In 1502, the first prince of the Tudor dynasty, Arthur, died at Ludlow Castle of an unknown malady. In 1536, Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, died at St. James' Palace of a similar malady. In 1553, Edward VI, King of England, died at Greenwich Palace under the same strange circumstances. All three Tudor boys are brought together in the twilight of Edward's "death." They have been chosen to accomplish a great mission; to fulfill the greatest duty ever commanded, to guard and protect what has been in existence since the beginning of time, and the creation of The Holy Grail.
In the dark stone walls of a hidden fortress, Edward learns the truth of the Holy its creation, its purpose, and the reason God has chosen him to be a part of the trio of Guardians that protect it and keep it safe from the clutches of man. Edward accepts his mission and joins Arthur and Henry as they embark upon a life of secrecy and sacrifice, all while watching history unfold before them.
As the years go by, and the powers of the Grail sustain the three boys and slow down their aging process, they undergo the trials of keeping the Grail safe, and the sacrifices they must make to keep their mission a secret, knowing they won't live forever; hoping they will find more descendants from the Tudor line that can be "healed," and join the fight to keep God's greatest vessel away from evil.
"I am Edward Tudor. Guardian of the Grail, Servant of God, and once upon a time, I was King of England."
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were nicely fleshed out and it had an interesting mix of history, religion and fantasy. For some reason I've always been really curious about King Edward VI so it was awesome to read a whole book about him as king and who he may have become had he lived. Henry Fitzroy and Edward were my favorite characters and I enjoyed how each new character added to the existing story. Compliments aside, the story did have a few issues. It's a self published book and as such, the writing is really hurt by a lack of an editor. The beginning especially goes on and on with superfluous descriptions (we get it, they have red hair) that don't need to be there and the whole thing is a bit over long. That said, I'm curious to see where the story goes though I'm disappointed that most of my favorites won't be coming along for the ride.