Defender of the Realm: 1

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Full of clever references to modern life and the pressures young royals might face when on parade in public. To make it worse, Alfie has always felt that his brother Richard would make a better king - he is popular, stronger and more sporty but unfortunately, rules are rules and Alfie must accept that one day he will be king.

This is where the Defender can raise some eyebrows as it was traditionally a farmer’s workhorse, a vehicle for everyone and anyone. The other reads like another side character who occasionally gets to tell you what's going on in her head. I'm so pleased it's the first in a series and look forward to reading hopefully many more adventures of our reluctant hero Alfie because believe me, when you get to the ending (and it's a real humdinger of a cliffhanger!

The characters are wonderfully drawn, from the awkward and loveable Prince Alfie to his brave and intelligent friend Hayley whose efforts are instrumental in helping Alfie defend his country and her adorable Gran, who I had a real soft spot for.

Seems like a 5th-grade thriller at first, but the wealth of information about England's monarchy, the suspense, relatable characters and great, cliffhanging ending encourages all readers to shout, Encore! I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Alfie who would much rather be doing almost anything than trying to uphold his public image or defending us all from various murderous creatures. I ended up getting really into it, and look forward to the club's selections bolstering my annual book count. It`s about Alfie, heir to the throne, as he assumes his new role and discovers he must also become a superhero/vigilante figure known as the Defender, who deals with the mythical creatures that have caused all of the disasters in British history.Can he defeat this new enemy and prove to his doubters that he is a worthy successor to the throne and Defender of the nation?

Packed full of superhero's and villains as well as normal everyday life situations, this is a great read for young and old alike.Add to that the contrasting personalities of Brian and LC and you have scenarios and dialogue that are both funny and moving. I've often wondered where the "boy" equivalent of school stories has been hiding - since Harry Potter we've not had many male lead characters in boarding school tales, but we have had the likes of Murder Most Unladylike and so on. Undoubtedly one of the most exciting and compelling action stories I have read this year, superb storytelling that mixes real life and fantasy brilliantly.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. The new Defender is built to withstand the rigours of family life — it’s entirely child-friendly and will forever be able to withstand my muddy boots jumping in and out. Alfie tries desperately to learn the ropes but unaware that there is danger is on the horizon, an epic battle beyond anyone’s imagination awaits him. I'm sure some highly critical readers will find many holes in this story (I did wonder about the dialogue - if it resembles how British youngsters talk), but I think middle grade readers will like the action and twists, and the plot was easy to follow.This is not a bad read, barring my inability to really tell whether this is YA or middle grade, the two occasionally overlap and this feels like a good transition point from one to the other. I wrestled with whether to give it four or three stars, but because of some issues I had with the pacing in the later chapters, I ultimately bumped it down. I really like the way they weave history and public controversy about the royal family into the novel.