The raid centered on his home and appeared to be due to the presence of the jewels, known to very few. With only a handful of family and servants even knowing about the treasure, suspicion is high, and Cerdic is almost sure the traitor is his young servant Aedann. It colors most of his actions in the coming months. With his father’s injury, it is up to Cerdic, his friends and a group of warriors to rescue his sister and return the stolen items. Little do they know that they are on the brink of war. Can they find Mildrith and rescue her without becoming embroiled in even more battles and death? Can they stave off death and keep their home and land from further war and bloodshed?
The Amber Treasure is a wonderful coming of age novel, full of action and bravado. Cerdic is embroiled in an attempt to find his sister and get revenge for his brother’s death. He is brave with a wonderful group of friends who believe in him. He is brash and sometimes outspoken, but with his youth, his thoughts and ideas are often ignored. We see him grow in this book and Denning does an excellent job of describing him, as you would expect of a boy learning to become a man. He tires of battle and death quickly and yet understands it may be his role in life. He seems wise for his age and it does not take long for many of the battle-hardened warriors to begin to learn to trust him a bit.
His friends are both brave and funny. There is something about both their bravery and antics that is endearing, and makes you want to have friends just like them. The descriptions are strong and you can picture them in your mind as they frantically follow Cerdic’s lead.
The battle scenes are well written. They feel both real and down to earth. The scenery and sounds are described in such a fashion; you can feel the heat and smell the sweat and blood. You can virtually hear the clang of the armor and the snorts of the horses as the battles engage. It is really quite exciting.
The Amber Treasure is a great read for the young adult reader; it is full of historical facts along with just enough fiction to keep it entertaining. A fun and exciting read, it will also resonate with the young at heart reader who enjoys historical fiction with action and intrigue.
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