Still Tapa blanda - 1997

US: Heyne Verlag, 1997. Paperback. Good. When Queen Elana dies, underaged Rodrigo's status as the rightful king is i nstantly threatened by the ambitions of his uncle. Despite his personal sho rtcomings and manifest lack of readiness to rule, he has loyal friends and allies and they help him first to flee his uncle and, gradually, to fight a nd win the most important battle of the war for Caledon: the struggle to co mmand himself. Only then can he begin to claim his kingdom. This isn't a sanitized Fantasyland, nor is it a comfortable story. David Feintuch doesn't flinch from the violence and roughness of his medieval setting, and his depiction of Rodrigo's striving for self-confidence and the respect of others is hard-hitting and hard to put down. There's room for a sequel, but no real need: the coming-of-age story is the heart of this book, and it beats vividly.