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One Too Many Times
A modern day seance summons King Richard the Third--alive and in person. When the 15th and 21st centuries clash, things get amusing, and confusing, fast.
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2000
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September 18, 2020
For Love and Loyalty by Diana Rubino
Originally published as One Time Too Many
Reviewed September 17, 2020
For Love and Loyalty is the story of three brothers – Edward IV, George of Clarence, and Richard of Gloucester (later Richard III) – who will do anything to help the other out. It is a light-weight, fun-filled time-travel alternate history that is more Rom-Com than Historical Novel.
If you’re looking for historical accuracy, you won’t find it here. But if you want a fun read that will have you chuckling at the antics of the brothers York in the 21st century, then this is the book you want.
1476. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is having women trouble. Anne Neville is ticked off at learning that her husband-to-be has a bun in the oven with Kate Haute. So Richard goes to talk to his older brother, Ned (King Edward IV), whose response is “For God’s sake, Dickon, Kate Haute is the daughter of a fishmonger. I said she was fit to give you a snog, not a whelp.”
So Richard goes out for a ride, wearing the amulet given to his brother George by Ulch, the Grand Wizbar, to ward off harm. When he’s set upon by robbers...he's whisked away, out of danger and into another time and place.
2012. Near Middleham. It’s August 22, and Julianna Hammond and members of the Richard III Society are holding their annual séance to contact the spirit of the long-dead king. Instead of his ghost, however, Julianna finds herself face-to-face with a flesh-and-blood Richard.
Back in the 15th century, Ned and George realize Richard is missing. They visit the Grand Wizbar who explains that Richard has been hurtled forward 500+ years, and that there’s no way to bring him back. Worried that their baby brother is in danger, Ned and George agree that there’s only one thing they can do – follow Richard into the future. Not willing to let the king, the love of her life, get away, Lisbet (Elizabeth Woodville) convinces Ulch to send her into the future, too.
Once in the future, Richard learns that he’ll never be able to go back to his own time, and so does his best to adjust to his new time and place. Then he learns of his trashed reputation.
And it turns out that even Richard gets the Stanley brothers mixed up.
“’Twas her husband who did me in, was it not?” he asks, referring to Margaret Beaufort's husband, Thomas Stanley.
“No, his brother, William.”
If he can’t go back in time to change things, he figures the next best thing is to set the record straight from this end. To do this, he and Julianna with the help of some fellow Ricardians decide to make a movie, which of course is a smash hit, and in which Richard plays…himself!
In the mean time, there are romantic escapades a-plenty, with Lisbet trying the get Ned to look at her…and only her, while George is finding himself acclimating quite nicely to the 21st century.
Other characters include Dorothy, a medium and clairvoyant who owns an autographed first edition of Thomas More’s Ricardian biography and is good friends with Will Shakespeare.
Ulch, the Grand Wizbar, who possesses a crystal ball shaped like a woman’s breast. “If you had to do this all your life,” he explains, “you’d rather look at breasts than balls, believe me.”
Galahad, a poltergeist whose real name is not known but is given this name by Julianna, whose house the ghost likes to haunt.
Richard – the youngest of the York brothers – is slight of build, has a swarthy complexion and nut brown hair. He’s considered something of a royal fop. You’ll never a hanging thread from his expertly tailored doublets, no trace of stubble on his chin. He color-codes his shoes and hose in neat rows, has an aversion to the vulgar, and drives everyone loopy with his fastidious manner.
As for 21st century clothing, he finds t-shirts comfortable enough, but dislikes jeans and considers them to be nothing more than torturous denim castrati garments.
Ned (King Edward) is described by some as an oversexed lecher who literally got banged to death (which he figures isn’t a bad way to go), but who’d give up the throne if his baby brother’s safety is at stake. “Sod the realm; this is my baby brother, and I’m going after him!”
Middle brother George of Clarence is the scholar of the family who beneath a bawdy exterior has a subdued charisma. He also is a little bit envious of his older brother. When Ned says he’s going to abdicate so he can go look for Richard, George asks meekly, “Then—then can I be king, Ned?”
Lisbet (Elizabeth Woodville) is a 26-year-old widow who is infatuated with Ned and acts more like 16-year-old. She follows the love of her life into the future, leaving a note for her parents saying that she’s gone abroad to join a nunnery.
If you’re interested in reading spoilers, read on. If not, stop here.
As with any good romance, this story ends with everyone living happily ever after.
