The Return to Camelot series by Donna Hosie
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Fantasy, Mythology, Arthurian
Legend tells of King Arthur, mortally wounded at the hand of the traitorous Mordred in the final battle of Camlann. Before he was taken to the magical Vale of Avalon, Arthur declared that one day he would return, when the kingdom of Logres was once more in need of his leadership. That day has now come. It is hard to make friends when you’re constantly on the move. Seventeen-year-old Natasha Roth’s father is a diplomat, and so her mother – who is paranoid about terrorists – has moved Natasha and her brother, Arthur, to their eighteenth house in seventeen years: Avalon Cottage, deep in the heart of a Welsh forest. Yet the terrorists are closer than they realize. While out running, Natasha falls into a hidden tomb and awakens the legendary knights of Camelot: young warriors who have been in an enchanted sleep for a thousand years. All have been waiting patiently for the return of Arthur from the mysterious land of Avalon. And now the knights are awake, they intend to reclaim their king. When Arthur goes missing, Natasha joins forces with his girlfriend, “Slurpy” Samantha, in order to look for him. Natasha believes Samantha has fewer brain cells than an amoeba; Samantha believes Natasha is a freak. Retracing Natasha’s original steps to the hidden tomb, they bicker their way into a Welsh mountain and beyond, to the realm of Logres where the Knights of the Round Table are rallying once more. Natasha falls in love with Sir Bedivere, the most loyal of knights to Arthur. He may be in dire need of a 21st Century razor, but he still possesses a set of lime-green eyes that can melt the soul. Yet just as Natasha starts to find confidence in this mystical land, Samantha deserts her. People who play by the rules are of no use to “Slurpy”. Samantha will take her own path to Arthur, aided and abetted by the dark arts which she willingly absorbs from a hot young stranger called Mordred. A race across magical yet deadly lands is on. Natasha battles dwarf-riders, dragons, and eventually “Slurpy” to reach Camelot, where Arthur is held captive by the barbarian Saxon, Balvidore. Natasha’s woes become numerous. What will happen to her and Arthur when the knights realise the eighteen-year-old boy they thought was their king, is in fact a math student with appalling taste in girls? Can two people with a one thousand year age gap really have a relationship? And for the love of all things holy, how is a girl supposed to ride bareback in a pair of skinny jeans?
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
This book sucked me in and took me on a journey through time to find King Arthur (something I have always wanted to do!). It is funny, fast-paced and sometimes violent but always in a way that is meaningful and part of the story. The story builds up as it goes along, with layer upon layer skillfully added to it that enriches the whole thing. The characters themselves are fantastic and I think that I've fallen in love with 2 or 3 of them in this book. There are some laugh out loud moments, sadness, death and action. Absolutely brilliant for a debut novel and I immediately went to put the other two on my wishlist. These are keepers for sure.
Read from August 17 to 19, 2013
* Verified Purchase - November 2012 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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Fantasy, Mythology, Arthurian
Seventeen-year-old Natasha Roth and her older brother, Arthur, are reunited once more with the Knights of the Round Table. Unfortunately their joy is not shared by Arthur’s girlfriend, “Slurpy” Samantha, whose hatred of Natasha has not been lessened by time or distance since the Roth family relocated to London. But Natasha’s happiness is short-lived. The knights come with ill news from Logres as a magical darkness has fallen over the land. The Lady of the Lake, Nimue, is battling against her former lover, Merlin, whom she imprisoned before the enchanted sleep. He has been freed and Natasha soon discovers that her own actions the previous year unlocked more than just a gateway between the past and the present. When “Slurpy” disappears, a frantic Arthur decides they must leave the 21st century once more and return to Camelot. With her beloved Sir Bedivere at her side, Natasha follows the sound of the bells and leads Arthur and the knights back into Logres. But there are more than bells ringing in her head. Natasha starts to suffer from terrifying visions in which she sees the destruction of Logres. As the darkness continues to infect the living, the people start turning on each other, accusing outsiders of witchcraft. Terrified that Natasha will be hurt, Sir Bedivere takes her, the dwarf Byron and Byron’s sister, Guinevere, into the safety of his father’s castle. But nowhere in Logres is free from fear and suspicion and Sir Bedivere unwittingly leads Natasha into a terrifying chain of events in which time itself is manipulated. Natasha must uncover the truth about the danger to Logres and those she loves. Who is the real threat to Arthur? Can myth and legend become fact? What is the secret that “Slurpy” is now hiding? And for the love of all things holy, when will Logres invent saddles?
