The campaign to save California’s children was only the beginning. Now King Arthur and his Round Table of teenaged knights set their sights on fixing something even bigger – the entire country. How? By targeting America’s most sacred document – The Constitution. Native American teens Kai and Dakota, despite harboring secrets of their own, join the team, and swear undying loyalty to Lance. They … Lance. They carry the hope of their people that the crusade will better the lives of Indian children, who are the most neglected by government. This new campaign will take the young people to The White House, the halls of Congress, and beyond in their quest to change the prevailing opinion that children are property, rather than human beings in their own right.
But an unseen nemesis stalks Lance and Arthur, and ratchets up the attacks on New Camelot, promising to kill them and destroy all that the king has put in place. Lance, Ricky, Kai, and Dakota become the enemy’s favorite targets, and barely escape with their lives on more than one occasion. Who is this mysterious stalker, and what is the motive for these attacks? Lance has no idea, especially since he’s never intentionally hurt anyone.
“You were right, little boy, death is coming for you, but slowly, and only after it takes out the people you love.” That chilling promise haunts Lance, but also strengthens his determination to protect the people he loves at all costs. Or die trying.
The Knight Cycle continues…
Children of the Knight Series:
Children of the Knight (Children of the Knight Book 1)
Running Through A Dark Place (Children of the Knight Book 2)
There Is No Fear (Children of the Knight Book 3)
And The Children Shall Lead (Children of the Knight Book 4)
Once Upon A Time In America (Children of the Knight Book 5)
Warrior Kids (standalone set within the Children of the Knight universe)
more
I am primarily a romance writer. In fact, the tag line on my author’s blog is “Love is what I see.” And of all that I see in Michael Bowler’s Children of the Knight series, the depth of love between the characters is my personal favorite aspect. Profound love—that of friends and brothers and sons and romantic partners—infiltrates this contemporary and mystical adventure series, that I once likened to an action-filled motion picture. And this constant presence of the characters’ selfless devotion to others is why the fourth novel of the series, And the Children Shall Lead, touches me so deeply and will stay with me for years to come.
“I love you so much that when you are with me the world disappears and all I can see is you.” I remember the days of my own youth when loving someone was all encompassing and overwhelmingly powerful. Michael Bowler also knows this depth of youthful love, and he expresses it with the brilliant simplicity of one teenage boy speaking to another—not using dexterity of wit to drive his point home, but rather the guileless candor of youthful declarations (closely followed by a teasing nudge and an off-the-cuff remark, “that’s cuz you’re a dumbass”, which lightens the moment and makes it so very real).
The bonds of love that Bowler creates are selfless and undying, as well as utterly compelling, bursting forth from the restrictive tension of living with a constant presence of danger. Intuitively, Bowler’s teen boy characters know that public ownership of the unconventional love they share, one that defies all labels, is a necessary step in the healthy growth of their relationship. This inner knowledge of each other’s needs leads to what I consider to be the most moving (and yet again somehow humorous, thanks to Bowler’s skillful writing) moment of And the Children Shall Lead, where the teens bravely and publicly express that they are a couple, and that their love is not a choice, but is a calling. Furthermore, they insist they are not “gay”, but are instead two parts of the same boy. Please note that this honest and poignant message society so desperately needs to hear is delivered to the world in a truly unconventional setting, but you will have to see that for yourself.
The depiction of teenagers who experience a fulfilling love relationship that does not involve sexual intimacy, is both heartening and hopeful, and maybe even freeing for many of the teens who read And the Children Shall Lead. In addition, Bowler’s expression that “real boys” can love each other and still, in fact, be “real boys” is one that needs to be relayed. In these ways the romantic love relationship around which the book centers is positive and appropriate for all ages, while still gripping the reader in its intensity. And I will add that despite the lack of physical intimacy, the romance between these boys is one of the most satisfying I, as a reader, have encountered in literature.
In And the Children Shall Lead, the positive love relationships, including bonds of friendship and the devotion of adopted family, are the characters’ fundamental sources of strength by which they mature and grow into their best adult selves. In particular, the love that I see in And the Children Shall Lead provides Lance with the strength to overcome devastating childhood fears, to face a hostile public, to lead a youthful team in the direst of circumstances. The fortification provided by his solid love relationships allows Lance to press on—even when he and the ones he loves most in the world are being threatened by a sinister and unknown evil.
And The Children Shall Lead is as wild a ride as its series predecessors. Included are plenty of action, mystery, adventure, and even some US History, but I tune in most to the romance, because, as I said love is what I see. I highly recommend And the Children Shall Lead to all romance readers, as well as to those who enjoy witnessing the thrill of the chase, human rights activism at work, and skillfully devised, witty slang-packed repartee amid courtly formality.