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When John Barnes writes a good book, it is tops (for instance, I highly recommend Orbital Resonance). However, I almost stopped reading Barnes because he is also very prolific and wildly inconsistent. He has written a lot of pointless and extremely gory novels, but this humorous fantasy is a refreshing, delightful change.

Did you enjoy the whimsical humour of T. H. White's The Sword in the Stone? Well, this is the book for you. It is the story of young prince Amatus, who accidentally swallowed the Wine of the Gods as a child and had the entire left side of his body vanish. Not long thereafter, four mysterious strangers appeared and took up positions in the court -- as the Royal Alchemist, Royal Witch, Royal Nurse, and Captain of the Guard. By this time, the whole Kingdom knows that a Story is unfolding, and indeed grand adventures and sweeping events take place.

I usually avoid fantasy so I expected to put this book down after a few chapters, but Barnes' clever humour kept me reading. Also, although much of the plot is absurd, Barnes managed to make the characters so compelling that the reader becomes very involved. This is a book which could be read and enjoyed by children (although a few of the scenes are a bit more violent than I cared for) but it is definitely an adult novel -- well written, tightly plotted and intelligent.

Donna McMahon discovered science fiction in high school and fandom in 1977, and never recovered. Dance of Knives, her first novel, was published by Tor in May, 2001, and her book reviews won an Aurora Award the same month. She likes to review books first as a reader (Was this a Good Read? Did I get my money's worth?) and second as a writer (What makes this book succeed/fail as a genre novel?). You can visit her website at http://www.donna-mcmahon.com/.