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King vs. King by W.A.Hall Black Rose Writing
book review by Peter M. Fitzpatrick
"Power corrupts most men, sickens them and ultimately cheats on them."
Vermonter Owen Miller is just the captain of his high school football team until Merlin the Magician shows up at his family home one afternoon. It seems that Merlin and a fellow Druid from old, Makin, have knowledge of the recent discovery of King Arthur's tomb. Makin is now the High Cardinal of the Church of England and is using his power to clone a living Arthur from the recovered body. Merlin is convinced that this is for evil purposes. He tells Owen that since he is a descendant of the King, Owen must come under his tutelage and training in order to fight Makin.
The cloned Arthur is little more than a puppet of Makin. He successfully pulls an "Excalibur" sword from the stone in a challenge to the reigning Queen. A reign of terror is immediately unleashed on the United Kingdom by the cloned Arthur and Makin. They intend to smash the world into submission to a Great Britain reestablished as a Superpower. It is up to Merlin and his somewhat green Arthur-in-training, Owen, to challenge them.
This modern retelling of the King Arthur tale is written in a modern, almost colloquial, language, It is conversational and informal, reading almost like a tale being told aloud, in the tradition of storytellers of old. That is fitting for a contemporary reworking of the myth, one where clones and nuclear bombs play a part. It can be read as a coming-of-age novel for young adults or contemporary fantasy for the general reader.