The Return of Sir Percival, Book 1
S. Alexander O'Keefe
(Author)
Description
Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2016
A Tale of the Last Knight of the Round Table
Seven years after the death of Arthur Pendragon, Sir Percival, the last surviving knight of the Round Table, returns to Albion after a long and futile quest for the Holy Grail. The peaceful and prosperous home that he left a decade earlier is no more. Camelot has fallen, and much of the Pendragon's kingdom has been subjugated by the evil Morgana and the Norse invaders who once served under her banner.
Although the knight desires only to return to his ancestral lands and to live in peace, he vows to pursue one last quest before he rests--to find Guinevere, the Queen of the Britons. This journey will force the knight to travel the length and breadth of Albion, to overcome the most fearsome and cunning of enemies, and to embrace a past that is both painful and magnificent.
The Return of Sir Percival is the tale of a knight who seeks peace, but finds only war, of a Queen who has borne sorrow and defeat, but who will not yield, and of a valiant people determined to cast of the yoke of their oppressors. It is also a tale of tragedy and triumph, and of romance lost and then found.
The unique vision of the Arthurian world brought to life in S. Alexander O'Keefe's The Return of Sir Percival takes readers on a journey that is as enthralling as it is memorable.
Product Details
| Publisher | Greenleaf Book Group Press |
| Publish Date | September 06, 2016 |
| Pages | 376 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781626343092 |
| Dimensions | 9.1 X 6.0 X 1.3 inches | 1.4 pounds |
About the Author
S. Alexander O'Keefe was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Fordham University School of Law, and he practices law in Newport Beach, California. Mr. O'Keefe and his wife, Cathy, who live in Irvine, California, have three children. The Return of Sir Percival is Mr. O'Keefe's second novel.
Reviews
In the first volume of a saga chronicling the exploits of a knight of the Round Table, Sir Percival returns to Albion only to find that much has changed.
After 10 fruitless years of searching for the Holy Grail, Sir Percival arrives in Albion alongside his loyal companion and fighting partner, Capussa. Unfortunately, Arthur Pendragon died while the knight was gone, and the rest of Camelot with him. His queen, Guinevere, hides in a monastery, alone but for a few trusted ladies and a network of spies. Albion is ravaged by violence at the hands of the cruel Morgana and the Norse raiders that she employed as sellswords to defeat Arthur. Rather than a witch, Morgana is actually a Roman princess and assassin whom the king in Constantinople sent to Albion so that she could kill a wise man called Melitas. In Albion, Melitas is better known as Merlin, Arthur's most trusted adviser. While Merlin remains alive, Morgana won't leave Albion in peace. When Percival learns of the tragedy that has befallen his country, he sets out to find his queen--with whom he always had a special bond--and report to her. He recalls his feelings for the young Guinevere a decade ago ("His days and nights were haunted by her enchanting laugh, mesmerizing smile, and noble soul"). But Morgana refuses to have a knight of the Round Table back in the country, inciting the beaten-down people of Albion to rise up against her iron fist and reclaim their freedom. Another big battle is coming, and soon. O'Keefe (Helius Legacy, 2012) takes elements of Arthurian legend that most readers are familiar with and grounds them in the harsh, historical reality of the time period. The story of heroic Percival and his quest to save the land--and the lady--he loves is suitably epic and full of adventures, not to mention colorful characters. Percival is appropriately noble and easy to root for against the utterly evil Morgana, but the real star here is the knight's fiery friend, the warrior Capussa, whose sharp sense of humor should make him a favorite of readers. At one point he tells Percival: "Well, now that you've decided to start a war, do you mind overly much if I propose a plan to win it?"
An engaging and epic yarn that explores the history behind the magic of Camelot.
-- "Kirkus Review"Earn by promoting books
