An orphan boy. A mysterious stranger. A city in crisis.
When 14-year-old Lance is saved from death, his life is forever changed. For starters, his savior claims to be King Arthur, the once and future ruler of ancient Britain. Lance has met lots of weirdos on the streets of L.A., and they claim to be many things. But this “king” not only reeks of sincerity, he wears armor, rides a gorgeous white horse, and lives in the storm drains underneath the city! Arthur has a throne, old-school clothes, and weapons up the wazoo. Swords, daggers, bows and arrows—the kind Lance has only seen in movies.
Turns out this Arthur guy wants to start some kind of revolution. He plans to collect other cast-off kids like Lance—even teen gang members—and create a New Camelot of Knights to gain more rights for youth and shake up the out-of-touch politicians who run Los Angeles.
Lance is all for helping kids like him. He’s spent his entire life in and out of the system, and it sucks. And he wants to believe in Arthur, but doubts even a king can accomplish such lofty goals. Despite these uncertainties, Lance readily accepts the position of First Knight—youth leader of Arthur’s new army—thereby setting in motion a crusade of tsunami proportions. When the children rise, will the city fall?
The Lance Chronicles Begin…
Honorable Mention in the 2013 Southern California Book Festival
Runner-Up in the 2013 Rainbow Awards
Honorable Mention in the 2013 Reader Views Literary Awards
Gold Award Winner in the 2013 Wishing Shelf Book Awards
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Preview:
Read an excerpt of Children of the Knight
Reviews:
“What’s the highest compliment I can give a novel? That it’s unlike anything I’ve read. And upon Michael J. Bowler’s urban fantasy Children of the Knight, I gladly bestow that distinction.”
– Examiner.com
“Children of the Knight by Michael J Bowler is a book that will leave quite an impact on you, no matter whether you are a young adult or a pensioner.”
– Readers’ Favorite
“Michael Bowler stuns with his depiction of modern disenfranchised youth, disillusioned and jaded adults, political greed and corruption, and the purity of hope…[Children of the Knight is] about finding out who you are and your place in the world. It’s both frightening and inspiring. It’s simply a must read, regardless of your age. Highly recommended.”
– The Kimi-chan Experience
“Memorable, heartbreaking, endearing – the cast of characters in this modern day retelling of the King Arthur legend brings a twenty-first century consciousness to a classic stalwart of the Western literary canon…Author Michael J. Bowler has an extensive background in reaching out to troubled youth, both inside and outside of prison. His personal experiences no doubt enrich his storytelling abilities…His talent for making the reader care about children that are marginalized and forgotten is to be commended.”
– The Character Connection
“I laughed. I cried. I felt. Simply put, this is easily one of the best books I’ve read in the past five years…While reading, I often melted into this book and had to shake my head to reorient myself to the living room, reminding myself that I was not in the caves with King Arthur and the children. Bowler’s writing invites readers to truly hear water dripping and shots going off, truly feel sneers and snarky comments from peers, truly witness and experience injustice in its most disturbing form – one involving children. This book will call you to action on behalf of our society’s “optional children.” If you read anything this year, read this book.”
– Only God Writes Trees