Customer Reviews

Forever King

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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

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.

The Forever King is about the conflict over the Grail between the opposing forces of Arthur and Saladin. While that is all very well in the past, in the present setting of the book, Arthur has been reincarnated as a young boy and Saladin is a loony bin type of resident.

Merlin is a constant, and the character of the ingenue, Nimue is here represented as being on the side of Arthur and the Grail.

I loved this book. It was enthralling, so much so that I read it in an entire day. I can't wait to read more about these characters.

My phone rang about 10:30 last night; it was a friend of mine thanking me for recommending "The Forever King". He's not a big reader and had already flown through 8 chapters by the time he called. That's what has been happened ever since I first read the book, which I think was around 1994, and began recommending it to people. I worked my way through two paperback copies, passing it to so many that the covers fell off. People started writing their names in the back of one copy...leaving their own mark on the book. I think there were nine signatures. I managed to get my hands on a hardcover, but that one doesn't leave the house. The response, universally, is one of excitement mixed with pure childlike enthusiasm. "I can't believe how good this book is" followed by a sort of giddy laugh. I know it sounds hokey, but its completely true. I've also heard a lot of statements akin to "this is the best book I've ever read." Well, I might not go that far, but it certainly is among the most heartfelt and entertaining fantasies I've ever come across. I can't wait for my nephews to get a little older to introduce a new generation to this wonderful treasure.

The summer before my senior year of high school, I had to read this book. I was not looking forward to this because I don't really like fantasy books and I don't usually understand them. I waited until two days before school started to read this and it took only one day. This book did not drag, confuse, or talk about things that a normal high school girl wouldn't understand. The modern take of the story of King Arthur kept me enthralled. When I got to school I found out everyone enjoyed it as much as I did!

Unlike the Kirkus Review, which has obviously set its standards sky-high, I found 'The Forever King' to have a firm grasp of the Arthurian legend and an intriging reinterpretation. The characters are very real and believable, and the plot flows easily along. Saladin, the villian of this story, is cruel, but utterly realistic. One flaw the Kirkus reviewers believed they had found was the amount of coincidences that bring together the characters and help the plot move along. What they neglected to notice was the fact that they are not coincidences at all, but the work of both Taliesin and the grail itself. For instance, the reviewers thought it odd that Arthur finds the Grail in what is an apparent coincidence. We later learn, however, that Arthur is the Once and Future King and that the Grail is naturally attracted to him as he is its rightful owner.

'The Future King', and its sequel 'The Broken Sword' take the Arthurian legend and update it and its principal characters to the 20th century. The language is descriptive and lyrical, and weaves a taut story that keeps you in suspense until you finish the novel. And then, of course, you start the sequel.

Unlike the Kirkus Review, which has obviously set its standards sky-high, I found 'The Forever King' to have a firm grasp of the Arthurian legend and an intriging reinterpretation. The characters are very real and believable, and the plot flows easily along. Saladin, the villian of this story, is cruel, but utterly realistic. One flaw the Kirkus reviewers believed they had found was the amount of coincidences that bring together the characters and help the plot move along. What they neglected to notice was the fact that they are not coincidences at all, but the work of both Taliesin and the grail itself. For instance, the reviewers thought it odd that Arthur finds the Grail in what is an apparent coincidence. We later learn, however, that Arthur is the Once and Future King and that the Grail is naturally attracted to him as he is its rightful owner.

'The Future King', and its sequel 'The Broken Sword' take the Arthurian legend and update it and its principal characters to the 20th century. The language is descriptive and lyrical, and weaves a taut story that keeps you in suspense until you finish the novel. And then, of course, you start the sequel.

Hal, an ex-FBI agent, runs into an old man on the street who gives him a ticket to a game show. Hal goes, gets chosen to participate, and even wins a trip to England! In the meantime, Arthur, a 10-year old kid in New York, finds a small cup that makes him feel good. But Arthur isn't the only one interested in the cup, and soon he and his aunt find themselves running for their lives. This is an interesting new take on the old King Arthur legend as legendary characters get reborn into modern society and must lead the life they were born to live. We also get new insights into the character of Merlin, or Taliesin.

I thought this book was a lot of fun. It certainly wasn't serious fantasy, but the characters were interesting and the plot was unique. There was enough action to keep the book going, and there was even one gratuitous sex scene to keep things interesting. This is a new story on an old theme and well worth reading. I liked the sequel, The Broken Sword, more than I liked this book but I thought they were both fun.

I would recommend this book to any King Arthur fan, especially those who would like to see a new and unique twist on the old myth. I would also recommend it to fans of urban fantasy, where characters here in our world aren't always what they seem.