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Summary: A new and welcome twist to the vampire lore!
Review: "Keeper of the King" is a refreshing change to the usual vampire story. This engaging new novel immediately draws the reader in to witness the main character's medieval vampire beginnings as Lancelot du Lac, and then swiftly moves into present day as our vampire hero begins a new quest for the grail while acting in his capacity as an anti-terrorist consultant to the Canadian government. Mr. Bennett and Ms. Elrod have fashioned vibrant vampire characters that shy away from the evil or demonic creatures usually portrayed in this genre and give us Richard Dunn and the Lady Sabra, vampires that have been created by the Goddess as protectors of light and the old ways of worship. While these vampires still have the expected supernatural traits such as fangs and the need for blood, they are unique in their mystical origins. The renowned saga of the grail is expertly interwoven through the fast-paced and riviting modern-day action drama as Richard searches for the only thing that might save Sabra, and quite possibly himself, from a tragic end. "Keeper of the King" is a satisfying addition to both vampire and Arthurian collections, and it demands a sequel!
Rating: 
Summary: A good read!
Review: "Keeper of the King" is an interesting police story as well as vampire novel. The authors have blended the two genres well. It is well written and a true page-turner.
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Summary: It was Elephant?
Review: A friend gave me this book for Christmas. I couldn't believe what I read. What happen to editing! I've read some poor written stuff on the the Internet, but this took the cake! And this was published by the same company that publishes my favorite MAN-KZIN WARS series. To paraphase a line from the story. I've read some moronic stories but is was ELEPHANT!
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Summary: There's Magic Afoot...
Review: All right, so I came into this as a skeptic in spite of the fact that I love Forever Knight and find Nigel Bennett a very talented actor; he couldn't possibly be a profoundly engaging author too, could he? Nobody's *that* talented.At least, that's what I thought at first. It must have had something to do with previous experiences with actors turned authors; too good to be true? In previous cases yes; however, in this case... I've been persuaded otherwise. Nigel Bennett is a genuine and legitimate author, and something tells me we'll be hearing more from him in the future. Mr. Bennett starts out on the right foot by giving life to characters that are three-dimensional, characters one could care about. The "ethical vampire" angle was one I personally found refreshing. Mind you, Richard D'Orleans AKA Richard Dunn is a stronger more self-assured character than Louis in "Interview With A Vampire"; in spite of the challenges Richard faces, he does not whine. This alone does much toward persuading me to like the character. There is also Richard's intelligence, humor, and compassion to take into consideration... his passion for life, his devotion to the Lady Sabra. I like the fact that there are strong women portrayed in this book; not just "female characters" who all seem to blur together, but three distinct individuals with unique characteristics and clearly defined personalities: Sabra, Sharon, and She-Who-Walks. Each has a distinct "voice" within the plot, as does Neil Rivers. There was also a great deal of research involved, obviously; the subjects ranged from Indigenous American culture to Arthurian legends to Celtic mythology. Mr. Bennett's knowledge of the Toronto area shone though in his use of landmarks. The imagery he presents is striking, like a painting portrayed in subtle hues; light and shadow as well as occasional flashes of vivid color. It's as if one is living out the adventure while reading; every moment, every breath, sensual and startling alike. Shading ones eyes from the bright sunlight one moment, and traveling at enhanced Vampire speed the next. It should be noted here that he's also got a strong command of comedic timing; intentional comedy, not the kind that results from inconsistencies in plot or character. Another very important thing to note here is that his use of comedy -- like his uses of violence or sexuality -- is not for its own sake, but is included to move the plot on toward it's natural conclusion. In the end, I was left wanting to know more... what happened next? I only gave "Keeper of the King" four stars because it was a first effort, not because it failed to keep my attention. I look forward to reading "His Father's Son" and the third book in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Kept me up all night!
