Asprin & Evans: For King and Country - Time Travel Terrorists

LIGHT
For King and Country is an interesting take on time travel by Robert Asprin and Linda Evans. In this tale, only the time-traveler's mind can move back through time. On arrival, it provides guidance to (or takes over) a person in the destination era, in a schizophrenic guest/host relationship.

The story is driven by an IRA terrorist who is known to have acquired a place on the time-exploration team, and complicated by uncertainty about his (or her) precise identity. The terrorist's goal is to assassinate King Arthur, and so prevent the ascendancy of Britain over Ireland.

But how will the terrorist, who is after all unable to carry modern weaponry back to Arthurian times, manage to create this mayhem? The answer is the terrorist's knowledge of a bioweapon, available anywhere (even today), and a plan to "weaponize" and deliver it to the best effect.

This is not an engrossing novel; it is easy to put down and pick up again later. But it is enjoyable and well-written, with engaging characters and a diverting story, worth reading for the plot twists and sense of everyday life in Arthurian Britain and Ireland.