The Throne of Scone

Ghastly mishmash of pseudo. "Keltic" saga, sword & sorcery, Star Wars, and space-soap opera, following The Copper Crown (1984). The backdrop: a Keltic space-empire, founded by St. Brendan the Astrogator, has been invaded by an alliance of their old enemies, the Fomor and the Coranians; High Queen Aeron Aiobhell has barely evaded capture, but King Gwydion is a prisoner of the evil Coranian Emperor Jaun Akhera. (There are other complications involving some Terrans hoping for friendly contact with the Kelts.) Then Elathan, now King of Fomor following his father's death, withdraws his armies and declares friendship with Queen Aeron, who isn't immediately convinced. Plots and subplots flow thick and fast as Elathan, deposed in a palace revolution, flees with Aeron; they set off to locate King Arthur's lost spaceship and some legendary superweapons with which to defeat the invaders. Finally, there's a wretchedly feeble, unimaginative magical showdown between Aeron and Jaun Akhera, and the good guys live happily ever after. A truly horrible hybrid, unconvincing on all counts, and set forth in breathless, fluttery terms: "From out of the air came a sudden surge of rightness and reassurance that swirled around her like an eddy of summer wind, a knowledge that she was following precisely the path that had been put down for her, and her lips parted in an incredulous smile at the strength and joy of the feeling." Devotees only. (Kirkus Reviews)