One Knight Only

Modern Arthur #2

by Peter David

Now president of the United States, Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King, again takes up his quest for the Holy Grail in order to save the life of his beloved wife, Gwen, left at death's door following an assassination attempt. Reprint.

Genres: Fantasy, Arthurian, Fiction, Humor, Urban Fantasy, Mythology, Comedy

373 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

aka David Peters

Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.

Reviews

[John Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this more than Knight Life, mainly because it avoided most of the politics and focussed on the mythology.

This book was published in 2003, so it was written soon after "9/11", i.e. the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9th September 2011. This poses an obvious challenge when your characters are based in New York; where were they on that day? Some fiction just avoids the whole topic (e.g. "Friends"), while others paid direct tribute to it (e.g. an issue of "The Amazing Spider-Man" that J. Michael Straczynski wrote).

I think the closest comparison is the comic "Ex Machina", since that also has a protagonist (a former superhero) as mayor of New York. In that series, Mitchell Hundred stopped one of the planes, but the other plane got through and destroyed one of the towers. So, that was enough to make him look heroic, while still giving the fictional world a tragedy that's similar to the real world.

This novel takes a different approach. There is a terrorist attack during Arthur's time as mayor, but it involves bombs rather than planes, and the organiser is Arnim Sandoval rather than Osama bin Laden. I think that works well: it's obviously intended as a parallel, particularly with the comment about the terrorist group originally being funded by the USA to fight the Soviets. However, it's different enough that it's not disrespectful. In particular, Arthur can fight Sandoval without undermining the real world activities of Seal Team Six. (Times have changed since we had comic covers with Captain America punching Hitler...) I also liked the way that Gwen tried to resolve the situation without perpetuating the cycle of violence.

One of the sub-plots feels a bit dated, although I might be being overly optimistic there. A reporter is blackmailing Nelly Porter because he has photos of her having sex with Gwen. However, this was at university, long before she'd met Arthur (let alone married him), so there's no infidelity involved, and she isn't holding an elected office anyway. Considering what some real-life presidents have got up to (notably Bill Clinton and Donald Trump), would this really be a big deal? Is it just because they're both women? 15 years on, I'd like to think that this would just be fodder for the tabloids with no real impact.

Turning to mythology, I wasn't familiar with Gilgamesh and Enkidu. However, I think this book told me everything that I needed to know about them in order to follow the story.

While I liked the book, there are a couple of problems which stood out to me, particularly when re-reading the whole trilogy.

In the first book, there was a lot of repetition about Gwen's strawberry-blonde hair. In this book, that's been replaced by Gilgamesh saying incessantly that he's "two thirds god, one third man". In fairness, the other characters seemed to get fed up with it too, but I felt like saying "Will you please shut up!"

In chapter 5 (page 76 of my paperback copy), Miss Basil is chatting to a bartender. He asks what she's been doing, and she basically says "Don't ask". However, a few paragraphs later she asks whether he's ever curious about what she does, and he basically says "I don't want to know". Either of those exchanges would be fine on their own, but having both doesn't really work, particularly when they're on the same page. Speaking of Miss Basil, the original (1987) version of "Knight Life" killed her off at the end; the revised version kept her around for the sequel (with a new backstory) and I think that works a lot better.

The Holy Grail plays a big part in this story, but there's an odd omission. In "Knight Life", Merlin established that the Grail has four forms: the cup, the land, the sword, and the belt. In Fall of Knight, Percival summarises what we see in this book: the cup gives life, the land sustains life, and the sword takes life. So, what about the belt? Was that simply a way to carry it around inconspicuously? Thinking of Chekov's gun, why establish the fourth form if it's never used? Surely it would have been simpler just to stick to the three forms that we actually see.

[Samuel Lubell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many years ago I read a fun little book by Peter David called Knight Life about King Arthur being brought into the present day and running for mayor of New York City with the help of Merlin, who by aging backwards is now a young boy, a reincarnated Gwen, and Percival, made immortal by tasting the holy grail. This was light and very funny. So, years later, when I a sequel I picked it up and was surprised at how different this book was. It is much darker with most of the humor gone or very dark. Essentially, Arthur Penn, now president, resigns to care for his wife when a terrorist almost kills her. Meanwhile, Percival, who is still questing for the Holy Grail, finds it in the possession of Gilgamesh the High King. This leads to a conflict between the two kings as Gilgamesh has betrayed everything that once made him a hero and Arthur, who resigned the presidency as part of a bargain with the Basilisk to kill the terrorist who had tried to kill his wife, seems to be moving in that direction. So a large part of the story is a deconstruction of what it means to be a hero.

Don't go into this book thinking it is a continuation of the light, fun tone of Knight Life. This is a much more serious work.

[Lucy Takeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being home with a vicious sore throat has led me to finishing a book each day. So glad my order arrived since I wasn’t up to leaving the house to hit the library!
Arthur is elected President if the United States. However, Merlin had a confrontation with a Basilisk so centuries ago that has drastic repercussions. Plus, an evil terrorist has Gwen shot. Let’s toss in news media, blackmail, Ziusura,
Gilgamesh, and the Grail.
I need to go collect info on Gilgamesh! ( Which I have done at least once before.)

