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The Seven Sleepers #3

The Sword of Camelot

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Swords! Shields! Knights! The Sleepers can hardly believe it. The Kingdom of Camelot is an exact duplicate of King Arthur's court from the Middle Ages!
Goel, their spiritual leader, has sent the Seven Sleepers on yet another adventure. The Dark Lord is threatening the Kingdom of Camelot, and Joshua Adams and his six companions seek to aid the king in fighting off the invaders.
Bob Lee Jackson, "Reb" to his friends, finds himself a key player in this frightening game. Having become expert with shield and sword, Reb takes the fate of the kingdom upon his shoulders. But the situation grows grim as the physical dangers make way for spiritual dangers. The Sleepers must call upon the power of Goel to combat the servants of the Dark Lord.

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1995

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About the author

Gilbert L. Morris

23 books24 followers
also publishes under the name Gilbert Morris


Gilbert Morris is one of today's best-known Christian novelists. He lives in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with his wife, Johnnie. He is the father to Lynn Morris and Alan Morris

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5 stars
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3 stars
174 (27%)
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32 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Shaun Stevenson.
Author 20 books40 followers
October 26, 2019
As Gilbert Morris' The Seven Sleepers series continues, I'm a little bit worried they're going to become formulaic as the sleepers travel from one land to another, facing down a threat, winning, all while learning a moral. In book three, The Sword of Camelot, Morris falls directly into this particular trap. Knowing there are still seven more books in the series, I'm afraid they're going to continue in this pattern.

For The Sword of Camelot, the sleepers travel to a kingdom called Camelot, complete with castles, knights, dragons, and a fair amount of jousting. Reb, one of the sleepers, is going to have to face his biggest threat yet, and it doesn't come in the form of dragons; it comes from inside of himself and the darkness he's been carrying around all this time. If he can't learn to trust Goel, then the seven sleepers may be facing the end of the Round Table and their very lives.

This one started off slowly and dragged until a little over halfway with the introduction of a new character who comes on the scene. As soon as this newer character arrived, the pacing and plot seemed to pick up considerably, and things sped along to the very end. However, getting to that midway point was a slog. Nothing much happens up to that point, and it became highly reminiscent of the sleepers and their time in Atlantis. However, this time the world-building was not nearly as breathtaking as before. Perhaps this is because I've read a lot of books set in the times of King Arthur, or perhaps Morris simply falls into all the tropes of a fantasy story set in a medieval time period.

One concerning aspect of this story needs to be explored further, and that has to do with Reb himself. He says a few things later on in the book that are extremely problematic, referring to hangings and the glorification of Southern leaders during the Civil War of the Americas. While this is all contained to Reb's dialogue, and never enters the narration itself, his attitudes that are slightly racist are never confronted by anyone else, and instead are left to linger. Parents would do well to take a look at these comments ahead of time and perhaps have conversations about racism with their kids before and after reading this book.

The Sword of Camelot is certainly not the best of the series, so here's hoping that book #4 will pick up the pace and introduce some new lore to the story.
Profile Image for Jane.
225 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2024
The Sword of Camelot falls into the usual pattern of Gilbert Morris’ The Seven Sleepers series: the Sleepers travel to a new land to fight the forces of the Dark Lord Necros as he seeks to overtake all of Nuworld. The new setting, a recreation of medieval Camelot, is entertaining and reminiscent of the sweeping Arthurian films (Excalibur, First Knight, A Knight’s Tale, etc.). Unfortunately, the sequence of events is pedestrian, the plot moves at the pace of a snail wedged in molasses, and Morris does little to correct the flaws that permeate the whole series.

The Seven Sleepers begin their next quest for Goél in the land of Camelot, ruled by King Dion and his Knights of the Round Table, where the forces of the Dark Lord seek to destroy the city with the help of the evil knight Sir Melchior. Though all the Sleepers begin training in the medieval arts, Bob Lee “Reb” Jackson proves to be a natural-born knight, proving his valor through feats such as tilting contests, boar hunts, and jousting tournaments. However, Reb’s growing pride in his accomplishments leaves him vulnerable to the tricks of the Dark Lord, and he quickly is ensorcelled by a mysterious woman named Mogen and the power she grants him. Reb must learn to rely on Goél instead of himself and to use wisdom and discernment as he takes the fate of Camelot on his own shoulders.

First of all, the entire concept of this post-apocalyptic Camelot is so ridiculous and far-fetched that it almost ruins the narrative — somehow, in the fifty years since the nuclear war, a medieval scholar has managed to recreate the entire city of Camelot, complete with a castle, loyal knights, and the code of chivalry. Again, Morris would have done a lot better to place his stories several centuries after the nuclear war, if only to give his worldbuilding a little room to breathe . The plot itself could have been really interesting — time-traveling cowboy becomes a knight and a prideful chess piece for the dark side — but Morris just takes so long to tell his overly simplistic story that it’s just painful. I was almost wishing for the machine-gun-pace of Flight of the Eagles again when we had 30-odd pages of “a day in the life at Camelot” here. All the plot points are contrived, unoriginal, and predictable, with no surprises, cleverness, or subtlety.

