Best friends Eleanor and Odo live in a small village near a river that has recently run almost dry. Eleanor, who longs to be a knight like her late mother, is dismayed when it’s Odo who finds a magical sword in the muck of the riverbed. The sword, which announces itself as “Hildebrand Shining Foebiter and Scourge of … something or other,” doesn’t fully remember how it ended up there, or much about its past for that matter, but it does know its purpose. Since Odo awakened it when he accidentally dripped blood on the steel, the sword promptly knights Odo, while Eleanor must settle for being a squire. Odo, a cautious homebody, is a reluctant adventurer while Eleanor longs for heroics and eagerly sets out with Odo and Hildebrande to determine what’s blocking the river up in the mountains. They suspect it’s the great dragon, Quenwulf, which means a likely battle in order for the waters to flow freely again. An adventure full of action and humor, intrigue, and silliness features three engaging main characters (not the least of which is the sword) on a life- changing (sword-changing?) journey for them all. (Ages 8-11)