The Eyes of a King

By: Catherine Banner

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Paperback | 5 June 2008

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An astonishingly sophisticated fantasy novel full of adventure, mystery, intrigue and magic from extraordinary new young talent, Catherine Banner.

Five-year-old Cassius escaped the brutal assassination of his parents, the king and queen of Malonia, and was exiled to modern-day England. Now fifteen, Cassius continues to be hidden in England under the protection of his tutor, the great Alderbaran, who's ancient prophecy says that Cassius will, one day, return and claim his rightful place on the throne.

At the same time, fifteen-year-old Leo remains in Malonia where a repressive dictatorial regime under the new king, Lucien, followed the assassination. One day Leo discovers a wonderful book in which parts of an epic story appear each day - a remarkable story that reveals the secrets of the prophecy, the assassination and how they are connected to Leo's own family history.

About the Author

Catherine Banner began writing The Eyes of a King in 2003, at the age of fourteen, after school and on summer holidays. In 2006 her portrait was displayed in the Exceptional Youth Exhibit at the National portrait Gallery, which showcased talented and inspiring young Britons. This is her debut novel;, and she is working on the next two books in her trilogy.

Industry Reviews

An interesting framing story wraps around this tale of Leo, a 15-year-old military cadet in a heavily Christian fantasy land ruled by a heavy-handed usurper. In the country of Malonia, which resembles an early industrial England except for the magic practiced by the "great ones," all boys know they will eventually be conscripted in the war against neighboring Alcyria. Leo pays as little attention as he can in military school, focusing instead on his beloved baby brother and on the magical book in which stories of the mythical land of England appear spontaneously. Tragedy strikes Leo's family, and he becomes overwhelmed with his own grief, ignoring the needs of his loved ones and of his war-torn nation. Though the Malonian timeline and the magical book's England interweave cleverly, the slow pace and Leo's introspection distract from the compelling interaction. Leo spends too much time observing and too little having any effect on the events of his family and his world to be an exciting portal character into this otherwise well-crafted narrative structure. (Fantasy. 12-14) (Kirkus Reviews)

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