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The Tale of the Border Knight

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They say the Noble Seven came from the Waste.

They say the knights arrived from the desert gleaming in silver mail, shimmering bright as the sun, a refraction of every color under God's sky. They were honor, righteousness, and courage made flesh. Some claim they came from beyond, angels sent to stand against damons. Some say.

If you want to know the truth, I will tell you.

73 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 3, 2023

1 person is currently reading
64 people want to read

About the author

A.R. Witham

7 books110 followers

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Eddie.
467 reviews20 followers
January 6, 2023
I give this 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Like the Book title says it’s a Tale!

What an enjoyable tale

This Book gives the back drop to Keymark and the Knights.
Which was told briefly on the LOBJ.
So is Andy a Seinfeld fan “ Who are these people”
And if he a Churchill fan
“We will fight you here at the fountain,”
We will fight you at the wooden gate.
We will fight you in the Elder Wood. Etc
Profile Image for Boe.
75 reviews28 followers
January 9, 2023
The Tale of the Border Knight is a prequel novella to the main novel The Legend of Black Jack . This is a quick but fun origin story of the border knights also known as the Noble Seven and how they came to be the protectors of Keymark.

The story is told through the eyes of Stahl which is great since we learned of him in The Legend of Black Jack but don’t actually get to know him in that story. All in all if you are a fan of the main novel then this is a no brainer in terms of should you or shouldn’t you read it. You can get access to the story either buy purchasing it on Amazon or by signing up for the authors newsletter.
Profile Image for Andrews WizardlyReads.
339 reviews707 followers
January 10, 2023
A really fun read! Fans of Keymark get a peek into the history and lore of the border knights here! It was fun coming back to this world. What excites me the most is we not have 300 years to explore these knights tales or Black Jack 2 can explore the future of Keymark. Regardless I’m off to light a fire under AR for more adventures in this world of his that I love so much!!!
Profile Image for S. Bavey.
Author 11 books70 followers
December 20, 2022
I read this story when it was titled “Noble Seven” and was a free download for registering for the author’s newsletter.

The Tale of the Border Knight is a prequel story to the novel The Legend of Black Jack and tells the story of how the seven border knights who feature in that novel came to discover the realm of Keymark and to guard its borders on behalf of the elves who created this world.
Stahl is the main point of view character in this story which I enjoyed, as we didn’t get to see much of this character in the main novel - he was killed by the big bad guy before we learnt much about him. The back story of Keymark is laid out in this novella and was enlightening and engaging and I found it an enjoyable if somewhat short read.
70 reviews9 followers
January 28, 2023
4.5 stars out of 5 stars.
I recently read Witham's book The Legend of Black Jack, which I enjoyed a lot. I wished there had been more of the Paladins in that story, but understood how that might be outside the scope of the book. Here we get a novella explaining how they came to be and we meet all 7 members of the group.

What a fun adventure this was! I loved reading about the Paladins' purpose, the armour, and getting to know the different characters a little. I would LOVE to get more stories in the world of Keymark.
Profile Image for Marilyn.
743 reviews54 followers
February 20, 2023
love these knights

I adored this story of the seven knights and my favorite character, Valerian, from The Legend of Black Jack. What fun it was to read about their adventure. Maybe there will be more?!
Profile Image for Nick Procter.
55 reviews7 followers
July 30, 2023
This is a fun read which I completed in one session. I love the theme, and the brotherhood-style camaraderie and humour of the seven heroes of the tale. The sharp and engaging prose carried the novella along at a great pace and this novella has whetted my appetite to read more of the author's work.
Profile Image for Melissa.
39 reviews20 followers
January 14, 2023
Having already read The Legend of Black Jack, it was so good to see old friends, and to see how things started when I already know how things turn out for them. I'd love to read more anecdotal stories about the Border Knights!
Profile Image for Bob Godden.
14 reviews6 followers
January 17, 2023
I found this short tale very fun and enjoyable. Once again the author has delivered a quality and entertaining story. There was plenty of adventure, humor, drama, and even a bit of freeflapping. I highly recommend this to anyone even if they have not read the excellent The Legend of Blackjack. I look forward to anything A. R. Witham writes in the future and I think that anyone who tries his works will feel the same.
Profile Image for Sharon Dwyer.
154 reviews27 followers
February 3, 2023
This novella is a prequel to The Legend of Black Jack and takes place 300 years prior. It tells the story of how the Border Knights came to be known and their role as protectors of Keymark. I absolutely loved this ... so much was packed into this short novella. The humor is *chef's kiss* and gave me Terry Pratchett and the City Watch band of characters.
Profile Image for Derek Bailey.
Author 11 books28 followers
August 31, 2023
So much ground is covered in terms of character development, lore building, and general plotting, yet somehow Witham manages to deliver an evenly paced adventure full of wit, action, and magic.

