Chevalier & Gawayn

by Phillip Mann

Once upon a time in the future, things are looking grim. Plague stalks the land, people live behind city walls, or underground, or huddle in remote hamlets. No more animals, no more birdlife, no more freedom... never has the divide between rich and poor been so evident, never has the Earth been so despoiled, and never has the need for a hero been stronger.

Enter Chevalier, an unassuming and mild-mannered tax inspector by day but a secret law-breaker and risk-taker by night who decides to experiment with a new virtual reality headset - CIRCE. And before he knows it, our hero finds he can dip in and out of a world long ago and far away where his deepest hopes and fears are met, where there's magic in the air, and where his spirit and bravery can emerge.

Helped (and hindered) by a collection of heroes, heroines, gods, goddesses and raving beauties from ages both ancient and modern, our hero gradually takes on the spirit and bravery of the legendary Gawayn. Masks, disguise and identity are key to the journey, and Chevalier discovers he is not alone. A bold and cunning plan is called for... the evolution of Gawayn is essential.

This is a fable for our times. Serious, whimsical, funny, powerful and sexy, Chevalier & Gawayn is a thrilling mix of adventure and adversity and the need to heed the past. It is also a warning of the dangers facing society, but most of all, it is a celebration of our power to face and overcome them.

472 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2022

About the author

Phillip Mann was born in 1942 and studied English and Drama at Manchester University and later in California. He worked in the New China News Agency in Beijing for two years but has lived in New Zealand since 1969, working as a theatre critic, drama teacher and university Reader in Drama.

Series:
* Pawl Paxwax, the Gardener
* A Land Fit for Heroes

Reviews

[Gabby Eastgate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world(s) were really interesting, although the story takes its time exploring them at the beginning which made it hard for me to get into at first. This slower start helps set everything in place for the more hectic (in a good way) second half, where things are dreamlike at times but this fits right in. The ending was somewhat unexpected to me but made a lot of sense within the book and left me with a lot to think about, which I really like. It did occasionally feel a little aimless in the beginning. Especially when Chevalier figured out the case which I thought was the whole point and there was still like half the book left.
Given the fantasy/sci-fi genre and the focus on Gawayn as a hero, I'd expected the book would end with them taking down the Wayfriends, fighting to save Paradise Valley, and all that. Escaping for a chance as a better future feels a little less 'heroic' - at what point do you decide that running and saving yourself and your friends is the best option, rather than fighting against this dystopian regime and saving not just yourselves, but people like Beryl who won't leave? A lot of this clarified for me when they knocked out Amos to stop him going on some revenge rampage - they could fight back, but given the scale of that fight, would it really be worth it, what would they lose in the process, and isn't it better to strive for the happiness of not just themselves, but this group they've accumulated? (although I did find Josey's death to be a little 'bury-your-gays' given the sheer amount of happy het couples that cropped up near the end while Amos is lost in grief until the very end). Point is, I really liked the ending and having the chance to think all of this over!

[Laurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Phil's final work, and it was launched just weeks before he died, shortly after his 80th birthday. It is an oustanding final full stop to a life of high quality writing.

A gripping and exciting tale - the pace in the last quarter of the book was exhilarating. Although it is “speculative fiction” there is a clear line from the present and the worst excesses of late stage capitalism.

The idea of CIRCE as an arranging force for good really appealed to me - I have always been a fan of Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis, and view climate change as mother earth’s reaction to the Anthropocene.

The parallel worlds of rustic England in the 6th century, the dystopia of the late 21st century, with the same characters in both storylines – “was I dreaming then or am I dreaming now”.

I spotted many references to classical literature, theatre and myths, but I am sure there were many more that went right over my head.

The future generations have a tough job to find a way to reverse the slide into decay, and seize the chance to escape into a reinvented future

[Susan Wilson]

The fantasy elements are not my normal genre, and so I struggled a bit as definitively not my usual “can’t put down”. The last 150 pages it took off, the storylines came together and the adventure galloped, and I enjoyed it. I did feel the earlier part of the novel could have been edited down. There was a lot of detail that didn’t seem to further characters or storyline. At the end, there were some elements that could have been explored more. It wasn’t at all believable but it didn’t matter to me. Not so great start but great finish.

[Psyckers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A final send off from a great author. This book explores a world that has reverted back to a more 'wild west' mythos where a law abiding taxman comes to town.
Mystery is abound around 'The Palace of Animals' and the disappearance of its curator.
The story weaves a fantastic web of intrigue and describes the world environment in explicit detail.
Character depth is also well thought out with motives coming throughout the book.
It is certainly worth reading, if anything for the richness of the story.

[Stephen Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those mad roller-coaster type novels. I understand this was his last, a sad loss. Enjoyed this a lot. Unsure if this is typical Mann style; things seem out of hand at times with the narrative/plot running in every direction. But I will read more of his work in future. Vale!
BTW to publisher- the cover appeal of this book is not good.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like Phillip Mann and I really liked bits of this book. But as a whole novel it did not come together for me which left it hollow. A number of good stories and well written, but it was the tying together of the threads and given me a sense of purpose to the story that I could not find.