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Merl and Artie

A Modern Day Tale of Excalibur

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October 1, 2021  |  1,018 views  |  0 reviews / comments

Merl and Artie: A Modern Day Tale of Excalibur by Robert Gaspari. Book coverMuch of what people today believe about the legend of King Arthur comes from romanticized accounts written in the middle ages. Even more comes from fictionalized movie epics and small screen edited programming. Tales of the great warrior king became lost or confused as oral traditions passed down his exploits over time and written accounts were almost non-existent. Even his title of the once and future king became a misunderstanding about his return to power.

All that changed when Merlin the magician reappeared in the twenty-first century. He sought the eternal spirit of King Arthur, returned to flesh in a teenage African American named Arturus Penn-Drake. Artie passed the only test needed when he withdrew the mighty Excalibur sword from the stone in Merlin’s garden. Now the wizard and the teen must work together to change history and save the Celtic Britons from slaughter. Can they do so as the varied political and religious forces of history come into play?

Merlin’s mortal enemies, the evil sorceress Morgan le Fay and Mordred the traitor, reappear in the twenty-first century. This treacherous pair attempts to impose their will and kill Merlin. Morgan and Mordred need Artie, Excalibur and the spirit of Arthur to bring war to modern day England. With that scheme, Morgan and other pretenders to the throne would seize power.

Celtic Britons war with Saxon invaders in the seventh century at the behest of their respective gods. These spirits of nature take an active role in the affairs of their faithful. Magic battles against magic as Merlin and Morgan le Fay cross paths once again in the twenty-first century. What becomes of the spirit of the true king of the Britons as destiny hangs in the balance? Do Merlin and Artie succeed and change history to save countless lives of the Britons. Does Morgan le Fay defeat Merlin for her evil intentions for present day Britain? The final question is how the young teen figures in all this as it plays out in the past and the future?

ISBN: 
9798538327065

Author's Notes

I like history and enjoy researching the facts before creating my alternate version. King Arthur and Merlin always fascinated me but I realized most accounts were fictionalized retelling, many years after the fact. Others are re-imaginings - so I figured why not?

I crafted a tale in our modern twenty-first century that went back to the days of yore. The implications of changing the past to have our current future be relevant was a challenge.

About Robert Gaspari

US United States

I always had books in my head, just never the time to get them out and available to others. As I approached retirement age, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to write. The ease of self-publishing makes writing a breeze now. My humor and interests are off beat, so that is reflected in my stories and I gravitate towards science fiction/fantasy with romantic entanglements in the plot...

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