A Once and Future King

Wolf 359 #3

by pdmac

Book 3 of 5: Returning from the dead, Duncan reestablishes control as the nation’s spiritual leader. Sent south to persuade Alexis and the Kingdom’s tarrac to return, he manages instead to drive her farther away, creating a rift between them and in the process, making an enemy – to both himself and Gambria.
With the King believed lost at sea, Queen Guina declares him dead and finally marries Father Konrud, the man she truly loves, elevating him to Lord Chamberlain. Yet her throne is far from secure, for events in the south threaten to split the kingdom. Not only is Alexis intent on going her own way, but affairs across the sea in Glanon are suddenly unsettled. Unhappy to have waited so long for his father to die so he can assume the lordship of Glanon, Prince Dade decides to take matters into his own hands and accelerate the process.
While Dade consolidates his power, the Castaways succeed in leaving the island only to be trapped in Glanon where Dade discovers the King is not dead. Deciding to use the doddering King as a pawn in his plans to carve out his own kingdom, he reaps the additional benefit of the unexpected arrival of disgraced Father Cattwg who has fled to Glanon after another failed assassination attempt on his nemesis Duncan. Dade recognizes the immediate potential of having his own High Priest and sets course for the coming war.

395 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2015

About the author

pdmac spent a career in the US Army before transitioning to education as a university Academic Dean. He transitioned again and now writes fulltime. He has a MA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in Theology. He is a member of the Blue Ridge Writers Guild, the Steampunk Writers and Artists Guild, and the Georgia Writers Association. A diverse author, writer, and editor, he has also edited a Literature anthology, served as managing editor of an archaeology magazine, ghost-written an autobiography, and has had poems, short stories, articles, and editorials published in various literary journals, magazines and newspapers. His most recent short stories appear in the Short Story America anthologies III and IV, Poets in Hell, The Mulberry Fork Review, and the Fantasy Anthology Chronicles of Mirstone. He has also sung back-up for Broadway plays, provided voice for radio plays, and acted and directed theater stage productions. In his off time, he and his wife enjoy cycling, kayaking, and occasionally backpacking sections of the Appalachian Trail. Additionally, he and his wife love to travel, their favorite place so far being Crete, Greece.

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 is every bit as good as the first two books!

[Tony Fecteau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am still enjoying the story so far. I am a bit concerned over our space faring characters as they seem to be heading for a confrontation.