The Knight

A teenage American boy is transported to a seven-tiered Norse-Arthurian realm and magically aged into a man of heroic stature. Taking the name Sir Able of the High Heart, he pursues a quest to earn a sword and discover what honor actually demands. Gene Wolfe's characteristic unreliable narrator and layered symbolism — drawing on Norse myth, Arthurian legend, and Christian theological allegory — make this literary fantasy that rewards re-reading and close attention in a way few genre novels do. The honest caveats are genuine: the fragmented, demanding narrative will frustrate casual readers, the book does not resolve without its companion volume The Wizard, and there is adult content including violence and sexual themes that makes it inappropriate for younger readers. For patient, mature readers of literary fantasy, this is among Wolfe's finest work. Worth It.