From Publishers Weekly
Cochran and Murphy's ( Grandmaster ) new novel melds two plots, one taking place in Arthurian England, where the evil knight Saladin is trying to gain possession of the Holy Grail and make himself immortal, and the other set in the modern world, where the evil knight Saladin, now a mental patient, is again seeking the Grail and immortality. is trying to gain posses sion of the Holy Grail and thus become immortal. The Arthurian section is well written, with some clever new twists on familiar characters, especially Merlin and Nimue. Rather than echoing the conventional portrayal of Nimue as a scheming enchantress who bespells and traps Merlin, the authors depict her as a naive young waif who becomes the wizard's adopted daughter and helps him foil Saladin's plans. But the chapters set in modern times, where Arthur is reincarnated as a 10-year-old boy, are embarrassingly trite, with two-dimensional characters who spout dialogue that would be considered cliched in a made-for-TV movie. There is always room in the fantasy genre for a good new Arthurian novel. This, unfortunately, is not it. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
YA-- An unusual, creative intertwining of 20th-century adventure with Arthurian legend. Hal, an alcoholic, retired FBI agent (Sir Galahad) must protect ten-year-old Arthur Blessing (King Arthur) and the powerful Holy Grail from the madman Saladin (himself). Help comes from Mr. Taliesin (Merlin) and Excalibur. As the story unfolds, readers move rapidly back and forth through the centuries to numerous settings; it is necessary, but not too difficult, to remember where and when a character was last seen. Although everything is explained, some prior knowledge of the Arthurian romances is helpful. Characterization is especially well done. There are sharp contrasts between the good and evil individuals while maintaining the duality of traits required since each character is actually two people in one. Teens should not be disheartened by the age of young Arthur. He is mature, and his age is easy to forget. A fun romp through history.- Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High Sch . , Fairfax, VACopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
This suspense-filled, action-laden novel supplies a fresh perspective on the King Arthur legend, deftly weaving historical facts together with a large amount of fun and imagination. The authors make knowledgeable use of settings ranging from a Manhattan game show to the birthplace of civilization along the Nile (with many segues in time in between). Their likable characters include an ex-FBI agent, a 10-year-old boy, a timeless Merlin the Magician, and a dark but still very human villain who literally walks the face of the earth. Cochran wrote the screenplay for the film Lethal Weapon II and collaborated with Murphy on the fantasy-thriller Grandmaster (Windsor Pubns., 1988). Highly recommended for escapist reading. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/92.- Marlene McCormack-Lee, Drain Branch Lib . , Roseburg, Ore.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
Arthurian-revival yarn from the authors of High Priest (1989), with dismally unpromising ingredients. Arthur is reincarnated as a ten-year-old Chicago boy; his protector, Galahad, is drunk ex-FBI man Hal Woczniak. The Grail, a magic cup-shaped meteorite that heals at a touch, confers immortality on whoever holds it. For reasons beyond conjecture, this holder turns out to be Saladin (yes, he of Crusades fame). Merlin returns to life, never mind how, having spent centuries as a ghost in vanished Camelot, the latter located, for reasons equally baffling, in Dorset. And most of the action occurs in a present-day England, about which the authors clearly know next to nothing. Millennia ago, escaped slave boy Saladin acquired the magic cup by murdering its kindly Neanderthal keeper, and thus became immortal. Occasionally he loses the cup, so his life is dedicated to keeping it secret. In post-Roman times, Saladin wandered to England, where he became involved in Arthur's experiments with social democracy and accidentally healed the old wizard Merlin of fatal heart failure. Later, when Arthur lay dying of wounds, Saladin not only refused to heal him with the cup but attempted to finish the king off, so Merlin took by force of magic, saved Arthur, then offered him the cup; Arthur refused the cup's awesome power. Later, Saladin recovered the cup and went on to further exploits, while Arthur died and Merlin faded away. Now, in the present, Arthur and Galahad are reunited with Merlin. Saladin, having served time in a mental institution for a series of grotesque murders, breaks out and goes forth to reclaim his cup, which, seemingly by chance, Arthur has acquired along with title to the ruins of Camelot. Given the ingredients, it's no surprise that the doings- -``plot'' is too definite a term--make no sense at all. Neither do the characters offer much appeal. In sum: unmitigated drivel--but it will probably find an audience. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Review
"I read two or three pages and got hooked. The Forever King [is] one of the most original things I've read in years. I can't recommend it highly enough." --Marion Zimmer Bradley, author of The Mists of Avalon

