Review: Sword Girl series

Being a girl in the middle ages, Tommy should be stuck as a kitchen maid for life, but she yearns to learn how to fight. Tommy’s daydreams lead her to discover that the castle’s animals can talk, and this gift of understanding leads to the job of sword keeper. And so her adventures begin.

There’s friendship, bad guys and dilemmas in every book in the Sword Girl series, from a plot to poison the king, a castle under siege and an unseen prankster in their midst, mysteries are ever-present.

Tommy’s life changes from simple servant girl all the way to the jousting ring, but her path is not always smooth. At one point Tommy is threatened with being kicked out of the castle for good for things she hasn’t done. Here victories come from enlisting the help of friends and taking time to think things through.

It’s nice to see an easy-read series where interesting facts are embedded in the tale and victory is not always about how well you can fight.

Read our KBR review of Sword Girl #6: Pigeon Problems here and a guest post by author Frances Watts discussing the Sword Girl series here.

Title: Sword Girl Series: Books 1 - 6
Author: Frances Watts
Illustrator: Gregory Rogers
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $11.99 RRP
Publication Date: April 2012 – April 2013
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781742377285 (Book 1)
For ages: 7-9 years
Type: Junior Fiction