The Letter for the King: A Review

Ya’ll — it’s NOTHING like the Netflix show. I am so glad I picked this up.

The thrilling story of one boy’s battle against evil set in an enchanted world of chivalry, courage, and true friendship.

Sixteen-year-old Tiuri must spend hours locked in a chapel in silent contemplation if he is to be knighted the next day. But as he waits by the light of a flickering candle, he hears a knock at the door and a voice desperately asking for help.

A secret letter must be delivered to King Unauwen across the Great Mountains–a letter upon which the fate of the entire kingdom depends. Tiuri has a vital role to play, one that might cost him his knighthood. He must trust no one. He must keep his true identity secret. Above all, he must never reveal what is in the letter . . .

Tiuri’s journey will take him through dark, menacing forests, across treacherous rivers, to sinister castles and strange cities. He will encounter evil enemies who would kill to get the letter, but also the best of friends in the most unexpected places.

Having watched most of the first Netflix season, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this. I only grabbed it from the library because I wanted to see if it would be a good comp title for my current WIP. I’d been told my plot sounded like this book, and I grimaced at that, because I did not like the show; it just kept getting weirder and weirder.

But this turned out to be a PERFECT comp title. Because the book is nothing like the show. Instead of magic and serpent-worshipping, it’s knights in white defeating the dragon. It’s chivalry, it’s a buddy story, it’s duty and respect and good triumphing over evil, and there’s not a speck of DEI in sight. Literally, the only thing the book and show have in common is the chapel scene and the black knight’s death scene. That’s it. Netflix took the names and the intro hook and then went wild with it. There’s no violence, no gore, no nothing. Much of the language is full of Christian blessings and phrases. There’s no sassy Asian girl, no band of irritating teens, no sarcastic thief lady, none of it. There are monasteries with good, charitable monks instead of nutjobs. We don’t even meet the big villains like the evil prince. They’re just outside conflict. The real story is Tiuri persisting in doing what he knows to be right, even if it costs him his knighthood.

It’s clean as all get out, and would be perfect for any middle-grader, and perhaps even younger. If you want a story with an upright, manly hero who is chivalrous, genuine, and determined, try Tonke Dragt’s The Letter for the King as your next read.

Has anyone else read this book? Anyone else found that the book is always better than the movie/show?

Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and have a great week! Cheers!