Dust Jacket Summary
Martin Banks is just a normal guy who has made an abnormal discovery: he can manipulate reality, thanks to reality being nothing more than a computer program. With every use of this ability, though, Martin finds his little “tweaks” have not escaped notice. Rather than face prosecution, he decides instead to travel back in time to the Middle Ages and pose as a wizard.
What could possibly go wrong?
An American hacker in King Arthur’s court, Martin must now train to become a full-fledged master of his powers, discover the truth behind the ancient wizard Merlin…and not, y’know, die or anything.
What I liked
It is a fun, mostly light hearted story of a modern boy being dropped into medieval times. To really enjoy the novel, the reader must go with numerous twists without asking questions or you will hate this story. Personally, I decided to just go with it and really ended up enjoying the novel.
For me, the two central characters, Martin and Phillip, are what make the story so engaging. Most of the story involves Phillip “teaching” Martin how to be Wizard and the rules of their secret society. I really enjoyed the interaction between the two as they began to grow into a big brother, little brother type of relationship.
Also, if you remember the dark ages of computers in the 80’s then you will get a kick out of the some inside jokes (except the slam against the Commodore Vic-20, which was my first real computer).
What I didn’t like
If you let the twist of how Martin ends up in medieval England or some strange logic used during the story then you will absolutely dislike this novel as it goes on. Basically, the author uses what I like to call “Video Game” storytelling, which means, throw some outrageous plot points at the reader and then just move forward. Even with all the weird stuff going on around the characters, they have no time to ask basic “what the” questions. For me, when Martin accuses Phillip of a horrific act, it just did not ring true and just a dumb plot device to get into Phillip’s secret area.
Plus, the discovery and battle against the “bad guy” feels a bit tacked on and rushed.
Last word
A mostly compelling novel that meshes plot of The Matrix with A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court yet sprinkles strange and unnecessary plot twists to form a different type of story that eventually boils down to an enjoyable read.
My Rating
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