M.L. Mackworth-Praed's Blog

There are a few candidates for the “real” King Arthur, and I recently discovered that my ancestor, Athrwys ap Meurig, is one of them.

I’m related to Athrwys ap Meurig through my 7th great-grandmother, Mary Evans of Neath, the heiress who claimed descent from Iestyn ap Gwrgant, the last price of Glamorgan. The claim can be taken seriously, since her heraldic arms are the same, or are at least attributed to him. Mary married Sir Humphrey Mackworth (we pre-date William Mackworth’s adoption of the name “Praed” to form “Mackworth-Praed” in 1733, here) in 1686, and this is likely when the Mackworth-Praed family adopted the motto “Gwell angau na chywilydd”. The English translation is “Death before dishonour”, which is somewhat ironic—Sir Humphrey Mackworth was in 1710 himself accused of fraud, though no charges were actually brought against him.

Iestyn ap Gwrgant (1014–1093) was the last ruler of the royal house of Morgannwg, which had a lineage stretching back to Tewdrig (c.500-520). I knew this from previous research into the Mackworth-Praed family tree; I also knew that the royal house of Morgannwg were descendants of the celebrated Rhodri Mawr. What I didn’t know was that Tewdrig’s grandson was Athrwys ap Meurig (c. 605–655), a figure I admit I’d never heard of until I stumbled across the name a few days ago.

Athrwys was a prince (and possible king) of Glywysing, Gwent and Ergyng. One doesn’t have to go into the details to be compelled by his possible connection to King Arthur—for me, it’s clear in the names. There’s Caradoc Vreichvras (King Caradoc is a knight of the round table), Athrwys’ son Morgan ap Athrwys (Morgan Mwynfawr, or “Morgan the Generous”—his name to me sounds very like “Morgana” or “Mordred”), and some have even claimed Meurig ap Tewdrig (Athrwys’ father) used the name “Uther Pendragon”, which translates as “fearsome chief warrior”. Though it’s all a little more complicated than that, and there’s some debate as to which century Athrwys actually lived, I think it’s pretty amazing that Arhrwys (and perhaps his own relations) could have been the truth behind the Arthurian legends.

The kingdoms of Morgannwg, Gwent and Glywysing included land as far west as the River Loughor (or possibly the River Neath, which would link back to Mary Evans of Neath), and also encompassed land beyond the River Wye into the old Kingdom of Ergyng, south Herefordshire.

Though scholars agree that the name Athrwys comes from the archaic Old Welsh Antrēs, not Arthur; I feel use of the name “Arthur” for the legend could have evolved because of it’s similarity to Athrwys.

The Mackworth-Praeds have a very accessible family history. Composed mostly of lawyers, bankers, landowners and Members of Parliament (and my great-great-great-granduncle, the poet Winthrop Mackworth-Praed), there is a good public record, which can be traced back to Thomas Mackworth who, in 1404, received a grant of arms incorporating elements from the Audley and Touchet coat of arms in recognition of his (and his brother’s) valiant service to the Audley family; specifically at the Battle of Poitiers.

The link to Athrwys ap Meurig may not hold any real significance; after all, that far back everyone alive in 600 AD with a living descendant today is technically part of your ancestral tree. But perhaps it in part explains my attraction to the legends. At the very least, it gives me an excuse to write yet another Arthurian novel in future, perhaps even one that centers around Athrwys ap Meurig himself.

Author Interview with M. L. Mackworth-Praed

April 09 – April 16 2022

(UK) Kindle Countdown Deal (The Future King, #2)
(US) Kindle Countdown Deal (The Future King, #2)

Promotion ends on: April 16 2022 @ 23:59 PDT
Countries available: Amazon UK & US

To celebrate #IndieApril, I’m running a Kindle Countdown Deal where you can get The Future King: Logres 2 on Kindle for 99c/p. Enjoy!

April 08 – April 12 2022

(UK) Free Book Promotion (The Future King, #1)
(US) Free Book Promotion (The Future King, #1)

Promotion ends on: April 12 2022 @ 23:59 PDT
Countries available: All Amazon sites

To celebrate #IndieApril, I’m running a Free Book Promotion where you can get The Future King: Logres 1 on Kindle for free. Enjoy!

To celebrate #IndieApril, I’m running Free Book Promotions for The Future King: Logres 1 & 2.

Reviews really help authors to reach new readers and keep us writing. If you enjoy reading The Future King: Logres 1 & 2, please consider leaving short reviews on Amazon or your favourite bookstore. Even if it’s just a sentence or a rating, I would greatly appreciate it!

If you’ve already read Logres 1 & 2, do consider recommending this series to a friend and sharing this Free Book Promotion with them.

I am currently working on the next two books in The Future King series, estimated release sometime in 2022.

