With Lance leading the way, the Knights of the Round Table have set out to convince the American people that amending the Constitution to protect children is right and just and long overdue. As the team travels from state to state, they are met with acceptance, indifference, and even hostility. But Lance’s popularity and mystique as The Boy Who Came Back, coupled with his innate charm, gradually … gradually sway more and more of the populace, not to mention state legislators, to their cause.
The journey becomes a rite of passage that propels the young people into adulthood, and solidifies Lance’s status as an iconic and influential figure.
But he’s uneasy. He knows Arthur is hiding something from him, something that will bring him great sadness. After The Excalibur Incident in Las Vegas, Lance becomes more and more certain that the future is one he won’t like, despite his stunning success at winning over some of the most intractable states.
Then comes the attack, sudden and brutal.
Now the Round Table is in disarray, and Lance must confront a cold-blooded killer who’s luring him into an obvious trap. But if he refuses the challenge, more loved ones will die, and everything he’s fought for will die with them. Surrounded by the diverse young knights who have become his family, Lance sets out to battle his enemy with the knowledge deep in his heart that only one of them will survive. Is this the end of the Round Table?
The Knight Cycle concludes…
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
Move over, Homer, there’s a new epic-writer in town. And no, Michael Bowler’s Children of the Knight Series is not a long poem, but it fits the other necessary elements of an epic making it memorable and life-changing for its readers, both young and young at heart.
As I devoured book after book in The Children of the Knight Series, in which I effectively joined young Lance and King Arthur on a dangerous and thrilling journey that has yet to be matched in the arena of diverse, contemporary YA fiction, the word “epic” lingered on the edges of my mind. However, this lingering whisper of “epic” turned into something more like shouting, as I read the concluding story to the five book series, Once Upon a Time in America. This final book is explosive in its unpredictability, daring in its adventurousness, and not to be overlooked, the touching intimacy between characters continues to grow until the final page. It is a testimony to romantic love, bravery, determination, and the power of friendship. Our hero, Lance, and the youthful knights, who are his friends, brothers, and sisters, must face what seems to be impossible, not knowing if they will live to see the next day. The novel Once Upon a Time in America is a compelling conclusion, befitting this intense series.
To refer to a series as “epic”, you must know what you are talking about, and so for that reason I did my research. When I moved away from the poetry definition for the word epic, the next meaning [Oxford Dictionaries] I came upon said this: “A long film, book, or other work portraying heroic deeds and adventures or covering an extended period of time.” In Michael Bowler’s series—which is five books in length, so it really gives you something to sink your reader’s teeth into—heroic deeds are commonplace. Once the young characters accept and embrace their differences with the able guidance of King Arthur, they will, and do, take arrows, bullets, and more for one another. And no matter the circumstance, each of them does so without a second thought. The importance of self-sacrifice becomes second nature to a group of youth who once considered themselves, and were considered by many, as society’s worthless extras. In addition, the many adventures taken by these courageous young people in the name of positive change for children are boundless; as you read you have a sense that anything can happen, and anything and everything does happen. This adventurous journey spans four long and action-packed years.
That was simple, wasn’t it? In a general sense, we can easily conclude that The Children of the Knight Series clearly meets the conditions to be called a true epic work of fiction. But I delved further, and applied the widely known “Six Elements of the Epic” to Bowler’s series.
1. The plot must center around a hero of unbelievable stature. In The Children of the Knight Series, Lance, and only Lance, can achieve what every other character can only attempt.
2. Involves feats of superhuman strength and valor. When armed with Excalibur, Lance possesses power that ventures into the superhuman realm. And to say he is merely brave would be a grave understatement.
3. Vast Setting. The series begins in California, then the characters move on to journey to Washington, DC, and finally throughout the entire United States. The whole country is incorporated into the story’s vast setting as the small group of knights seeks to secure rights for children. Bowler has no fear of exploring corners of the United States, both far and wide, both beautiful and racked with poverty.
4. Involves other-worldly forces. Yes, King Arthur from the days of old, has reappeared in modern-day Los Angeles to inspire a revolution. If that isn’t other-worldly, I don’t know what is.
5. Sustained elevation of style. Bowler’s writing never stops being majestic in style, although it is not poetry. King Arthur’s language, in itself, is formal and cleverly antiquated, and lends dignity to both his own character and the novel itself. Bowler does not “write down” to reach his YA audience; in fact, he educates this author on eloquent word usage while still being relevant to his teen readers.
6. Narrator remains objective and omniscient. As a reader, you are confident that Bowler, the unseen teller of this story, truly does have the answers and the knowledge of what everyone is thinking. He illustrates each character’s point of view through thoughts or dialogue, even if he makes you wait to discover each character’s truth. Which he does—Michael Bowler makes you wait until you can barely handle another minute of the suspense.
I believe I’ve proved my point—The Children of the Knight Series, and in particular, the stunning conclusion, Once Upon a Time in America, is an epic feat of writing by Michael Bowler.
Bowler’s got the hero, Lance, who is in many ways superhuman, while somehow still being just a regular kid with the hopes and dreams and fears representative of all children. In this series you will travel the entire country with this hero, encountering challenges the likes of which no ordinary boy could manage. In these adventures, you will witness the survival of some people, both good and evil, and the decline of others, which will make you alternately celebrate and rage. And you will experience it all through the magic of Bowler’s captivating language and skillful narrative presence.
Another definition of “epic” can be found in The Urban Dictionary, which explains commonly used slang. Here, the word epic is defined as “awesome” and “kickass”. In fact, it can be used to describe anything incredibly positive.
The Children of the Knight is an EPIC series.
Epic.