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
The Fire of Merlin starts where Searching For Arthur finished. Natasha is racing towards Bedivere, her world once again in its rightful place now that he is back in time! Of course, in time in this phrase means quite literally that, as he has moved through from his time to hers. So we start off quite humorously as the Knights of the Round Table try to fit in with modern life. We also get another glimpse of Natasha's home life, which isn't so good. Before too long, we are heading back into the past, to fight for the future.
This book is once again extremely well written, with comments and snarks completely in keeping with a 17-year-old, and her relationship with her older brother. The made up insults with Guenivere had me laughing out loud, whilst other parts of it had me welling up. Natasha doesn't have an easy ride of it again, but she is strong and resilient, and is determined to fight for those she loves.
With a smooth and flowing pace, the plot is never confused about where it is going or which time it is in, which makes for excellent reading. There were no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. A wonderful addition to the series, and highly recommended by me.
*Verified Purchase on Amazon - June 2016*
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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Fantasy, Mythology, Arthurian
Natasha Roth and her older brother, Arthur, have removed the magical darkness that had fallen over the land of Logres. But all actions have consequences. Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, is now a sworn enemy. Natasha realises that the only way the land of Logres will truly be at peace is if the sorceress is removed forever. So with her beloved Sir Bedivere, the feisty Guinevere, and a trusty brethren of knights, Natasha plots to free Logres from the malevolence of Nimue once and for all. Yet Arthur also has problems. Now a father to Mila, he starts to witness a terrifying change over his girlfriend, Samantha, as she struggles to contain the awakened powers of Morgana. With dark magic coming at them from all sides, Natasha and Arthur decide to make use of the Falls of Merlin: a mystical landscape of waterfalls that connects 21st century England with the mystical world they fell into. A place that does not exist in the future. And by the end, they will know why. As Natasha finally discovers the truth about her past link to Logres a tragedy will strike at her very heart. Can Arthur get his young family back to the 21st century and still continue to be the king that Logres demands he be? What is the secret that Sir Gareth has been hiding all this time? And who is the true owner of Excalibur?
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
The Spirit of Nimue is the third and final book in The Return to Camelot series, and will finish with a bang. There is no whimpering slide to the finish with this series, oh no! This will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.
Natasha and Arthur are still 'back in time', but they are having to think about their future. Will they stay or will they return to their own time? There is still plenty of action in this book, as Nimue is still trying to kill everyone! Also, Slurpy is acting even stranger than normal. Natasha is given some answers, but left with more questions. In a strong move, we are introduced to a new character, who has actually been there all the time. Confused? Read the book!!!
This is so well written, I think I sobbed through the last part for varying reasons. I was completely enthralled by the story and the characters, and the situations they were in. I won't tell you whether they are happy or sad tears, I'll leave that for you to find out. With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, I highly recommend this book. Now I want to go back and read them all again from the beginning. Loved them all.
*Verified Purchase on Amazon - June 2016*
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Donna Hosie is the award-winning author of the critically-acclaimed THE DEVIL'S series. Book 3 in the tetralogy, THE DEVIL'S BANSHEE, will be released in October 2016. Donna is also the author of THE RETURN TO CAMELOT trilogy, and THE CHILDREN OF CAMELOT series. Donna is a proud Ravenclaw, geek, and lover of Mars Bars. She is represented by Beth Phelan, The Bent Agency, New York.