The Forever King [Hardcover]

Molly Cochran (Author), Warren Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992

Determined to possess the Holy Grail, Saladin, a dark sorcerer, kidnaps ten-year-old Arthur Pendragon, who possesses the Grail, and it is up to Hal, a former FBI agent, to rescue the young king and save Camelot. By the authors of Grandmaster. 75,000 first printing. $50,000 ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cochran and Murphy's ( Grandmaster ) new novel melds two plots, one taking place in Arthurian England, where the evil knight Saladin is trying to gain possession of the Holy Grail and make himself immortal, and the other set in the modern world, where the evil knight Saladin, now a mental patient, is again seeking the Grail and immortality. is trying to gain posses sion of the Holy Grail and thus become immortal. The Arthurian section is well written, with some clever new twists on familiar characters, especially Merlin and Nimue. Rather than echoing the conventional portrayal of Nimue as a scheming enchantress who bespells and traps Merlin, the authors depict her as a naive young waif who becomes the wizard's adopted daughter and helps him foil Saladin's plans. But the chapters set in modern times, where Arthur is reincarnated as a 10-year-old boy, are embarrassingly trite, with two-dimensional characters who spout dialogue that would be considered cliched in a made-for-TV movie. There is always room in the fantasy genre for a good new Arthurian novel. This, unfortunately, is not it.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-- An unusual, creative intertwining of 20th-century adventure with Arthurian legend. Hal, an alcoholic, retired FBI agent (Sir Galahad) must protect ten-year-old Arthur Blessing (King Arthur) and the powerful Holy Grail from the madman Saladin (himself). Help comes from Mr. Taliesin (Merlin) and Excalibur. As the story unfolds, readers move rapidly back and forth through the centuries to numerous settings; it is necessary, but not too difficult, to remember where and when a character was last seen. Although everything is explained, some prior knowledge of the Arthurian romances is helpful. Characterization is especially well done. There are sharp contrasts between the good and evil individuals while maintaining the duality of traits required since each character is actually two people in one. Teens should not be disheartened by the age of young Arthur. He is mature, and his age is easy to forget. A fun romp through history.
- Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High Sch . , Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 364 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312852274
• ISBN-13: 978-0312852276
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming fantasy, April 11, 2000

By 

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Forever King (Arthur Legend 1) (Paperback)

This retelling of the Arthur myths succeeds on every count that a good fantasy should-- we have the wounded hero, the eternal wizard, the child of destiny, and the troubled villain. Oh yes, we also have the Holy Grail. The Forever King asks the question about what would happen if Arthur and the grail come together again, this time in 20th century America. It asks it very well.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars As another reviewer put it, "Entertaining... fluff.", March 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Forever King (Arthur Legend 1) (Paperback)

Overall, a fun read--a bit on the predictable side but the characters were engaging. Good airport reading.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable, mystical book., March 22, 2003

By 

Jennifer Terry (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Forever King (Arthur Legend 1) (Paperback)

I've enjoyed this book over and over. An intriguing and fascinating romp through history and fantasy. The official reviewer obviously has no imagination! Perhaps one of my most favorite books of my adulthood.