Format: Hardback
Published by: Bantam
Published: 06.06.24
Synopsis:
Years have passed since the clash of shieldwalls echoed across the land. The Saxons are now the lords of Britain. And yet the bards still sing of Arthur – ‘In our darkest time, when we need him most, shall he come again.’
Yet old Beran has no love of bards’ songs. Nor of people, unless they are paying him to steal or kill. He is a mercenary, in the employ of the cutthroat Nabor ap Nabor, and he has been ordered to murder a boy fleeing a burning city. No ordinary boy either. No, this boy is the son of King Constantine and the grandson of High King Ambrosius. And he could be the hope of Britain . . . if he lives.
Betraying his companions and returning to a world he thought he had left forever, Beran gives his word that he will take the boy to the one place that still holds out against the Camelot.
Crossing a hostile land, they will meet the runaway lovers, Tristan and Isolde. They will seek the help of Guivret, called the Little King, and the Saracen, Palamedes, who once rode beneath Arthur’s banner.
Hunted by Saxons, Nabor ap Nabor, and Queen Morgana, this unlikely band must fight for their lives and for each other. For if there’s to be any hope for Britain, Beran must deliver the boy to Camelot. But to do that, he must also face his own past . . .
My Thoughts (spoiler free)
Rating *****
Firstly many thank thanks to the author and the publisher for kindly sending a proof copy. The third and concluding chapter in the highly acclaimed Arthurian trilogy. It is difficult to do justice to this book with just a few words, this a book and indeed trilogy that you have to read
There is something about Giles Kristians writing which just draws you in, a majestic quality to the prose. A retelling of the Arthurian legends that shines out like a beacon
There will be no plot spoilers, you need to read this for yourselves
The first thing that struck me as I started to read the book was the sense of place and time, the writing transports you back to the dark ages, windswept, at times seemingly inhospitable, the author manages to paint a mental picture in your mind. The geography stands out
The book is told from two different time lines, blended seamlessly together, you see a young Arthur setting out to become a great warlord, then you have Beran an old man somewhat haunted by the past, often looking back
The author creates scenes which set out to thrill, the way they are set up and drawn out, richly detailed, crafted in a way that you can feel every sword stroke and flash of each blade
This is not your typical knights of olde, a much more dark and gritty read which shows the characters scarred and ravaged by time, it pulls no punches in its depiction of the dark ages, these were brutal and hard times
I love the way that characters are built up and fleshed out, you can see them as they would have been
The ending is sublime, it gets to you, a read full of heart and emotion
This is read of pure storytelling, an all encompassing and engaging read which had me spellbound throughout.
Highly recommend. Giles Kristian books always stand, the way he weaves and crafts his stories into works that just immerse the reader into the narrative
About the Author:
Giles Kristian’s first historical novels were the acclaimed and bestselling RAVEN Viking trilogy – Blood Eye, Sons of Thunder and Odin’s Wolves. For his next series, he drew on a long-held fascination with the English Civil War to chart the fortunes of a family divided by this brutal conflict in The Bleeding Land and Brothers’ Fury. Giles also co-wrote Wilbur Smith’s No.1 bestseller, Golden Lion. In God of Vengeance (a TIMES Book of the Year), Winter’s Fire, and the Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown shortlisted Wings of the Storm, he returned to the world of the Vikings to tell the story of Sigurd and his celebrated fictional fellowship. Lancelot was published to great acclaim and hit The Times bestseller charts at No. 3. It was also a Sunday Times bestseller. He followed Lancelot with Camelot, and his new novel, a thriller called Where Blood Runs Cold, was The Times’ Thriller of the Month. To find out more about Giles: http://www.gileskristian.com
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