The Book of Knights

by Yves Meynard

A young boy and his journey to become a knight. He must complete a quest, but the book takes you places you don't expect a seemingly run-of-the-mill book would.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Historical, Science Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Yves Meynard est né le 13 juin 1964 à Québec, mais la ville de Longueuil est son lieu de résidence depuis de nombreuses années. Auteur de plusieurs livres, dont neuf romans pour la jeunesse, tant sous son nom que, en collaboration avec Jean-Louis Trudel, sous celui de Laurent McAllister, Yves Meynard a publié depuis 1986 une cinquantaine de nouvelles tant en anglais qu'en français puisqu'il maîtrise parfaitement les deux langues. La qualité de sa production lui a mérité quatre prix Aurora, trois prix Boréal et le Grand Prix 1994 de la science-fiction et du fantastique québécois. Directeur littéraire de la revue Solaris de 1994 à 2002, il a été co-anthologiste du cinquième volume de la série Tesseracts. Yves Meynard détient un doctorat en informatique de l'Université de Montréal.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly underrated book - and it's easy to see why. I initially started this book, but quickly put it down as an overly simplistic story written in the stilted language of a Victorian novel. Several friends recommended it, however, so I picked it up and gave it a second try.
After making it through the first few chapters, the complexities of this book began to emerge. Written in both the tone and format of an old European fairy tale - haughty language, twisting story line, fantastic plot elements - the story begins to unfold in a way that lends some shades of gray to what initially seems to be a very black-and-white story. By the end, it becomes a very thoughtful and nuanced exploration of how to live by a code of honor in a world of compromises and practicalities. The story successfully - if just barely - avoids falling into sermonizing, and is wonderfully textured by the author's rich and imaginative vision of a culture full of old tales that inform the characters ... but aren't necessarily explained to the reader. (The hints and tidbits of the stories of the book's "knights of old" make you imagine just how grand the adventures behind those few words or lines must be.)
I enjoyed this book even more because - by mere coincidence - I read it shortly after reading Holy Warriors, by Prof. Richard Kaeuper. Kaeuper's book examines the role of medieval knights as "elite lay authorities" in religious doctrine, who saw the teaching of the clergy as (often) too idealistic and high-minded to be applied in real life. He says medieval knights interpreted and adapted the ideals of church teaching to fit their own notion of a warrior's code of honor.
The Book Of Knights creates a similar situation - a dynamic between inflexible religious dogma and the idealistic but individualized sense of knightly honor that the protagonist learns to follow throughout the story. The result is a story that has all the color and style of a long-established historical canon of legend, but leaves readers with a more complex and imperfect image of the heroic ideal than medieval legend generally implies.

[Julie Czerneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm torn between cheering that I've read this wonderful book and being embarrassed it took me so long to get my hands on it. Thanks to sitting beside Yves Meynard at World Fantasy this fall at the autographing, I own a beautiful hardcover edition and am very glad. This is such a classic, yet with deft surprising touches. I rationed my reading so I didn't gobble it in one go--and once done, sat for a moment to relish the journey.
Meynard knows people, how we're a blend of strength and weakness. In this book, he celebrates the best of us with imagination and joy. Very highly recommended.

[Robert Runte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from 1998

Yves Meynard's delightful fantasy, The Book Of Knights, is the story of a young boy whose only outlet from an abusive homelife is his discovery of an old copy of The Book Of Knights. Inspired by its tales of honour and adventure he runs away from home, resolving to become a knight.

At first glance, this may appear to be just another in the familiar genre of quest fantasies, albeit much better written than most. The individual adventures are highly original, and oddly off-center to English language readers used to the sanitized fairy tales of our Disney-dominated culture. There is an underlying edginess and quirky dark humour here that harkens back to the traditional French or German folktale, with all the potential for mayhem that implies.

