I just finished reading (for the second time) Chalemagne's Champion by Gail Van Asten. It's a piece of trash compared to either tech or literature. But it's a fun read with some exciting moments.

The story is about a witchling bastard child that is beget by Charlemagne and his sister the witch. He starts life rough, but get's to train with the knights and nobility. Charlemagne never admits to siring him. Like rudolph the red nosed reindeer he is shunned and scorned by all.

Until he starts kicking serious ass. Then he gets all the good jobs and earns Knighthood. He does awesome in battles and kills major foes.

Well read deeply enough and you'll learn that he is a god (Apollo) incarnate (even though he doesn't know it. When he dies in a batlle by treachery his sword (also a god of sorts) carries him off to a temple to heal (months). But now he's this bitter cripple that killed his best friend with the evil sword.

So he takes up minstrel work and uses this song that he writes of his deeds to accuse the traitor that got him killed in battle. This is done before the whole royal court and ends in the traitors death.

The ending leaves you sour and the next book The Dark Sword's Lover is just creepy. But it is a good trashy read for when you're feeling like slumming it. So check it out.