Hello, people of the Internet. My name is Allyn-a-Dale, and I have been tasked by my author with preparing us all for next week’s release of the final book in the Outlaws of Avalon trilogy (the Kindle edition of which is currently available for pre-order).
For perhaps there are those among you who have caught wind of this novel’s coming, and your interest has been piqued, but alas! You have yet to read through the story’s preceding volumes! What’s to be done? How to begin a tale near its end without losing your way? Easily enough, for you have me to guide you. And really, it’s none too difficult a storyline to follow. Each book, so far as I can tell, is built around a single question:
What would it most hurt Allyn to lose?
Book One = “The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale”
It would most hurt Allyn to lose… = His father, Gant-o’-the-Lute
Solution = Open Chapter One with Father’s funeral
Important Plot Things to Know ™ =
– Allyn – a young minstrel with a heavenly voice, crippling inferiority complex, and a lute he holds more dear than life itself – is from a faraway, fairytale world
– That world is ending
– A talking wind helps Allyn find a different world via an invisible, interdimensional portal
– That talking wind is Allyn’s great-grandmother, making Allyn himself part-Sky
– Being part-Sky has its superhuman perks
– Allyn’s new world is Avalon Faire – which is to say, the legendary Isle of Avalon (King Arthur, and all that), disguised in 21st-century America as a perfectly typical Renaissance Faire
– Because Merlin the prophet-wizard thinks the best way to preserve mythological heroes is to turn them into immortal actors, courtesy of Fey magic, and never let them Outside
– Time may tell
– Avalon’s not just for the Camelot crowd; infamous outlaw Robin Hood and his Merry Men are there, too
– Allyn joins the band
– …Just in time for a Very Important Magical Item™ to be stolen from the Faire
– If it’s not retrieved quickly, the immortals will die
– Under these dire circumstances, the Merry Men are allowed Outside to chase down the magic thief-or-thieves
– Road trip!
– Shenanigans! Most of them Will Scarlet’s
– Danger! Close calls! Fight scene!
– Magic retrieved! But…
– …Just to be safe, Allyn has to do something, um, completely unsafe
– [Climax]
– Everyone lives safe in Avalon forever after
– Seriously. The forecast says “forever”
– Until…
Book Two = “The Marriage of Allyn-a-Dale”
It would most hurt Allyn to lose… = His father, Gant-o’-the-Lute
Wait, isn’t his father already dead? = Yes he is, but his voice in Allyn’s head isn’t
Solution = Erase Allyn’s memories
Important Plot Things to Know ™ =
– Allyn’s second summer in Avalon Faire is coming up
– The cast plans a show based upon the legendary romance of Allyn-a-Dale and his lover
– The part of Lover to be played by Loren McCaughley, a modern Outsider whom Allyn accidentally develops feelings for
– Oops
– Allyn does Foolish Things in the Name of Love™, 100% enabled by Will Scarlet
– Time for a bit of Fey culture as Avalon celebrates Midsummer Eve – a night ripe for even more magic than usual
– Allyn tries to enjoy the party, but is a little bit busy missing his father
– He misses Father even more when all memories of him disappear
– …Only to reappear in the form of Gant-o’-the-Lute!
– Meanwhile, Little John does Foolish Things in the Name of Love™, 100% enabled by Marion Hood
– Allyn divides his time between being belittled by his father and swooning over Loren
– Gant-o’-the-Lute divides his time between being a carelessly abusive parent and… well, no, that’s pretty much all he does
– Will Scarlet hates him on Allyn’s behalf
– Date night for all illicit lovers!
– Things do not go well
– Some things get better
– Some things get worse
– Allyn has to suck it up and— oh, look at that, do something completely unsafe
– [Climax]
– Everyone lives safe in Avalon forever after – including Allyn’s and Little John’s girlfriends! – plus they’re allowed Outside, now
– Guess how long “forever” lasts
Book Three = “The Legend of Allyn-a-Dale”
It would most hurt Allyn to lose… = Not his father, for a change
Solution = Crueler than ever
Important Plot Things to Know ™ =
Long ago: Hailed as heroes, killed as criminals, an extraordinary band of outlaws met their end in Sherwood Forest – all except the four who were supernaturally saved, and the one who did not exist. …Not yet.
Now: With Avalon Faire’s living legends finally free to move between the realms of magic and modernity, there’s no dream too fantastic to reach – including that kept alive by a secret society, awaiting only the right time, and the right minstrel, to rewrite history.
Just when the future seems brightest, the Merry Men find themselves thrust into the past, facing a second chance at the lives they might have lived … or the death they might not have the luck to cheat twice. For the otherworldly Allyn-a-Dale, it’s all in a day’s destiny. For an already struggling Will Scarlet, it’s a nightmare that may prove black enough to break him. And for the whole of the band, it’s anyone’s guess whether courage, cunning, and camaraderie can win out against their most infamous enemies: The Sheriff of Nottingham, Sir Guy of Gisborne, and – for once in eternity – Time.
There, now. All caught up. Nothing left for you to do but buy the new book once it becomes available. …and, if you would be so kind, to point our way any you know who might enjoy the tale. Truly great legends owe much of their power to word of mouth. 😉 Until next week, readers! *minstrel bow* Fare ye well.
Ever On Word 