The Adventures of Horace, George and Ingle - The Rise of the Black Knight

by H.W. Cumming

Life is going exactly as planned for Galray’s royal twins, Horace and George. The chess-playing teenagers have excelled in sword and bow training and are well on the way to knighthood and their rightful place on the king’s council. Their older brother, Ingle, is next-in-line to the throne, but he’s just as content spending time in the castle’s kitchen with the royal bakers and learning his noble history. When a peculiar lightning storm causes damage to a nearby village, the brothers get caught up in an investigation ordered by their father, King Reynold. It isn’t long before the peaceful land they’ve always known is on the verge of collapse and they are forced to put every skill they’ve practiced to the test. In a race to save the kingdom from an eternity of despair, they unravel a mystery makes them question everything they’ve ever known. The quest leads the brothers to Rifflesly, a strange little man who speaks in frustrating riddles, nevertheless pointing them toward the answers they seek. But first, the trio has to survive a perilous journey to the Oracle. Rogue dragons, myths and betrayal lay ahead as the three brothers are forced to lead and become men.

Genres: Fantasy

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 18, 2014

About the author

HW Cumming is a classical and jazz pianist, a college graduate with a degree in engineering from the University of Toronto, an avid outdoorsman...having skied and trekked all over world - including both Annapurna and Mt. Kilimanjaro, and a successful business executive with more than 25 years in the information technology industry. Horace, George and Ingle were originally conceived by Cumming as bedtime stories to entertain and guide his growing children...The Adventures of Horace, George and Ingle - The Rise of the Black Knight was Cumming's debut novel.

Now a 3 book series with The seven Witches and The Pirates of Adarac.

His latest Novel Two Minutes to Everything is a departure from his previous work and his first Literary Fiction work.

Reviews

[H.W. Cumming]

By R.P. BenDedek
Aug 13, 2014 - 12:17:32 AM

HW Cumming's "The Rise of the Black Knight" is the first story in a series called 'The Adventures of Horace, George and Ingle.' While this story is complete on its own, it is both obvious and 'stated' that the adventure will continue.

The story is well told, and the editing was almost perfect. There was just one typo; one easily missed - 'adventures' instead of 'adventurers.' The book was produced by 'Friesen Press' (Victoria B.C. Canada) at www.friesenpress.com and distributed by The Ingram Book Company. The book was published in June this year, and the publicity details appeared in the July 13th book basket at Magic City.

My reading of the book was via the PDF copy which had 136 pages which contained in places interesting black & White drawings. I didn't find any creditation for the drawings, so perhaps they were done by the author.

When the publicist asked if any of our reviewers were interested in the book, I had to tell her that they 'definitely' were not. She wrote back to say that it was a pity since it was in fact a good children's story. Being the kind hearted creature I am, and knowing that I was going on holidays and had time to read the book, I asked for a PDF copy. And I am really glad I did.

Although I didn't get around to it while in Australia, late this afternoon (Sunday August 10th) I decided to bite the bullet and start reading it. Surprise surprise! I couldn't put it down. It was a great story.

It is definitely not an 'action' story about knights doing battle, but rather a 'detective mystery' which commences with a 'natural tragedy' that leaves three young princes curious to understand the events that played out before their eyes. Oh - it does also involve talking dragons. (I love dragon stories).

I'm too old to know what age group the story is best suited to but having heard my eight year old granddaughter Charlotte reading from a novel targeting much older kids, I'm sure "The Rise of the Black Knight" would be fine for any kid who loves to read or having stories read to them.

Congrats to the author for this very interesting 'debut' to his writing career.

http://www.magic-city-news.com/Book_R...

[Samie Sands]

This book is an amazing read! The characters are unique and loveable and the plot is gripping. The illustrations are a wonderful touch and I think the book can be enjoyed by all ages – as can the life lessons it teaches!

