Free Lance and the Field of Blood

Free Lance and the Field of Blood

by Chris Riddell (Illustrator), Chris Riddell (Illustrator), Chris Riddell (Illustrator), Paul Stewart (Author)

Synopsis

Free Lance has had a good season, and has earned the right to compete in a major tournment for the first time in a long while. Soon all the money is on him to win. But the Duke makes him an offer he cant refuse - to lose to his own man. Just to complicate things, the Duke's niece begs Free Lance to defeat her uncle's henchman to save her from a brutal marriage - Free Lance always had a soft spot for a damsel in distress. Caught between a rock and a hard place, has our hero bitten off more than he can chew?

Full of drama and humour, this swashbuckling fantasy adventure by two of the leading exponents of the genre, sees the return of an action hero who is both charismatic and mysterious, and told in a laconic, Marlowesque first person narrative. Certain to be enjoyed by all readers of THE EDGE CHRONICLES and Terry Pratchett, and those aspiring to read them.

Part of a unique range of books aimed at 11+s that through integration of text and illustration are also accessible to those with reading abilities of as young as 8, produced in consultation with literacy consultant Wendy Cooling.

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Quantity

1 in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 127
Edition: 1st
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Published: 15 Jul 2004

ISBN 10: 0340874066
ISBN 13: 9780340874066
Children’s book age: 12+ Years

Media Reviews
The Free Lance books are a smashing mix of modern, wry humour and lots of manly fighting ... This new format ... will fit easily into blazer or coat pockets, so there's no embarrassment about being seen with a book in hand ... The book has a dynamic cover, all grit and grunt and comic line drawing illustrations. The language has a comic-book style narrative which is balanced with delightfully gross descriptions. There are plenty of short sentences to make the text accessible to the weaker reader, while there's enough humour and plot to keep better readers interested. There's even a teasing wench to add sex-appeal. If you're looking for a book to catch reluctant young teenage boy readers, this is for them. * The School Librarian *
A great story full of excitement and humour and it's another opportunity to enjoy Chris Riddell's great line drawings. * Aldershot News and Mail *
Offers nail-biting excitement ... Beautiful production and superb integration of illustration and story make this a very attractive book. * Times Educational Supplement *
I love this story. Like THE EDGE CHRONICLES it has all the right ingredients: adventure, double dealing, and romance (luckily not too much), an exciting medieval setting and a surprise ending. Some of the illustrations are very funny too. * Thomas Batt, age 10, tBkmag *
Designed to fit nicely into a pocket, it is compact and sprinkled liberally with black-and-white illustrations ... A cracking account of Free Lance ... Like the drawings, there are plenty of nice touches of humour, making this a good read ... for those of nine-plus who like their action dramatic and continuous. * Newbury Weekly News *
Thrill-a-minute quests that are fraught with danger. They may be short on words but these great little books are jam-packed with excitement and double-dealing thrills. * Sunday Times *
An absorbing read. * Junior *
Author Bio

PAUL STEWART is the author of many books for children and with Chris Riddell is the creator of the hugely successful EDGE CHRONICLES series. He lives in Brighton with his wife and two children.
CHRIS RIDDELL is the Kate Greenaway Medal winning illustrator of a broad range of highly successful books for children. With author Paul Stewart he is the creator of the best-selling fantasy series THE EDGE CHRONICLES. He has been the political cartoonist for THE OBSERVER newspaper since 1995. He also lives in Brighton with his wife and three children.