Ulch turns out to be a time-traveler from the far distant future who’d been sent to the 15th century as a punishment for doing something naughty. His sentence is commuted, though, and he shows up in the 21st century to explain that yes, Richard and his brothers can be returned to their own time, or any other time they’d like to live in.
Ned marries Lisbet and the two decide to go into the future. There they set up house on a satellite orbiting between Earth and Mars, where Ned becomes Mayor.
George likes the 21st century and marries TV celeb.
Richard marries Julianna and the two of them go back to the 15th century. There he becomes King Richard III and inaugurates an enlightened reign that introduces such things as improved personal hygiene.
As for those pesky Princes in the Tower? They never existed, so no problem there!
A strong 4 star rating.
Originally published as One Time Too Many
Reviewed September 17, 2020
For Love and Loyalty is the story of three brothers – Edward IV, George of Clarence, and Richard of Gloucester (later Richard III) – who will do anything to help the other out. It is a light-weight, fun-filled time-travel alternate history that is more Rom-Com than Historical Novel.
If you’re looking for historical accuracy, you won’t find it here. But if you want a fun read that will have you chuckling at the antics of the brothers York in the 21st century, then this is the book you want.
1476. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is having women trouble. Anne Neville is ticked off at learning that her husband-to-be has a bun in the oven with Kate Haute. So Richard goes to talk to his older brother, Ned (King Edward IV), whose response is “For God’s sake, Dickon, Kate Haute is the daughter of a fishmonger. I said she was fit to give you a snog, not a whelp.”
So Richard goes out for a ride, wearing the amulet given to his brother George by Ulch, the Grand Wizbar, to ward off harm. When he’s set upon by robbers...he's whisked away, out of danger and into another time and place.
2012. Near Middleham. It’s August 22, and Julianna Hammond and members of the Richard III Society are holding their annual séance to contact the spirit of the long-dead king. Instead of his ghost, however, Julianna finds herself face-to-face with a flesh-and-blood Richard.
Back in the 15th century, Ned and George realize Richard is missing. They visit the Grand Wizbar who explains that Richard has been hurtled forward 500+ years, and that there’s no way to bring him back. Worried that their baby brother is in danger, Ned and George agree that there’s only one thing they can do – follow Richard into the future. Not willing to let the king, the love of her life, get away, Lisbet (Elizabeth Woodville) convinces Ulch to send her into the future, too.
Once in the future, Richard learns that he’ll never be able to go back to his own time, and so does his best to adjust to his new time and place. Then he learns of his trashed reputation.
And it turns out that even Richard gets the Stanley brothers mixed up.
“’Twas her husband who did me in, was it not?” he asks, referring to Margaret Beaufort's husband, Thomas Stanley.
“No, his brother, William.”
If he can’t go back in time to change things, he figures the next best thing is to set the record straight from this end. To do this, he and Julianna with the help of some fellow Ricardians decide to make a movie, which of course is a smash hit, and in which Richard plays…himself!
In the mean time, there are romantic escapades a-plenty, with Lisbet trying the get Ned to look at her…and only her, while George is finding himself acclimating quite nicely to the 21st century.
Other characters include Dorothy, a medium and clairvoyant who owns an autographed first edition of Thomas More’s Ricardian biography and is good friends with Will Shakespeare.
Ulch, the Grand Wizbar, who possesses a crystal ball shaped like a woman’s breast. “If you had to do this all your life,” he explains, “you’d rather look at breasts than balls, believe me.”
Galahad, a poltergeist whose real name is not known but is given this name by Julianna, whose house the ghost likes to haunt.
Richard – the youngest of the York brothers – is slight of build, has a swarthy complexion and nut brown hair. He’s considered something of a royal fop. You’ll never a hanging thread from his expertly tailored doublets, no trace of stubble on his chin. He color-codes his shoes and hose in neat rows, has an aversion to the vulgar, and drives everyone loopy with his fastidious manner.
As for 21st century clothing, he finds t-shirts comfortable enough, but dislikes jeans and considers them to be nothing more than torturous denim castrati garments.
Ned (King Edward) is described by some as an oversexed lecher who literally got banged to death (which he figures isn’t a bad way to go), but who’d give up the throne if his baby brother’s safety is at stake. “Sod the realm; this is my baby brother, and I’m going after him!”
Middle brother George of Clarence is the scholar of the family who beneath a bawdy exterior has a subdued charisma. He also is a little bit envious of his older brother. When Ned says he’s going to abdicate so he can go look for Richard, George asks meekly, “Then—then can I be king, Ned?”
