Book Review: The Wizard's Dog by Eric Kahn Gale

The Wizard's Dog by Eric Kahn Gale is a children's fantasy that gives a fresh twist to Arthurian legends. Nosewise is spunky, curious, and just so happens to be a dog.  He cannot understand why his pack mates Merlin and Morgana spend all day practicing magic tricks. If it’s a trick they want, he’s the dog to ask! He can already Sit!, Stay!, and Roll Over! But there’s no way Nosewise is Stay!ing when his master and best friend, Merlin, is kidnapped. There’s nothing Nosewise won’t do to get Merlin back, even if it means facing the strange Fae people and their magic-eating worms, or tangling with the mysterious Sword in the Stone. But it may take more than sniffing out a spell to do it! Nosewise’s hilarious escapades and steadfast loyalty get him and his companions through King Arthur’s Dark Ages.

The Wizard's Dog is a grand magical adventure featuring some of my favorite classic characters, all from a dog's point of view. I loved Nosewise's character, and the illustrations and cover image of him just made him even more endearing. The danger, deception, and magic are well written, and engaging without being so dire that more sensitive readers will be turned off the book. I think the character development of Morgana and Arthur was very well done. The only thing that could have made it better was more depth for Merlin, but since he is such a iconic character I can let that go.

I have always been a fan of Arthurian legends, and The Wizard's Dog gives my favorite story a fun new twist. I absolutely loved the canine point of view and will be adding this to my school library's collect as soon as possible. I only wish I had opened this digital galley and read it much earlier! I hope to find the time to go back and read the author's other two books to see if they entertain me as much.