shield stars

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Book One of the Shield, Sword, and Crown Series : Shield of Stars by Hilari Bell

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Children sleeping in Mulberry Street (1890) Art. By Jacob Riis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Riischildren.jpg Weasel was a pickpocket for years and now he is trying to go straight. He started to reform when Justice Holis caught him in the act. Now Weasel is the Justice’s clerk and he copies letters for him. Not just any letters but letters that could get them a date with the hangman. Justice Holis and a group of men are trying to get rid of Regent Pettibone. The Regent controlls the young prince and the country with violence. Neither the people in the town or country like him. The Regent is unjust and it was rumored that there is a legend about determining who runs the country. It says that who ever locates the Ancient Sword and Shield can take control of the country.

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Erasmus of Rotterdam by Holbein the Younger There was a knock on the door and before Weasel knew what was going on the Regent’s guards had the Justice in custody and were after him. Being a pickpocket has it advantages and Weasel used his old tricks to get away and escape. Now he is the Justice’s only hope. He decided to sneak into the castle to talk to the prince but before he could plead his case he was captured.

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George Cruikshank Cartoon: Old Maid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Maid.jpg The Regent had placed so many people in the dungeons that there wasn’t any room for Weasel. He was thrown into a storage closet and landed on someone. It was a young girl. In a few days the Justice would be hung for treason and Weasel had to do something. He did not want to let the Justice down. The Royal Castle, Warsaw, 1656, by Erik Jönson Dahlbergh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Royal_Castle_1,_Warsaw.jpg

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Pavise shield (with Bartolomeo Vivarini's St. Martin and the Beggar painting on it) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavise The room they were in had a small window but the drop was straight down and it probably would kill them if they slipped. Some of the rooms had openings in them to other rooms. While Weasel was searching for an escape he moved what he thought was an old stage prop shield. There was almost something electrical coming from that old shield. But he could not worry about that he had to find a way out.

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The Pottery Seller by Francisco Lucientes Even if they found a way out the young girl, Arisa, reminded him how was he going to help the Justice he was just a reformed pickpocket. Weasel had another plan and that was to search for the legendary highway bandit, the Falcon. He thought for sure if he had the Falcon and his men behind him they could rise up against the Regent. Or maybe they could find a way to get the Justice out of the dungeon. Anyone daring enough to rob from the rich could find a way to help him. There was a little problem with that idea, the Falcon was from the country and he was from the city.

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"Peasants in a Tavern" by Adriaen van Ostade http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peasants#Medieval_European_peasants In the city he could find anything or anyone but in the country he would be lost. If only he could convince Arisa to help, she was from the country. But it did not seem to help to have her along. All she was doing was telling everyone at the inns that they stopped at who they were looking for. Then all they could talk about was the legendary shield and sword. How could those old things do anything when someone like the Justice could not stop the Regent? What was Arisa hiding? Join the adventure as Weasel and Arisa try to save their own interests.

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Pick up a copy of “Shield of Stars” which starts out The Shield, Sword, and Crown Series at your library today. http://apollo.sdln.net/F/?func=find-c&local_base=mit&ccl_term=sys%3D005643578 The Shield, Sword, and Crown Series by K. M. Grant Book 1 Shield of Stars - Book 2 Sword of Waters - Book 3 Crown of Earth (Oct. 2009 Release Date) Special Effects by: Luke Artwork provided by: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Riischildren.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Maid.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Royal_Castle_1,_Warsaw.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavise http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peasants#Medieval_European_peasants SDLN Mitchell Public Library Card Catalog “ 20 Centuries of Great European Painting” Published by Sterling