What do you think?
Rate this book
Plantagenet Saga #8
The Follies of the King
Edward the Second's first act on coming to the throne is to recall Piers Gaveston from exile, and the new king's devotion to the shrewd and avaricious young man soon becomes a scandal. It is assumed that when Edward marries one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe his inclinations will change, but nothing can make him swerve from his attachment to Gaveston, who is clearly making the most of royal favour. The new Queen Isabella, accustomed to adulation, is bitterly humilated; and she is not a woman to forget or forgive. With the country in turmoil the king is making enemies throughout the land, and he fails to see that the most deadly of these is his queen.
423 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1980
22 people are currently reading
870 people want to read
About the author
Jean Plaidy
187 books1,588 followersEleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
-Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 8, 2024
Jean Plaidy nos sumerge en una de las épocas más turbulentas de la historia de Inglaterra con su vívido retrato del rey Eduardo II y su relación escandalosa con Piers Gaveston. Desde el comienzo de su reinado, Eduardo toma decisiones impulsivas y polémicas, guiado más por sus emociones que por el deber como monarca, lo que rápidamente lo enfrenta a la nobleza y debilita su poder. La autora captura la fascinante relación entre Eduardo y Gaveston, que genera un clima de envidia y descontento en la corte, y muestra cómo esta devoción, vista como impropia y dañina, desencadena una crisis política que sacude al reino.
El personaje de Isabel de Francia, la hermosa y astuta esposa de Eduardo, es el punto fuerte de la historia. Plaidy presenta su evolución desde una reina joven e insegura, ignorada y humillada por su marido, hasta una mujer decidida a vengarse y reclamar su lugar. El proceso de su transformación, así como su implicación en el derrocamiento de Eduardo, es narrado con gran maestría.
La prosa de Plaidy es ágil, y aunque se toma algunas licencias creativas, para añadirle un poco más de drama y ritmo a la historia consigue mantener el equilibrio entre la precisión histórica y el drama novelesco. La tensión entre los personajes, tanto en el ámbito político como en el personal, está bien lograda, y se puede sentir las intrigas y traiciones que rodean al trono.
Sin embargo, la novela, en algunos puntos, puede parecer predecible para aquellos ya familiarizados con la historia de Eduardo II. A pesar de eso, Plaidy logra revivir este período con detalle y profundidad, haciendo que el lector se sienta inmerso en las tensiones y emociones del momento.
Las locuras del rey es una novela fascinante sobre el poder, el orgullo y la traición, que destaca por sus personajes bien construidos y una narrativa que equilibra lo histórico con lo emocional. Una lectura muy recomendable para los aficionados a la novela histórica y los que quieren adentrarse en ella.
El personaje de Isabel de Francia, la hermosa y astuta esposa de Eduardo, es el punto fuerte de la historia. Plaidy presenta su evolución desde una reina joven e insegura, ignorada y humillada por su marido, hasta una mujer decidida a vengarse y reclamar su lugar. El proceso de su transformación, así como su implicación en el derrocamiento de Eduardo, es narrado con gran maestría.
La prosa de Plaidy es ágil, y aunque se toma algunas licencias creativas, para añadirle un poco más de drama y ritmo a la historia consigue mantener el equilibrio entre la precisión histórica y el drama novelesco. La tensión entre los personajes, tanto en el ámbito político como en el personal, está bien lograda, y se puede sentir las intrigas y traiciones que rodean al trono.
Sin embargo, la novela, en algunos puntos, puede parecer predecible para aquellos ya familiarizados con la historia de Eduardo II. A pesar de eso, Plaidy logra revivir este período con detalle y profundidad, haciendo que el lector se sienta inmerso en las tensiones y emociones del momento.
Las locuras del rey es una novela fascinante sobre el poder, el orgullo y la traición, que destaca por sus personajes bien construidos y una narrativa que equilibra lo histórico con lo emocional. Una lectura muy recomendable para los aficionados a la novela histórica y los que quieren adentrarse en ella.
