Customer Reviews

For King & Country

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book takes alternate history and time travel to new places. Scientifically transfering only consiosness to the past, where you share the body with the present inhabitant.
Place in the mix a former SAS officer, recovering from injuries suffered in Belfast, a rogue Orangeman set to kill off the Irish and English pre-emptively, and a heroic woman working for the IRA.
The pace is quick, and little time is spent groping, more is spent doing. An excellent read.

This book attempts to answer that question, using the method of Time Travel?

Science Fiction is really the art of applying unknown, unlikely, or future science to human stories. In order for a book to be good, it has to draw you in. I like stories that deal with the interaction of humans with one another, and this started out as a story of troubles in the United Kingdom, between the IRA and the Orangemen. Into this conflict the science, in this case a time transfer device (not a true time machine) which is capable of moving one's consciousness to a host in the selected time period is brought.

There are three primary protagonists that utilize this technology to move to the time of Arthurian legend in the British Isles. The technology chooses a host that is most compatible with the personality of the person traveling. After that, science is rarely dwelt upon.

As it is of Arthurian legend, one of the people is hosted by Ancelotis (Lancelot), and one by Morganna (Morgan la Fey), and the final one is hosted by a minstrel. The three protagonists are Captain Trevor Stirling of the SAS, a member of the Cumann na mBann (an organization I had not previously heard of), and a radical Orangeman. Is Captain Stirling going to be able to stop actions that could change the future? Well that's the basis, but that is not the interesting part of the book.

What is interesting is the authors' take on the land and the primary characters of Arthurian legend. By taking the perspective of a standard 20th century person, and throwing them into an unknown world, they are able to point out some things that might have happened that we don't know about. This is very good speculative fiction, and in the authors' writings, perhaps the time of Arthur was indeed much more advanced than historians believe. Maybe the dark ages concealed something that we only know of in legends.

This was an enjoyable read that allows one's imagination to soar with reasonable leeway. I quite enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the legends of Britain's Arthur.

Running a close second to Time Scount and The House that Jack Built I enjoyed this new time travel adventure and hoped it would become a series.

Unlike the Time Scout series, there is only one time jump in this novel. With elements of suspense and intrigue, we join SAS Captain Trevor Stirling as he travels into the past to King Arthurs time to trap a suspected IRA agent.

As with the Time Scout series it is a fun, fast read with imaginative writing and enjoyable characters.

This is a time travel story which kicks off in a near future Northern Ireland where the troubles have re-started and got much worse. IRA and Orange terrorists are killing people from one another's communities and both of them turning on the British authorities.

While recuperating after being blown up by a "loyalist" bomb, S.A.S. Captain Trevor Stirling is asked to investigate some unusual goings on at a secret research establishment, which is apparently attracting interest from the IRA. The establishment is studying a form of time travel: it is impossible to move material objects back but human minds can be sent back in time and join a "host" human of the same sex and roughly the same age.

Stirling has scarcely arrived when a member of staff at the research institute is murdered and two others have sent their minds back to the time of King Arthur. One of them, Brenna McEgan, turns out to have links to the IRA, the other, Cedric Bannon to the Orange paramilitaries. The Orangeman has left a note suggesting that the republican has gone back to try to change history and destroy everyone alive today.

Trevor Stirling goes back himself to try to prevent a change to the timeline: but what he does not know is whether it is really the IRA agent trying to change history or the Orangeman.

The time travel aspects of this book are rather silly and do not deal with the issue as well as the authors have managed in some of their other work. The best part of the book is the work the authors have done to recreate the world of the British Isles in about 500 AD, the time of Arthur, war Duke of the Britons. Part of the story is set in the ancient Kingdom of Rheged (Cumbria) and brings it brilliantly to life. If you happen to be in this part of the world and want to see more about it, there is a wonderful "Rheged discovery centre" on the A66 near Penrith.

I'm tempted to be critical of the cover, which shows a warrior in 5th century combat kit with a revolver in his waistband, which is specifically not how time travel works in the story: but then, how are you supposed to convey in a picture that someone has the mind of a person from 15 centuries in the future sharing his head ?

Overall this is entertaining and enjoyable if you don't take it too seriously. If you enjoy it, you may want to read some of the other stories of time travel by Robert Asprin and Linda Evans, particularly the "Time Scout" series which they wrote together, and "Far Edge of Darkness" by Linda Evans.

