Fable: The Balverine Order (Fable)

Table of Contents

 

 

 

“David shows his boldness in this series by charting an evolution for Arthur and his friends that moves down a path of moral exploration. David's prose is easy on the mind. He has a knack for writing fluid action scenes, perhaps derived from his years of comics scripting. His characters stay authentic and true to themselves. His musings on the nature of spirituality are heartfelt and involving. And the novel's coda is both ironic and apt, as well as seemingly conclusive of Arthur's journey.”

—
Science Fiction Weekly

 

“David's best-known style—light, breezy, and chockablock with well-chosen pop-culture references—is rarely so well employed as in his Knight novels. His Arthur is a true treasure of light fantasy, fully human and yet a walking legend both, full of foibles and yet the sort who could lead battalions into Hell. His cast of returnees from Camelot, reborn into the modern era, are true to themselves, though the outcome now is generally happier (or more harmonious) than it was in the age of myths . . . Anyone looking for a delightful Arthurian tale set in the here and now will enjoy David's trifecta of enchantment. It's not your father's King Arthur—but it might be the one you share with your kids. Recommended.”

—
SFRevu

 

“A richly developed story line. Arthur is seen as a mighty warrior, a loving husband, a person who needs to help mankind and [is] capable of making a mistake. In other words, the author humanizes the myth and in doing so makes him even more heroic.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“Will please fans.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“This engaging and intelligent sequel to David's classic
Knight Life
is a tale filled with dark humor and ingenious variations on the Arthurian legend in a contemporary setting.”

—
Library Journal

 

“This irreverent romp impartially jousts at White House staff pomposity, the inanities of today's press corps, congressional antics, and mismanaged U.S. foreign policy. Some of the goings-on are belly-laugh funny . . . a wild mix of ancient legends.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“With
One Knight Only
, Peter David has managed not only to be funny, but insightful and astute as well. He has written a humorous fantasy novel that could, and perhaps should, be used to teach political science in schools around the country . . . He writes characters that are real and fun to read . . . I am sure the Monty Python troupe would approve, and I am sure you will, too.”

—
SFRevu

 

“Rousing adventure.”

—
Chronicle

 

“
One Knight Only
is a twenty-first century rendition of the Arthurian legend, and the Once and Future King loses none of his majesty and valor in a modern setting.”

 

“Filled with genuine wit, irony, and keen observations of human nature.”

—
Library Journal

 

“A wonderful modernization of Camelot.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Arthurian legend gets another kick in the pants with this rollicking rewrite of bestseller David's first novel . . . Extensively updated and lovingly revised, this hilarious romp in today's New York features a cast of zany characters, zippy dialogue, and enough action and plot twists to satisfy most satirical fantasy fans.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

 

“A fun spin on that Mark Twain classic. A mix of classic Arthurian fiction and satiric commentary about the nature of todayʼs politics. Engaging.”

—
The News-Star

 

“A rollicking urban fantasy in the manner of Neil Gaiman or Christopher Moore. Lots of humorous incongruities as Arthur's old-fashioned ways meet contemporary absurdities such as politics and television.”

—
Science Fiction Weekly

 

“The once and future king is back and running for mayor—of New York. King Arthur's New York City court is an old-new story for our time, with a fresh and very funny perspective.”

—
Booklist

 

“The novel has a little bit of everything: deft satire . . . laugh-out-loud humor . . . low comedy . . . a love story . . . breathless magical action . . . potential tragedy . . . and a solid grounding in Arthurian themes.”

—
SF Site

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India

Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

 

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

FABLE: THE BALVERINE ORDER

 

An Ace Book / published by arrangement with DK/BradyGAMES, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

PRINTING HISTORY

Ace premium edition / October 2010

Copyright © 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Fable, Lionhead, the Lionhead logo, Xbox, and the Xbox logo are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. “Fable” is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and is used under license from Microsoft.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

eISBN : 978-1-101-46466-3

 

ACE
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.