A young man jeopardizes a comfortable life of rank and position already determined for him as he decides to break the rules to go on an elusive quest. There are elements of the simplified monomyth recognizable in the storyline. Our young protagonist‘s adventure is straightforward, namely to deliver a letter. The long and arduous journey is fraught with danger and from the very start he has to make hard choices. As with any good adventure there is conflict, the main character makes friends and enemies. The author does not dwell on in depth character description and histories but instead focuses on the flow of the narrative. There is no unnecessary violence and that which exists is merely hinted at. Sexuality is non-existent and romance, again, is just hinted at
Facit: A great book for the age group between 12-16. ( )

What a great book! I loved Tiuri. So many great characters. It is a big chunk for a children's book, but it's a fast and engaging read. If you missed this as a kid, I recommend picking it up now ( )

Goed kinderboek een 3,5 naar boven afgerond

De jonge Tiuri verbreekt de regels, die bepalen dat hij met niemand mag praten in de nacht voordat hij tot ridder zal worden geslagen. Hij opent de deur en praat met een oude man.
Deze vraagt hem om een brief te brengen naar de Zwarte Ridder met het Witte Schild.
Nogal voorspelbaar is dat de Zwarte Ridder met het witte schild net wordt vermoord en op zijn sterfbed verzoekt hij Tiuri om de brief in zijn plaats bij koning Unauwen te bezorgen. Het blijkt een heel gevaarlijke opdracht. Tiuri wordt achtervolgd door boosaardige Rode Ruiters, en ook grauwe ruiters die hem met de dood bedreigen.
De grauwe ruiters blijken uiteindelijk wrekers te zijn voor de dood van de Zwarte Ridder met het witte schild.
Tijdens zijn tocht ontmoet Tiuri vele mensen waaronder Piak deze wordt zijn beste vriend en reisgezel.
Samen beleven ze de spannendste avonturen, ze worden gevangengenomen, steken rivieren over in lekke bootjes, ....
Tiuri slaagt gelukkig in de opdracht om de brief bij de koning te brengen. ( )

What fun! Short chapters, clear language (in the English translation--I can't read Dutch), strong friendship between the main character, Tiuri, and want-to-be knight, Piak. My favorite part of the book was the travel through the mountains, and the rivers, and the castles . . . and Tiuri's hard choices that lead to more exciting adventure. No wonder Netflix is making this into movies!

The world feels very real and so do the characters--Red Shields, White Shields, Black Shields, the colorful cast of townspeople with strong opinions. Unfortunately, there is no heroine. Lady Lavinia shows up with some snappy dialogue and creative solutions, but it's a world of knights written in 1962.

Tip: Because there are wonderful reversals of who to trust and who not to trust, it's helpful to get the kingdom names straight from the beginning. :) Unauwen and Dagonaut start with different letters, but I kept mixing them up in the beginning, maybe because of all of those au sounds? My recommendation: Take a few minutes with the wonderful map to get settled in this rich story world.

I found _The Letter for the King_ in the marvelous 175-year-old bookstore in Eindhoven. Worth a visit for the huge English language fiction department for adults and a well-selected one for kids! I can't wait to go back. Boekhandel Van Piere: https://www.thisiseindhoven.com/en/locations/boekhandel-van-piere ( )

This was a family bedtime story. We picked it mostly because we enjoyed the TV show, but as it turns out, this volume has almost NOTHING to do with the show. I mean, there is still Tiuri, and he is still charged to deliver a letter by a dying knight, but beyond that? Gone is the diverse group of kids, Tiuri acquires only a single companion, Pink, around halfway through. More of his interactions are with adults -- some treacherous, but some are also very helpful, with some appearing one way and then ending up the other. And no magic at all. Still, we enjoyed it quite a bit. The storyline is compelling, and Tiuri is made of perseverance and integrity. We will surely pick up the next volume. ( )