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Title: Knight Life by Peter David ISBN: 0-441-01077-6 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 24 June, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.59 (17 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Fun and entertaining.
Comment: What if King Arthur came back today? And what if instead of being the king of England, he did something radically different--such as run for mayor of New York City?
Those questions serve as the premise for Peter David's first novel, Knight Life. For years, Knight Life was hard to find--its popularity among David fans is well-known. Thankfully, David has ended the long searches through used bookstores by updating his novel and releasing it again in hardcover for a new generation of fans to pick up and enjoy.
If you like Peter David's usual writing style, you're in for a treat here. David pays homage to the basic tenants of the Arthurian legend while putting his own, comic spin on a lot of it. David has apparently done his homework and done it well, but he doesn't take it so seriously that he can't have some fun with it. There are a lot of absolutely laugh-out loud sequences in the book, from the Lady of the Lake rising up in Central Park and being covered with trash to the running joke about Merlyn's reverse aging and looking like a teenager.
This modern-day retelling of the Arthur story works very well and you can see the joy that David has in writing it. Some passages seem to be in the same vein as William Goldman's The Princess Bride. David pays homage, but also pokes holes in the coventions of the stories he is re-telling, just as he did last year with his great Sir Appropos of Nothing.
If you've a Peter David fan, this is a must-read. If you've heard good things about him, start here and then head on to Sir Apropos and Imazadi. All of them are great stories by a great author.
Rating: 4
Summary: A Well-Told Tale
Comment: As usual, Peter David manages to mingle his dry wit with the fantastic to produce a very satisfying tale. Having never read the original edition of this book, published many years ago, I can't compare the two. This expanded edition (expanded by some 30,000-plus words, according to the introduction) is a lot of fun.
Arthur Pendragon, King of the Britons, returns to life in the present day and runs for Mayor of New York City. With him are his perpetual advisor Merlin (whose odd habit of living his life backwards has reduced him to the form of a young boy), the immortal knight Percival (whom history neglected to mention was a Moor) and the reincarnate of his beloved Guienivere. Of course, old enemies Morgan Le Fay and Modred return to cause trouble as well.
The book is a nice satire of modern life and politics as well as a fun adventure yarn. I also appreciated David dotting the landscape of his New York with characters named after his colleages in the comic book world (Louise Simonson, Jim Owsley, etc.) It's the best sort of inside joke -- the kind that those who aren't in on it will never know was a joke and that those who are in on it will smile in appreciation and keep reading.
The sole misstep, I felt, came in a press conference scene where Arthur began outlining political positions which I suspect were crafted to reflect David's own. While this is certainly within his rights as an author, it seemed rather blatant and distracting to me.
Other than that, a great story, and I can't wait for the sequel.
Rating: 5
Summary: Never too old or overdone?
Comment: Arthur returns, released from his mythical cave, with Merlin by his side, they tackle politics in New York City. The author is a liberal New Yorker, so he has given Arthur his same views on abortion, capital punishment and gun control---all of which Arthur spouts his opinion of on streetcorners and statues.
Full of action and humor, a bit of romance, yucko he goes for Guinevere, why does this guy want to make the same mistake twice?
But see how he moved me just there? :)
This is a lot of fun; I recommend it and am looking forward to reading more by this author.
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Title: One Knight Only by Peter David ISBN: 0441010571 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: The Woad to Wuin: Sir Apropos of Nothing Book 2 by Peter David ISBN: 0743448324 Publisher: Pocket Star Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David ISBN: 0743412346 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Tong Lashing : The Continuing Adventures of Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David ISBN: 0743449126 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: No Limits (Star Trek New Frontier) by Peter David ISBN: 0743477073 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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