The Adventures of Sir Roderick, The Not-Very Brave

by James O'Loghlin

In a land where peace is threatened by assassins, invading armies and unhappy peasants, one knight must be brave enough to journey forth on a great quest.'But that can't be me,' thought Sir Roderick. 'I'm the most junior knight in the kingdom. And definitely the most hopeless. They wouldn't pick me to go somewhere so dangerous...Would they?'

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Middle Grade

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

Reviews

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a knight is the last thing Roderick wants, but that's what he becomes when he saves the Queen's life. When the Queen bids her knights to seek out a wizard, he must go where he is sent, and thus begins an adventure involving an invisible girl, a talking bear (who is rather funny), the wizard, a kidnapping, giant cockroaches, and more!

The story line is interesting enough to be a great third-grade read aloud book (the plot would go over the heads of some second grade children).
I would recommend this book for girls and boys from about age 8.
Reading comprehension level is similar to Roald Dahl's 'Matilda' or 'Boy'.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about the bravery of a young boy (who is actually 14 but sounds younger) who is too scared to become a knight, but who proves his bravery and loyalty through countless ordeals.

"For it is only those who feel fear who have the chance to be brave."

There is some illegitimacy that is discovered toward the end, and certain characters turn out to be evil, and others reform their evil ways and die heroes.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved about this book was how the unexpected kept popping up. I never knew what to expect, even when I was sure I'd figured it out. The writing style is brilliant for middle-grade readers and older people, like me.

It's a mix of medieval, light fantasy, comedy and who-dunnit.

[Cherie Clements · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this as a reading copy with no artwork on the cover - not really knowing what I was getting in for, I honestly fell in love with the characters and their adventures! Fruitcake the horse, a talking bear, invisible girl and flying cockroaches... is there anything else a true adventure needs!?

[Jemma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't actually finish the book. It started out interesting and kind of amusing, but it just went on and on and I got bored

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to my two boys (aged 6 and 8), who are already reading lots for themselves, but still enjoy being read to. They loved it, and I enjoyed it too. The main character, unflatteringly described in the title as 'the not very brave', is a reluctant knight, thrust into adventures he neither understands or wants. However, through the help of his friends - an invisible girl, a talking bear (who is also amusing) and an elderly wizard, he ends up saving his sister from capture and his country from war, while having some great adventures along the way. A fun read with quite a few laughs, as well as some thrills along the way. Something in it for the grown-up readers (although the storyline of course is quite predictable), and quite well written. Recommended either to read aloud to your kids (although this took a while at 350+ pages) or for young readers aged 10-12.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and suitable for all ages (which can be hard to find in lots of books these days). I enjoyed it :)