Crispin: At the Edge of the World

Rather than build on the events of the first novel, this sequel just spends the entire time fleeing them. This pointless road trip has Crispin and Bear on the run from one place to another, meeting random people and being buffeted by circumstance, always reacting, never advancing. And the point where Avi chooses to stop writing -- not an actual ending, mind you -- is just miserable.

I have no desire to read the last book in the series, especially since summaries and reviews make it sound even worse than this one.

This trilogy follows Crispin, a 13-year-old peasant boy in medieval England, as he is accused of a crime he didn't commit and hunted down by the steward of his area for reasons he can't fathom. He meets friends and allies as well as enemies, hunger, and despair. A riveting saga by a skilled author that kept me fully engaged. It deals with the great discrepancy between the poor and wealthy and the educated and ignorant in the feudal system of Medieval England, as well as the dominance of the superstitions of the Catholic church at the time. The first book won the Newbery Medal in 2003.

Content considerations:
Somewhat graphic in descriptions of death, battle, and wounds
The characters pray to and swear by God, Jesus, Mary, and many saints show more and devils show less

Evocative depictions of coastal raiding going both ways in the Hundred Years' War make a compelling backdrop for the continuation of Crispin's tale. But again, the ending is improbable and ridiculous. The new bad guy's strategy for taking a treasure from a fortified church (good description!) is so bad, even I could have beaten him at a game of checkers. For similar reasons, once the two young heroes gained the interior of the church, they could have organized a counter-tactic with the defenders in about ten minutes, and been more likely to save their friend as well as the day.

Also - again - why is this a series, out in three books? The tale could easily fit in one volume and thus be cheaper for public libraries and school libraries to show more buy. Oh! I get it. show less

Crispin's adventures in 14 th century England continue in this sequel to the Newbery Award winner, Crispin: The Cross of Lead. Crispin and his mentor Bear have escaped one set of troubles only to plunge immediately into another. Pursued and injured by members of Bear's former Brotherhood who unjustly accuse him of betraying them, the two escape into a forest. There they find refuge with an old pagan healer, Aude, and her disfigured apprentice, Troth. After Aude is brutally killed by vengeful villagers, Bear, Crispin and Troth are on the run again, making their way to the coast where they intend to sail to a kinder land. Things don't turn out as they hoped – Bear is not fully healed, and the ship they take gets caught in a deadly show more storm, stranding them on the shore of Brittany where they are captured by a rogue band of British soldiers.

The times are grim and violent and the people often superstitious and cruel. But the deep relationships between the main characters and the adventure-filled plot (and the fine writing) make this a wonderful read. We'll look forward to the third in the series! show less

The second book in the Crispin trilogy is notably weaker than the first as far as the plot goes. While the first was focused, concise, and always moving forward with a tremendous amount happening for a book of this length, At the Edge of the World felt too loose. The story line amounted to little more than Bear and Crispin running away from those hunting them.
I did appreciate the addition of Troth though. Early in the book, Crispin and Bear meet Troth, an orphaned girl, who is smart, loyal, and kind, but very ugly, due largely to a hare lip, and due to that, extremely shy as well. Troth grew on me very quickly, and I was glad she was not left behind when Crispin and Bear moved on.
Still, I'm hoping the final volume of the trilogy will be show more a bit more focused and purposeful. show less

He was a nameless orphan, marked for death by his masters for an unknown crime. Discovering his name -- Crispin -- only intensified the mystery. Then Crispin met Bear, who helped him learn the secret of his full identity.
And in Bear -- the enormous, red-bearded juggler, sometime spy, and everyday philosopher -- Crispin also found a new father and a new world. Now Crispin and Bear have set off to live their lives as free men. But they don't get far before their past catches up with them:
To find freedom and safety, they may have to travel to the edge of the world -- even if it means confronting death itself. In this riveting sequel to the Newbery-Award winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead -- the second book in a planned trilogy -- Avi show more explores themes of war, religion, and family as he continues the adventures of Crispin and Bear. show less

The adventures of Crispin and Bear continue exactly where they left off: as they are leaving the town of Great Wexly. Things are going badly for Bear, who had been beaten nearly to death in the last book. They stop at a farmhouse to purchase some ale and are confronted by one of Ball's brotherhood, who fears that Bear has betrayed them. As they flee from him,, he shoots Bear in the arm with an arrow. Fearing for the life of his new found father, Crispin accepts the help of an old hag and her deformed foster daughter. What will become of them? Is the hag a witch? Can Crispin find it within himself to trust these two strange creatures? Crispin tackles with the prejudices and suspicions he has inherited from the little religious show more instruction he has been given and struggles to act as he thinks a man should.
Once again, Avi offers up a fast paced gripping adventure story set in the middle ages. My only quibble with it is that it was not long enough. I mean really not long enough. The conclusion seems abrupt and the characters are left dangling in a limbo of semi self-realization. It feels as if the author got up from the desk to get some coffee and forgot to come back. Hopefully another sequel will be on the way to pick up the ball. show less