PLOT/TONE
Set thousands of years before THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK, we are immediately introduced to a band of seven men that the readers of Witham's debut will recognize (as the title suggests). It was a ton of fun to meet these early versions of the Border Knights and discover the land of Keymark all over again as it is just in it's infancy as a realm. The story is told across three chapters that felt kind of episodic. The book is short enough where I imagine many will just devour it in an afternoon, but I actually took it in three parts, treating it almost like a collection of short stories. I mostly only did this to savor it and to use it as a little treat since I would read a chapter after some much dryer reading I was doing with a professional development book. I honestly think either way is a perfectly fine way to consume the story. I loved the way that characters are developed on the go, and I was thrilled that this story actually shows us what the fabled elves were really like back in their heyday. Everything just moves along so smoothly, from the brutal opening skirmish to the climactic battle sequence in the third act. The only thing that threw me off somewhat was that I didn't quite remember some of the knights, including Stahl, who serves as our main character here, but is one of the knights with the least amount of page time in the original novel. While I did flip through my copy of BLACK JACK to figure out where each of them fit in, this was ultimately unnecessary because this novella does a good enough job of reintroducing them all to the reader.

CHARACTERS
Like I mentioned before, this story focusses on Stahl. While Valerian might seem like the more obvious choice for a main character, I actually thought it was interesting that a much less familiar figure is given his time to shine and it probably worked better to tell this story from the perspective of someone who's a little goofier and less composed than Valerian. I liked the way the other knights came across as well. Each is very quickly characterized and I loved that I got to see them all in a new light. Things start off rather dire for the group and it was incredible to see them persevere through those seemingly hopeless circumstances and really interesting to witness the amount of faith that they put in Valerian as their leader. The banter between these seven brothers in arms could get a little weird at times, but it was funny all the same.

Even characters who got a lot less time on page in this quick story felt rather distinct. The regality of the elves and the brutality of those who'd do them harm came through brilliantly. While I'd happily have spent more time getting to know representatives of these two races better, I was also perfectly fulfilled with what was provided here. I also appreciated how we got to see a version of Keymark that the elves are only just starting to put together.

SETTING/WORLD
The story begins in The Wastes which I don't believe we ever explored in the original novel, but this land certainly lives up to its name. While not the most interesting location, it did serve as a compelling backdrop to the initial conflict while also doing a good job to manifest a sense of desperation and hopelessness. Things get a lot more lush when the band of downtrodden men reach the border of Keymark. While we'd been to this region of the world already, I loved seeing this fledgling version of it. I also loved the way Witham described it's construction with the elves putting their power on full display as they slowly form what will later become a sprawling realm. One thing that's never been super clear to me with the world building is where the Border Knights themselves actually come from. They seem like they could have come from the "real" world, but they could have also come from another realm entirely and there are some pieces of dialogue that suggest that either this is the case or that this version of our world was a lot more magical in the past. This was a small gripe though as Keymark continues to be quite a compelling fantasy setting that I hope to see another full novel set in.

THE PAPERBACK
While it may not have interior illustrations like THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK did, this paperback is still beautifully put together. The fonts and formatting choices from Witham's debut were rather iconic in their own way, so I was very happy to see all of that remain consistent here as well. As with the novel, this novella is pristinely polished as well.

