Arthur: Grail Quest 1 by J.R. Rain

I stumbled across Arthur: Grail Quest 1, by J.R. Rain when I was cruising the top one-hundred Arthurian tales on Amazon (doesn't everyone?) and wondered what sort of a twist J.R. Rain would bring to the old grail-tale. The cover is quite misleading in that this book is an urban fantasy, and very little of it is truly Arthurian, although there are some references. But that is okay--the story itself it what is important, not the historical antecedents.

The Blurb:

Hidden deep within the ancient, mist-covered hills of Glastonbury, England is a secret that could forever change the world. A secret that could help usher in a new age of enlightenment for all mankind.

Or so the legend goes....Plagued by months of persistent dreams of King Arthur, Merlin and the Holy Grail, mystery novelist James Dupree finally sets out to England to understand the meaning behind his nightly visions. 

Upon arriving in Glastonbury, a locale deeply connected to stories of Camelot, Avalon and the Knights of the Round Table, James quickly discovers that not all is as it seems in this quaint little town. There's a raven-haired girl dying of a rare lung disease, knights with swords, and perhaps strangest of all is the man who emerges from the forest...a man who just might be the greatest king Britain has ever seen.

Something is happening in Glastonbury, something mysterious and powerful and not-of-this world, and somehow James Dupree is in the thick of it. Mankind is ready for the next great spiritual shift. But to do that, one man, one simple writer, must journey deep into the heart of a mystical land in search of a legendary relic.

But there are others who seek the treasure...dark forces who will stop at nothing to keep it for themselves, and end Dupree's quest for good.

At once inspiring and pulse-pounding, ARTHUR is for anyone who dares to dream—and dares to slay dragons.

My Review:

Well...this is certainly not a serious, knights-in-sweaty-armor kind of a book. It is a modern urban fantasy where the past intrudes upon the present and things quickly spiral out of control. It is, however, a window into the human condition, and done with humor and a light-hearted flair that makes for an enjoyable diversion.

I remained engaged though the book, although there were some moments of hmmm.... James is a bit of a wimp to start out with, Arthur is more like Thor on steroids, and Marion is an enigma. Rain does get a bit preachy when it comes to Arthur discussing new-age philosophy and God, but hey, it's his forum and I enjoyed the book over all.

There are dragons, there are knights and there is an evil-bad-dude--Merlin. He is definitely not your mama's Merlin. There is a lot of action and the book is fairly well paced. It is definitely a set up for a trilogy, and while it doesn't really have a satisfying end I felt that overall, it was an entertaining tale.

Moon Dance, J.R. Rain (Vampire for Hire series)

 

 

In ‘MoonDance’, book one of the ‘Vampire for Hire’ series, northwest author J. R. Rain has created an urban world visually parallel to ours which rocks, in my humble opinion.  This is complex a murder mystery with a paranormal twist.  In this tale, Vampires, were-wolves--they are not only possible, they affect the course of Samantha Moon's life.

Six years ago federal agent Samantha Moon was the perfect wife and mother, your typical soccer mom with the minivan and suburban home. Then the unthinkable happens, an attack which changes her life forever. And forever is a very long time for a vampire.

Now the world at large thinks Samantha has developed a rare skin disease, a disease which forces her to quit her day job and stay out of the light of the sun. Her husband, Danny Moon, can no longer deal with the emotional baggage that being married to a dead-woman who just can’t die brings up. He has become a stranger to her. She is in danger of losing her children to his disaffection, so vehemently against her has he become.

 

She can go out in the light of day as long as she takes appropriate measures, but it is difficult and dangerous for her to do so. Still, she does whatever she has to, to be there for her children and the husband who no longer wants her. Heart broken, and frustrated by her inability to change what happened to her through no fault of her own, she struggles to make lemonade from the lemons she’s been given.

Working the night shift as a private investigator, Samantha is hired by Kingsley Fulcrum to investigate the murder attempt on his life, a horrific scene captured on TV and seen around the country. As the case unfolds, Samantha discovers a deep attraction to Kingsley, who isn't exactly what he appears to be either. After all, there is a reason why he survived five shots to the head!

I love Samantha Moon!  She is not a weak, whining poor-me sort of a woman. Samantha is passionate and strong, and is determined to survive whatever life (or death) throws at her. Kingsley is dangerous, sexy and a bad-boy—just what I like in a mysterious client and possible lover.  Her husband, Danny Moon is a consummate jackass and has always been that, but when Samantha was still human he’d hidden it well. Now she is a creature of the night his true colors are showing, but she is still making excuses for him and trying desperately to make their marriage work, despite her attraction to Kingsley.

Samantha finds both allies and enemies everywhere. Some of her allies are surprising; a policeman who suspects her true nature but respects her as a detective and an honorable person; her former partner. Her enemies are more subtle—the arrival of a package with a medallion bearing the same symbol as that worn by her original attacker shocks her. She’d thought the attack was random but now, six years later she knows it was not.

There is a crisp rawness to Rain’s delivery.  Samantha is a keen detective and once she accepts a case, she follows it to the end, no matter what comes of it. Kingsley’s case is not simply the assassination attempt gone awry it appears to be on the surface; it is far-reaching and drags Samantha into even more danger than she is already in.  All the seemingly disparate threads of Kingsley and Samantha’s relationship, both business and personal, weave a tapestry that sizzles with sexual tension and urgent possibility, but it is not the central piece of this tale. 

I liked this novel so much, I bought the 6 book boxed set from Barnes&Noble for Nook for the highly affordable price of $9.99! The series gets better with each book, and I am completely hooked.


Not only that, but I can't wait to get my teeth into his Jim Knighthorse series!