Review: The Kingpin of Camelot

The Kingpin of Camelot by Cassandra Gannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG! Ilona Andrews recommended this book so that's an autoread as far as I'm concerned and what a fantastic book it was.

Imagine a world in which creatures from myths, nursery rhymes, fairytales and children's books are real. Where King Arthur and Queen Guinevere rule Camelot assisted by the Scarecrow and the White Rabbit is a scientist. Where Midas, the Pied Piper and Little Miss Muffet are criminal masterminds. Got that straight? The world is separated into Good folk and Bad folk - you are just born that way and it makes no difference how you behave, a saint could be Bad and a serial killer could be Good. The Good folk have all the power and the Bad folk have none. This is a world where there is such a thing as your True Love and Bad folk know immediately they meet. But folk also have twentieth century technology like cell-phones.

Arthur was a jerk and everyone thinks Gwen killed him, the Scarecrow wants to become king by marrying Gwen, but she refused and he locks her in the dungeon. Gwen escapes with her daughter Avalon and approaches Midas, the biggest, baddest, wealthiest Bad man there is and offers him a deal - Marry Gwen and help her win back her Kingdom, in return she will make him king.

This was a laugh-riot from start to finish. The sheer inventiveness of Cassandra Gannon and the humour she brought to the marriage contract between Gwen and Midas has to be read to be believed. As does Trysten (the Gryphon)'s comments on playing with dolls.

Overall, if you enjoy the books of Robert Rankin, the incomparable and sorely missed Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde and others of that ilk I think you will love this as much as I did.

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