Igraine comes from a magical family, but she would much rather follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and become a knight. Opportunity to test her mettle arrives when a magical mix-up makes it impossible for Igraine’s parents to protect their castle home and its enchanted inhabitants from a terrible neighbor and his evil knight.

The castle was not large; it had only a single tower, which leaned over sideways, and the walls weren’t much more than two feet thick, but Igraine thought it was the most beautiful castle in the world.

With all the charm of a classic fantasy, Igraine the Brave is a winsome story, well told and beautifully illustrated by one of my favorite authors. Compared to some of Cornelia Funke’s MG and YA titles, I found Igraine the Brave to be a little simpler than what I’m used to, but I suspect this would go over especially well as a read-aloud title for younger children.

“Magic!” she muttered. “Learning the ingredients for potions by heart, magic spells, magic symbols; no, thanks, not for me.”

Wonderful themes of strength, chivalry, and using your judgement are shown in this story. While the heroine is certainly ambitious and brave, Igraine is also respectful toward others, and takes the good advice of those with more expertise or wisdom—a trait I always want to see more of in “kick-butt heroine” fiction.

⬢ ⬢ ⬢  THREE STARS
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