Review: As a fan of Forever Knight and Ms. Elrod's work I extremely pleased to find she and Mr. Bennett did an excellent job of keeping me on the edge of my seat. They combined the best of vampires and mystery to provide us with a riveting story. I hope they continue to work together to provide us with more wonderful exploits. Two thumbs up
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Summary: Definitely worth the wait ;-)
Review: As a fan of the Forever Knight television show, I heard about this book 6 months ago and have been waiting patiently (?) for its release. I have not been disappointed! I can almost hear Nigel's dulcet tones narrating. The language has a decidedly British accent to it, and the story is creatively and deftly woven. Thanks, Nigel and Pat, for the great job!!! I haven't finished the book yet, but could there be a series of books brewing
Rating:
Summary: Not nearly as good as Elrod alone
Review: At one point in the book the evil bad guy, Charon, points out the many shortcomings of this book's hero, and all of it is true. Richard is over a thousand years old and was a champion fighter even before he acquired superhuman powers, but a drunken lout can whip his ass with no trouble. He is incompetent, boorish, not especially bright, and unscrupulous; and his vampire "mother" Lady Sabra is even more repellent--for instance she uses a human sacrifice for Richard's first feeding.
The writing is bad, the period flavor of the period bits unconvincing (King Arthur tends to lead to problems of anachronism, but it could have been handled better) and the characters, "good" and bad alike, repulsive. This is far below the excellent standard Elrod achieves on her own.
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Summary: A must read book!
Review: Being a fan of Forever Knight and Ms. Elrod's work I could hardly wait for this one to come out. My patience was well rewarded though. The characters are well defined, the action flows as does the story as a whole. And definitely an interesting new slant to the world of vampirism. This is one that shouldn't be started without plenty of time to finish, so sit back and enjoy the experience
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Summary: The Vampire and the Grail
Review: Defeated at tourney, Richard D'Orleans finds himself without resources and unwelcome in his father's house. While deciding what to do he makes the unexpected acquaintance of the beautiful lady Sabra. He is deeply attracted to her, and, when she offers him a position, he accepts. She needs to make one small change in him... In short order he becomes a vampire. Like Sabra herself, he is not simply a vampire, but one in service if the goddess. His first assignment, which is not told in the book, is as Lancelot du Lac in the court of King Arthur. For us, the new action begins in the present, when Richard (now Richard Dun) is a security specialist retained by the Canadian Government to protect the life of the Prime Minister. An assassination threat has been uncovered, believed to be assigned to Charon, a deadly and secretive killer for hire. During his investigations, Richard loses complete control of the beast within him, some thing that has never happened before. Alarmed he returns to Sabra for consultation. There he finds the worst. Sabra too is struggling with her beast, will only be able to hold out for a short time. She believes that there is only one hope for them, the Holy Grail. Richard's quest for the grail is no simple adventure. And it is complicated by the presence of Sharon Geary a sharp, beautiful investigator for whom he feels great affection. Charon also seeks the Grail in addition to the Prime Minister's life. Richard's efforts to be lover, rescuer, and counter-terrorist force him on a breakneck paced journey from Toronto to England and British Columbia. The book has relatively few characters for it's length and is primarily an action novel with the appropriate combination of occult, sexiness, and violence. I'm normally suspicious of 'joint' efforts between an established author and unknown writers. Too often these turn out to be publicity marriages. Too often such arrangements produce weak novels, intended to sell for a short while and then disappear off the map. While this effort may have started out that way, Nigel Bennett turns out to have considerable talent. Pat Elrod's role seems to have had more to do with plot and creative support, while Bennett seems to have focussed on the actual writing and production. The result is far better than I would have expected. Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: You've gotta be kidding me.
Review: First let me state, yeah, I got suckered into buying this book because I am a fan of Forever Knight and Nigel Bennett. I previewed a chapter of the book and thought, "Okay. Sounds interesting enough." Man, was I wrong. Cliche "to the max". The characters were one dimensional and the story was completely transparent. The plot had holes in it big enough to drive a Mack truck through! Although I will give it credit for some ingenuity in combining Celtic mythology/vampirism/Arthurian legend/with a dash of lycanthropy for flavor. That was an interesting brew. But,nevertheless, take my advice, Mr. Bennett, and stick to acting and mouthing other people's words.
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