Knight Watch

Knight Watch by Tim Akers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Any novel that starts "I killed my first dragon with a blunt sword and the engine block of a 1977 Volvo" has a certain level of snark. This novel has that, but it also has serious, high-stakes drama in it as well.

Our narrator and hero is John Rust, a college senior and Ren Faire participant. He's home for the summer, and goes to Ren Faire with a couple of old friends. What was supposed to be a mock combat turns very real and very deadly. To the surprise of everybody including himself, John not only lives but kills the dragon. Then things get really weird.

I'm a friend of the author, and I bought this book based on a reading he did of an early chapter at a convention. I'm glad that I did. Much of Tim Akers' other work is high fantasy in a secondary-world setting. This is fantasy, but set in the here-and-now, although the stakes are just as high. Our world is at risk, and John Rast, unlikely hero, has to try and save it.

I found the characters engaging and the plot intriguing. Although the back cover talks about "Men in Black at the Ren Faire," the Knight Watch organization is neither all-powerful nor being oppressed by an Evil Government. It just is a group of people trying to do the right thing. Overall, I highly recommend this book.



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