Grail

After the success of Project Excalibur in finding a heroic leader and helping establish her rule in at least one part of the Otherworld, as this distant Dark Age world so like their own is called, Rory Maelduin is hoping to lay aside his Merlin role and enjoy a quieter life back home for a while; but his hard-won achievements are coming under threat already. Heather Sheridan (the Lady of the Lake) has accepted his proposal of marriage, but the adjustments required in both their lives are not without challenges, especially since they discovered they are avatars of the spirit-world powers who designed Project Excalibur from the outset, and they are still learning to use their newly awakened talents. And then there is the (not so) little matter of Heather’s pregnancy. Since Morag (Morgan le Fay) and her twin brother Owein have already demonstrated a disconcerting habit of communicating before they are even born (they too are avatars, of course), the domestic situation is undoubtedly going to grow even more complicated. Nor will it get any easier when Lohengrin joins his brother and sisters. Though they do have to find him first. Meanwhile, in his own world, ambitious politicians seek to exploit the Otherworld for their own advantage. And in the Otherworld, Niamh’s realm is under threat of invasion from armies mustering beyond its borders. And in the spirit world, the powers whose avatars they are have come under attack. Enemies are moving against friends and Family, but who is behind it all? And as events rush towards a crisis, Maelduin and Gawain find themselves trapped in the Wasteland, a realm from which, it is said, none return. Their one hope is to restore the Fisher King to the Grail Castle, but first they have to drive out the ‘demons’ which haunt it. Nor do they have any weapons other than their wits. And of course the herd of goats which have followed them. How can they escape in time to help Niamh at the Battle of Badon? Mind you, they are pair of devious tricksters, quick to take advantage of any opportunity, however unlikely; and goats did prove surprisingly helpful on their earlier Goat Quest . . . . Grail is third in the Striking Hawk series, and it continues the lively and often humorous adventures that begin in Project Excalibur and The Sword in the Stone. It offers a unique and playful variant on Arthurian tradition.