One King, One Soldier

A young Korean War veteran embarks on a strange quest for the Holy Grail in this historical fantasy by the award-winning author of A Scattering of Jades.

“Captivating . . . a great spine-tingling romp through history in search of the Holy Grail. Fans of The Da Vinci Code will love this!” —Kevin Baker, author of Dreamland and Paradise Alley

“Irvine . . . here enhances his reputation with a sharply written blend of mystery and off-beat fantasy that should please fans of both genres.” —Booklist

On the eve of the twentieth century, Canadian baseball player George Gibson begins a mystical journey to shepherd the Holy Grail across Africa. Meanwhile French poet Arthur Rimbaud pursues the sacred relic, just as others before him have for millennia . . .

Sixty years later, the Korean War is over for wounded twenty-year-old Army Corporal Lance Porter, but a new adventure is beginning. Waking up in an Oakland naval hospital, he receives an honorable discharge and a cryptic letter: his high school sweetheart wants to rendezvous with him in Berkeley. 

Along the way, Lance gets cold feet and dives into Beat-era San Francisco. There he encounters a poet named Jack Spicer, besotted with visions about Rimbaud, the Grail, and Lance as the Fisher King. Lance’s initial skepticism is quickly overcome as his reality starts unraveling—and someone wants him dead.

But is Lance the one destined to retrieve the Grail and heal himself and the land? Can a legacy born in the Ethiopian deserts be reemerging in the bohemian scenes of New York City and San Francisco? If a lost soul like Lance wants answers, he has no choice but to embark on a quest of his own . . .

“Irvine mixes myth, history, baseball, poetry, several belief systems and clear prose for an enchanting read.” —Publishers Weekly

“A cracker-jack work of imaginative writing and, even though it is only Alexander Irvine’s second novel, his star is clearly in the ascendancy. The cup may be myth, but good writing is as real as it ever was. And this, Gentle Reader, is good writing.” —SFRevu.com