CONCLUSION
THE TALE OF THE BORDER KNIGHT is a must-read for those who enjoyed Witham's debut as well as those who maybe just want to get a taste for his writing before they commit to a full journey into Keymark.

(+) A well paced adventure that added a ton to already established Keymark lore
(+) Lots of exciting action throughout
(+) Each knight felt very distinct and I was connected to them all almost immediately
(+) The way the mythical elves were handled was really well done and super interesting
(-) It took me a rather long time to remember who some of the knights were from the original book (especially Stahl).
Profile Image for Benghis Kahn.
339 reviews212 followers
July 26, 2023
This was a fun little companion prequel story to the Legend of Black Jack that tells the story of how the Border Knights came to be in their position. It has that trademark Witham light/dark hybrid tone that mixes a fairy tale vibe with the feel of modern epic fantasy that makes for a fresh and engaging read. However, the extended short story-ish format means there's not too much to dig into, and it's probably purely for big fans of the novel to spend a little extra time in the world.

I think it would have been much better for me if I'd read it soon after finishing Black Jack, since it took me some time to sink into this one fully, and with a 70 page novella you don't have a lot of time to burn. All of the character connections being fresh also would have made it more impactful, so I'd really recommend reading this one back-to-back or close to it with the novel. But while the first two chapters didn't grab me completely, my investment rose steeply around the climactic section and the ending, and I'm glad I gave it a read.
Profile Image for Twainy.
1,087 reviews
February 2, 2023
At least it didn’t make me cry.

The 7 border knights are legendary protectors & this is their origin story. WHAT? No door? They are hilarious, a band of spicy men with swords … and amazing armor!

Fifty pounds of larvae? Ew! You wouldn’t want to kill them as they’ll go bad & they’re better for eating, yuck. Elves & trolls keep the story moving & provide just the right amount of good & evil.

Returning to Keymark for such a short time has me itching for more. Hee. Suppose I could reread The Legend of Black Jack … I mean reLISTEN as the author narrates both stories perfectly. Chef’s kiss! Encore!
Profile Image for Jennifer Andersen.
37 reviews
July 2, 2023
This little novella is a prequel to the story The Legend of Black Jack by A.R. Witham. It tells the tale of how the Border Knights get their armor and come to be the protector of the Elves of Keymark.

I enjoyed this read and the bit of insight into the past of the world. I do wish it had been a little longer because it was over and done with before I felt like the sotry got very deep. If I had read this closer to reading Black Jack, I think I would have had carry over emotion from the bigger book and it would have helped. But the story was written very nicely. I really enjoy Witham's prose and also his performances on the audiobooks.
Profile Image for Joey Parton.
206 reviews4 followers
February 4, 2023
An enjoyable tale from the world of Keymark.

If you enjoyed The Legend of Black Jack by A.R. Witham as much as I did, it was only natural to jump in on this short story set before the main novel. This novella brings us back to the land of Keymark to flesh out more lore from the Border Knights. While it is short, it does have some heartwarming and moving moments. Themes of brotherhood and comradery and honor. I enjoyed this quite a bit!
Profile Image for Jake.
170 reviews50 followers
July 9, 2023
3 stars

I enjoyed The Legend of Black Jack, also by A.R. Witham, so I figured I would check out this little preqeul novella. It was good, but also super short, clocking in at around 90 minutes for the audiobook. My favorite part was the author's narration of the tale, it was entertaining and pretty funny at times. Not as good as the novel, which I enjoyed mainly for the titular character of Black Jack. I would recommend it for fans of the novel though, it was a fun time.
Profile Image for Melissa.
Author 131 books19 followers
October 21, 2023
i needed something short to listen to while out running errands today and this fit the bill perfectly. I enjoyed the concept of the border knights from The Legend of Black Jack and wanted to know more about them. This didn't quite scratch the itch. I still want to know who they were before they left on their treck into the desert. It filled in some information about Keymark, though, which was great.
Profile Image for Kate.
632 reviews39 followers
January 11, 2023
Companion novella to The Legend of Black Jack. This book had everything a legendary tale should have. Heroic knights, humor, adventure. That moment where the reader doubted if the hero would win. I loved every minute of it.
Profile Image for Deanna.
23 reviews
October 21, 2023
A very quick read, that I enjoyed. I learned a bit about how the Border Knights came to be, but it left me wanting to know more about the knights, the elves and why Keymark came to be. I think I may need to reread Black Jack.
15 reviews
January 27, 2023
Jumped straight into this after The Legend of Black Jack and while its not as fast paced its nice to get more info on the noble 7. Im always here for more Valerian Tsai.
Profile Image for Chad.
546 reviews30 followers
October 1, 2024
After reading The Legend of Black Jack last year and truly enjoying it, (Listen to the author narrate his own grand tale if you get the chance) I of course wanted more. I finally got the chance to dive into A. R. Witham's novella The Tale of the Border Knight here near the end of June.

