Perilous Gard

Loved the imagery and details in this book! Great story.

This book is so great! It's about a spunky girl who fends for herself, but there's also lots of romance, adventure and magic. A must-read! This book should be as well known as the Harry Potter ones.

I just listened to "The Perilous Guard" on tape on my way to work and it was a wonderful way to start and end the day. The story was carefuuly presented so as to draw the reader, in my case listener, ever more deeply into the tangled web of intrigue and suspense. The dialogue between the main characters was especially well crafted, and in the end, I sat in my driveway refusing to go inside until the very end of the story. "The Perilous Guard" is a story about the Faery Folk of England and takes place during the reigns of Queens Mary and Elizabeth. The historic aspect made it fun, and the portrayal of the Faery Folk was interesting. I'm giving this book to my mom for Mother's Day, confident she'll love it. I especially recommend the audio version of this book. The reader has the most beautiful English accent and the loviness of her voice and the skill with which she renders the characters only adds to the story.

It is the year 1558. The spiteful Queen Mary has sent her sister, Princess Elizabeth has been sent to live at the dreary Hatfield. Lady-in-waiting Kate Sutton, finds out that her sister, Alicia, impulsively sent a complaint letter to the Queen Mary about the Princess Elizabeth. Kate finds herself blamed for her sister's actions and is exiled to Elvenwood, 'the Perilous Gard' to be kept under watch by the master of the isolated castle, Geoffrey Heron. She finds the place shrouded with mystery and is intrigued by the handsome but strangely silent brother of Geoffrey, Christopher. She hears rumors that Christopher had killed his niece to ensure that he would get the inheritance from his brother. Kate, determined to find out the truth, stumbles into a dark secret about the People of the Hill. Kate and Christopher are quite suddenly plunged into the otherworldly province where they just might lose their lives...Totally wonderful book! I'm not in the least surprised this is a Newberry Honor book! I must warn you though that this book is for ages 12 and up. Not at all appropriate for kids younger than 12. But because of the intriguing plot, the well-developed characters, and the fact that it is so much fun to read makes it even enjoyable for adults!The characters of Kate Sutton and Christopher Heron are wonderful! I immediately fell in love with them. They are both stubborn, very determined, and faithful friends. The humor and banter are very witty and makes me laugh all the time! Though I have to tell you that the book is over-all pretty serious.I strongly recommend "The Perilous Gard" and I'm most assured that everyone who will read it will put it on your favorites list!

I stumbled on a copy of this book in the library and read it when I was 12. I must have checked it out dozens of times over the years until I finally got a copy of my own. It has become one of those books that I take with me wherever I go, from college to Europe, through med school and back again. And it's one of those books I look forward to passing on to my daughter. The story is well written, well-paced, full of twists and turns. Kate, the heroine, is wonderful, a character with whom we can all identify. She's intelligent, down-to-earth, and struggles to do the right things even when she's scared and mad and feeling all too human. My only regret is that Ms. Pope did not write more books.