August 21, 2024
Good as always. This book took me longer to get into than the others in this series because I hated reading about how stupid Edward II was lol. He just does the dumbest things, making his boytoys the Earl of Cornwall and things like that. How could he have thought that wouldn't lead to issues? Once he started getting his comeuppances, the book became much easier for me to read. The last part of his life is definitely the most fascinating and now I can't wait to read Edward III's book. It's so crazy how he screwed up so bad that people were like I'd rather have this child on the throne and everyone just agreed. Like yes, anyone is better than this dude. Such a terrible king. Both super fun to read about and super annoying to read about at the exact same time.
March 15, 2023
This was my favourite of this series so far. I found the storyline more engaging and the characters much more nuanced.
In some ways I felt sorry for Edward. He was gay, but did his best to engage with his wife kindly and to produce children, a dichotomy faced by many gay people in the past. But then he did allow his favourites too much influence. His demise was dreadful. Isabella ended up making a similar mistake to Edward. I’m looking forward to finding out how Edward III deals with her. I know all this is history, but I’m new to the Plantagenets and I’m using these books to give me an over view. I’d recommend them for that.
In some ways I felt sorry for Edward. He was gay, but did his best to engage with his wife kindly and to produce children, a dichotomy faced by many gay people in the past. But then he did allow his favourites too much influence. His demise was dreadful. Isabella ended up making a similar mistake to Edward. I’m looking forward to finding out how Edward III deals with her. I know all this is history, but I’m new to the Plantagenets and I’m using these books to give me an over view. I’d recommend them for that.
May 15, 2020
I didn’t originally intend to read Jean Plaidy’s novel about Edward II’s reign, The Follies of the King, but I stumbled over a copy in one of my favourite bookshops and thought, why not? Being Australian, I rarely visit a physical bookstore and find a novel about the later Plantagenets that aren’t the Wars of the Roses series by Philippa Gregory or Conn Iggulden or Anne O’Brien’s latest novel or yet another copy of Melvyn Bragg’s excretable novel about the 1381 revolt so I grabbed this in a fit of excitement.
Boy, do I regret it.
The Follies of the King is a paint-by-numbers, constructed-by-checklist type of novel that Jean Plaidy is excels at and I was just bored. It’s especially shameful that Edward II’s reign is so dramatic that it doesn’t need embellishment to be interesting or engaging and yet Plaidy’s retelling is just so boring. I struggled with Susan Higginbotham’s novel The Traitor's Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II but the dramatic intrigue of Edward’s reign was enough that I found myself compelled to rush through the second half of the novel. Plaidy’s novel was better constructed but so much less compelling.
More frustrating, there are hints of some really good storytelling impulses. The characterisation of Edward II, although barely unpacked, has so much potential – for instance, Plaidy introduces early on that Edward is deeply afraid of his father and hints that this fear has affected his personality and way of rule and she even manages to refer to it later on! Edward II is also depicted largely sympathetically, coming across as a man deeply unsuited for the role of king and a little stupid but genuinely well-meaning. My friend described Plaidy’s take of Edward II as a “stupid, precious bean” and I can’t think of any better way to describe him. Plaidy’s characterisation of his behaviour at Bannockburn is well-done, where his bravery is depicted despite the massive loss, and his ending is genuinely sad – he keeps telling himself that his son, Edward III, will come and rescue him but of course he never does.
I also found Follies of the King better constructed, though less entertaining, than Plaidy’s Passage to Pontefract (about Richard II) and The Star of Lancaster (about Henry IV and Henry V), both of which became rushed towards their ends and were marked by hugely lazy storytelling (e.g. foreshadowing something that then is almost immediately forgotten in the next chapter or dumping in exposition to explain character change instead of leading up to it in earlier chapters).
Plaidy’s depiction of Edward’s sexuality and his relationships with his favourites, Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger, is a bit odd. Mostly, she seems to try to avoid anything romantic or sexual between them, even when they’re alone (the most suggestive thing they do is hug), and neither Gaveston or Despenser seem that interested in Edward beyond how he can give them jewels and power. But other characters, often aggressive to Edward, do explicitly label Edward’s relationships with them as one of lovers – often with a generous side-helping of homophobic language. Of course, this reflects the likely attitudes of the time but because it’s pretty much the only thing that explicitly says Edward has romantic/sexual relations with other men it’s still a bit, well, homophobic.
