The Book of Knights

Like Phyllis Gotlieb (see Flesh and Gold, reviewed above), Meynard is Canadian. He edits the SF magazine Solaris and has published six books in French, as well as a number of SF and fantasy stories in English. His first fantasy novel to be written in English is a coming-of-age tale of a young man desperate to become a knight. Raised in a society governed by a quasi-religious doctrine called ""the Rule,"" Adelrune is fascinated by the dusty old copy of The Book of Knights he discovers in the attic of his foster parents' home. Eagerly abandoning the Rule for the romance of knightly honor, Adelrune runs away from home to seek out a sage named Riander and pays six years of his life for knightly training. Though the boy physically ages six years overnight, he still retains the mind of a youth. Eventually, Riander sends him on a journey as a final test of his abilities. Little does Adelrune realize that he will grow into his adulthood as well as his knighthood in the course of his adventures, even learning the secret of his own mysterious parentage. Though the plot rambles at times, Meynard's writing is deft, creating evocative imagery with the simplest language. (Feb.)