The Third Magic

In Cochran's third and probably concluding volume of her ingenious but complex Arthurian fantasy set in the modern world (The Forever King; The Broken Sword), young Arthur Blessing is still watched over by Merlin (aka Taliesin) and by Galahad (aka guardian Hal Woczniak), who happens to be in love with Arthur's aunt, Emily Blessing. The rest of the Knights of the Round Table are not quite effectively disguised as a motorcycle gang. The teen media, who have made Arthur Blessing something of a star, complicate his quest to return with the full powers of Arthur Pendragon. When the spring containing the Holy Grail helps Arthur develop healing powers, he faces a dilemma, because the house over the spring is the home of one Gwen Ranier, his contemporary Guinevere-and the legend says that Guinevere must die. Furthermore, shadows from the past (well-developed, if a minor part of the story), plus a fugitive Communist spy and a homicidal maniac, pose additional challenges. For readers new to the trilogy, the action flies by in a bunch of scenes in close formation without visible connection, but it should all make sense to those who have read the earlier books. (Oct. 1)