And, to be fair, I suspect that a lot of this is due to Jean Plaidy being 74 years old and not a particularly adventurous writer when it was published in 1980.
The age of the novel also affects the historical accuracy of the piece, since Plaidy can’t be expected to know about how the understanding of Edward II, Isabella of France or aspects of their lives has changed in the 40 years since she published. So we get the old stories of Gaveston stealing Isabella’s jewels, Isabella being abandoned repeatedly, Edward and Isabella’s relationship as antagonistic from the beginning, Isabella helping Roger Mortimer escape from the Tower of London, Isabella being an adult and not 12 at her marriage, the hot poker story and so on. I’ve seen some people comment that they read Plaidy not for a good story but to get a sense of history and to be honest, she’s not appallingly bad when you consider how long ago she was writing but in the present day, she’s so outdated that if you’re just reading for the historical narrative, you’ll get a better picture from Wikipedia.
The quality of the actual prose writing is – not great. It’s fairly expositional and tends to do character development through an interior monologue with exposition. There are some simplistic, almost childish turns of phrase and I wonder how much effort went into rereading and revising Plaidy’s first draft – on one page, separated by a single paragraph, were two paragraphs beginning with “Edward/he was delighted” which just seemed sloppy (personally, I feel this could be effective if deliberate but it just seemed like a mistake that both Plaidy and her editor missed or didn’t care about correcting).
At the end of the day, I was bored most of the time I read this. Plaidy just isn’t that skilled or engaging writer to keep my interest in a story, even one where I come in pre-invested. I do kind of hate that I did finish The Follies of the King wanting to read the next volume in Plaidy’s Plantagenet saga, The Vow on the Heron, if only to see Isabella’s comeuppance.
Boy, do I regret it.
The Follies of the King is a paint-by-numbers, constructed-by-checklist type of novel that Jean Plaidy is excels at and I was just bored. It’s especially shameful that Edward II’s reign is so dramatic that it doesn’t need embellishment to be interesting or engaging and yet Plaidy’s retelling is just so boring. I struggled with Susan Higginbotham’s novel The Traitor's Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II but the dramatic intrigue of Edward’s reign was enough that I found myself compelled to rush through the second half of the novel. Plaidy’s novel was better constructed but so much less compelling.
More frustrating, there are hints of some really good storytelling impulses. The characterisation of Edward II, although barely unpacked, has so much potential – for instance, Plaidy introduces early on that Edward is deeply afraid of his father and hints that this fear has affected his personality and way of rule and she even manages to refer to it later on! Edward II is also depicted largely sympathetically, coming across as a man deeply unsuited for the role of king and a little stupid but genuinely well-meaning. My friend described Plaidy’s take of Edward II as a “stupid, precious bean” and I can’t think of any better way to describe him. Plaidy’s characterisation of his behaviour at Bannockburn is well-done, where his bravery is depicted despite the massive loss, and his ending is genuinely sad – he keeps telling himself that his son, Edward III, will come and rescue him but of course he never does.
I also found Follies of the King better constructed, though less entertaining, than Plaidy’s Passage to Pontefract (about Richard II) and The Star of Lancaster (about Henry IV and Henry V), both of which became rushed towards their ends and were marked by hugely lazy storytelling (e.g. foreshadowing something that then is almost immediately forgotten in the next chapter or dumping in exposition to explain character change instead of leading up to it in earlier chapters).
Plaidy’s depiction of Edward’s sexuality and his relationships with his favourites, Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger, is a bit odd. Mostly, she seems to try to avoid anything romantic or sexual between them, even when they’re alone (the most suggestive thing they do is hug), and neither Gaveston or Despenser seem that interested in Edward beyond how he can give them jewels and power. But other characters, often aggressive to Edward, do explicitly label Edward’s relationships with them as one of lovers – often with a generous side-helping of homophobic language. Of course, this reflects the likely attitudes of the time but because it’s pretty much the only thing that explicitly says Edward has romantic/sexual relations with other men it’s still a bit, well, homophobic.
