THE THIRTEENTH KNIGHT

Basil (65 Days to Delhi, 2012) delivers a tale of courageous medieval knights on a quest to fulfill a prophecy.

Twelve-year-old Jeremy was born and raised in a small cottage in the fictional, picturesque English village of Grumblehampton. He’s ordinary in many ways: He has two older siblings and regularly attends Sunday school. But Jeremy is also prone to prolonged and immersive daydreaming; indeed, he often mistakes reality for fantasy. Such is the case when he meets the medieval squire Pimm, seated on the banks of the River Titchfield; Jeremy takes him into his home, renaming him Francis Drake. However, Pimm is quite real, and he soon begins to tell a story about his own time and place—the magical world of Arac, governed by the great King Pylon and his 12 noble and loyal knights. (Pimm is squire to one of these knights, Prince Gemree.) The king has a vision that Arac and its people are in danger and that only a mysterious Thirteenth Knight will restore peace. Further visions reveal that Prince Gemree will lead Pimm on a quest to a gateway leading to the Thirteenth Knight. Of course, Pimm endures a series of treacherous trials and tribulations along the way. The novel is heavily influenced by other medieval-knight tales, particularly the Arthurian romances. Although the inclusion of Jeremy and parallel worlds modernizes the story somewhat, at its heart the novel focuses on the codes of honor, courage, and duty that were the hallmarks of the great legends.

An earnest fantasy story and a passable stand-in for the classic tales it emulates.