And finally, the links!

Logres:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1516827244

US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1516827244 

Logres 2:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B086RXQSMH

US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086RXQSMH 

Ends Tuesday, April 6, 2021, 11:59 PM PDT.

Enjoy!

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It begins! You can now pick up The Future King: Logres 2 on Kindle for free from 12:00AM PDT August 26 until 11:59PM PDT August 30.

All you need to do is visit your relevant Amazon store and search for The Future King: Logres 2 while the Free Book Promotion is live!

If you enjoy reading Logres 2, then please consider leaving a review on Amazon to help other readers find this novel.

Enjoy!

The gripping second book in The Future King series. King Arthur meets high-school drama in this near-future dystopian depiction of the Arthurian legends.

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The ruling party, New National, is expanding its power. Their new anti-extremism cell, The New Moral Army, threatens all who stand in opposition to the regime. Under the guidance of Marvin, self-proclaimed Merlin, after-school club The Round Table is about to fight back. The year is 2053, and Britain begins to darken.

Teenager Gwenhwyfar must discover why The New Moral Army has taken her parents and what she can do to save them. Meanwhile, rival Morgan struggles to find her place among her peers. With Bedivere’s life hanging in the balance, a conflicted Arthur does what he can to keep the The Round Table alive.

Knowing that her only chance to save her parents is to discover more about the terrorist cell Free Countries, Gwenhwyfar searches for their leader. She must also navigate new dynamics: her wish for Arthur and Lancelot to make amends may soon be one she regrets. With the New Nationals infringing on rights and a general election fast approaching, this is the thrilling second book to volume one of The Future King series.

For the first time in a long time, I’m running a Free Book Promotion from 12:00AM PDT August 26 to 11:59PM PDT August 30 where you can pick up The Future King: Logres 2 on Kindle for free.

All you need to do is visit your relevant Amazon store and search for The Future King: Logres 2 when the Free Book Promotion is live!

If you enjoy reading Logres 2, then please consider leaving a review on Amazon.

Enjoy!

It’s here! The second book in The Future King series is now available on Kindle Unlimited, and the paperback version will be live on Amazon in a few days.

I’m particularly pleased with this book. I learned a lot when I wrote and published my first novel, and this time round the editing, formatting and proofing was certainly easier. It helps when you know how to format in Word and what sort of errors to look out for. This didn’t make the process any shorter, but I’m confident that this novel is in better shape than my initial first release (which I have since re-proofed). It also makes some exciting advances in the plot and overall story, too, and is finally a satisfying conclusion to the cliffhanger that ended Logres (1).

So what next in The Future King series? Like any author, I am hoping this sequel and the promise of more to come will encourage sales, perhaps giving me justification to prioritise my writing more than I already do. I would like to make a start on the next two books as one, hopefully to allow a closer release date between the two once they are finished. They will be challenging instalments to pen, however, as the world Gwenhwyfar, Arthur, and Morgan know is about to undergo substantial and radical change. Challenging is fun, however, and I can’t wait to get started.

In the meantime, if you enjoy Logres 1 & 2, it would be great if you could leave a review (if you haven’t already!) and recommend the series to your family and friends. Seeing the occasional feedback trickling in is encouraging, and reminds me that I have someone (other than myself) to write for.

To mark the release of The Future King: Logres, Book 2, My Kindle Countdown Deal has begun! Get Logres, Book 1 for 99c/99p until May 12 2020. That’s 168 hours of discount!

May 5 2020 – May 12 2020

(UK) Kindle Countdown Deal (The Future King, #1)
(US) Kindle Countdown Deal (The Future King, #1)

Countdown ends on: May 12 2020
Countries available: UK & US (Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com)

This deal runs from 12:00AM May 5 to 12:00AM May 12 (GMT & PDT) where you can pick up The Future King: Logres on Kindle for £0.99 and $0.99.

Enjoy!

Only one week until The Future King: Logres 2 is out! It’s been a long haul, and to celebrate I’m running a Kindle Countdown Deal for Logres 1 where you can pick up the first book in The Future King series for 99c/99p. This deal runs for the full 168 hours, so make the most of it! Can we bump our way to the number 1 spot in the Arthurian charts? I certainly hope so!

May 5 2020 – May 12 2020

(UK) Kindle Countdown Deal (The Future King, #1)
(US) Kindle Countdown Deal (The Future King, #1)

Countdown ends on: May 12 2020
Countdown dates: May 5 2020 – May 12 2020
Countries available: UK & US (Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com)

I’m running a Kindle Countdown Deal from 12:00AM May 5 to 12:00AM May 12 (GMT & PDT) where you can pick up The Future King: Logres on Kindle for £0.99 and $0.99.

Enjoy!