It is strange enough that Odo and Eleanor have stumbled upon a sword in a dried-up river outside their village. It is even stranger that Odo is able to remove it from where it’s buried. And it’s REMARKABLY strange when the sword starts to talk.

Odo and Eleanor have unearthed Biter, a famous fighter from earlier times. By finding Biter, Odo instantly becomes a knight — a role he is exquisitely unsuited for. Eleanor, however, would make a PERFECT knight — but she’s not the one with the sword.

Finding Biter is only the start — boy, girl, and sword must soon go on a quest to save their kingdom from threats in both human and dragon form, in this new fantasy triumph from Garth Nix and Sean Williams.

AudioFile Review

Narrator Marisa Calin invites listeners on a journey with Odo and Eleanor. The pair find themselves swept up in a quest that involves an enchanted sword named Biter and a knight named Odo. Odo, unlike Eleanor, has no great dreams of knighthood, but it was Odo who pulled the very haughty Biter from the dried-up riverbed, where he had lain for 300 years. Calin effectively portrays how much less certain Odo is than Eleanor in wanting to become a knight and to destroy the land’s most feared dragon. Calin also portrays the increasing determination of the children to complete their task as they encounter seemingly insurmountable obstacles. This charming tale will appeal to kids who like fantasy and medieval stories with a twist. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2018]