This is a well-told spy adventure combining Arthurian legend, fairy folk, Celtic mythology and modern mystery. Tyson has assembled an interesting cast of characters that all seem to fit as you read on. It is a compelling read with plenty of action and daring-do. I am looking forward to the sequel(s). ( )

published-2013, mythology, e-book, autumn-2013, librarything-giveaway, cover-hate, britain-england, britain-wales
Recommended to Bettie by: LibraryThing

Gwir yn erbyn byd.
Truth against the world.

Welsh Bardic motto.

Dedication: With thanks to Doris Rodin and Hilary Metcalf Costa – Two superior mentors forty years apart

Preface opening: Bedwyr Abbey, County Powys, Wales, March 2037

At first it was just a dry spell, something that only farmers and weathermen talked about. But the dry spell became a drought and the drought became a disaster and, in less than a decade, Great Britain was surviving on glacier melt that was shipped in from Greenland.

Peter Quince sets off in search of Arthur Redux.

For such a messy, over-peopled whimsy this was surpisingly pleasurable to read because the teller is a natural spinner. Certain things grated:

- info dumping
- translating English nouns into American: pushchair/buggy

2.5* upped to 3*
2 likes ( )

What a nice surprise this book is! I wasn't sure what to make of this book initially since I was expecting a bit of an Authurian "redux" but this book was not anything like it. I enjoyed the writing, character development, action and mystery this novel invoked. A very unique story that takes place in the near future where our global social, political and planetary environment is at its 'tipping point' and how a mere historian encounters change in all aspects. If you are hoping for a retelling of the Authurian legend and will be upset if its not a retelling then don't pick up this book. However if you want a novel that has lots of action, intrigue, intelligence, magic, myths and more then, by golly, read this book. Fully recommend for most ages.

I won this book via LibraryThing.com member giveaway for a review. ( )

This book is part Arthurian tale, part dystopian future, and part spy novel. The story is set about 20 years into a future where things have not gone well in the world. People are strongly distrustful of their governments, and with good reason. Amid all this, at a King Arthur themed carnival, a young man pulls a sword form the stone (an impossible feat, seeing as the sword is fake and glued in place). The narrator is an American professor in Celtic Studies and he gets recruited by the British government to locate the mystery man, known as Arthur Redux.

He sees this as pretty straightforward, at first, but quickly learns there is far more going on than he was led to believe. He fears the government will simply kill Arthur Redux. He also fears the unknown world of Fairy which seems to be surrounding the whole mystery. If he chooses to accept it, does it make him crazy? Or is he crazy for steadfastly ignoring it all?

As a lover of Arthurian fiction, this book was a nice treat. It offered a modern tale which is not often to be found in the genre. And yet, the hallmarks of the story I know are present, bringing the familiar into new light. ( )

My familiarity with the legend of King Arthur is lacking compared to most. OK, let's be honest, I've only read parts of The Once and Future King, seen The Sword in the Stone, but have Monty Python and the Holy Grail practically memorized. Hardly the background to delve into some alternate tellings of the legend, but enough to know the character and story to get me through. That can be seen as a downside because I have no authoritative basis of comparison for this story, or a good thing for te same reason.

Because of this lack of knowledge of the Arthurian Legend, I won't speak much to that in the book, but focus on it as a stand alone story. I felt that Tyson's tale began strong and ended strong, but the middle of the story was very lacking. There is a good deal of both Arthurian and Celtic legend involved here, and the character of Peter does a fantastic job of fleshing these out for the uninitiated, but once he meets the modern Arthur, I felt that the story fell apart. What should have been thrilling moments and a dramatic climax in the midst of the story left me with a "...and then stuff happened..." feeling. It was as though several chapters were missing in the middle of the book that left me wondering how we ended up at the castle or Arthur's birth and the penultimate confrontation.

What is very strong in this book, however, is the development of the characters of Peter Quince and his foil the mysterious Thistle. By the end, their relationship makes a great deal of sense, and the growth exhibited by both is fascinating, especially when placed in the context of the Celtic folklore and the "Fairy Faith" that drives the narrative. My only question with this underlying story was the need to place political intrigue and a dystopian future into the mix. In reality, both of these concepts which were major selling points to me when I considered The Never King were easily forgotten and there is no reason why the story would be able to stand without both. I am looking forward to an anticipated sequel to see where the characters will end up and how the modern retelling of the legends proceed. Hopefully the stories will continue to grow stronger as a series develops. ( )