The Knights of the Cornerstone [Hardcover]

James P. Blaylock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2008

An exquisite novel of fantasy from a “true one-of-a-kind original” (Neil Gaiman).

Calvin Bryson has hidden himself away from the world, losing himself in his work and his collection of rare and quirky books. He never meant to let so much time go by without visiting his aunt and uncle in the tiny town of New Cyprus, California. When he gets there, he’ll discover the town’s strange secrets and a mysterious group dedicated to preserving and protecting holy relics—a modernday incarnation of the legendary Knights Templar

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Blaylock's contemporary fantasy thriller features an intriguing and convincing reluctant hero, amiable cartoonist Calvin Bryson. Bryson's quiet life gets a jolt when his uncle, Al Lymon, invites him to visit New Cyprus, the isolated home of the mysterious Knights of the Cornerstone. Bryson's cousin also sends him a package to take to Lymon, but before Bryson makes it to New Cyprus, the parcel is stolen. Only afterward does Bryson learn it was a decoy, intended to mask the transport of the genuine Veil of Veronica, a legendary relic with magical properties. The plot line begins to sound familiar when Bryson falls for a childhood friend, but as the Knights and their enemies battle for control of the veil, Blaylock (The Digging Leviathan) bolsters the predictable climax with solid prose, summing to an enjoyable read. (Dec.)
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About the Author

Among other things James Blaylock writes, teaches creative writing, and occasionally builds sets for local community and children’s theatres. He is the author of some sixteen novels and scores of short stories and essays.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ace Hardcover; 1 edition (December 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441016537
• ISBN-13: 978-0441016532
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,367,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lighthearted adventure through the eyes of a cartoonist, December 28, 2008

By 

Ben Kizer "BKDJ" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Knights of the Cornerstone (Hardcover)

Calvin Bryson is a relatively reclusive cartoonist who hides away in his Southern California home, spending his days reading quirky books and maintaining his collection of "Californiana." Recently breaking up with his fiance, he receives a letter from his uncle and aunt in New Cyprus, a small town in the desert where the borders of California, Arizona and Nevada meet. They'd like him to come visit, which Calvin is reluctant to at first until he receives a package from his distant cousin in Iowa with the request to bring it to his relatives in New Cyprus. Thus Calvin heads out to deliver the package and learns about the Knights of the Cornerstone, a secret society which his uncle belongs to that collects artifacts and is involved in many other unknown mysteries which Calvin becomes a part of.

This book is good, light reading with likeable characters, fast moving action and lots of witty humor. It fits the Blaylock model of writing with its realistic setting sprinkled with fantastical elements. I sense a new series with Calvin and the Knights on the horizon, as I felt there was remaining stories to be told. More description on the Knights would have been nice, but if this becomes a series, the future books could be used for that. Overall, it's nice to have new James Blaylock novel after almost nine years of not having one. If you want an enjoyable book that's not too deep and easy to read, pick up Knights of the Cornerstone.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Return of Blaylock, December 8, 2008

By 

rampageous_cuss (Under Billy Penn's Hat) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Knights of the Cornerstone (Hardcover)

OK, so he hasn't REALLY been away - but if you know this author, you know he's had a couple of distinct "periods" - whimsy-and-wizardry, steampunk-silliness, contemporary-fantasy, ghosts-of-California. With this novel, Blaylock returns to the contemporary fantasy genre he last visited in 1995 with "All The Bells On Earth." If you enjoy Neil Gaiman or Charles De Lint, if you liked John Crowley's "Little, Big" or "Aegypt," or Blaylock's own "The Last Coin," "The Paper Grail," or "The Digging Leviathan," you're sure to enjoy the adventures of hapless cartoonist Cal Bryson as he finds himself juggling a miraculous artifact, a mystic feud between a secret society of California-desert eccentrics and a killer occultist, and a budding relationship with a shrewd waitress with a keen feel for his foibles.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome back Mr. Blaylock, December 21, 2008

By 

Phillip C. Mccollum (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Knights of the Cornerstone (Hardcover)

This is the first Blaylock book I've read outside of the "Cheeser" series (His earliest works). It's also the first full-fledged novel from Mr. Blaylock in about 9 years. That being said, I was unsure of what to expect since he changed genres.

I felt that the book could have used some more history on the Knights, but maybe that is being saved for another book. I could also see Calvin Bryson, an unassuming hero, being a central character in future series.

Overall, I found the book to be very entertaining, but I know part of that is because I'm very familiar with the area where the story mainly takes place. Though without that level of intimacy, I still believe the story stands on its own.