The Knights of Breton Court
From acclaimed novelist Maurice Broaddus, an omnibus edition of the cycle described as “The Wire meets Excalibur”: The Knights of Breton Court retells the saga of Arthur and Camelot on the pitiless streets of modern Indianapolis, where greed, desperation, and honor fuel bloodshed in a cycle that seems unstoppable. Until one man gathers his brethren around him and changes their world forever…
The wars have been raging since before King James White was born. The gangs battle for territory, for market share, for the respect that’s the only armor against attack. The unaffiliated keep their heads down and their mouths shut, hoping to survive.
But King has a hard time seeing nothing. He sees the hunger for power that preys on the weak and cannibalizes the strong. He sees Lady G., struggling to protect a soft heart on hard streets. Wayne, on a mission to reach runaways who’ll end up dead often as not. Percy, the innocent son of a fearsome father, with potential greater than any suspect. Lott, handsome and cocksure, with a secret fire burning inside. Babbling old Merle with his tinfoil wizard’s cap and tales of an unseen world.
And when elf assassins, undead addicts, and rampaging elementals emerge to threaten the neighborhood King calls home, he has to consider whether Merle is right about other things too. Like that the better future King yearns to fight for is possible. That the hearts that come together around their scarred cable spool of a round table can overcome dragonsmoke and kidnapping, deadly standoffs, teenage nihilism, and the wounds of grief that never heal. That courage, wisdom, and mercy can still win the day.
All it will take to make it true is everything.
Brutal, comic, grand, and unflinching, The Knights of Breton Court channels the power of ancient myth into an action-packed epic for our time.
Includes King Maker, King’s Justice, and King’s War.
Reviews
"New readers will find it easy to break into the series with this engaging tale of urban renewal and vigilante justice."
"Maurice Broaddus has created a masterpiece of original, compelling, and thought-provoking drama, irresistible and unforgettable."
"King's Justice performs the impossible feat of improving on its predecessor. It's simply an incredible work of compelling fiction and the closest most of us will ever get (if we are lucky) to living in a getto. Pure genius."
"A cunningly wrought retelling of the Arthurian myth set amongst the street gangs of Indianapolis."SF Book Reviews, King's War
"This is an excellent debut, but it is an origin novel and its strength lies in strong characters and the road ahead."
"[V]ery interesting use of fae and otherworldly creatures in the most unusual of modern settings. Once Broaddus does get things moving King Maker gets very good, richly thematic and enticingly original."
"I have to give props to Broaddus for his creativity. This is no simple retelling of the Arthur legend with new names pasted in, this is a genuine and compelling story in its own right. Characters are complicated and have their own motivations and goals. None of them simply go through the motions dictated by the legend… King Maker is one of the best modern fantasies I’ve read in ages."
"Maurice Broaddus has an uncanny ability to capture the flavor of the streets. This is a wild, imaginative journey grounded in a gritty reality so compelling that you’ll swear these characters must live in your own city. Put this on your must-read list!"Brandon Massey, award-winning author of Cornered and Don’t Ever Tell
"Deft characterization, authentic dialogue, exciting plot. Add a highly original premise: The Arthurian Legend magically springing up in the ‘hood, including the return of the King, Merlin, the Knights of the Round Table, and even a dab of chivalry. Maurice Broaddus has definitely brought his A-game to this urban joust."Gene O’Neill, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Taste of Tenderloin
"Broaddus delivers in a voice that both whispers and roars and cannot be ignored."Gary A. Braunbeck, multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Mr. Hands
"King Maker is a fascinating novel, a true urban fantasy in the literal definition of the term, and with assured prose and strong characters, should be on every SF fan’s shelf."Adam Christopher
"KING MAKER’s strength is its ability to stay true-to-life even when the fantasy components come into play; the reader has enough time to get invested in the urban drama yet won’t find anything goofy when dragons, cannibals, and mystics are hinted at and eventually encountered."Antibacterial Pope