In the beginning of the story, I was very interested. However, by the middle of the book, it was a struggle to finish reading. It starts with Carl being the central character and we walk along with him to see how he views his father, the great Charlemagne. Toward the end of the book, it felt more like Carl was just a minor character and then his father was the central figure. Some story lines would have been better to been ignored, such as the awkward relationship of Charlemagne and his daughters; never allowing them to marry. This author chose to paint it as one daughter runs off for a secret wedding, and we see Carl help her and he wonders what his father's reaction would be. Unfortunately, we are never shown that. Later, the author says Charlemagne still ignored the husband and was constantly sending him away on assignments. We see Carl wishing so much to be married, but the author never really completes that storyline to satisfaction. My daughter is an avid reader and she did not like this book at all. She claimed it to be boring. I can't say it was boring, because I did love the description of what life was like back then, but can't recommend it.

My son who is 10 enjoyed this book very much. It was required reading for his home school curriculum, but he couldn't read it fast enough. We all enjoyed it!

This book was a very informative book, yet it was writen in a way that makes you want to continue reading. It is about the son of Charlemagne, Carl, and his rise to the throne as his father prepares him to take on great responsibilities.