And, to be fair, I suspect that a lot of this is due to Jean Plaidy being 74 years old and not a particularly adventurous writer when it was published in 1980.
The age of the novel also affects the historical accuracy of the piece, since Plaidy can’t be expected to know about how the understanding of Edward II, Isabella of France or aspects of their lives has changed in the 40 years since she published. So we get the old stories of Gaveston stealing Isabella’s jewels, Isabella being abandoned repeatedly, Edward and Isabella’s relationship as antagonistic from the beginning, Isabella helping Roger Mortimer escape from the Tower of London, Isabella being an adult and not 12 at her marriage, the hot poker story and so on. I’ve seen some people comment that they read Plaidy not for a good story but to get a sense of history and to be honest, she’s not appallingly bad when you consider how long ago she was writing but in the present day, she’s so outdated that if you’re just reading for the historical narrative, you’ll get a better picture from Wikipedia.
The quality of the actual prose writing is – not great. It’s fairly expositional and tends to do character development through an interior monologue with exposition. There are some simplistic, almost childish turns of phrase and I wonder how much effort went into rereading and revising Plaidy’s first draft – on one page, separated by a single paragraph, were two paragraphs beginning with “Edward/he was delighted” which just seemed sloppy (personally, I feel this could be effective if deliberate but it just seemed like a mistake that both Plaidy and her editor missed or didn’t care about correcting).
At the end of the day, I was bored most of the time I read this. Plaidy just isn’t that skilled or engaging writer to keep my interest in a story, even one where I come in pre-invested. I do kind of hate that I did finish The Follies of the King wanting to read the next volume in Plaidy’s Plantagenet saga, The Vow on the Heron, if only to see Isabella’s comeuppance.
January 7, 2017
I enjoyed this one a lot. I felt myself feeling sorry for Edward II and I'm usually pretty blah when it comes to him.
May 7, 2019
When Edward I dies in 1307, he leaves his work half-done. The Scots, to whom he has been a fearful enemy, have come together under the charismatic leadership of Robert the Bruce and promise to undo Edward’s many recent gains. His barons are powerful men, mindful of the power granted to their class during the reign of Edward’s despotic grandfather John, and unwilling to risk losing it again. Governed by character, they have led where Edward leads because he is a powerful, honourable, impressive and dynamic king. But his death leaves England with a king of a very different type: his son, also called Edward. Edward II is 23 at the time of his father’s death and yet has failed to acquire any of the trappings of adulthood. Flighty, immature and easily swayed, he has since boyhood been in thrall to the dazzling Piers Gaveston, son of a Gascon knight. And, of all the things Edward I’s death might mean to Edward II, the foremost is that the exiled Gaveston can finally come home. With this recall, young Edward sets in motion a series of tragic consequences that will lead to unrest, treason, murder and civil war...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2019/05/07/t...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2019/05/07/t...
June 21, 2023
This book continues Jean Plaidy's series on the Plantagenet Kings of England. It follows Edward II, his life, and his rule of England during the 1300s.
While of course the author had to improvise the conversations and feelings of many of these real life characters, when I looked up Edward II's life, she kept very close to what history has reported about him and those with whom he dealt.
As they say, truth is stranger than fiction and Edward the second had quite an interesting reign and let's just say his marriage did not end well.
If you enjoy a good story and want to learn history, I highly recommend this book.
Family corner: for the most part, nothing objectionable but this is medieval times. They could be extremely cruel in how they put enemies to death. Reading this has given me a newfound appreciation for the United States' prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
While of course the author had to improvise the conversations and feelings of many of these real life characters, when I looked up Edward II's life, she kept very close to what history has reported about him and those with whom he dealt.
As they say, truth is stranger than fiction and Edward the second had quite an interesting reign and let's just say his marriage did not end well.
If you enjoy a good story and want to learn history, I highly recommend this book.
Family corner: for the most part, nothing objectionable but this is medieval times. They could be extremely cruel in how they put enemies to death. Reading this has given me a newfound appreciation for the United States' prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
August 13, 2017
The first half of the book is a little slow and unappealing, but it gets better as it goes along, with the last two chapters being especially engaging.
My main criticism, as always with Jean Plaidy, it the amount of repeated information. The most annoying of which in this novel being the queen’s need of a son.
