Tonke Dragt (1930–2024)

On the eve of being knighted by his king, sixteen-year-old Tiuri, son of Tiuri the Valiant, is keeping vigil in a small chapel outside of the capital city of the kingdom of Dagonaut. Forbidden from speaking, or opening the chapel doors to anyone during his night-long fast, Tiuri does both when a mysterious old man comes begging for help. A knight in spirit, even if he is not one in fact, Tiuri is helpless to resist this supplicant in need, and soon finds himself caught up in an epic show more adventure involving a slain knight, a mysterious letter that must be delivered to the king of Unauwen - the land on the far side of the Great Mountains - and a dangerous month-long journey through dark forests, across high mountains and over treacherous rivers. Determined to keep his word and fulfill his mission, Tiuri encounters many enemies on his quest, but makes many friends as well...

Originally published in Dutch as De brief voor de koning, this intensely engrossing, utterly engaging children's fantasy is a delight to read. I devoured it, racing through its 500+ pages, and finishing it with an immediate desire to know more of Tiuri's adventures, by tracking down the sequel (thus far only available in English in the UK), The Secrets of the Wild Wood. I may have to order it from abroad... Tiuri is an appealing hero, goodhearted, rather innocent, and so determined to keep his word and to remain faithful to his principles as a knight. It is these very qualities which aid him on his journey, as his kindness and innocence win him allies, and his bravery in aiding others converts would-be enemies. This last, as exemplified through the story of Jaro, is particularly powerful. Although most online reviewers seem to love The Letter for the King, I have seen one or two who have criticized it for its simplicity. This, for me, is its strength and power. At its heart, this is the story about the letter of the law versus its spirit; about holding onto principles (knightly, in this case) even when it seems that the 'reward' we have expected for doing so disappears; about keeping faith and remaining true to our purpose, even in the face of danger. Simple? Yes, I suppose so - but what a rich simplicity such stories bring to us, their readers! Recommended to anyone who enjoys rollicking good adventure stories. show less

Favoriete jeugdboek van mijn vriend.
Vreemd dat het door een vrouw is geschreven, als je je bedenkt dat er in de 300 pagina's aan levendige beschrijvingen, intrigerende dialogen en complexe persoonlijkheden, slechts vier vrouwelijke personages zijn. En aan hun is verder ook geen karakterisatie gegund die verder reikt dan, "psycholoog; niet verliefd op de hoofdpersoon", "bioloog; verstaat Oost-Europees", "donkere vriendin van", "alien, plukt bloemen". Wellicht zal het een product van de tijd show more zijn.
Desondanks, is het een aangrijpend verhaal en in de loop ervan ervaar je hoe ook de schrijfster er grip op verliest. Het begint met een mysterieus woud, waar plotseling weinig mysterie meer van over is en de centrale vraag betreft nu de telepathische gaven van de Venusschepsels die in het Woud blijken te leven. Het boek kaart grote thema's aan over de toekomst van de mens, de drang om je los te breken van menselijke conventies, het samenleven met de Ander en de waarde van privacy. In de wetenschap van hoe het verder gaat met de mensen op Venus, of zij zich uit hun Koepel zouden laten en hun aardse manieren los zouden laten, krijgt de schrijfster grip op veel van deze thema's. Echter, deze wetenschap wordt niet verkregen aan het eind van het boek, maar niet zonder zelfbewustzijn; de laatste regel luidt, "Ik kan gedachten lezen, maar ik kan niet in de toekomst kijken". show less

16-year-old Tiuri is sitting the traditional all-night vigil on the eve of his knighting ceremony when he hears someone outside the chapel calling for help. He knows that if he leaves his post or even speaks to anyone before he's summoned at dawn he will forfeit his right to become a paladin of the king, but he can't resist the call to aid. Thus starts his adventure across kingdoms, through forests, and over mountains, as he is tasked to take a secret and vital letter to the king of another show more land. Along the way he meets with people who show their kindness by helping him and with those who reveal their evil intentions by trying to stop his progress. And in turn, his task and the long journey to complete it reveals Tiuri to be a knight at heart if not in reality.

I loved this old school fantasy filled with knights errant, friendly townspeople, wise old hermits, and wicked spies. You never feel that Tiuri is in *too* much danger and each scrape he gets into is resolved quickly enough not to be frustrating while still being artfully-enough written to keep the reader's interest. The plot is fairly simple, but the characters are full and the pacing perfect. And Tiuru manages to be wholly honorable and brave without it being in any way obnoxious or saccharine. I could see this becoming a comfort read, easily. show less

Originally published in Dutch in 1962, this YA fantasy adventure was finally translated into English and published here in 2013, and is well worth the wait.

Tiuri, a sixteen year old knight in waiting is performing his final vigil before being knighted by the King the following day. During the night, he and the other boys locked in the church are expected to fast and pray, and under no circumstances are they to open the door. He is expecting a test, a knock to see if they will relent, and show more when it comes all of them find it easy to ignore.

But then he hears something else. A plea for help. A plea he cannot ignore, and in opening the door he receives an adventure he could never have imagined, and one more dangerous than anything he has ever faced before.

Dispatched by the mysterious messenger to deliver a letter, it first seems an easy task, but when murder and a man-hunt quickly follow, he must escape from his homeland and everyone he knows in order to succeed.

This quote sums up the situation he finds himself in perfectly:

"He had to travel to a distant land to deliver an important letter, and all he had was the clothes on his back. And his tattered robe was far from suitable for such a long journey. He had no weapons, no money and no horse. People thought he was a thief. And what was more, he had dangerous enemies: the Red Riders and their leader, the Black Knight with the Red Shield."

A wonderful, epic adventure that takes the usual fantasy themes and skillfully weaves them into a charming and exciting novel with interesting characters and well written and easy to understand politics going on behind the scenes to add depth. The characters, both Tiuri himself and those he meets, each have their own personalities and internal struggles that make them interesting, and Tiuri's attempts to differentiate friends from enemies are certainly challenging. The constant threat that hangs over him is never far away and the suspense keeps you hanging till the last page as he tries to survive, and wonders what might be waiting for him at home if he does.

There are also lovely black and white illustrations at the beginning of every part that suit the atmosphere of desperation perfectly.

I was disappointed to discover at the end of this book that the sequel hasn't been released in English yet (although the story isn't left on a cliffhanger), but hopefully it will be soon.

"There was indeed sorrow in his eyes, but that seemed to be part of his character. It was the melancholy of a man who knows and understands a great deal, and so cannot be light-hearted."

"There will always be something that you miss, whether you leave now or stay here. All throughout our lives, we must keep saying goodbye." show less