Sophia the Flame Sister by Amber Castle

Spell Sisters, book 1. Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN: 9780857072474.
Sophia the Flame Sister is the first of the Spell Sister series. The prologue introduces the readers to Niveve, the Lady of the Lake and Morgana Le Fay and sets the scene for the events which follow. Sounding familiar? Yes . . . all the elements of a young Arthur's story with a twist.
The main character Gwen is a feisty Guinevere who would prefer to be out with the boys, one of whom is Arthur, than learn to curtsey and be a lady. Her adventures begin when, with her cousin Flora, she ventures deep in to the magical forest arriving at the Lake. Here she is charged with saving Avalon by rescuing the Spell Sisters who have been captured and hidden in various parts of the kingdom by the ambitious Morgana.
With touches of magic and bravery this is a story young girls will enjoy. Gwen and Flora are engaging characters and Morgana bad enough that she leaves the reader wondering what the next adventure will bring. This is helped by a sneak peek chapter for the next book at the end to whet the reader's appetite.
This series will appeal to the girls who have read the Rainbow Fairies and are looking for a different sort of magic. The parallels with the stories of a young Arthur may be missed on this age group, but as an adult it is nice to think that maybe Guinevere had an adventurous childhood.
Sue Keane