Twist of the Blade

By Edward Willett

Aurora Award finalist for Best Young Adult Novel

What if the shards of Excalibur are changing Ariane, and not for the better?

Having saved the first shard from the clutches of Rex Major (aka Merlin), Ariane and Wally are in hot pursuit of shard number two. But Ariane has laid a serious beating on Wally’s sister Flish, and even though she was defending herself, Wally’s starting to worry that the power of the sword may be changing his friend.

He’s also getting tired of the nerdy sidekick role. So when Rex Major uses Wally’s doubts to cause a rift between the friends, Ariane quickly finds herself working alone.

But how will she behave if she gets the power of the two Shards combined? Will she be able to win Wally back, or has he gone to Merlin’s side for good?

Praise for Twist of the Blade:

“A satisfying second installment…Twist of the Blade offers an enticing sense of danger and excitement as Ariane pursues her mission, but the narrative doesn’t shy away from the story’s human elements…It’s refreshing to read a story in which the heroes and villains are not cut-and-dried, and readers can look forward to three more installments in this genuinely entertaining myth-based series.” – Quill & Quire

“Edward Willett capably brandishes the trust issues of teens, especially those related to their families, as the means to progress the story. But it’s these same issues with which Merlin and Arthur had to deal…without their anger and self-doubt, Ariane and Wally could not learn to believe in others and themselves as worthy of the challenge to bring together the shards of the legendary sword of King Arthur…” – CanLit for Little Canadians“

"The sequel to Song of the Sword improves on its foundation….Willett realistically explores the difficulties Ariane and Wally face and paints Rex Major in such a light that readers may be unsure as to whether he is a master manipulator or misunderstood hero…Engrossing and more nuanced than its predecessor.” – Kirkus Reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shadowpaw Press
• Release date: Jul 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781989398104

Edward Willett

Edward Willett is the award-winning author of more than fifty books of science fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction for adults, young adults, and children. Ed received the Aurora Award for best Canadian science fiction novel in English in 2009 for Marseguro; its sequel, Terra Insegura, was short-listed for the same award. In addition to writing, Ed is an actor and singer who has appeared in numerous plays, musicals, and operas, both professionally and just for fun.