The Pendragon Legacy #1: Sword of Light by Katherine Roberts

My name is Rhianna, and my father King Arthur has been murdered by his nephew Mordred. I didn't know my father existed until Merlin came to Avalon with his body. I must retrieve Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, and then I must travel to Camelot. The magic sword may be able to return my father to the throne, but Mordred's forces are searching for me everywhere. I rescued one of Arthur's knights from torture, but I was touched by the black arm of Mordred, the arm Arthur severed in battle. The evil magic from Mordred's mother makes the limb dangerous, and his forces surround Camelot. How am I to motivate Arthur's soldiers to follow me, since they all think I'm a weak, red-headed girl? The only thing that will convince them is getting my hands on Excalibur.

I was surprised to see a number of reviewers on Goodreads did not finish this book, but it seems like they were reading it from an adult's perspective. The book was written for middle grade kids, and it's a perfect fantasy for them. Rhianna was a great main character, as she was thrust into the role of King Arthur's unknown heir. She was determined to stop Mordred even though she just found out about her father. In addition, Merlin disappeared from the plot pretty quickly, so Rhianna was left to experience the "real" world on her own. She was probably too brave for her own good, but she behaved like a leader. Elphin was a fairy from Avalon and supported Rhianna's character with his magic harp. He was selfless and would do anything to help her. During a stressful stretch of the plot, he continued playing his harp even though his fingers were bleeding. Excalibur was the key to Rhianna's hopes, but it came with complications. Mordred had a connection to the hilt, so his image was able to pop up and present challenges. In addition, the blade's magic would be lost if any blood touched it. Imagine how difficult it would be to enter a battle knowing you can't use your weapon to hurt anyone. I really enjoyed the book, but unfortunately my library system doesn't offer any other books in the series.