Customer Reviews

THE QUEST for EXCALIBUR

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

 

 

I have always loved stories that connect me to the magical era of King Arthur. This book is a great read. It is obvious to me that Harris has done a great deal of research, and it shows. I understand that her next book is equally dedicated to reserach. I also loved the flow of this story...so much so that it inspired me to write a non-fiction narrartive. Angelica is a wonderful author, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a touch of magic backed up by solid history.

I really enjoyed reading Quest for Excalibur. Author Angelica Harris has truly put her heart and soul into this novel, writing the tale of an overwhelmed but loving mother with family health problems who struggles to get away from it all - which mirrors Harris' true life situation. In the story, Arianna is whisked away to the past where she confronts King Arthur and the prized sword - Excalibur. A true history buff, Arianna knows what will happen next even before the King, and comes to know and love the people she comes to meet. The fighting sequences are well developed, as are the details of Arianna's broken spirit and newly revived gusto for life. Not knowing much about King Arthur myself, I learned everything I now know from this book. Harris makes the reader feel as if they are whisked away to the 5th century themselves, as she brings the characters to life. The story is easy to read and not bogged down with historical details. Instead, the historical details subtly arise through dialogue and action. I recommend this book to readers of all ages. It is a story of hope and survival and renewing your love for life and family.

With courageous strokes, great passion and a fire for honor, Arianna Lawrence fights for her family from the present by journeying back in time and fighting for the people of Camelot. A beautiful story for people of all ages, "The Quest for Excalibur" takes us back in time to the legend of the Sword in the Stone, the Knights of the Round Table, Arthur, Galahad and Merlin. Our favorite figures are reborn in the telling of this magical tale that unites answers from the past with questions of today. A book for Mothers in need of adventure, Husbands who wish to awaken the spirit of their wives and young audiences that love the thrill of the Arthurian legend, "The Quest for Excalibur" is a book to be revered for its courage, and Angelica Harris, a writer to be honored for having the courage to expose her truth.

Robin M. Buehler
6308 Liberty Ave
Mays Landing NJ 08330
rbueh5672aol.com
words: 685
Book: The Quest for Excalibur
Written by Angelica Harris
ISN: 1418435244
The Quest for Excalibur has the appeal of an enchanted tale that weaves the author's knowledge about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table with a tale about a woman who wants to be appreciated for being there for her family but isn't until she is swept away to Camelot, leaving behind her husband and kids to care for themselves in Modern Day London.
The premise of the book is enchanting, and aches, as the protagonist does, to be appreciated and for the book to be considered a classic that it has the characteristic of being. The book definitely rings true of being a great read, or magic of being just that - a classic, but lacks the grit in some areas of the book to achieve the book's and author's fullest potential.
An attributing factor to this, in my opinion, is poor editing of the book by those associated with the publishing firm that released Quest for Excalibur in April 2004.
Within the first quarter of the book, for example, there are a couple of spelling errors. Its is used instead of the rightful it's and waste was used instead of waist. Even though the first is a common mistake, the second isn't. However, what kept me from giving this book higher than the four out of five stars rating is largely due to areas where I thought the book was lacking.
I'll admit. I am not as knowledgeable about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Unlike the author, Angelica Harris, I haven't read any of the other books on King Arthur, Camelot or the Knights of the Round Table; I haven't done research on the history of that legend, or seen many of the movies on the subject. Having said that, I feel that some brief history could have been expressed or shown more for those, like myself, without minimal amount of knowledge. This could have easily been done when Arianna first arrives in London with her family. On the jacket, it states that she is an expert on the subject, yet it is only hinted throughout the book. This could have easily been rectified during her flight to London with her family who, in turn, could have shown a lack of interest and again when she meets up with the mysterious Edmund, or when they went to the Museum of Knights near the end of the novel.
Showing a little more of the tension between Arianna and her family, of how they didn't really appreciate her - even though, again, it was hinted at - could have explained why she didn't want to leave Camelot when it was time for her to return to her family in modern day London. It could have easily been addressed a couple of times when they first arrived in London; take as an example when she went to go horseback riding. Her grumpy, unappreciative husband could have grumbled over how he couldn't understand her interest in riding or seeing the ruins of Camelot, etc.
It could have also been easily shown in the scene where her husband is left to supervise the kids at the hotel, worrying why she's taking so long with her horseback riding, not knowing the truth behind her whereabouts.
Needless to say, there were areas of the book where Angelica did show this. Near the end of the book, when Edmund, a.k.a. Merlin, had taken the family to the Museum of Nights and Joseph began to act out, irritating his father to the point that he demanded to leave.
Examples of this sprinkled through the first half of the book, could have allowed the reader feel Arianna's pain more and understand why she felt at home at 6th Century Camelot.
I wish the author the best of luck with her endeavors, however. Should she decided to go with another publishing firm, I would hope that she would have that publishing firm run this book as an imprint (if that's the right word) so that the book could get the attention and appreciation that it deserves from the reading public.

With courageous strokes, great passion and a fire for honor, Arianna Lawrence fights for her family from the present by journeying back in time and fighting for the people of Camelot. A beautiful story for people of all ages, "The Quest for Excalibur" takes us back in time to the legend of the Sword in the Stone, the Knights of the Round Table, Arthur, Galahad and Merlin. Our favorite figures are reborn in the telling of this magical tale that unites answers from the past with questions of today. A book for Mothers in need of adventure, Husbands who wish to awaken the spirit of their wives and young audiences that love the thrill of the Arthurian legend, "The Quest for Excalibur" is a book to be revered for its courage, and Angelica Harris, a writer to be honored for having the courage to expose her truth.