Arthur is a special boy. Brought up by the wizard Merlin and destined to be King. Britain is split by warring tribes and Arthur is the only hope for peace. With his magic sword Excalibur and his Knights of the round table, the young Arthur is ready for heroic deeds. But he had not reckoned on the evil sorcery of his vengeful half-sister, Morgana Le Fay. BLJames Riordan's first novel, Sweet Clarinet, was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Novel Award in 1998. James's vivd retelling introduces children to one of the great characters of world literature.