The Seventh Swan by Nicholas Stuart Gray
I had a hard time getting into The Seventh Swan at first; I think Nicholas Stuart Gray's writing style was the culprit. He jumps between points-of-view constantly, so it's hard to tell who's thinking what. After I got used to that, though, I found The Seventh Swan moving.
Alasdair is the seventh swan-brother from the famous fairy tale, left with a swan's wing instead of one of his arms because his sister was unable to finish that last shirt in time. He is a young Scottish lord in this novel, incredibly handsome but shrouded in self-pity and the immaturity that comes from having such a strange "childhood." Since he lacks his sword-arm, he has a bodyguard, Ewen, a gruff mercenary who is both more kind and more haunted than he seems.
Alasdair also has a sweetheart, Fenella, who finds out about what ails him. Be... Read More
More books by Nicholas Stuart Gray
Grimbold’s Other World — (1963) Ages 9-12. Publisher: Mother Meg blew out the candle and closed the door behind her. A heavy weight landed on the bed and a husky voice asked, “Might I have your attention?” It is the black cat Grimbold who introduces the boy Muffler to the night-world, much more exciting than the day-time world, but also more alarming. Nicholas Stuart Gray was a professional actor and wrote many plays, both for stage and television. He was regarded as a pioneeer of children’s theatre in Britain and also wrote many children’s novels and collections of fantasy stories.
Mainly in Moonlight — (1965) Publisher: Ten stories of sorcery and the supernatural.
The Apple-Stone — (1965) Ages 9-12.
A Wind from Nowhere — (1978) Ages 9-12. Publisher: When Tamsin picked a particularly odd-looking fungus and then dropped it, she was asking for trouble. The fungus was magic, and it was offended.
The Wardens of the Weir — (1978) Ages 9-12.
