From TES issue 13 (January 2002)

KNIGHTMARE: The Sorcerer’s Isle.
Published by Corgi in 1991.
Written by Dave Morris.
  Plot: Treguard has remained in the Holy Land, where he has earned the title of the Lord of Dreams. He is sought out by a pair of English folk. They claim to be Erica, a Cornish maiden, and Sir Lancelot of Camelot, who has been brought back to life by divine forces to retrieve the Holy Grail. Erica and Lancelot ask Treguard to assist them in this quest. Treguard takes them to visit Emeritus, a scholarly friend of his who knows where the Grail might be. But Emeritus has been murdered. Using his notes on the subject, the questers set off for the Sorcerer's Isle, the supposed home of the Grail. They travel across city, desert and sea, enlisting the aid of the merchant Ghazi, on an arduous journey towards King Arthur's lost treasure. They are pursued by a group of Knight Templars, led by the newly-ordained Rupert of Armitage, who believes that his old foe, Treguard, is the murderer of Emeritus. Although Rupert is not quite right, the murderer is close by. Who else would send endless sorcery to hinder the Templars' progress? Can you work out the twist to the tale: who is telling the truth about themselves, and who is not?
 
Quest section: It is your turn to quest for the Holy Grail. There are four paths to choose, all of which converge in the Forest of Freneville, where a vampire waits for you. Whatever you do, you must find some way to defeat him. The four paths offer different ways. You may answer some riddles set by a strange woman in a fountain, in which case you can earn a spell called MAZE. You might like to enter a tournament, where can be found an alternative spell - FOREST PATHS - or a bow and arrow, if you do well enough in the contest. You could negotiate a fearful forest, where you can pick up a metal trap. Or you could help an elf maiden by buying some geese for her at a market. Here you can also purchase a trap or a bow and arrow.
 
If you do not gain one of these weapons to use against the vampire, you probably won't get past him. Before you enter the Forest of Freneville, you have the opportunity to get a pot of salve from a leper in return for giving him food or money. This is very useful as protection during the night in the forest. Once you have passed the vampire and spent a night in a tree, hopefully coming to no harm, you must cross a river to the land of Avalon, where the Grail waits for you. You may do this by defeating a knight in combat, or paying a ferry-man [Charon] for the ride. Don't let him take you all the way, though, or you'll end up somewhere totally different. Once you reach Avalon, you find the Grail. Beware, though, for only if you have gained enough chivalry points during your adventure will you be allowed to take it.
 
Characters from the main story.
 
Erica: She claims to be a Cornish maid who has been chosen to accompany Lancelot on this quest. But it soon becomes clear that this is not quite the whole truth.
 
Lancelot: He has been woken from a deathly sleep to seek out the Grail. But are all the tales of Camelot false in their depiction of Lancelot as a noble knight? This gruff, unchivalrous and bad-tempered character would seem to suggest so.
 
Vittorio: The leader of a pack of curs who try to rob Erica and Lancelot. But the burly knight soon ends this plan.
 
Treguard: Although reluctant at first, he agrees to help Erica and Lancelot find the Grail. He leads the expedition as best he can, but finds Lancelot's impetuous and brusque nature very difficult to deal with.
 
Pickle: Here described as an imp rather than an elf, Pickle has become Treguard's loyal servant. He works his faerie magic to confuse the questers' pursuers.
 
Rupert of Armitage: He has taken the oaths of priesthood, but Sir Rupert still wants to see Treguard suffer. He is thrilled at the prospect of arresting the Saxon for murder, so sets off in pursuit of the party.
 
Ghazi: This merchant sells camels to Treguard's party for their trek across the desert, and is hired to join them as their guide. His knowledge of the tribes who dwell in the oases is a big help, as are his bartering skills for later acquiring a boat to sail to the Sorcerer's Isle.
 
Tancred: A Christian sorcerer, and one of Rupert's cronies. He guides the Templars in their pursuit of Treguard's party, locating them by his magic arts.
 
Chieftain of the Desert Tribe: Ghazi persuades him to provide fresh provisions for the group's trip. Unfortunately for Treguard, this tribe's customs involve a guest presenting one of his possessions as a gift if one of the tribe says that he admires it. The Chieftain says this about Treguard's sword, Wyrmslayer, which he is accordingly given. Treguard finds a new sword on the Sorcerer's Isle.
 
Zaman al-Hazred: The wise sage tells Treguard's party the story of how the Holy Grail ended up on the Sorcerer's Isle.
 
Prince Rashad: The noble prince who sought to stop a demon from stealing the Grail and taking it to his master on the Isle.
 
Melaphoras: The sorcerer whom the Sorcerer's Isle is named after. He has hidden the Grail in his tower. Prince Rashad could not get it back from him. Can Treguard and co. do so?

[Previous book: Fortress of Assassins
Next book: The Forbidden Gate/The Quest For The Dragon’s Egg]

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Fourth of the series of seven Knightmare books. Written by Dave Morris. First published in 1991 at bargain price of £2.99.

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