Book Review: Have Sword, Will Travel by Garth Nix and Sean Williams

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5
Recommend to Others?: Yes

Summary (via Goodreads):
It is strange enough that Odo and Eleanor have stumbled upon a sword in a dried-up river outside their village. It is even stranger that Odo is able to remove it from where it’s buried. And it’s REMARKABLY strange when the sword starts to talk.

Odo and Eleanor have unearthed Biter, a famous fighter from earlier times. By finding Biter, Odo instantly becomes a knight – a role he is exquisitely unsuited for. Eleanor, however, would make a PERFECT knight – but she’s not the one with the sword.

Finding Biter is only the start – boy, girl, and sword must soon go on a quest to save their kingdom from threats in both human and dragon form, in this new fantasy triumph from Garth Nix and Sean Williams.

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My Review:
The premise sounded really cool and the title was very eye-catching. I also wanted to read this book because it was co-written by an author I like, Garth Nix. I’ve read his Keys to the Kingdom series and really liked it, so I had somewhat high expectations for this book.

Have Sword, Will Travel is an adventure unlike any other. The story follows two heroes in the making, Odo and Eleanor, as they travel far and wide to discover why the river is drying up.

From start to finish is a non-stop journey of epic proportions. It’s also surprisingly humorous – talking enchanted swords and dragons are always a win with me.

Odo, the miller’s seventh son, goes from ordinary to something special – a true knight at heart. I really liked his character. He puts the needs of others before himself. He’s incredibly kind and noble.

Eleanor I didn’t like as much. She is kind and brave but a little self-absorbed. I didn’t like how she treated Odo for the first half of the novel. She has a long way to go before becoming a true knight.

Biter – the enchanted sword Odo finds – is funny. He has a really quirky dignified personality that clashes well with Odo.

This was a really good middle grade novel. I’m looking forward to another story featuring Odo and Eleanor. I predict more exponential growth and awesome heroic deeds. Hopefully, we also get to learn how Biter ended up in the river and with pieces of his memory missing.