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312th out of 921 books
—
5,231 voters
The Ballad of Sir Dinadan (The Squire's Tales #5)
Young Dinadan has no wish to joust or quest or save damsels in distress or do any of the knightly things ex-pected of him. But he was born to be a knight, and knights, of course, have adventures. So after his father forces his knighthood upon him, he wanders toward King Arthur’s court in the company of a misguided young Welsh lad named Culloch. There Dinadan meets Sir Kai...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
May 30th 2005
by Sandpiper
(first published 2003)
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A funny take on the stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Part of a series, this particular book is the story of Dinadan, knighted in a drunken fit by his father and sent out to earn his knighthood. But Dinadan is inept with the sword or fighting, and would much rather compose and sing songs as a minstrel. He has comical encounters with other knights of varying degrees of competency, from one who swears a lovesick vow of silence (to everyone and anyone within earshot, all da...more
A brilliant retelling of Arthurian legend through the character of Sir Dinadan. Intelligent, creative, and honorable, Dinadan is the least capable knight of the Round Table (at least in terms of fighting prowess), but also one of the most popular among his peers.
Much of the book's humor comes from Dinadan's relentless mockery of knightly conventions (Fighting a stranger who says his lady is fairer than yours? Absurd!). For the rare readers who have also read Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur...more
Much of the book's humor comes from Dinadan's relentless mockery of knightly conventions (Fighting a stranger who says his lady is fairer than yours? Absurd!). For the rare readers who have also read Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur...more
Jun 17, 2011
Nina Gayle
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction-ya,
ya-historical-fantasy
I like the humor in this book best. I also enjoyed the unconventional romance between Sir Dinadan and Brangienne and the friendship between Dianadan and the Moor, Palomides. The intelligence and nobility of these characters contrast sharply with the unbelievable stupidity of other characters, such as Tristram and Colluch. Tristram's love Iseult, while outwardly beautiful, was unfaithful and manipulative. In one part of the book, she faked a lisp because she believed it made her more attractive....more
I want to say I really liked this, because it was really fun -- light-hearted, not too concerned about the 'spirit' of the old stories, ready enough to laugh and actually, in one respect at least, unpredictable. (view spoiler) And Kay really was himself, his Celtic self --
Except that Gerald Morris didn't have the sweetest fucking clue what he was talking about. "The oldest of the Arthurian stories were...more
Except that Gerald Morris didn't have the sweetest fucking clue what he was talking about. "The oldest of the Arthurian stories were...more
This series just gets better and better. I've always thought Tristan and Isolde were idiots, and that King Mark was a bit of a sucker. This is a story about them, but it is told through the eyes of Dinadan, a knight who played a minor role in Malory's version of the story. I appreciated his level-headedness and the resolution at the end with Brangienne. On to The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight (Book 6).
My son finished this fun retelling of the tale of Tristan and Iseult through the lens of Sir Dinadan with his original take on what being a knight means. We were sorry when the tale ended. Well, on to the next in the series.
Sep 09, 2011
Denae
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
alternate-reality-fantasy
I just found this one a bit dull. It takes place over several years, and there's no good romance, and there aren't as many familiar characters, and not as many fights or ladies. Dinadin is witty and funny, but he's not Terence or Gary or Rhience.
Oct 25, 2010
Debrarian
added it
Good again. This time a young noble who is fairly lousy at the fighting part of knighthood, but great at storytelling and playing the rebec. In spite of himself he develops the courage and nobility of knighthood.
This is another enjoyable book. Dinadan is really funny and likable, but I really missed Terrence and Gawain. I like the series best when Terence is around. I enjoyed the unconventional ending though.
This is a delightful series of King Arthur retellings, and this may be my favorite one so far. Excellent characters, nice take on the story of Tristan and Isolde, and a lot of great humor.
Close to a four
Close to a four
This was a fun little book I picked up in the middle school section of the library while searching for books for Andrew. It was an easy but good read. I'll probably pick up a few more by this author.
These are really good books! They're set in the time of King Arthur and elaborate on fairytales that were written a long time ago and teh author thought they should tell the stories with more detail.
That's it--I want to own the series. Gentle humor, instruction in common sense through entertaining narrative, and a good introduction to Arthurian legends--Morris has done very well.
Oh, so awesome.
Seriously, I love this series xD No Terence or Gwaine in this book, but their presence is still felt and not to badly missed.
<3 Dinadan xD
Seriously, I love this series xD No Terence or Gwaine in this book, but their presence is still felt and not to badly missed.
<3 Dinadan xD
I like how Morris takes side-characters and gives them their own stories and lives beyond the typical heroes with whom they were associated.
Funny, though not as humorous as some of his other books. About a nobleman's son who wants to be a minstrel, and is forced to be a knight.
Honestly, I probably would've given this four or five stars if the romance hadn't been so disappointing. It was pretty funny.
My favorite Gerold Morris book. EVER!!! It's so funny (not that the others aren't...). Read them all!!!!!!!!!
As a girl I wished for more romance but still a fairly good book for young readers.
The book is good, I just don't care for sir Dinadan.
Very good so far, Sir Kai is so hilarious, I love him!!!
Apr 08, 2011
Lauren
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
fiction-young-adult
Snarky knights! I love it!
F MOR st bk.5
fantasy
fantasy
My favorite book.
I honestly love this book. The first time I read it, I immediately opened it from the front and read it again. The cover gave me cause for doubt, but from the moment we are introduced to Dinadan, I loved him. He's not some boring knight doing deeds for ladies our gaining honor. He's a nobleman's son with unwanted glory thrust upon him. And he earns that glory with his rebec other that the sword. A must read for any Renaissance or King Arthur fans.
Jul 27, 2011
Mel
added it
Pretty decent. Not one of my favorites in the series though.
(8/7/09) "Which one is better to discard, the dragon or the damsel?"
(7/5/09) I heart SPT's Twelfth Night!
(7/5/09) I heart SPT's Twelfth Night!
This book was SO boring. I hate Sir Dinadan. I wanted to read from the point of view of a famous knight or an interesting girl or something, but instead I get a boring knight who wishes to be a minstrel. I love the myth of Tristan and Isolde, and but from Dinadan's point of view, it's just stupid.
I seriously love all the books in this series that I've read so far. This book made me laugh out loud a lot. I especially love the story of Tristram and Iseult. What a goofy couple. I'm not sure that I liked the ending. I'm going to have to think about it for awhile.
Gerald Morris' retellings of the Authuring legends are wonderful. Their humor, cadence, characters---all are well worth the read. He has some obvious opinions about chivalric codes and what it means to be a knight, but this adds to the fun.
One of my favorites.
One of my favorites.
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Gerald Morris is known for his light yet addictive series of stories for preteen and teen readers based in the Middle Ages during the time of King Arthur. Collectively called "The Squire's Tales", the series includes The Squire's Tale, The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady, The Savage Damsel and The Dwarf, and Parsifal's Page. The books at the start of the series focus on Gawain, but primarily on T...more
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“He expects us to kill him," Palomides said to Dinadan.
"Some people are so demanding," Dinadan replied. "Considering we've only just met, I mean.”
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3 people liked it
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"Some people are so demanding," Dinadan replied. "Considering we've only just met, I mean.”
Feb 24, 2011 12:05am