The author did a good job with making Edward II go from someone I had no sympathy for to someone I had the utmost sympathy for by the end of the book. I’m familiar with the king's history, but through this fictionalised account, emotion comes through far more than in any biographical account.
Won’t give anything away, but will say the ending is one of the best this author ever concocted. It’s definitive in its own right, while leaving the reader – this one, anyway – keen to read the next in the Plantagenet saga.
My main criticism, as always with Jean Plaidy, it the amount of repeated information. The most annoying of which in this novel being the queen’s need of a son.
The author did a good job with making Edward II go from someone I had no sympathy for to someone I had the utmost sympathy for by the end of the book. I’m familiar with the king's history, but through this fictionalised account, emotion comes through far more than in any biographical account.
Won’t give anything away, but will say the ending is one of the best this author ever concocted. It’s definitive in its own right, while leaving the reader – this one, anyway – keen to read the next in the Plantagenet saga.
June 10, 2018
This is the 8th book in the series and although I enjoyed the book it is not the most gripping of books in the saga. I have read several others regarding Edward II, actually they were not historical fiction, and I found them more engaging than this. This was somewhat surprising to me as I love Jean Plaidy and was expecting, being it historical fiction, it would be more "juicy" and in fact it was not. I found that I could not connect with any of the characters, which again is surprising as Jean Plaidy finds a way for you to feel some kind of emotion for all of them. I have already started Book #9 and am enjoying it so much more.
April 3, 2019
First off this is my favorite author! She cannot write a bad book and this was no exception. Follies follows the reign of Edward the second of England. Half through his eyes and half through those of his jilted queen.
From when he first takes the throne, and recalls his exiled lover, to his queen plot to dispose him and rule through their son. Overall a good book and an accurate onr
From when he first takes the throne, and recalls his exiled lover, to his queen plot to dispose him and rule through their son. Overall a good book and an accurate onr
February 19, 2018
Jean Plaidy é a rainha do romance histórico!
May 28, 2019
Plot was interesting but there was far too much repetition.
January 17, 2021
I love this writer because she takes me trough the history of the Kings of England.
November 9, 2025
I liked this historical novel ( if not some of the action) about Edward the Second and Piers Gaveston, when I read it as a young teenager.
February 6, 2019
Jean Plaidy brings to life these royal personages, political intrigues, and historical events, weaving them into a well-written tapestry of historical fiction. Set amidst the political turmoil of fourteenth-century England, laced with names of those who would have a lasting historical impact, it is an entertaining, and informative, a treasure of historical facts that are merged together into a most enjoyable book.
October 12, 2009
I love anything to do with the Plantagenets, and had discovered Edward II's story as research after reading Sharon Kay Penman's "The Reckoning." I wanted to read more about him, and his disastrous reign of as Englands king, but couldn't find much with him and Isabella of France as the main characters. Jean Plaidy's "Follies of the King" was one of the only ones I found, and I was excited to dive into it. Unfortunately, I found the dialogue to be horrendous and so very cliche, and the narrative to be very dry. The character development was severely lacking, as most of the characters were completely flat, one demential. I like my characters to be true to life, that they are neither good or evil, but in this book the only character that you had a feeling of being somewhat good and bad was Isabella, but only slightly.
However, I did like the book based on the story itself, but Plaidy didn't have much to do with that. I've like other of her books, but this one felt like it was whipped together in a matter of weeks, as there was little research and depth to the book.
However, I did like the book based on the story itself, but Plaidy didn't have much to do with that. I've like other of her books, but this one felt like it was whipped together in a matter of weeks, as there was little research and depth to the book.
March 27, 2015
The story of Edward II is one I know quite well, having read a lot about him. I'm always interested to see different authors' interpretations of the facts and characters jnvolved, so this was the book in this series that I was most looking forward to reading. As usual, Jean Plaidy doesn't disappoint: Her books are always a pleasure to read and I enjoyed the rather balanced approach she took to the characters: None of them are obvious saints or villains to the exclusion of all other traits - they're just people, some more and some less likable, but all portrayed in a manner that gives understandable motives to their actions. Looking forward to the next part of the Plantagenet Saga.
