---Funniest Line in the Book:
(In a flashback showing how Arthur, ready to exact vengeance by killing Basilikos, the legendary Basilisk, heeded her pleas to spare her life in exchange for Basiliskos’ future services…)
---He continues, “If I have need of you, I shall summon you…how? Through mystic incantation? A crystal ball of some kind you will give me?”
---She looks at him in disbelief. “Arthur…don’t be an ass. This is the twenty-first century,” comes the voice of Miss Basil from the within the great monster, dripping with scorn. “I have a website: www.basiliskos.com. Contact me in that manner.”

One Knight Only is the recently published sequel to Knight Life, Peter David’s very first novel. Last year, Ace Books republished Knight Life, after Peter David rewrote it, not only to improve on the journalistic writing style with which he originally wrote it 15 years prior, but to include more material with which he could lay the foundation for continuing the story in a sequel. In Knight Life, the legendary King Arthur returns to life to run for mayor of modern-day New York, and must deal not only with modern politics in order to reclaim his mantle as a leader, but with a beautiful woman named Gwen who looks impossibly like the queen he loved 1500 years ago, a backwards-aged Merlin, and old enemies from his past that will do anything to destroy his political future.

---In One Knight Only, we see Arthur as President of the United States, dealing with terrorism, assassination attempts, the loss of loved ones, conniving journalists looking for a scoop, and a mysterious, powerful King who holds a powerful weapon that Arthur desperately needs.
---As is usual for Peter David, he starts off by having the reader jump right into the middle of the story, and gives us flashbacks and exposition to let us know what has happened between the end of the last novel and the beginning of this one. We find out that he is now the President of the United States, with Gwen as his First Lady. (I don’t think this requires a spoiler warning, since it’s basic premise of the story that you are informed of in every introductory blurb or piece about the book. Hell, it’s indicated on the second page of Chapter 1 that Gwen is the First Lady, and the Washington Monument takes the place of Excalibur on the cover. I will say that I found it jarring that Peter suddenly jumped ahead to to the middle of Arthur’s Presidency without making this material into a novel of its own to tell us how Arthur did this, instead relying on flashbacks and exposition, but I suppose he felt he covered that type of election story with the first novel, and didn’t want to rehash himself.) We find out that the U.S., having recently signed a treaty with a country named Trans-Sabal (which will be familiar to readers of Peter David’s stint on X-Factor), has been dealing with the terrorism of a man named Arnim Sandoval, and after a vicious assassination attempt strikes home at Arthur’s White House, Arthur, without Merlin or Percival at his side to advise him, must not only deal with the tragedy of the act, but with a country convinced that Trans-Sabal was behind the act, and clamoring for blood.
---It is here that Peter uses Arthur’s response as the President to terrorism on U.S. soil as a way of exploring what should be done when a President has a personal stake in going after a dangerous terrorist, and one wonders just how much of what he puts in here he put because it just made a good story, and how much of it is his own commentary on what he thinks about the terrorism policy of the current real-life occupant of the Oval Office, something he’s been doing more of lately in his comic book work and editorials, and I wonder how many of Peter’s fans who don’t share his politics will walk away from him because of this.
--Arthur does seem to take a greater back seat to other characters in the story compared with the first novel, not necessarily because he got less page time, but more because he seems more reactive than pro-active in the story, with most of his actions being responses to attacks, bargains, or blackmails by other characters. Nonetheless, the story is entertaining and faithful to not only the source material as the last novel was, but also to other stories in ancient mythology, which those familiar with such stories will enjoy. Miss Basil is given an expanded role in this novel, as is Percival, and Percival’s own quest, which leads him into a confrontation with an arrogant and terrifyingly powerful enemy, is brought together with the Arthur storyline in a gigantic climax that will send shockwaves…literally.
---At 373 pages, it’s only 30 pages longer than Knight Life, and Peter expertly weaves drama, ancient fantasy, political philosophy and his trademark humor (which only rarely becomes annoyingly contrived in the book) into a very entertaining fantasy tale. I did find the ending a tad bit abrupt, leaving an important question unanswered about one of the main characters, and Peter David’s statement that a third book is not a definite thing made me wonder if this point slipped his mind, but it was still an entertaining read, and hopefully there will be a third book that answers it. Bottom line, if you like Peter David, and you liked Knight Life, go pick up One Knight Only.

NITS & NOTES:
On page 32, it states that for an act of bravery while Mayor, Arthur received the congressional medal of honor. That medal goes only to people actively serving in the armed Forces for valor in combat against an enemy. Congress established a set of guidelines on July 25,1963 under which the Medal of Honor could be awarded:
---a.) while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
---b.) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or,
---c.) while serving with friendly forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
What Arthur should’ve received was the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest honor a civilian can receive, including politicians like Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, who both received the medal.

On page 60, it says that some years ago, laws were put into place that expressly forbade the President and Vice President from appearing together in public. I told Peter David that this wasn’t true, as Clinton and Gore visited my hometown Union City, NJ to see the computer equipment donated to one of the local grammar schools by a telecom company, and that while it was rare for the two of them to appear together, it wasn’t against the law. Peter replied that this was the premise in the world of the novel.

Possible Spoiler Nit: (highlight to read.)
There is an ancient Sumerian flood story that preceeded the one in the Bible about Noah. In the Sumerian story, the character is named Ziusudra, or Utnapishtim. In the book, the character appears, but he is named Ziusura. I’ve discovered that both spellings are referenced in source material, as seen at this webpage.

Spoiler Nit: (highlight to read.)
Now that Gwen has drunk from the Grail, she will be immortal. But this will mean that Arthur will grow old and die, leaving her to go on without him. I wondered if Peter would address this in the book, but as aforementioned, he never did.

My review's on Amazon.com.

I just finished reading this book, and loved it, it takes over my whole psych.

Pity www.basiliskos.com is not active ;)

while serving with friendly forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
What Arthur should’ve received was the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest honor a civilian can receive, including politicians like Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, who both received the medal.

Don't you mean the Congressional Medal of Freedom?

Why?

I've never heard of the "Congressional Gold Medal". My understanding was that the Medal of Honor was the highest award in the US -- active service only, and the Medal of Freedom was the highest civilian honor one could be awarded.

It looks like we're both right. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is given by the President, and the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor (which is rarer) is given by the Legislative Branch.

Hey, I'll take "we're both right" any day.