14 | October | 2014 | By Hook Or By Book

Tags

Adventure, Conspiracy Thriller, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Knights of the Round Table, Science Fiction, Techno-Thriller, Urban Fantasy

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was a little nervous to pick up this book. Philip was so generous to send me an autographed copy even though I lost the Goodreads contest. Modern day Arthurian knights seemed just my cup of tea, but what if I didn’t like it? Lesson learned: I worry too much! This was honestly one of the most interesting books I’ve read all year! The premise is centered around this covert government agency in contemporary London called The Circle. Can you see where this is heading? It gets even better! The upper echelon of this group are the modern day incarnations of the original Knights of the Round Table. I’m not even going to try to explain how this comes about because I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. Let’s just say it’s not through reincarnation or any of the other ways that have already been written about. In addition to having all the memories and powers, (yes, powers!) of the original knights, they have all sorts of high tech gadgetry too which would make James Bond jealous! This is a good thing because they have to fight villains such as serial killers, eco-terrorists, and neo-nazis. The story is told by a narrator who calls himself Dale the Tale. The hero of the book however is Jory Taylor, aka Sir Gawain. Unfortunately for every modern day heroic knight there is his nemesis which in this case is The Green Knight who captures Jory. As he’s being held prisoner, Jory discover there is much more to the myths he has been told and always stood by. The more he discovers the more personal it gets and now he has to prevent a terrible plot that’s about to unfold. First, let me say that for anyone who’s read updated Arthurian stories before, The Pendragon Protocol is unlike anything you’ve ever read. I’m not even going to try to compare the writing to that of other authors because it wouldn’t be fair. It’s just that unique. I can say it’s a blend of science fiction, historical fiction, urban fantasy, fantasy, techno-thriller, and conspiracy thriller. It even has a dash of comedy in the form of Dale the Tale who I loved! I also liked Jory who’s not your stereotypical perfect hero. This is the type of character I wish I could meet in real life. In addition to being character driven it’s also plot driven which I truly appreciated. All too often I’ve found books being either, or. Being a Yank, I also liked the political overtones of England, both historical and contemporary. I cannot recommend this book enough! It’s exciting and suspenseful, and I finished it in two days. Best news yet: this is the first book in a planned trilogy. I don’t know when the sequel The Locksley Exploit is coming out but I cannot wait!

Update:

*** The Locksley Exploit will be coming out summer of 2015!***