Book Review: A Hard Day's Knight

By Sandy Amazeen Dec 27, 2010, 17:18 GMT

John Taylor is a P.I. with a special talent for finding lost things in the dark and secret center of London known as the Nightside. He\'s also the reluctant owner of a very special-and dangerous-weapon. Excalibur, the legendary sword. To find out why he was chosen to wield it, John must consult the Last Defenders of Camelot, a group of knights who dwell in a place that some find more ...more

Private investigator John Taylor is more comfortable in Nightside, a secret community in the heart of London where Gods walk the streets and any pleasure or pain can be purchased for a price. The story picks up shortly after The Good, the Bad and the Uncanny that saw Taylor killing Walker, Nightside’s voice of the Authorities who had been grooming Taylor as a host. As a result, Taylor is the temporary Authority if, for no other reason then the sword Excalibur has showed up at his house. Problem is, everyone in Nightside thinks they should wield the sword and its potential power.

Despite the objections of his partner Shotgun Suzie, Taylor seeks advice from the defenders of Camelot, also known as the London Knights who reside in the city proper. Negotiations with elves take an ugly turn threatening all of Nightside and humanity if Taylor doesn’t grow into Walker’s place before the streets run with red and gold blood.

Taylor’s sarcasm combines with assorted legendary figures including King Author, Kae and the Lady of the Lake plus the Elven Sundered Lands and Unseelie Court to create another fast paced, quirky dark tale. Taylor spends more time then usual plumbing the nature of good and evil as it relates to his evolving place in Darkside which slows the story’s flow. Shotgun Suzie’s pronouncement at the conclusion hints at a new direction for Taylor that should prove entertaining. As the eleventh book of the Nightside series, readers will need to start with earlier installments to understand the setting, characters and nuances of this entertaining alternative London.