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
This book was not at all what I expected, but then I’m not sure what I was expecting. What it really is at its core is Peter David working through his feelings about 9/11, as many creatives did at the time, the fruits of their labors appearing in print over the following few years. It makes we wonder if there was ever intended to be further books when the first one was written, but then the author was inspired again after 9/11 to return to this world where King Arthur has reappeared.
I read the first book in this series years ago and have had difficulty getting ahold of books 2 and 3. I remember Knight Life being funnier, though this gets in a few witty moments. We're missing Merlin, one of the major sources of humor, for most of this book since he has been turned into a statue.
Actually, a lot has happened in the interim between the two books. Not only is Merlin a statue, but Arthur has been elected President of the United States. A terrorist event equivalent but not exactly identical to 9/11 happened while Arthur was mayor of New York, which brought him to the national stage. The bin Laden-figure (differently named) is still out there and making threats as Arthur prepares for the State of the Union address. Meanwhile, Percival is out on a quest of his own and stumbles across Gilgamesh, who appears to have taken possession of the Holy Grail.
There was a lot more straight up supernatural in this book rather than a blend of supernatural and modern life as there was in the previous book. Overall it's very different in tone. I was kind of puzzled by a lot of the author's choices, though what was there was good and a well constructed story. The 9/11 stuff dates it pretty strongly to the early 2000s so it may feel less relevant or resonant the more time passes.

[Jdetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I think this one works better, with better character work and a very interesting plot. I do prefer the first section of the book, where Arthur is president, and wish that had been more of the book, but its a very strong book throughout.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story in this trilogy. This book sees King Arthur as president of the US...and all that entails. Very funny.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tragic. Ends with Twist Smash Bang. David writes believable heroes, monsters, mortals, mages, into a present-day. Magic.
Typos:
c25p17 forelornly is forlornly
c10p25 DOU'D is YOU'D
c1p40 Owen is Gwen

[Derrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still impressed that I am enjoying this series. It's nothing like I thought. GA did it justice that's for sure. There was really only 1 thing towards the end that was very out of place.

[Jim Altomare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. It replaces the humor from the last one with more action.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as I had enjoyed the previous book. It wasn't that it wasn't good, it was fine it was just a lot less fun and seemed to take itself a little more seriously than I would have liked. There were some gaping holes in the timeline between the end of the last book (where Arthur had just been elected mayor) and the beginning of this book where he's president of the USA. Some of the story is told with flashbacks, but not enough for me to really feel like I 'got' the transition.

Story wise, there is a massive terrorist threat and as part of the campaign, Gwen is shot and practically brain dead. The trauma, along with the fact that Percival has disappeared, and Merlin is frozen as a statue leads to Arthur making a deal with Miss Basil to get the terrorist in exchange for Arthur giving up the presidency. Arthur, with no stomach for the job, makes the deal. Eventually, Percival returns with good news regarding the Holy Grail and he & Arthur decide to take Gwen to find it.

As I said, this wasn't bad, it just lacked a lot of the charm of the first book. There were moments - Arthur and Gwen's joking about her being a floozie before she's shot etc, but it's just very heavy the whole way through. This Arthur is very likeable (in complete contrast to some that you read) and you kinda wish that people around him would let up on their expectations on him.

Anyway - as the middle book in a trilogy it was okay, but I just hope the third book gets some of the humour back again.

[JD Waggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's actually closer to 3 1/2 stars for me, but I'll give it the extra nudge. Arthur (yes, that Arthur) has gone from mayoral hopeful in Knight Life to President of These United States, and a part of me really wants to put David's Arthur and Aaron Sorkin's Jed Bartlet in a room together.

One of the greatest moments in this is David's nod to how Arthur got from mayor to president: a not-9/11 9/11-style attack in New York in which Arthur is the hero he is. For all of us who remember the actual 9/11, David strikes just the right chord of pathos, confusion, bravery, and restraint, which is not at all an easy thing to do, especially within a fantasy Arthurian retelling. Bravo, Peter David, bravo.
So President Arthur has the girl, the sword, and the country--does not have the wizard, an explanation which David deliberately keeps at bay for most of the story, which is a bit frustrating. What do you get the man who has everything? A catastrophe, and then the Grail.
I wasn't a huge fan of how David managed the narrative switches between Arthur's world and the Grail's, but his imagination about who could be involved with it and how was very well done. I sequel worthy of the original, which is just as hard in books as in film.

[Sean Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's unusual for the second of a trilogy to fall a little flat for me, but that's the way this one's gone. Needing a little more in depth awareness of Arthurian legend and the Gods, the ending managed to impress even if throughout things were a little drier than one might have wished.

[Laura Gilfillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Knight Life quite some time ago, and I thought it was amusing. In this story I think the author took the opportunity to make some comments on some current events, and I enjoyed considering his points, as well as the entertaining story.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good follow up and second book in David's Arthur trilogy. I enjoy this series, it's very light and entertaining.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter David's writing took a turn toward comic books and looooong-winded philosophy somewhere along the line. Admit I skipped over much of it.

[SK Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay....kind of annoying with the two thirds god, one third man thing. kind of glad that gilgamesh is no longer a threat. kind of had a predictable ending.

[NullusAnxietus]

Not as good as it's predecessor but overall not a bad read

[Craig Leimkuehler]

An amusing tale of King Arthur set in modern times. Very funny and well done

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one, but still a good read.