Another time travel story which you might appreciate if you enjoy this, also with two people going back in time, one trying to change history and one to preserve it, is Harry Harrison's "Rebel in Time."

It was my first read from Robert Asprin & Linda Evans.

You have the plot from the other reviewers, so I will give you my impressions.

This novel had meat to it. Too often I have read romance novels with nothing to them. This was a refreshing change!

The main character had ethics, feelings, conscience and a feeling of responsibility for the future and the past. He made a great leader.

Yes, the way he time-travelled is impossible, but doesn't time travel have to be? I have read of people going back in time with just a knock on the head!

If there was a novel by these authors that was similar, in a close time period, or a sequel, I would snatch it up. Alas, I have found nothing that compares.

I am reading Bernard Cornwall now, and although his battle scenes & politics are close to what we know as accurate, it still can't touch this juicy novel, which is anything but dry!

For King And Country made me rethink the whole Arthurian legend. After all, we really don't know what is true and what is not. The author gives us a fresh look. There are no fairytales in this book.

*****

The 'troubles' continue to tear Northern Ireland apart with the IRA and the Orangemen both killing and butchering one another while the British army tries to keep peace and managing only to wind up the target for both sides. When he's injured in an Orangeman bombing, Captain Trevor Stirling is sent back to Britain--where British intelligence indicates that the Irish terrorists intend to attempt the ultimate terrorist strike. British scientists have been researching time travel. If the IRA could go back in time, they might be able to change history in Ireland's favor--even if it meant a change in the fabric of time so complete that Stirling's present would be eradicated.

Stirling arrives too late. A scientist has already been murdered and two scientists, one Stirling's lead suspect, have headed back in time. Stirling follows--and finds himself in the era of 'King' Arthur.

The Arthur Stirling finds has little relation to the romantic fantasies spun by Medieval couriers. Instead, he and the British Kingdoms he fights for are battling Irish, Pict, and Saxon invaders, attempting to preserve Roman/Celtic civilization in Britain against great odds. Although Stirling is sympathetic to the British goals, complete defeat of the Saxons would transform history. But wouldn't the IRA love it if they could arrange for British Celts to defeat the Saxon invaders and ensure that the English conquest of Ireland never took place?

Authors Robert Asprin and Linda Evans build an intriguing story line out of a fascinating period in British (and world) history. Germanic invaders have destroyed the Western Roman Empire, but civilization remains. The British trade with Spain, Italy, what is now Russia, and even Constantinople. Their heavy cavalry makes them effective warriors against the Saxon infantry but the internal bickering between their many kingdoms leaves them open to attack. Asprin and Evans give us Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, Morgana, Gwain, and the others as they might have been (with Romanized rather than French names).

History buffs will note a few errors (e.g., Asprin/Evans refer to the Visigoth occupation of Italy when they should have said Ostrogoth). From a story perspective, I would have liked to see Stirling's confusion about the identity of the two visitors from the future matter more to the plot, and the resolution seemed to be a bit easy to me. Still, if, like me you're a fan of historical warfare and of how pivotal events in history influence the future, you'll want to read FOR KING AND COUNTRY.

If you are expecting the Robert Asprin of "Phule's
Company" or the "Myth" series, you'll be disappointed. The
Asprin whose "light" touch kept the "Thieves World" series
from unreadable heaviness is missing. This novel is
unrelentingly serious.
Too bad: A little comic relief might have helped the
book's Swiss-cheese plot and indecisive premise. SAS Captain
Trevor Stirling must pursue a villain back into time itself
to prevent the historical King Arthur's assassination.
Overthrowing Briton stability too early would mean Saxon
dominance and destruction of our present time line. The
villain, a militant Ulster Orangeman, plans to kill as many
Irish as possible and destroy a Britain that betrayed
Protestant Ulster. An IRA-sympathizing female mathematician
is pulled into his plot as a scapegoat.
And then the whole mess goes south.
Asprin's/Evans' time-travel premise is ridiculous. The
three personalities are projected into past compatible hosts
in 500 A.D. (Good trick: Even less possible than bodily time
travel, however.) Once in place, there is some conflict with
the "host" personality, but the authors repeatedly cheat on
their own concept. Does the host "know" everything the time
travelers know? If so, they would use it to benefit their
own kingdom. There is never once a battle of wills to
control the body that both inhabit. After the initial shock,
the two personalities never simultaneously try to use arms or

