The Green Knight

Space Lore #1

by Chris Dietzel

Near the border between two kingdoms, a vessel full of innocent passengers is destroyed. While the extent of the impending retaliation is unknown, its inevitability is not. Galactic war is approaching.

In a seedy bar in a distant corner of the solar system, a knight clad entirely in green armor puts forth a grisly challenge. The only person to accept the knight’s game is a woman who spends her time drinking and thieving.

These two acts, occurring in different parts of the galaxy, both lead to the same spot: the planet that will soon fall under attack.

Welcome to Space Lore, where Arthurian legend meets Star Wars. Epic space fantasy will never be the same.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fantasy, Amazon, Arthurian, Fiction

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2016

About the author

Chris graduated from Western Maryland College (McDaniel College). He currently lives in Florida. His dream is to write the same kind of stories that have inspired him over the years.

Sign up for his mailing list to receive updates on future projects and some neat freebies: http://chrisdietzel.com/mailing_list/

In his free time, Chris volunteers for a Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) program for feral cats. (If you would like more information on how best to care for abandoned and feral cats in your neighborhood, please check out the Alley Cat Allies website at: http://www.alleycat.org/)

Dietzel is a huge fan of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and mixed martial arts (MMA). He trained in BJJ for ten years, earning the rank of brown belt, and went 2-0 in amateur MMA fights before an injury ended his participation in contact sports.

It is incredibly difficult for new authors to gain an audience. If you read one of his books and enjoyed it, please recommend it to anyone else you think may like them.

Reviews

[Chris Dietzel]

The Space Lore trilogy was incredibly fun for me to write. I hope you all enjoy reading each book as much as I enjoyed creating them.

[Bobi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy, where do I start? I purposely did not read what the book was about. The only thing I knew going in was that it was going to be a story set in space. I sat down, started, and read the whole thing in one sitting! Again, the descriptive writing captures everything without being overbearing. You can totally picture the characters and yourself in the bar, on the ship, walking through whatever etc. I enjoyed every minute in the new world that the author has created for us. The story is engaging, features an ensemble cast, and moves rapidly. I am excited for book two, there is more to see and do in this universe. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I tend to be very general in my reviews. However, after reading this book (slight spoiler), my guess is that there will be a lot of people out there that will be wanting a basilisk that purrs!

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Green Knight was a very enjoyable reading experience! Although I like science fiction, I often don't read space fantasies because they often feel immature and read more like comic books than a novel. Not the case with The Green Knight! This was it so much a space story as it was a story that takes place in space.

The story focuses on the life of Vere CasterLan, who forsakes her birthright as heir to her father's kingdom, to live a life full of drinking and thieving. She feels the call to return home to avert an impending war sparked by the destruction of a passenger spaceship by her father's fleet.

The book begins slowly, but the pace picks up fairly quickly and keeps up throughout. I easily maintained my interest all the way through. The book was crisp and tight, and the action flowed at a nice clip. The combination of science fiction, space fantasy, magic and technology was very well done. The Green Knight was pleasantly reminiscent of Star Wars, and the next installment would seem to to into the Legend of King Arthur, which I look forward to.

[Annie Mahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The next Star Wars isn't Star Wars at all. It's Space Lore."

I saw that comment the other day and shook my head. I love Star Wars more than life itself. To compare a book to those movies is staggeringly bold. After reading The Green Knight I have to say I agree. Everything that made the original trilogy great is also here. There are no lightsabers but there is the equivalent. There isn't the Force but there is something I assume will be the equivalent in later books. While it's not Star Wars it does have all the things that made ESB and ROTJ perfect. This has the potential to be the next big movie franchise. Count me in as reading the next two books as soon as they come out.

[lfthndofdrknss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great light read. Although the story is simple, there is enough action to keep the reader engaged. I look forward to the next one.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Recieved for Free*

What do you get when you combine Arthurian legend esk Fantasy, with Space Opera? The Space Lore series apparently, and if this first entry in the series is anything to go by, then its actually managed to mash the 2 genres together very well. The main plot screams high fantasy, with the action lending itself to sci-fi trappings.

Why only a 3 star review then? The book is Good, but does have some slight failings, all of which will probably be corrected as the sequels go forward

1)The pacing is rapid. The books is split into 89 chapters (no, seriously, 89 chapters in just a single audiobook), with each being short in length. The book starts steady then just goes a breakneck pace until its conclusion.
2) I never felt like I was given much time to connect to the charactors. The main protagonist and antagonist gets some fleshing out, but I felt this could have done with a lot of expansion. Theres also a really great cast of side charactors who you never really learn anything about, other than there names, and what they are like as people. Your meant to be routing for these people to succeed, give the reader a reason to.

I will give Dietzel credit however, even though there were elements I didnt find enjoyable, its overall a very good read. Most suprisingly, because this is a series, the book actually has a proper ending. Now that the world building is done, and the charactors established, I can only imagine that going forward a lot of my criticisms of this entry will go away. Hopefully the sequel also has better pacing

[M.L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book had an interesting premise - King Arthur in space sounds like a great combination. The chapters were short and the feel Star Warsy, which I’m sure was intended. However, these short chapters often retold the action from different POVs, which made the book repetitive, and I must admit I ended up skipping large chunks of the prose towards the end. I’ll generally see any King Arthur book all the way through, and in this instance found a few concluding details to be a little superfluous (Vere’s dad’s body double - what really was the point?).

The characters all filled their own roles well - the rogue, the thief, the drunk, the muscle, the advisor - yet were quite flat: Morgan, in particular, was quick to anger, but not much else. MC Vere was interesting, and Trask was my favourite reptile. The sci-fi in the book was interesting and well portrayed, but the villains were a bit OTT and very Darth Vadery.

I suppose it’s inevitable that most sci-fi/succession stories will in some way be compared to Star Wars, but these similarities are not necessarily a bad thing. This book is certainly written well, is well paced and has plenty of action, and it probably appeals to a wide audience - that audience just excludes me. In short, it wasn’t my cup of tea!

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 4 out of 5]

not kindle unlimited, but had gotten this one on freebie day, though some of his books are ku, not a huge star wars fan though room mate who shares my ku is so will point him toward this one, bit draggy in places but then again setting things up in a first book of series that is to be expected

Near the border between two kingdoms, a vessel full of innocent passengers is destroyed. While the extent of the impending retaliation is unknown, its inevitability is not. Galactic war is approaching.In a seedy bar in a distant corner of the solar system, a knight clad entirely in green armor puts forth a grisly challenge. The only person to accept the knight’s game is a woman who spends her time drinking and thieving.These two acts, occurring in different parts of the galaxy, both lead to the same spot: the planet that will soon fall under attack.Welcome to Space Lore, where Arthurian legend meets Star Wars. Epic space fantasy will never be the same.

The Green Knight (Space Lore Book 1)
The Excalibur (Space Lore Book 2)
The Round Table (Space Lore Book 3)
Space Lore (3 Book Series)

[William C. Prows · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been collecting Si Fi books for over 60 years - especially the Hugo and Nebula Award winners. This is a light read. While "simple" the characters are adequately developed and the plot complex enough to allow the reader to accompany the characters, "witness" the interactions and yet, not predict the forks in the story line.

Some of the characters interactions were kinda redundant and created a superficiality when those characters had repeated interactions. For instance describing Morgan's dislike of Fostafs? drinking. An increasing or deceasing reaction each time Morgan reacted, might have strengthened Her series of dislike.

I read this over a period of maybe 2 weeks. It was easy to put down and to take back up. The story was good enough for me to want to pick it back up and see what was next.

Good start.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a different take on the age old space scifi novel. I liked the mix of space with a hint of fantasy. The main characters are not written as strong heroes but more like dregs of society. After all we are introduced to them at a bar they spent the last 6 years at wasting their days as drunks and thieves. But when they all have to step up, they come through. The might be drunks but they are friends first. I laughed and groaned at many scenes. The story the addicting and had to read to find out who the green knight was. Loved that odd twist to the story. So well worth reading if you like space stories, space battles, bounty hunters and people trying to overthrow empires.I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Cmoore · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a very odd premise for a... ahh, what? Space Opera, or maybe an Epic Space Fantasy?
What we've got here is a very Star Wars(esque) tale, married somehow to the Arthurian legend and a Hero's Journey, all rolled into one, and yeah, you read that right!
So what you've got in your hands (should you choose to grab the book) is a kick-butt protagonist, who along with her crew of misfits, sets out on the path of the Hero's Journey, and they'll follow that path, all the way through to the end! The journey's not easy, and even the most jaded fans of action will find themselves gripping the edge of their seats!
I'd not heard Greg Tremblay's narration talents before this audiobook... and he's Great! I'm looking forward to hearing more from him in the future!

[Gil T · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Green Knight is story set in the future in space and very loosely based on King Arthur mythology. The main character is in a bar with her friends. As someone comes in looking for her, you find out that she has left her kingdom years ago (her father is the king). Her father ordered the attack of non-military vessel which is leading to war. The opposing fleet is almost to Edsel Dark (the main planet within the kingdom) and she is needed to help stop the upcoming war/desolation of the planet. Meanwhile, a giant green knight comes into the bar and challenges anyone to chop his head off if they agree to allow him to do the same (at a later date). She agrees but it doesn’t go quite the way she planned.

