Review of Children of the Knight by Michael J. Bowler

Blurb:

According to legend, King Arthur is supposed to return when Britain needs him most. So why does a man claiming to be the once and future king suddenly appear in Los Angeles?

This charismatic young Arthur creates a new Camelot within the City of Angels to lead a crusade of unwanted kids against an adult society that discards and ignores them. Under his banner of equality, every needy child is welcome, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, or gang affiliation.

With the help of his amazing First Knight, homeless fourteen-year-old Lance, Arthur transforms this ragtag band of rejected children and teens into a well-trained army—the Children of the Knight. Through his intervention, they win the hearts and minds of the populace at large, and gain a truer understanding of themselves and their worth to society. But seeking more rights for kids pits Arthur and the children squarely against the rich, the influential, and the self-satisfied politicians who want nothing more than to maintain the status quo.

Can right truly overcome might? Arthur’s hopeful young knights are about to find out, and the City of Angels will never be the same.

 

My Review:

When I first heard about this book I thought it had to be absolutely cool because it was about King Arthur coming back to modern times and having his knights of the round table.

In actuality, I was right and oh so wrong! The book is about King Arthur coming back to modern times but that is pretty much where it begins and ends. Having the round table as we know it from history is nothing like I had ever read.
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The story opens with a gang war about to happen in one of the barrios of Los Angeles due to a  large A with a cross in the middle that has been posted over the top of other gang tagging. Each gang thinking the other had done it.

The story moves along to find King Arthur fully awake in this new place with a mission he must do. He is seen coming to the rescue of a 14 year old street kid named, Lance, who will eventually become his First Knight and significant throughout the entire book.

With Lance's help and guidance through this strange new era, King Arthur recruits other children of the streets from the drug dealers, to the homosexuals, to the abused and neglected. All come to stay with Arthur and Lance and are trained to be honorable and forthright. All are accepted for who they are, girls and boys alike, one thousand strong, will all come to be known as King Arthur's Knights.

Led by the King they will begin to clean up the areas and streets they once formerly ran. The children will fight for the right to be heard as children. For their right to be protected by the very adults who should have protected them. They will learn to live and respect each other as 'brothers' and 'sisters' not as enemies who have claimed an area of the city. The children will set an example for other adults but will also struggle with the demons that have lived with for so long.

King Arthur stands up for these disenfranchised children but will also learn from mistakes of his past and his present. Oh yes, there is the story of love and love lost in here too. There is the story of hurt, betrayal and denial all wrapped in these pages. There is also loss so deep that the reader wants to cry along with the characters.

To find out what happens to Sir Lance, King Arthur and the other Knights of the Round Table, you must read this book. It is worth it!
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Author Michael Bowler did an excellent job of twisting a real historical character in to a modern day twist. He brought to light an age old problem of child neglect in many forms and also the way we humans treat each other.

It would serve us well, to read this book not once but maybe even several times until we learn that our future counts on us and that we need to stand up for them and treat them with the respect they deserve. We need to be the King Arthurs for our children because the cause is not finished. It has only begun.

This book deserves the 5 stars and then some.
~Naila Moon

Disclosure: I was given a free Kindle version of this book for my open and honest opinion. The views expressed here are 100% my own.
This review is also part of the Innovative Online blog tour.

About the author:

Michael J Bowler is an award-winning author of two novels with a third soon to be published. His second book, "A Matter of Time," is a 2012 Silver Medal Winner from Reader's Favorite. He grew up in San Rafael, California. He majored in English and Theatre in college and got a master's in film production. He was producer, writer, and/or director on several films, most notably "Fatal Images," "Dead Girls," "Club Dead," "Things" and "Things II."
He has also been a volunteer Big Brother to seven different boys for 29 years with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles for 28 years. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California.
His newest novel, "Children of the Knight," reflects his many years of experience working with marginalized and disenfranchised youth in California and promotes the premise that reform in all areas that serve our young people is desperately needed, but not desired by the powers-that-be.

Where you can find Michael J. Bowler

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