Family entertainment. Suitable for all ages. Fourteenth Century, France Amos Questerly, a wandering minstrel takes on a mysterious young apprentice. But his .
Table of contents
We all know that learning from our mistakes is part of the process of becoming who we are. How to handle a critique. This was a huge lesson for me. I argued and showed her where I had introduced him in the previous chapter. This one will be present day. It is a wonderful feeling to be referred to by other authors. Amos Questerly, a wandering minstrel in fourteenth century Europe, takes on a mysterious young apprentice. A secret someone is willing to kill for.
To reach safety they must earn their way to England by telling exciting stories of magical swords, princesses and dragons, while danger follows on their heels. An author interview on the craft of writing. How old were you when you started writing? Where do you write? When do you write? Do you use critique groups?
The Minstrel's Tale
On your current project: How good did it feel to write that last line? On the business of publishing: What writers inspire you? Historical fiction, fantasy, horror, sci-fi pure escapism We all know that learning from our mistakes is part of the process of becoming who we are. The minstrel came mounted upon a dappled gray steed also a generous gift from the king at his wedding feast , on which he carried a satchel full of various instruments for the entertainment of nobility. Away from court, the youth loved nothing more than good drink and good food, of which he had his fill and then sang like a nightingale of ignoble knights and corrupt kings.
However, I must tell you of knights I have known who never did act honorably or serve their ladies heart, soul, and might as Palamon did Emily. Truthfully I say, a noble name does not make a noble man. To protect myself I may not always sing the same truths to him which I sing to others, but I will relay one for you now that speaks truthfully of noble love and jealous pride.
Once, in a great and opulent city in the land of Brittany, there lived two brave knights of noble name: Sir Astor and Sir Bacon. Both had been away for years in the Holy Land and had just recently returned from their quest.
The Minstrel's Tale
They were praised highly by the king for their feats of strength and honor. Sir Astor brought back a ship full of treasures: Sir Bacon carried with him the spoils of war: Tell me, is there anything else of mine you covet that I may give to you in return for your honorable services to me? However, there is just one more thing that I covet more than anything: So Lady Imogene and Sir Bacon were married the very next day, and as a wedding gift the king gave them a beautiful castle made of dark stone, which had a fair green lawn for Sir Bacon to hold tournaments and beautiful gardens to keep his pet peacocks.
Now, let us not forget good Sir Astor, though the king very nearly did. The two castles, one bright and one dark, stood so close to one another that Sir Astor could look out the window of his chamber and see lovely Imogene walking in the May rose gardens below. Soon, he was struck with love.
Imogene herself was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with her marriage to Sir Bacon. Or he would hunt all day with his squires and then dump a few bloody carcasses down on the dining hall table before. She quickly realized that he did not love her any more than she loved him, and that she was nothing to him but another spoil of war. One day as Imogene tended to her roses, she found a white scroll tied to the neck of her favorite peacock with a strand of fine red silk. I know you cannot return my love, but I will be content to serve you humbly and anonymously for the rest of my days, if you will but listen each night to my singing, which I do for you only.
That night, Lady Imogene strode quietly from her chamber to stand at the window, which looked over the moonlit garden. It was tender and insisting, bird-like but strong. She listened until the edges of the world became tinged with gold, and then reluctantly returned to bed. The next night, Imogene prepared a letter to give to the angelic singer, begging him to show his face and accept a token of her love. When she heard the longed-for voice, she deftly tied her letter to the leg of one of her pet doves, and threw it flapping. Published April 12th by Wishbone Publishing first published January 24th The Minstrel's Tale 1.
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To ask other readers questions about The Minstrel's Tale , please sign up. Lists with This Book. Aug 10, Phoebes rated it really liked it. I found this pretty nice. Sometimes it caught my imagination a lot, some other times I found it forced, but it was a nice reading. I especially liked the portrayal of the life of the minstrel, and how his job was held in high esteem by everyone, from the kings to the poorest beggar. It is not hard to understand why: This book is the first of a trilogy: I didn't know, but I should had imagine it it's difficult to find a stand alone for free!
It ends right at the climax, leaving us the curiousity to see how Amos ended up in the unhappy situation that he describes at the beginning. In short, now I really need to read the sequels! I'm a bit biased since I am the author, but I loved writing this book, especially the fairy tales inside. I'm currently editing book 2 which will be on sale Dec 18, If you read it, let me know what you think at www. Jan 14, Harry Allagree rated it really liked it. Had my attention all the way through. The minstrel's stories are charming. Questerly leaves us in suspense at the conclusion…a motivating factor for getting the next in the trilogy!
Mar 01, Lois rated it liked it. As three stars says, I liked it. It starts in the modern age, with a teen girl visiting a castle in France that her father inherited.
She discovers some ancient books with the family crest, and she and her father begin the arduous task of translating. The majority of the book is the translated diaries of an ancestor minstrel. I think a young adult reader, with an interest in medieval time period would especially like this. Minstrels don't just sing and play the lute, but they were the story-tell As three stars says, I liked it. Minstrels don't just sing and play the lute, but they were the story-tellers, and carrier of news from village to village.
The stories he tells are also included, which get boring on occasion. The author's note at the end includes an invitation for readers to submit minstrel stories to include in a subsequent sequel. She thanked a fifth grade class and their teacher for helping her edit the book. Perhaps the minstrel stories in this first book were written by fifth graders.
There is plenty of action, particularly after Amos the Minstrel picks up an apprentice along the way. I'm not going to spoil it by spilling the beans on his identity, but his arrival in the story enhances the plot and makes it necessary for the author to write a series!
Publisher's Summary
There is nothing objectionable in the content either, unless stories about dragons or time period subjects are objectionable to you. It was written tastefully, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book for kids. Jan 08, Djrmel rated it liked it Shelves: This is a book I think I would have loved as a child, maybe up to about 8 or 9 years old. The original fairy tales told by Amos, the Minstrel, have the detail that not only keep the reader reading, but also would have held the interest of a crowd of villagers who had plenty of experience with well told tales.
The actual Minstrel's tale, of taking on an apprentice with his own very interesting back story, works for a young reader looking for safe escapism. However, there's something uneven about This is a book I think I would have loved as a child, maybe up to about 8 or 9 years old. However, there's something uneven about the characters themselves, Amos and Richard, in that their life experiences and personalities seem to to weaken and strengthen depending on plot twists, that even a child might question. Also, the bookends of the tale, a young contemporary girl who discovers the manuscripts when she begrudgingly accompanies her parents on a vacation to France is totally unnecessary.
Tag: the minstrel’s tale
Jun 29, Tanya rated it liked it Shelves: I was hoping at first this was going to be a time travel story. Still it was a very pleasant read and I would recommend it to anyone. My only disappointment is that it ends suddenly and seems to be part of a trilogy.
Generally speaking I like my cliff hanger in the second book not with the first one. There does seem to be some over usage of some words, and the writing style didn't quite catch me as if it had been polished up a bit more. The stories are interesting, with a fable aspect I was hoping at first this was going to be a time travel story.
The stories are interesting, with a fable aspect to them. I love the Minstrel, he is an interesting character and I find his cloak a fun addition to the story.