legs for different purposes. The invading personalities can
take over the host body, at exactly the most convenient plot
moments. Meanwhile, in the future, the time-travel
scientists can't figure out how to call the three back with
their computers before a (villainously) pre-set time limit
(not that a hundred hackers within a day's journey couldn't
do it.) From the book's mid-point, it is obvious that the
heroes are going help Arthur, changing history. Of course,
that would cause the major alteration they were trying to
prevent, but benign intentions prevent any harm. Sure.
Why, then, has this book received such high reviews?
Simply, Asprin and Evans present a realistic, accurate, alive
sixth century Britain. The writing is excellent and the
characters stongly bring Arthur's era to life. As a reader,
I wished that they'd skipped the gee-whiz time-projection
nonsense and stranded three moderns in Arthurian Britain for
keeps, glossing over the method entirely.
You will probably enjoy this book, but concentrate on
the action rather than the logic or science. A historical SF
purist will have trouble finishing it.

Though not exactly in the Time Scout series, I would place the tone of the book in that group. That series spins historical research with fantasy which leads to fun reading. You must keep in mind that it is fantasy though so that you don't have a problem with the method of time travel. Mark Twain can send someone back in Time with a simple method so why can't Mr. Asprin and Ms. Evans.

I personally haven't done research on the past that the authors show here, but the writing gives the impression that this is accurate. IThe story pulls you in and demands you to keep reading. I had a very difficult time setting down this book as I was continually intrigued by what they authors were going to do next.

This book is not a Myth book or a Phule book. I absolutely love those two series. They are fun and exciting to read over and over again. This book, though fantasy, has some serious subject matter-the brutality of not only present day N. Ireland but the viciousness of 500 AD Briton. But you can easily tell that all of the above books have that "Robert Asprinness" quality to it, plus it has the very nice touches of Linda Evans too.

I got this opened up the front page at the preview and right away the 8th word is cursing Jesus Christ my Saviour's name. I gave it one star for that and another for it might be a good read otherwise. But initial reaction is unimpressed and if this guy keeps it up I'm done with him for sure and Linda Evans.

I am not quite sure what this book is trying to accomplish? The main plot is that a modern-day Captain in the SAS is attempting to recover from wounds suffered during violent disturbances in Northern Ireland. He is sent to heal in a scientific community in Scottland where instead he ends up chasing IRA terrorists back in time to the times of Arthur. So, one would suppose that we would have two intermixed stories with the thriller of the SAS Captain interspersed with the historical events? Right?

That is kind of what takes place, but it is very fragmentary and confused, in my opinion. While the first couple of chapters set the stage, most of the middle part of the book looks at Arthurian politics. Because the authors decided to use this as an opportunity to teach historical lessons, we see a lot of explanations on how place names were different in AD 500; how confusing it must be for 20th century folks to understand the changes; how King Arthur's England was different than the legends; etc. While all this educating is taking place, there is very little movement on the plot. Every so often, the authors remember to tell us some tidbits about the 20th century folks who have time travelled, but in many cases these tidbits are rather confused. I cannot cite examples here as they will ruin the plotting for those who wish to read this story. But keep in mind that there are more story lines here than simply the first two. Maybe that is part of the confusion as we get mixed into more and more things. It definitely is not helpful to have all the names jumbled up. For instance, while Merlin never appears as Merlin, he is definitely present in the story line!

The pace of the book is rather languid because of all of this historical and geographical background. For instance, with all the strange sounding names, there is a scene in the middle of the book where each Britonnic kingdom explains its boundaries. This is important if you want to understand the lay of the land, but drags down the reading of the book immensely. Also, while all this is going on, we are left to wonder at the activities of the time travellers. We sometimes read segments from each of their viewpoints, but they tend to intersect so fitfully as to seem like a later addition to the book - in other words, afterthoughts. The pace does pick up in the final 100 pages when the climactic battle and its aftermath approach. That last part was quite fun to read and finally brought the whole thing to something seeming like a coherent story line. The Epilogue also leaves you hanging a bit, but I suspect that is to leave room for the authors to expand this book into an ongoing series. Unfortunately, one of the authors (Asprin) has since died, so this expansion will not happen. I gave this book three stars because of its confusing aspects.