Queen of the Silver Arrow by Caroline Lawrence

9/10

Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+

As the legends had told, Camilla had been tied to a spear and thrown across a river by her father, Metabus to save her from her fate. Her father was the king and she the princess, and it was also her fate to grow up in the forest, a wild and excitable child, unaware of her ancestry when she grew into womanhood. King Metabus made a promise to the Goddess Diana that if she saved his daughter, she would serve her forever.

Author of The Night Road, Caroline Lawrence's novel Queen of the SIlver Arrow is based on the famous story of Camilla by the poet Virgil, part of his epic poem The Aeneid. Several years later, Laurentum is under threat from the Trojans, and it is up to Acca to find the notorious Camilla and train her to be the perfect Amazon girl, not the feral girl she has been for many years. Her destiny is set, she has to be the one to help rid the Trojans, and as Acca has admired Camilla from afar, she is the perfect girl to do it.

When Acca first meets Camilla in the woods, she is not what she expected, but she does have similar things in common with her, such as both their father's dying when they were young. During the Festival of Flowers, much merrymaking is expected as the royalty of Laurentum have made a deal with the Trojans for a royal wedding to unite the two lands. With elements of the original tale pencilled in to complete in a newer work, Caroline Lawrence has created a super readable short novel ideal for teenage readers who have an interest in history and girl power. Camilla can make a difference to the people of Laurentum with the help of Acca and her training of other girls to become followers of Diana.

Intrigue, suffering and the troubles of a girl growing up in the forests all go into this story that tells a lot about Camilla, her father and the real reason he fled that fateful day with his daughter in his hands. Sacrifice and courage play a big part in the story later on and shows how well she has come from being an unknown, to becoming a true Amazon warrior who has the respect of her peers.

This edition comes complete with striking cover art by illustrator, Paul Young, a list of People and Places in Queen of the Silver Arrow, a map of modern Italy which shows the ancient cities mentioned in Caroline Lawrence's novel and a Note From the Author about the main character. Readers will warm to the characters, the story and the fact it is part of literature.