Orion and King Arthur
Ben Bova
Tor, Jul 3 2012, $25.99
ISBN 9780765330178

Aten of the futuristic Creators sends his time traveling knight Orion to Britannia just after the Romans are gone. The archipelago is wrought with feral rivals with no regard for civilians as they seek to be the one high king.

In this bloody chaos, Orion squire to youthful Arthur tries to gently and clandestinely to mentor the monarch towards the greatness of the Camelot mythos. By doing so he defies Aten, who demands Arthur die before he becomes the legend. Aten’s peers all gleefully support his demystifying Arthur by an early death except Anya, who Orion loves.

Ben Bova fans will rejoice with the return of Orion and the Creators after a fifteen years absence. Fast-paced, Orion displays his mental independence that he logically concluded about his puppet masters in Orion Among the Stars as he risks his existence to save the path of human civilization. By doing so he adds to the Camelot legend. Although there is some awkward passages that disrupt the reading flow, fans of Orion and the Arthurian audience will enjoy the Orion and King Arthur.

Harriet Klausner