June 22, 2020
The story of the son of warrior king Edward I, Edward II, a weak king with poor judgement, who goes up against Robert the Bruce and loses at Bannockburn. His French wife Isobel the Fair, rejected by him takes out her own revenge on his lover and court favourite Piers Gaveston; and, with her lover Roger Mortimer, removes him from the throne, replacing him with their young son Edward III. Whist they have him imprisoned in Berkeley castle where he is starved and possibly tortured and killed. Mortimer and Isobel are also later forced to pay for their actions as her young son attains his majority.
Another fascinating historical novel and complex family relationships.
Another fascinating historical novel and complex family relationships.
May 22, 2019
Fabulovaný příběh jednoho z tragických plantegenetských anglických králů. Popisuje dosti obsáhle, ale čtivě, období neustálých rozmíšek mezi anglickými barony a anglickým králem, znásobené ještě bojem s odbojnými Skoty.
Historicky podložená homosexualita Eduarda II. uklidnění této doby nepomáhala, obzvláště když se se svou orientací nikterak netajil. Nenasytnost jeho milenců pak byla dalším důvodem jeho smutného konce.
Historicky podložená homosexualita Eduarda II. uklidnění této doby nepomáhala, obzvláště když se se svou orientací nikterak netajil. Nenasytnost jeho milenců pak byla dalším důvodem jeho smutného konce.
August 30, 2011
This is a very good Plaidy - lots of action, perverse dalliance, deep seated scheming. Edward II and his Perrot Gaveston, Edward II and his Hugh le Despenser, Isabella biding her time until she finds her Mortimer. Her characterizations may be stock, her prose straightforward, but she delivers in this one, her best in the Plantagenet series I have read to date.
January 22, 2016
The Follies of the King is a suspenseful story, full of twists and intrigue and has thus definitely kept my interest in reading the rest of the saga.
Read my full review on my book blog, Beyond Strange New Words.
Read my full review on my book blog, Beyond Strange New Words.
September 4, 2018
Poor Edward II, a terrible king that came to a terrible end. I liked the way that Plaidys initially made him the bad guy and Isabella the sympathetic one, but by the end of the book you were feeling sorry for him and disliking her. A tragic couple indeed.
June 22, 2016
The best of the series so far. The tale of Edward II and Isabella is coherent and well written. Edward II is not a macho type. He prefers the company of good looking men of taste to that of his wife and buys their friendship extravagantly. Isabella bides her time.
August 22, 2010
8th in series. Another excellent book.
January 3, 2010
The most memorable thing about this king is his demise. A great mystery shrouds his death at Berkely Castle. Very grisly.
December 1, 2011
Slow start, really slow. Ending seemed rush with a few things unresolved. Hopefully the next book resolves them.
September 17, 2015
I recomend this book to anyone who would be interested in reading about king Edward II and his queen altough he made so many bad decitions in the end I felt sorry for him.
July 23, 2007
Edward II (son of Edward I) and Isabella of France
October 27, 2013
The reign, captivity and demise of Edward II.
April 6, 2017
Good story, poor writing.
Example from memory: "He could tell that the king thought so too, because it was obvious."
There would be a couple paragraphs about issue A or situation B, followed by something else, and then a couple more paragraphs about...issue A, or situation B, with essentially the same content as before, just expressed differently. It felt like they forgot to finish editing before they published.
It reads like history, but embellished with the principal actors' imagined thoughts and feelings, in order to make it interesting for "young readers." Which, essentially, was what I wanted, although I am not a young reader, so it really worked for me quite well and I am planning to read the sequel.
Example from memory: "He could tell that the king thought so too, because it was obvious."
There would be a couple paragraphs about issue A or situation B, followed by something else, and then a couple more paragraphs about...issue A, or situation B, with essentially the same content as before, just expressed differently. It felt like they forgot to finish editing before they published.
It reads like history, but embellished with the principal actors' imagined thoughts and feelings, in order to make it interesting for "young readers." Which, essentially, was what I wanted, although I am not a young reader, so it really worked for me quite well and I am planning to read the sequel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews