Of Men and Dragons

The Lion of Wales #3

by Sarah Woodbury

Myrddin is overjoyed to have been joined by a son he never knew he had, but he struggles to come to terms with his dreams and faces treachery on every side in his quest to save King Arthur from the fate that awaits him.Nell, in turn, must choose between the life she left behind and the life before her, even if neither can last for even one more day.Of Men and Dragons is the riveting third act in the Lion of Wales series.Complete series reading Cold my Heart, the Oaken Door, of Men and Dragons, A Long Cloud, Frost against the Hilt.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Arthurian, Ebooks

161 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 24, 2015

About the author

With over a million books sold to date, Sarah Woodbury is the author of more than forty novels, all set in medieval Wales. Although an anthropologist by training, and then a full-time homeschooling mom for twenty years, she began writing fiction when the stories in her head overflowed and demanded that she let them out. While her ancestry is Welsh, she only visited Wales for the first time at university. She has been in love with the country, language, and people ever since. She even convinced her husband to give all four of their children Welsh names.

Sarah is a member of the Historical Authors Fiction Cooperative (HFAC), the Historical Novel Society, and Novelists, Inc. (NINC).


She makes her home in Oregon.

Reviews

[Mark Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best bit? The section at the end, where Ms Woodbury demonstrates her deep understanding of this period in history. Thank you for being so honest and for pointing at some source texts - love it!

[M.J. Pankey · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far I've rated this series 3 stars because it's good and entertaining and scratches an itch but isn't wow'ing, if that makes sense.

This one gets four stars though because that ending was FIRE! I seriously thought the same thing Merlin thought and dang I was like🫨. The build up of all 3 books realllllly paid off well. Props to the author.

Also really appreciated the historical note at the end which goes into details about what the historical record says about King Arthur being a real person. I've always thought he was a real figure but haven't actually deep dived into the historical record myself, so I reaply appreciate the author including that here.

Not sure where the story goes from this point, but my audiobook from Libby continues with book 4!

[Fatima Quddus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Arthurian Welsh Tale

Amazing King Arthur tale! I like this militaristic tale more than the courtly romances. The welsh Arthur is certainly way better, in my opinion.

Though this is obviously more centered around Myrrydyn, Arthur really stood out for me.

I'm a bit confused about Myridyn's character, though, and how similar he is to the myth. In here, he's younger than Arthur and yet they're still a pair and it's clear Myrrydyn is devoted to his king, a loyal servant and subject, and he plays a huge part in ensuring the king's safety, especially after he starts to try and revert his visions with the help of Nell ferch Morgan (who might be Morgan le Fay).

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last book of this series is where I am, finally. i have complained that there is too little of Arthur in the book. Mayhap the reason is that some believe he was real and some do not. The one thing that makes me be a 'was not,' is that Christianity had not taken a strong hold in England in the fifth century. Perhaps Arthur remains an illusive character is because he was a myth. The Author's Notes seem to suggest the same. I have read no author who writes conclusively that Arthur was real. Sad to say that if he was not real, then the wildly popular Camelot was not either.

.

[Neill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur and his followers along with some pretending adversaries have decided to rally the Welsh to oppose Modred and his Saxon followers for control of Wales. As false friends and allies reveal themselves Myrddin and Nell travel across the country discovering friends, enemies, and relatives and Arthur’s forces begin to consolidate.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've just read the first three (novella-length) "books" of The Lion of Wales all in one go. To be honest it felt like a single novel - there isn't really an -ending- until you've finished the third one! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed them, although it's fair to say their "tone" doesn't feel as historically authentic as maybe it could. But it's about King Arthur so maybe authenticity is moot!

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great episode of the Lion of Wales.

[Meredith]

Loving the series BUT they are not books, they are long chapters in a 1 book

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting twists as the story continues. Still enjoyable.

[Diane V-R · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 star

[Stephanie LOCKERBIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really loving the story but really, I feel like these books are so short, and they just end randomly. The first three could have easily been one book. Great read. Great characters.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: my review here is for all the books in this series, as it was, per the book notes on Amazon, originally a stand-alone novel that was then divided into three parts.

This whole series was really disappointing. Firstly, the fact that it was even made into a series is ridiculous and seems like a poor grab for money (although all the books were Kindle unlimited reads, so I didn't pay anything more for them than the monthly subscription). The cuts seem arbitrary and are in no ways "cliff-hangers." As opposed to a true series, where each book has a true beginning, middle, and end, this felt more like a serialized novel.

Aside from that, it was just poorly constructed. I'm surprised I have such strong feelings about it, but it is so annoying to waste reading time on a bad book! I've read Sarah Woodbury's Gwen and Gareth series and really enjoyed it, so I was surprised by how disappointing this was.

The characters are all poorly drawn, with little depth. There seems to be lots of hinting as to their back stories (Nell in particular) but this is never fleshed out. Similarly, while we are expected to root for Arthur because he is Arthur , there is really nothing in his character that makes him more desirable than Modred.

Additionally, there are far too many potential villains and double-crossers for such a short book.

Lastly, I appreciate Woodbury's commitment to using authentic Welsh names. But I hate that she gives her main character (Myrddin) a name that is difficult to pronounce, or that she doesn't include a specific pronunciation guide for the actual characters/places and instead just a vague description of Welsh. Name him Huw or Owain or something - it's distracting.

[patsy anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great period series!!

I just finished the last book (Of Men and Dragons) in "The Lion of Wales" series. I loved each book, but I love books of the Dark Ages genre. Knights, etc., are a magnet for me. The research was incredible. I'm a big fan of Sarah Woodbury!! As in most of her books, there is not lack of action with a little romance thrown in. I read, and fell in love with, Mary Stewart's Merlin series when I was young (I'm almost 68 now), and those remain my favorite reads, along with her "Frenchman's Creek", of all times. I read, and re-read them several times, but it's been many years since. These wonderful books by Sarah Woodbury are very, very close to becoming my favorites. Best compliment I can give.

[Debbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whether you believe King Arthur was for real or not he makes for some pretty good stories. That's exactly what these 4 books are. The two main characters, a knight and an ex-nun both have visions which lead to lives being saved and loved ones being found.

[Barbara (The Bibliophage) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The notes at the end of this book give the reader quite detailed background regarding King Arthur, who may be simply legend. No matter whether legend or truth, the story is a good one. I find myself cheering for our heroes and booing the treacherous characters.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait. Starting book 4 now.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as part of Medieval Romantic Legends Boxed Set

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book which follows the Arthur story.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting!

An awesome third book in the series! Exciting, suspenseful, intrigue and even a bit of romance. I would recommend this book to my friends and family.

[Vonley7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read as usual!