The Wizard to the Court of King Arthur creates a Chronicle recording his exploits. These encrypted annals etched onto copper sheets, describe the schooling of Arthur in kingship, the orchestration of his coronation, the establishment of the Knights of the Round Table and the planning of the first battle fought against the Saxon Horde in 547 AD.
This book contains 35 riddles. You may decide to try and solve them yourself, follow the characters in their endeavors, or consult the appendices for detailed solutions. Whatever you choose; follow the Quest to recover the Amulet.
The popular figure of King Arthur and his knights in shining armour, performing acts of chivalry, is far from the truth. Arthur was the sixth century general (real name: Aurelius Ambrosius) whose troops were mainly cavalry, disciplined like Roman soldiers. He harassed the Saxons, and his successes halted their advance for the better part of fifty years. So why has so little evidence been found?
A Quest for King Arthur is the story of what really happened Amulet is the second book in a four part series.
Amulet is the second book in a series by author James G Riley. He opens his second novel with a well-written summation of his first book for those not familiar with his first work.
His novel is clever by every measure. It’s a retelling of a classic tale, with a twist involving time travel and bi-located settings in the years 2016 and 546. We get the pleasure of reacquainting ourselves with the classic characters in King Arthur’s world, as well as being introduced to their modern day counterparts. Present day characters, thrust into the past, are left to deal with the real life issues of understanding the language of centuries past, customs that are a bit of a culture shock and geography that is both familiar and foreign..
The details of the adventures are vivid. It is obvious Riley thoroughly researched his material. His writing is transportive, educational and entertaining throughout. Riley also employs an unusual mechanism: riddles. Riley provides mental diversions by means of opportunity to solve real-time conundrums to advance the storyline.
Amulet is worth the read for anyone loving the concept of time travel and an exciting intellectual challenge. I highly recommend it.