This tale shed a bit of light and history onto the Border Knights and perhaps a glimpse into everyone's favorite Trol as well. This one was a lot of fun. Just more of the same from this author so far.

The pacing was as good as can be expected both from this author and it being a short novella read. One could easily sit down and burn through this in a single day easy. Something I rarely get with a novella was a comfortable feeling of satisfaction. It had a solid beginning, middle and end. Often times I feel novellas simply leaving me wanting more. This one just seemed complete to me. 0erhaos I'd feel different if I read thus before Black Jack. I'm not sure.

The world building was done well. Thus really did just give us more details on the history of the knights and their relationships between each other, the Elves and the Trols. You can't really ask for much more in about a hundred pages.

The character development was good for such a short time with these characters. It was interesting to see how different the knights were. How their various gear fit their different fighting styles. It was also nice seeing the relationship between Valerian and the Elves as well as the Trol King specifically setting the stage for future events in Black Jack.

I closing I'd just like to add the humor in this short one was a nice surprise and something I needed right at the moment of reading this one.

I'd recommend this to readers of fantasy without a doubt. Light hearted, fun with action. Now the real question is order of reading. I think reading this after The Legend of Black Jack worked well for me. However, if you're just looking for something shorter to try out the author I don't think reading The Tale of the Border Knight first would hurt either. I felt this was a good representation of the author's work and style.
Profile Image for Chris Mohan.
26 reviews12 followers
March 11, 2023
When I finished Legend of Black Jack, I was curious as to whether further stories would explore the mythos that is set up at the outset of that tale. Luckily, my prayers were quickly answered as the author provided an original tale exploring the interrelationships and might of the Knights.

The novella wastes no time dropping the reader into the middle of the action with a mix of threat, stakes and humour. We get a stronger sense of what makes the Knights tick and the connection that brotherhood brings.

If you have read Legend of Black Jack, you will know what to expect. Strong character writing with wonderfully immersive prose. I would offer that the quality of descriptive writing is turned up from the main book. The use of colour is something that radiates on every page. You are reminded that Keymark is a place fraught with adventure and danger. However, once the fighting and running for your life is done, you may want to take a leisurely stroll and admire the beauty on show. The author manages to mix the combat with an alluring travel guide. This should illustrate how much I enjoyed the writing.

Last but not least, the constant humour deserves a commend.. Aided by the ever excellent narration from the author himself, there are regular zingers which amuse and tickle as much as they aid the sense of adventure. Writing comedy in the fantasy genre is something few can pull off. This succeeds in that fare with aplomb.

A thoroughly great afternoon read (or listen) that will leave you thirsty for more. Bravo!
26 reviews1 follower
April 26, 2023
Another Wonderful Book

Mr. Witham is amazing and I hope he has many more stories to tell. This is the kind of book you wish you could read for the first time, over and over. The Knights are an incredible lot and would be so much fun to hang out with. If you haven’t read The Legend of Black Jack, do yourself a favor and read it now.

My only gripe is that this tale was too soon over.
Profile Image for Xyn.
142 reviews3 followers
July 16, 2023
A delightful gift.

The Tale of the Border Knight is a delightful gift for those who have read The Legend of Black Jack. Herein, we learn the difference between armor and Armor.

A highly recommended read for those who enjoyed The Legend of Black Jack.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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