Lisbet (Elizabeth Woodville) is a 26-year-old widow who is infatuated with Ned and acts more like 16-year-old. She follows the love of her life into the future, leaving a note for her parents saying that she’s gone abroad to join a nunnery.
If you’re interested in reading spoilers, read on. If not, stop here.
As with any good romance, this story ends with everyone living happily ever after.
Ulch turns out to be a time-traveler from the far distant future who’d been sent to the 15th century as a punishment for doing something naughty. His sentence is commuted, though, and he shows up in the 21st century to explain that yes, Richard and his brothers can be returned to their own time, or any other time they’d like to live in.
Ned marries Lisbet and the two decide to go into the future. There they set up house on a satellite orbiting between Earth and Mars, where Ned becomes Mayor.
George likes the 21st century and marries TV celeb.
Richard marries Julianna and the two of them go back to the 15th century. There he becomes King Richard III and inaugurates an enlightened reign that introduces such things as improved personal hygiene.
As for those pesky Princes in the Tower? They never existed, so no problem there!
A strong 4 star rating.
March 30, 2010
One Too Many Times – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat
‘Annie Spooner locked up her three-hundred-year-old cottage and headed for her annual pilgrimage within the ruins of Middleham Castle. She tried to forget that another year had slipped by and it was now the five-hundred-twenty-fifth anniversary of King Richard III’s death in the Battle of Bosworth…. Every August 22, they held a séance to summon the slain king’s spirit. Lady Dorothy Ludham, a leading psychic, acted as medium. Richard’s spirit appeared every time, splendidly attired in kingly raiment, a glittering crown atop his head. He would visit with them briefly, then return to the great beyond, leaving them speechless with wonder.’ But this year Dorothy couldn’t make it leaving the duty of summoning the spirit of Richard to Annie.
Annie, who has no psychic abilities, goes through the steps she has heard Dorothy do for several years. As the pressure from the other members of the séance builds, she actually forgets the words to the chant and assumes this would be one year without the king’s presence. Annie couldn’t have been more wrong. She didn’t actually summon the spirit but the actual man himself. King Richard, III was transported from 1463 to 2010.
When his brothers Edward and George find him missing they go to the one person they know has to be behind the disappearance – Ulch the Grand Wizbar. After much discussion, Edward, who is actually King at the time, decide they must find a way to help their brother. So, with the help of Ulch, they travel to the year 2010 to be with their brother.
What do you get when you take 3 members of the 1463 Royal family and transport them to 2010? You’re reading one of Diana Rubino’s books, you get laughter. I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book that has made me smile and laugh with the turn of every page. Rubino has taken characters from two worlds, combined their differences and blessed us with a book that I feel would make a very enjoyable, funny movie. This is one that Mel Brooks needs to read.
Moongypsy Press
February, 2010
140 pages
ISBN 1451523777
ENA-13 9781451523775
‘Annie Spooner locked up her three-hundred-year-old cottage and headed for her annual pilgrimage within the ruins of Middleham Castle. She tried to forget that another year had slipped by and it was now the five-hundred-twenty-fifth anniversary of King Richard III’s death in the Battle of Bosworth…. Every August 22, they held a séance to summon the slain king’s spirit. Lady Dorothy Ludham, a leading psychic, acted as medium. Richard’s spirit appeared every time, splendidly attired in kingly raiment, a glittering crown atop his head. He would visit with them briefly, then return to the great beyond, leaving them speechless with wonder.’ But this year Dorothy couldn’t make it leaving the duty of summoning the spirit of Richard to Annie.
Annie, who has no psychic abilities, goes through the steps she has heard Dorothy do for several years. As the pressure from the other members of the séance builds, she actually forgets the words to the chant and assumes this would be one year without the king’s presence. Annie couldn’t have been more wrong. She didn’t actually summon the spirit but the actual man himself. King Richard, III was transported from 1463 to 2010.
When his brothers Edward and George find him missing they go to the one person they know has to be behind the disappearance – Ulch the Grand Wizbar. After much discussion, Edward, who is actually King at the time, decide they must find a way to help their brother. So, with the help of Ulch, they travel to the year 2010 to be with their brother.
What do you get when you take 3 members of the 1463 Royal family and transport them to 2010? You’re reading one of Diana Rubino’s books, you get laughter. I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book that has made me smile and laugh with the turn of every page. Rubino has taken characters from two worlds, combined their differences and blessed us with a book that I feel would make a very enjoyable, funny movie. This is one that Mel Brooks needs to read.
Moongypsy Press
February, 2010
140 pages
ISBN 1451523777
ENA-13 9781451523775
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews