SOLVED. Children's fantasy: Dystopian UK tangled with Arthurian myth esp Glastonbury and Charlemagne [s]

[James]

I read this book about twenty years ago. It was was published in two volumes. It was set in a UK / Europe under fascist rule; the protagonists nickname the rulers "F.R.E.A.K.S" - I can't remember what the acronym stands for. I do recall that London was a no go zone, sealed off by barbed wire.

Two of the protagonists where Wolf - a biker - and a boy named Alasdair who had some kind of disability. I think there was a character who was Alasdair;s sister who fell in love with Wolf or Wolf's friend. There was a lot of tie-in with Arthurian myth and legends of Charlemagne. The climax of the second volume partially plays out on Glastonbury Tor.

No idea who the writer was - possibly a female writer? or the titles.

[Mir]

I don't remember many of the details, but Tomorrow's Magic fits your general header.

[James]

I'm not sure. May have to read it and double-check. Thanks

[M—]

I saw the header and thought Tomorrow's Magic too, but none of the details in the original post match with that book.

[Mir]

Here's a list of Arthurian-related books if anything looks closer, James.

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/72...

[James]

That's the book! Hope your googlefu is better than mine. I wasn't have much joy.

[D.M.]

James wrote: "I read this book about twenty years ago. It was was published in two volumes. It was set in a UK / Europe under fascist rule; the protagonists nickname the rulers "F.R.E.A.K.S" - I can't remember w..."

I'm researching it now. Had to delete my original comment due to improper formatting. There's a reference to it in Thursday's Child, by Shiela Egoff at page 153. Wolf and Alastair. Something about a City by The Sea, and Charley and Clanger. I hope to find more info soon.

Unfortunately the trail stopped cold. You can find the name of the book in the book cited above. Search through WorldCat to find a library near you, open the book to page 153, and it should name it.

Thursday's Child: Trends and Patterns in Contemporary Children's Literature is the link.

[Cathy]

Quest for Orion

The year is 1999. Europe is under the dominance of a neo-fascist organisation called The Free Association of Kindred States and Nations — Freaks for short.

Sequel is Tower of the Stars. Description from a bookseller: 'Tower Of The Stars completes the story begun in A Quest For Orion, which told how western Europe was enslaved by the totalitarian tyranny of the Freaks - the Free Association of Kindred States and Nations. Tiny resistance groups survived: in Northumberland the 'Templar' gang led by Wolf and Alistair,and in Germany Walther's Deutsche Orden. At the beginning of Tower Of The Stars, resistance seems to have collapsed. Tom Jay's treachery has destroyed the 'Templars'; Wolf is dead and most of the survivors are prisoners in the newly-built City in the Sea. But Clanger and the resourceful fourteen-year-old Charlie are still free and trying to rejoin the others. Walther, also a prisoner in the City in the Sea, has half-won the confidence of the formidable First Interrogator, and Alastair's intuitive gift becomes even stronger in captivity. Slowly and painfully the survivors of the resistance are brought together under the protection of Charlemagne's Talisman and grope their way towards a climax which they cannot foresee but for which some highter power seems to be using them. 'Nosh, run, plan,' says Charlie wearily. 'That's all we ever do.' But all the time the pattern is becoming clearer. Together A Quest For Orion and Tower Of The Stars make a brilliantly plotted piece of science fiction, and also a moving story about people with whom the reader becomes closely involved.'

[Lisa]

James wrote: "That's the book! Hope your googlefu is better than mine. I wasn't have much joy."

James, Which book? And do you want to move this to children's/ya solved?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

This seems to be solved?

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Sent James a PM, asking if it was or wasn't, and what the book was. Hopefully he'll answer soon.

[James]

Hi, thank you all. Yes this does solve it. Sorry I was late in responding! I'm doing the digital equivalent of going through old e-mails.

Cheers

James