But Meynard does much more than merely string together a series of unrelated adventures. In the final chapter, Meynard manages to pull all our hero's disparate adventures together into a single coherent whole, thereby elevating it from escapist fantasy to a highly satisfying morality tale. While the narrative keeps the reader entertained and distracted, Meynard slips in some of the most literate fantasy metaphor I've encountered in years, to immerse the reader in a universe of moral ambiguity. Instead of the simplistic absolutes of "good wizard vs bad" that pollutes so much of the fantasy section's shelf space these days, Meynard confronts his characters with real moral choices, asking them (and the reader) to think for themselves. It is the sort of book that makes you feel you've grown as a result of reading it, even though you were having outrageous fun the whole time.

I highly recommend The Book Of Knights. Indeed, in tone, maturity, and significance, it must be considered Quebec's answer to Sean Nobody's Son.

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so refreshing, Meynard doesnt let the reader fall the regular habits of storytelling and catches you off-guard when things dont flow the same as logic and narratives normally do. What seemed to be a simple story at first ended up being a touching adventure that spoke on serious topics with so much creativity it was diffucult to close the last page. There were enough paths walked and worlds created in this book alone to fill a whole shelf. The worldbuilding and storytelling was amazing and it kept me awake all night reading.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm. Carl picked this book out cause he liked the cover. Obviously not a book for him, so I read it. It is a redone fairy tale, although I am not sure which one. Boy grows up in a very strict society where everything is goverened by "The Rule." He finds the Book of Knights in his attic and decided he must become a knight. So he goes off to train as a knight. The story is inventive, and a very interesting ending, but did not capture my interest very much.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book written in 1998 that attempts a somewhat "classical tone" in it's story telling. I suppose it has a certain amount of...."charm". Ultimately however I found it silly, a little annoying, and mostly boring.

The only thing I came away with was, I wonder what kind of childhood the writer had. It seems it might have been sad, but I can't tell. Still, the book seemed a lot like a slightly bland pudding to me. Mostly palatable but not something I really enjoyed.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lyrical and moving tale that by turns reminds me of McKillip and early de Lint, and then makes me think strongly of the Book of Lost Things.
It is just the antidote to more muscled volumes of epic quests, where the main characters are following some preset quest formula. A gem of a book and recommended.

[James S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it's not without its flaws, overall The Book of Knights is a creative, likeable, and fun fantasy novel. The book sags in the middle, the prose is rarely inspired, and not every scene works - but much of the book is quite exciting and interesting. In particular, I enjoyed these parts:

- the beginning, especially those scenes where Adelrune learns about the Book
- his training with Reinard; surprisingly, this is a genuinely wise chapter
- Adelrune's run-in with the witches in the forest
- Adelrune's homecoming to Faudace
- the final passage, which actually made this reader tear up a little

There are also some interesting monsters in this book, many taken from mythology, such as the Manticore and the "Liar-Snake". In fact, it was this monster's appearance, along with Faudace's theocratic society, which led me to suspect that this fantasy novel is Meynard's take on what the world would look like if the Bible was actually a reflection of reality. Thus, there are demons, talking evil snakes, witchcraft, wizardry, etc. It's a "parallel universe" where the Bible is more a history tome than a repository of mythology.

These aspects of the book were innovative and interesting. Less so were the scenes on the Ship, his instant romance with the Princess, and his enigmatic encounter with the evil Queen. These scenes were thinner somehow and reminded me of a travelogue ("this happened, then this happened..." etc.) than an actual novel.

Nevertheless, the book is a nice read and is worth the time if only because it's a refreshing break from the bloated monotony of much modern fantasy.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10.

An absolutely lovely book. Highly recommended to those with any interest in knights and fairy tales. Not to mention it’s a standalone book!

Some reviewers I noted found the first two chapters slow. I can understand this but it’s completely necessary. It’s makes the magic fairytale world you live in for the rest of the story so much more exciting and whimsical. The ending is also quite clever all considering.

[WayBackWhen · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 39%. It's far too basic and short with big events happening over the course of a 10-page chapter. The characters were not all that interesting either, having seen them done far better in numerous other tales. It's a bit of a bland, amateurish (not in writing at least but in plot) story.

[big mean jerk · Rating 4 out of 5]

P I C A R E S Q U E

[Félix Rondeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yves Meynard possède un style d'écriture simple et efficace. Mêlé à une intrigue surprenante "Le livre des Chevaliers" s'avère un franc succès!

[Félix Rondeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent writing, great story !