[Jared · Rating 1 out of 5]

Initially a one star book. It was free, so I tacking on an extra star. Now it’s a two star book. Quite boring. There is a character whose personality is composed of being an absolute jackass to everyone. Look, raising your fist at or punching someone every time someone insults you or says something you don’t like does not make you tough, it makes you an utter unlikeable douche. I don’t know what the author was thinking with this character. This character was snarky, condescending to everyone and came off as just an ugly person all around. She wasn’t the main character but she had entirely too much presence in the book to ignore her. In fact, I despise her character so much, I’m taking back that bonus star and this is now a one star book again.

Right into the fire place with this one

[Rick Rivera · Rating 2 out of 5]

No spoilers. I find myself getting more critical as I get older. This may have to do with the realization that I have a limited amount of time left to read books and thus should spend my time reading really good ones. Unfortunately, I found the characters in this novel shallow and very difficult to support, let alone like. Too many elements of the story were introduced without an explanation leaving you to wonder how they fit into the overall narrative. The ending left me not wanting more, rather just disappointed. I will not re-read this book, nor can i recommend it. (Forgive me if I sound too harsh.)

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book, but dragged down by the fact that it was trying to adapt two stories at once. Plot and characters were drawn from both Arthuriana and Shakespeare's Henry IV, which led to some really puzzling crossovers, such as our protagonist, Vere, whose name indicates some connection to Guinevere, but who plays the roles of Sir Gawain and Prince Hal within the novel. The story was always strongest at the points where it strayed from its source materials, leaving me sorely wishing that there were more of those.
That said, the worldbuilding kicked ass and is the reason I gave 4 stars instead of 3.

[Tony Breault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

I picked this up on a whim and found it fast paced and an easy read to pass the time on some very long flights. Overall, the character development is quite light (I.e., not complex and arguably simplistic) and the story line flows quickly without getting bogged down in many descriptives. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for an easy way to pass time but not seeking a complex and creative world/character builder or plot.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

Pretty good read, the plot moved along at a nice pace and the battle scenes were written well and not too terribly long. I liked the main character and her struggle with her destiny in life. The other characters were not as fleshed out so I don’t that much about them and had trouble distinguishing them by name. All in all it kept me interested and ended with the main plot points wrapped up (but of course there’s a second book)

[Julie Candler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Ages meets the Future

Runaway royal? Check
Bar? Check
Loyal Outcast Friends? Check
Knights with Armor? Check

This novel was a fun read. You have comedy mixed in with the more morose aspects of a kingdom at war. You have the "evil" step sibling trying to take over the kingdom as the King is dying and the true heir is absent. Then the step sibling tries to end the true heir by paying a huge bounty.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but not original...

While set in a universe where space travel is commonplace the story rests heavily on archaic tropes of monarchs having total power & control over society with the inevitable result that human frailty, especially lust for power able to ruin lives on a wholesale level. Nonetheless it was interesting enough to finish it, and I will likely read at least the next book in the series.

[Hw Huyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

great cant put down story

Vere, Mirgan, Trassk, Occulys, Pistol and many others take us across space to battle enemies and free cities from the onslaught of the Vonnegan empire, a power hungry murdering King's stepson , and with a decade dead brother, a millennia dead Green Knight Vere finds herself to relive her father, the King's greatness.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

The royal heir left home 5 years ago and has spent the time drinking and fighting their way through space ... but it's the PRINCESS.

Most books would tell this story about the Prince. The gender of the character doesn't affect the story - it's just unusual for a book to follow that line.

The story also allows some of the goodies to die.

An engaging group of characters.

[TopHat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Read!

this was a fun and engaging read so well-described that you can see everything as it happens on the movie on the movie screen in your mind . I will eagerly search out other titles by this author.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Mix of scifi and mysticism which was fun to read. Clearly inspired by Star Wars, it was a good coming of age story with an engaging cast of characters. Although, the propensity of some characters to respond violently to rather minor affronts started to bug me.

[Daniel Deitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real old time sci-fi

Space adventures and battleships sprinkled with political intrigue and fantasy make this a great read. Sci-fi isn’t dead it’s just been sleeping a while and is just getting ready to wake up.

[Christopher Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new twist

In some ways, a prodigal “daughter” returning but in a way where you know the story does not end there. There is more work to do. Looking forward to the next book. New adventures for Vere, Morgan, and Fastolf.

[Brian Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Space knights! Mysterious forces! Mystical old men! Laser swords! A wretched hive of scum and villainy!

This is basically Star Wars, with the author trying to give it an Arthurian legend twist.
It's a decent enough read to pass some time, but nothing special or different being done.

[Marti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish The Green Knight. There was too much description and not enough action that moved the story forward. The Green Knight wasn’t even introduced until the very end of chapter 10. Sorry.

[Rebecca Trotter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts off with a bang and keeps right on going with an amazing new Universe.

A special Thank you to all the digital artists that helped me visualize some of the characters.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent sci-fi adventure

Easy to read but I found the characters lacking in depth. I did enjoy the story overall despite its shortcomings.

[David Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, got this as part of a trilogy, will finish the 3 & see how it goes.