Morris’ writing, again, is improved the tiniest bit, with a little better (if occasionally cartoonish) dialogue, and we get to see a few new interactions between some of the Sleepers. Several Sleepers also are given a hint of a backstory, though poor Jake Garfield is still the odd man out who is literally mentioned half a dozen times. Reb Jackson is our protagonist in The Sword of Camelot, and Morris highlights the fact that a rough-and-rowdy cowboy is the most likely to fit into a world like Camelot given his skills and personality. Reb naturally gets on a bit of an ego trip when he is lauded for his skill as a knight, and while he’s kind of a Gary Stu at everything, I appreciated the way Reb’s pride caught up to him and made him vulnerable to the dark side.

Still, Morris misses a few beats with Reb, especially in the glorification of the Confederate South and the hints of racism we see when he’s under the mind control of Mogen. Though Morris is not advocating for racism, his approach to the racial tension between Reb and Wash Jones (who are now best friends) isn’t very well-handled. There’s also the unfortunate sidelining of most of the Sleepers (especially the girls and the “weaker” boys), and, of course, our villain subplot featuring Necros and Elmas is relegated to just one single chapter — one that is virtually identical to the one in The Gates of Neptune. Our supporting cast is a gang of medieval paper dolls who spout exactly what lines they are expected to spout.

Unfortunately, we’re three books into the series, and Morris has yet to really elaborate on the overarching struggle between Goél and Necros: we know that they are allegories for God and Satan, but we know nothing of the power either of them have, nor how the persecution works, nor anything about the literal battle going on between their followers. There’s a good recurring element with the way the Dark Lord uses magic to achieve his purposes while Goél uses willing hearts. Morris focuses solely on the Seven Sleepers, teaching good lessons here about avoiding the temptation of pride and being concerned with the means as well as the end, but there’s no subtlety in the themes. The Sword of Camelot could have been really profound, but Morris just doesn’t have the writing skills to pull it off.

As with the other books in The Seven Sleepers series, Morris makes his classic writing blunder by neither showing nor telling but another secret third thing: ignoring. Half of the issues with The Sword of Camelot could be resolved if Morris would have just (1) hired an editor, (2) spent a little time to actually plot out his structure, and (3) tried to inject some originality to his series. With the influence of the Arthurian legends and a few other medieval tales (St. George and the Dragon, Robin Hood, etc.), The Sword of Camelot could have been an absolute blast, but it’s more of a minor grenade explosion.
Profile Image for ✨Bean's Books✨.
648 reviews5 followers
May 15, 2018
There's trouble in Camelot! Can Josh and his six Companions of the Seven Sleepers sent by the spiritual leader Goel keep Camelot from the grip of the Dark Lord? The Seven Sleepers may need more then Reb's sword skills, they will need the power of Goel to defeat the Dark Lord and save Camelot.
What a great little epic. Perfect for younger readers. This would be a great beginner book into the world of fantasy as only King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table can do. The story is well written and well laid out. The illustrations, though black and white, are very beautiful and add finishing touches to the story and it's chapters. The cover design is beautiful and eye-catching.
I would definitely recommend this book for the younger readers and I would be interested in reading the rest of the series myself.
Profile Image for Colleen.
59 reviews
August 6, 2016
That was then

As a kid I liked this book. The Seven Sleepers books are pretty much all the same, but this was an enjoyable installment in the series. At the beginning, the seven kids are sent to Camelot. Each book focuses on a different Sleeper and this time it's Reb, the outrageously Southern Sleeper. He has to help the king defeat the evil Dark Lord, but ends up falling under a terrible enchantment.

This is now

As an adult, the Seven Sleeper books are frustratingly similar. Morris uses the same basic plot and just plugs in different names and locations. Avid readers will quickly realize that Gilbert Morris stole a lot of the plot and dialogue of The Sword of Camelot from other works. For example, Reb's catch phrase is ripped from Dr. Strangelove and most of the plot is borrowed from Return of the King.
Profile Image for Toby Pitts.
158 reviews6 followers
July 19, 2023
As a kid I remember always loving the cover art for this book over any other in the series and always kicking myself for stopping at book two. Hitting this mark as an adult feels wildly nice hahaha (it's the little things in life).
I was grateful this one picked back up in pace. I will also admit really enjoy the setting compared to the last book, however, I must note my bias in settings : Medieval trumps Underwater...always and forever.
Another huge positive was my favorite cowboy getting a ton of attention and time.
Sara and Josh are less whiney and mildly enjoyable....aka... soggy cereal is still soggy cereal, but more digestible?
Wash gets a bit more time to shine, although his plot falls flat and he sorta disappears into oblivion?
The long quest portion of this book was very old school shadow hunters without any of the fun.. it was grueling and tiresome. I was ready to give up my favorite character to the villains just to get past it.
Dragon fights for a win. Romance for a win. Plot (albeit predictable) pretty cute.


