Defender of the Realm: 1

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Alfie is the real star of this book, of course there are other characters, but you really root for him the most and he pulls through, to say the least. You can turn up to a building site, a film premiere or park outside the Dorchester — which, in fact, I just recently did, and the concierge said people kept coming over to take a look at my Defender. Alfie was a great main character as I really sympathised with him and wanted him to succeed and I also liked the supporting cast (I particularly appreciated LC and Brian, who are helping Alfie prepare for his new roles, and Hayley).

As far as storytelling goes, this was supposed to be a YA book, but ended up reading more like a middle grade story. Sure, it might be aimed at a much younger generation than mine, but it didn’t stop me enjoying every minute. The second book in the series DEFENDER OF THE REALM: DARK AGE was published in June 2017 and the thrilling conclusion to the trilogy, DEFENDER OF THE REALM: KING'S ARMY is published 7th June 2018 by Scholastic. The plot is entertaining and action-packed with a monstrous being that children will love to hate and battle sequences that are simply breath-taking.I really hope that when this is read in classrooms, it encourages children towards history and all the fantastic stories of the past. From the Camel Trophy run to expeditions and even on the way up Everest, you will always spot a Defender; and I have a nickname for it — Landy spotting.

It turns out the Henry Eighth didn’t destroy the monasteries for religious reasons; he was just trying to hunt down a pack of hibernating werewolves who’d been lulled to sleep by the music!

Featuring a legendary superhero, a reluctant teen monarch and a secret centuries-long battle; Defender of the Realm is an epic, action-packed, adventure of a novel from debut authors Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler.

Découvrant alors les coulisses du pouvoir et ses enjeux, Alfie apprend qu'il doit désormais endosser l'armure du Défenseur du Royaume (sorte de superhéros masqué) et survoler le pays à dos de cheval pour lutter contre Dragon Noir !Were it used more frequently, I may have struggled with it, but each time the shift happened it felt purposeful and I enjoyed the development that came out of it.

When Alfie’s father the King dies suddenly, Alfie not only must prepare to ascend the throne but to also take up the mantle of Defender of the Realm that has been passed from one monarch to the next for centuries. The British Royal family has diverged from real life here and we find ourselves seeing the world from the heir, 14 year old Prince Alfie's point of view. We soon discover his true identity and are swept up in a tale of mythical creatures, ancient history and stroppy teenagers. Not just the two protagonists, but every side character has moments to show who they truly are, and I found that enjoyable. We all fail at some time or another and it’s something we embraced when we came up with Alfie, the boy-king hero of Defender of the Realm.

I've often wondered where the "boy" equivalent of school stories has been hiding - since Harry Potter we've not had many male lead characters in boarding school tales, but we have had the likes of Murder Most Unladylike and so on. Alfie is trying to save the Kingdom by night, rule it by day and keep his family together, all the while knowing if he fails, we could be thrown into another dark age.