The Knight of the Cart

A Merlin Mystery

Fiction - Mystery - Historical
274 Pages
Reviewed on 08/14/2020
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

The Knight of the Cart: A Merlin Mystery by Jay Ruud is a spellbinding historical mystery that follows legendary characters of the medieval period. King Arthur ignores Sir Meliagaunt when setting up the Round Table and Meliagaunt conceives an elaborate plan to get Arthur to notice him. Kidnapping Queen Guinevere and members of her household, he intends to lure one of the best knights to fight him in order to save the queen. And just as expected, Sir Lancelot follows them but things get complicated when Lancelot disappears and the queen is accused of adultery by her kidnapper. Merlin and Sir Gildas must find Lancelot quickly and in time to meet Meliagaunt in a “trial by combat” fight to save the queen.

Jay Ruud has written beautifully about legendary characters, exploring the medieval English era and the Round Table in a fascinating style. I have always loved historical tales featuring the legendary King Arthur and his Round Table, from the first time I read Tennyson’s Morte D’Arthur and I have always found a lot of entertainment in these tales. The Knight of the Cart explores Lancelot’s adventure with the cart used for transporting prisoners. It is an entertaining read, original, and packed with action. The sense of nobility is present in the writing and the author does an impeccable job in writing about the customs and way of life during this period. I loved the writing, the skillful handling of the themes of religion, loyalty, love, and power. The conflict is also well done and it moves the story forward from every angle. This is not just a great read for fans of historical fiction but for everyone who enjoys focused and balanced writing.