Time for a LARGE negative-
I understand that Morris has two characters who were specifically working on their "Remember The Titans" friendship, however, yikessssss.
There are some quotes that I don't think Reb would have stated, regardless of circumstances surrounding influences. I get that their color of friendship battle through racism story was intended, but Lord have mercy I was shocked words stated during one fight. IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW. It is a bit hard to distinguish character from author in this moment. Hearing my favorite character, who has seemed to have overcome his battle with racism state very cruel words to his best friend was taxing. I don't believe it was necessary. If they had still been enemies by this book it would be so different. This was incredibly jarring and I know for a fact I am not the only one bothered by it.

Minus the initial concept of book one, this to me has been the most coherent and fun book so far. I think as a kid this one would have kept my attention better than the first two. I don't know if I would have survived the "pits of despair", however, I think I had a better chance than the 45 zillion times I started book two and could not seem to finish it.

Ps. Where the heck is Jake? .... honestly, why not make 6 books about 6 sleepers? Is Jake's story in book 7? Does Morris hate Jake? JAKE ARE YOU EVEN STILL ALIVE AT THIS POINT? Is his plot going to surprise me and steal the show...bc I swear to Goel i am 15 hours into reading and Jake is rarely even mentioned.

Concept 4/5
Setting 3/5
Characters 3/5
Spiritual Elements 3/5
Magical Objects/creatures 2/5
Plot 3/5
Coherence 4/5
Romance 3/.5/5
Audio Reader - 3.5/5 (struggles with female voices)
Series up to this point 3/5
Jake Mentioned- 4 times tops (if that)

Final Verdict- Cowboys and Dragons... yeeeehaaawww and heckkkaaaa yessss
Profile Image for Daniel Kingsley.
62 reviews1 follower
July 8, 2022
This is a high point in the series. Best book of it. I am rating it for the genera of youth fiction that it is. It is a great story but events happen quite quickly. I still love rereading it after all these years for nostalgia. I might not have loved it if I discovered it now. But I found these books when I was younger so I love them. Definitely a good series to have for those who are discovering a love for reading. The books can be read in an afternoon and the chapter’s are short enough to to read in 7 min or so.
Profile Image for Mandy Boerma.
Author 6 books51 followers
February 23, 2021
Excellent. I'm reading this series to my daughter, 6, and this has been her favorite book so far. Dragons, princesses, sword fighting, adventure--what's not to love.
Profile Image for Rosario.
52 reviews
June 5, 2021
A little cheesy at times, but the story and writing gets better as the series goes on.
Profile Image for John.
865 reviews52 followers
December 16, 2021
Some of the plot is getting derivative. Also, it could have used a good pass by an editor to eliminate some repetitive phrasing.

On the other hand, my 11 year old son is loving it.
Profile Image for Elijah Lee.
77 reviews1 follower
December 5, 2024
Faster paced than the second and relatively good. Extremely cheesy romance however. Definitely for a bit of a younger audience.
Profile Image for S. J..
328 reviews54 followers
May 30, 2013
*4 Stars*

My review of the First Volume of the Series where I talk mostly about the series as a whole.

Review of the Second Volume

*The Gush*
This is one of my favorite books in the series. Who can resist knights, Camelot, Dragons, and sword fighting adventure?

As stated before, each of the Seven Sleepers gets a book to shine in as well as learn and grown in. In this book, is Reb's (Bob Lee Jackson) turn to take front stage as his former life around horses gives him a huge leg up over his fellow travelers. He takes to jousting and other knight warfare like a duck takes to water (sorry, couldn't resist) and soon becomes the King's favorite. But Pride goes before a fall, especially when you've caught the eye of the Dark Lord attempting to destroy the kingdom you've been sent to save. Reb has some lessons to be learned and like most lessons that count, it's one of the harder ones.

This is one of the best written of the books as well, flowing well and never really lagging at any point. A solid piece of work about one of my favorite Seven Sleepers.

*The Rant*
Not a rant per say but the way the dragon is slain is RATHER reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings. Think Éowyn and the prophecy and you've basically got the plot point. I'm not saying it was a bad choice and one would hope that parents would use this book as...training wheels so to speak for Narnia and Middle Earth, but it was a bit...blatant. Still, I love the character he used so I can't really be too against it because it made her even cooler then she was.

*Conclusion*
If the first or second books didn't scare you off, this might well become your favorite of the series. A good solid addition, it has some of the best character development not to mention exciting action sequences.
Profile Image for Emily.
19 reviews
Read
May 19, 2008
I DO remember reading this one at least...just can't remember what its about.
45 reviews
July 6, 2008
This series is great if you're a parent and you want to train your children to love long fantasy series.

As an adult, it's kind of stupid. Still, it entertained me as a child.
Profile Image for Kasey.
57 reviews2 followers
July 9, 2012
Another favorite, action-filled story for me as a kid.
Profile Image for Andrew.
711 reviews8 followers
April 15, 2021
As much as I loved this as a kid, wow, the stereotypes did not age well.
2 reviews
Want to read
April 18, 2015
It was pretty good but I can't wait for the next one.

P.S. this site wouldn't let me read the book so I had to borrow it from a friend. So you better get

that fixed.

-SARA MORIARTY JK <3
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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