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Title | Keeper of the King
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Author | Nigel Bennett & P.N. Elrod
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Cover Art | David Mattingly
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Publisher | Baen Books - 1998
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First Printing | Baen Books - 1997
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Title | His Father's Son
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Author | Nigel Bennett & P.N. Elrod
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Cover Art | Jaime Murray
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Publisher | Baen Books - 2002
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First Printing | Baen Books - 2001
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Title | Siegen Perilous
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Author | Nigel Bennett & P.N. Elrod
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Cover Art | Jaime Murray
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Publisher | Baen Books - 2006
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First Printing | Baen Books - 2004
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Category | Horror
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Warnings | Blood & sex
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Main Characters | Lord Richard d'Orleans (Sir Lancelot du Lac / Richard Dun), Sabra, She-Who-Walks (Iona), Charon, Sharon Geary, Philip Bourland, Michael, Edward d'Orleans, Ambert d'Orlean, Montague d'Orleans
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Main Elements | Vampires, Gods
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Website | P.N. Elrod Official Site Black Hat Station - Official Nigel Bennet Site
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Keeper of the King
Once he was Lancelot du Lac, Knight of the Table Round. She was an incarnation of the Goddess. Now they are a pair of ethical vampires.
In Gaul at the dawn of the Middle Ages, Lord Richard was his family's fighting man, its invicible champion - until some force twisted his blade from his hand. And then he met the Lady Sabra, who soothed his wounds, healed his pride - and turned him into a vampire under her tutelage. His new job: Keeper of the King of Britons. True to Sabra's wishes, the English king was keeping civilization alive. Richard's object in unlife: keep the king alive at all costs.
But that was then - now it's the 1990s and Richard's job isn't over. Working as a highly-paid anti-terrorist consultant to the Canadian government in Toronto, he is drawn into a deadly race to save his Lady, and mankind along with her. The object all sublime? Same as last time: The Holy Grail.
His Father's Son
He was once called Lancelot, King Arthur's greatest knight. Now...he is a vampire, still sworn to protect the weak no matter the cost to himself.
In the dead of night, a desperate plea for help calls him to the rescue of a woman he had loved and lost. Reality and dream merge in a macabre dance of death as Richard seeks to save fragile human lives he has sworn a blood-oath to protect.
Haunted by the anguish and raptures of his ancient past and locked in a lethal struggle to survive in the present, Richard must reconcile the two if he is ever to find eternal peace.
But the prices that the Dark Fates demand of him is very high. For over a thousand years he's served them well, yet now they want all he has left: his battered and tarnished soul...
Siege Perilous
The vampire who was once a knight had defended the helpless for centuries - but now he must defend all who live!
Vampire hero Richard Dun, once called Lancelot, is back in the latest book in this exciting, critically acclaimed fantasy series by award-winning actor Nigel Bennett and award-winning writer P.N. Elrod.
And old enemy from Richard's past, Charon the Assassin, returns and is literally hell-bent on bloody revenge. He has acquired deadly new powers that are annihilating the nebulous plane of Otherside and threaten the very existence of the Realside plane. Unless balance is restored, both will be destroyed.
From the sultry Yucatan forests to the chill green fields of ancient Glastonbury, Richard Dun marshals his mortal and immortal allies for a fight that will rage outside dimensions and span centuries of time. He is no stranger to battling to the death, but how can one earthly-bound vampire stand up to a being who can destroy the gods themselves?
Don't be frightened off by the cover art, though I must admit it is hard to picture Nigel Bennett as a 35-year-old Lancelot. Lacroix (from the TV show Forever Knight) yes, but Lancelot no. But one shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
Now if you're reading this series for its Arthurian lore, you're likely to be disappointed. Most of the action takes place in the present, and when in the past, it is generally his life before Arthur. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy those flashbacks, on the contrary, I kept looking forward to the past.
One scene comes to mind, where Sabra and Richard were reminiscing about those knight-in-shining-armour days, laughing at how historians and writers got the stories garbled over the years. But that they got enough of the essence right just the same. If the historical characters were indeed real, one could probably assume they would think the very same of their fictional counterparts. There is also the scene where Lancelot sets out to search for the Holy Grail with the other Knights, but seeing as Sabra is its keeper, he knows exactly where it is :) He just goes along with it.
No, the main action takes place in Toronto, and the second novel in Texas. Seems like that Canadian city is a hotbed of vampire activity. Montreal and Calgary must be feeling left out, with Vancouver showing up once in Tanya Huff's Blood series. But seeing as I've been to Toronto often enough to know the layout of the place, it makes it fun to find a street name or location I've been to before.
And the plots? Well, they were ok, a bit of a stretch at times, even taking into account this is a fantasy novel. The characters? I like Richard and Sabra and I've never read such gentle and loving love scenes. This wasn't about sex and lust and downright pornographic writing that you find in many other vampire novels. Those scenes were actually a pleasure to read. Richard is a gentleman and definitely pleases his women. And when he is with Sabra you can't help but feel their connection.
One thing I didn't like was the occasional inconsistencies in the vampire lore. Sometimes Richard is superhuman, as he should be, and other times he was a total wimp. But I find this common among vampire novels, probably authors having to tone down their characters to prevent them being too godlike. It isn't much of a story if your hero doesn't have to struggle a little. This is also the first book I've read where free flowing water actually has an effect on vampires. That piece of lore is commonly disregared, made it a little different.
And Richard makes mistakes. Though one would expect a thousand year old vampire to know better, he is a warrior, not a thinker, and sometimes jumps into things without pausing first. This is what he was brought up to be when he was Lancelot. It probably makes sense that he'd not change all that much over the years.
And Charon's manner of speaking? That was hilarious! This guy spits out things like "Hasta la Winnebago, baby!" among other gems.
Do I recommend? They're OK, not the best vampire novels around. It had its well done moments, and bits that were a pleasure to read. I would say they are used bookstore fare, worth the look if you come across them and have some times to spare.
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