[Jennifer Goins]

I JUST GOT DONE READING THE BOOK CALLED THE ADVENTURES OF HORACE, GEORGE AND INGLE- THE RISE OF THE BLACK KNIGHT. WE NEED MORE BOOKS LIKE THIS GREAT STORY.A QUEST OF THREE BROTHERS TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE MYSTER OF LIGHTENING.I GOT MY FREE BOOK THANKS TO GOODREADS FRIST READ. WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO GOODREADS FRIST READ AND TO THE AUTHOR H.W. CUMMING FOR THE BOOK. I WOULD HAVE TO GIVE THIS A 5 STAR RATING.

[Jess Hicken]

This was an awesome book to read as a family and I found it to be an well written book.

[Mariana Farcas]

We need more books like this great story! A quest of three brothers to find out the mystery of a lightening.

[PaulineB]

I really liked this book. It kept me reading it until I was done.

[Marissa]

This book was so dry! It was like reading an encyclopedia. The plot was fine but it was done without any care in telling the story. The characters were hardly cardboard--more like paper. And it was so boring! The last two paragraphs showed how the author had no emotion--even he was bored and rushed through to the end.

[Authentic Hobbit]

Disclaimer: Received from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

At a time of Dragons, when a peace treaty between them and the King is being negotiated, we find the main characters are thrust into an adventure of their own. When the three sons of the King are spending time together and are sitting down for a game of chess in one of the towers of their castle, there is a lightning storm that catches the village below on fire. The three sons rush up to the top of the tower to investigate, since that's where the lightning seemed to be coming from, when they see a black figure disappearing from the scene. Knowing instantly that this was not just a product of the storm and there was some sort of magic involved, the sons decide to investigate to determine what had happened. The rest of the novel continues to explain to us the events that take place after the lightning and follows the journey of the Kingdom, mainly the journey of the sons, on a quest to discover who the figure was and where the lightening came from.

The characters in this book were well developed; each of them had their own identities that were completely different from the others. I had an easy time keeping track of who was who. The main plot took us on an incredible journey through forests, mountains, even to the kingdom of the dragons, which is why I think it appealed to me so much. I have always loved reading books that would take me to other lands on great quests such as the one is this book.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I liked how it was written, and I liked the events of the story. The story given to us in The Rise of the Black Knight reminded me of stories that I read and loved when I was younger like the stories of King Arthur and his knights of the round table. It is a book that I will definitely read again in the future. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to escape reality for a while and immerse themselves in the adventures that other lands hold.

Be sure to check out my blog at:
authentichobbitreviews.weebly.com

Thanks :)

- Authentic Hobbit

[Collene]

The Adventures of Horace, George and Ingle by HW Cumming makes me think of childhood classics such as The Three Musketeers, King Arthur and his knights, and The Princess Bride.

It starts a little slow, but after a few pages, quickly picks up. It’s a fast-paced fun and
adventure. Fantastic read.

There are great illustrations throughout the book and its a great book to read aloud, My favorite of the brothers was Ingle, but all the brothers have their own separate unique personalities. I could tell the author really cared about them and their friend Roland.

The book is entertaining but also includes valuable life teachings such as the bonding of brothers, challenges that have to be faced as you grow older, and of course the age-old battle between good and evil.

I am highly enthusiastic about this book and the next books to see what other adventures the three brothers will eagerly encompass. I’m hoping the author will eventually weave a non-conventional female character into the adventures.

[Barbara]

There was nothing wrong with the story line of this novel, however it didn't reach out and reel me in, which is what I especially like in a book. I think part of the reason for this was the fairly spare writing style. Not a lot of thick description. A map might also have been helpful in following the adventures.

Disclaimers: I received a free review copy of The Adventures of Horace, George and Ingle - The Rise of the Black Knight through Goodreads First Reads. I am an adult who occasionally enjoys reading books written with a younger audience in mind.

[Emily (Heinlen) Davis]

The story was interesting, but I, occasionally, found the writing to be redundant and clunky.

[Mariana Farcas]

Great Read! Medival adventures of three brothers.