[Brian Gaston · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy reading this and had to work to get through it. It was probably more because it is not my favourite genre than anything else.

[Hans Otterson]

A beautifully well-paced fantasy rich in imagery and ethics. It belongs on the shelf with the greats of the genre, no question.

QC

[Philippe Martineau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bon livre , fin surprenante !

[Mathieu Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinant.

[Hot Stuff for Cool People · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Hot Stuff for Cool People.

This is a really simple book, stylistically, written in an uncomplicated way that’s reminiscent of fairytales or even children’s fantasy stories, although it’s neither of these things. This is definitely an adult book, and held a lot more emotional impact for me than almost any true fairytale I’ve ever read. Although the writing is straightforward, it’s neat and clean, and the short descriptions are so finely written that every image, scene, and character was crystal clear to me. The adventures that Adelrune undertakes are believable, and, although some mythical things are mentioned, each one feels interesting and new, not as if it’s something that’s been written over and over.

Before I started reading this, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get into the book because I knew there was a weird time skip in Adelrune’s life. But this was handled really well, just like pretty much everything else in the book. It’s just a really lovely, captivating stand‐alone fantasy novel.

[Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this title years and years ago when I was perusing the shelves at a local Walden's. Ah, the good old days when e-readers were not ubiquitous, and Barnes and Noble wasn't the last bulwark against the extinction of the printed book. The cover is what caught my attention; I had never heard of Yves Meynard. Boy was I glad that I picked up The Book of Knights. It can be dangerous selecting fantasy and scifi authors at random without doing your homework, but in this case it paid off. The Book of Knights is a poignant coming-of-age tale about a young lad named Adelrune and his quest to emulate the legendary figures that he has read about in story. But there's more to it than just that. In many ways Adelrune puts one in mind of Pip, the protagonist from Charles Dicken's Great Expectations. Without venturing into spoiler territory, let's just say that they both have to grapple with some difficult truths along the path to adulthood, and that the greatness to which they aspire comes at a cost. I'm still at a loss that Yves Meynard never turned this into a series. The fact that it is a one-off has left it even more indelibly imprinted on my mind.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This charming book beautifully follows in the tradition of fairy tales and medieval romances. It's the story of Adelrune, a young boy being brought up by foster parents in a strict religious community. One day he discovers a mysterious book about knights in the attic of his home. He resolves to become a knight and runs away from home a few years later to seek training. The tale itself and its lessons are fairly straightforward, but the telling is thoroughly enchanting.

[D.J. LeMarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderfully whimsical and had an unpredictability that kept me reading and reading. Though it is more of a fairytale styled story that could even appear childish or silly at times it fits the tone from beginning to end. It did not try to be anything it wasn't and was a much needed telling of fantasy, both original and captivating. I would highly recommend this to anyone who just wants a good book to read on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot believe how good this book is, so rich and full of surprises and it is one of those books I love to know it is waiting at home for me on my night table. I try to read an hour a night no matter how late it is but I am a slow reader so even books under 300 pgs. take me awhile. I recommend it as a buffer between heavy drama fiction and poor writing hang-over.

[Gwendolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those rare magical stories that while slow to begin, you find yourself wishing would never end; that by the mere act of turning the last page, one would find that the story would somehow continue.

As a writer of fantasy, The Book Of Knights by Yves Meynard... has been a treasure beyond words; a mentor, a guide, a trustworthy friend.

[Valeer Damen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meynard is a really good stylist, and, though the book seems short, his ideas are very clear and very interesting. I would love to read more by him. I savoured every chapter, putting the book away again when I had finished one, to make it last longer. I especially like his take on the "imperfect knight".

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books ever. I love the subject matter, and the way it was written can be enjoyed by younger and older audiences alike. Read this! It's amazing.

[Ibrahim Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm surprised I'd never heard of this book before. It was a fast read, something of a melange of Arthurian legend and the Odyssey.

[Robert Boyczuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I now understand why Gene Wolfe dedicated The Knight to Yves Meynard....

[Melanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cute story but a bit simple and moralistic for my tastes.

[Valérie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un livre incroyable qui m'a déboussolée du début à la fin! J'adore !