"This suspense-filled, action-laden novel supplies a fresh perspective on the King Arthur legend, deftly weaving historical facts together with a large amount of fun and imagination. Highly recommended." --Library Journal

"I am reminded of the masterpiece, The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey, another book that skillfully interweaves past and present to the enchantment of both." --Morgan Llywelyn, author of Lion of Ireland



Review
"I read two or three pages and got hooked. The Forever King [is] one of the most original things I've read in years. I can't recommend it highly enough." --Marion Zimmer Bradley, author of The Mists of Avalon

"This suspense-filled, action-laden novel supplies a fresh perspective on the King Arthur legend, deftly weaving historical facts together with a large amount of fun and imagination. Highly recommended." --Library Journal

"I am reminded of the masterpiece, The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey, another book that skillfully interweaves past and present to the enchantment of both." --Morgan Llywelyn, author of Lion of Ireland



Book Description
In a darkened house not far from the place where Camelot may once have stood, a madman schemes, plotting toward the day when he will wrest the cup that men call the Holy Grail from the boy who is its guardian.

Arthur Blessing is no ordinary ten-year-old. The Grail is his by chance, this time, but the power to keep it--a power as ancient as time itself--is his by right.

Now he must stay alive--battling foul sorcery and indefatigable assassins--long enough to use that power.



About the Author
Molly Cochran was written more than 25 books, both fiction and nonfiction, including the bestsellers Grandmaster, which won the Edgar Award, The Forever King, and Dressing Thin, a nonfiction work. Born in Tokyo, of Japanese and Irish-American extraction, Cochran graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, and has lived in many countries.

Cochran's other novels include World Without End and two sequels to The Forever King, The Broken Sword and The Third Magic. She has taught writing at numerous writers conferences. Cochran lives in Pennsylvania and is the mother of one.

ANNOTATION

From the New York Times bestselling authors of Grandmaster comes "a fresh and exciting view of the Arthur legend" (Robert Jordan, author of The Dragon Reborn). Set in modern and medieval times, here is the story of the return of King Arthur--as a ten-year-old--and his greatest enemy, Saladin, a powerful, almost immortal sorcerer, whose goal is to wrest the Holy Grail from the boy. Soon to be a major motion picture.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In a darkened house not far from the place where Camelot may once have stood, a madman schemes, plotting toward the day when he will wrest the cup that men call the Holy Grail from the boy who is its guardian.

FROM THE CRITICS

Voya

"A richly satisfying read....Emotional and action-packed, uniting our present world of reality with the myths of King Arthur. This is storytelling at its finest with a compelling and believable plot, a rich cast of well-developed characters, and the basic theme of good overcoming evil through the strength and power of the human spirit."

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

"Full of Molly Cochran's and Warren Murphy's best...pirouetting with which has you twisting and turning from page to page." — Gregory McDonald

"I found 'The Forever King' to be one of the most original things I've read in years. I can't recommend it highly enough....Books like this don't come along very often." — Marion Zimmer Bradley

"I read the first few pages and was hooked. Cochran and Murphy have indeed managed to bring a fresh approach to their subject. I am reminded of that masterpiece, 'The Daughter of Time', by Josephine Tey, another book that skillfully interweaves past and present to the enhancement of both. Some time ago I promised myself that I would give no more blurbs unless I found a quite extraordinary book, one that I wished had my own name on it. This is such a book. I recommend 'The Forever King wholeheartedly." — Morgan Llywelyn