they accept magic exists. This coming of age tale focuses on many characters, all of whom seem very real and act according to their natures. There is much action in this character drawn tale and readers will be eager to read the first book in this fantastic trilogy. Harriet Klausner

Many times the middle book of a trilogy is a letdown. You need it to complete the story, but the denouement and all the concluding action is in book 3. Not so in "The Sword Of Straw". Nathan has grown in many ways from the child of "The Greenstone Grail", but he still is this kid who ventures into other worlds, other universes, in his pyjamas. The book also is a well done look at the problems of puberty both for Nathan and his pal Hazel. Poor Hazel "falls in love" with a good looking boy at school, and is willing to deal with Lilliat, the witch/elemental from the first book, so that she can get a magic spell to act as a love potion. With expected bad results. I thoroughly enjoyed Nathan's venturing into the universe where the second of the Grail relics is sequestered. Well written people with consistant understandable motivations interact with our boy hero. One thing that bothers me, though. I have NO idea why the author, or perhaps her editor felt it necessary to utilize "the f-word" in her story. Yeah, it was just once, but it seems egregious and unnecessary. Still and all, this was an excellent middle book, and I look forward very much to the conclusion of the trilogy, and anything else Ms. Hemingway might choose to put in front of us.