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The Legends of King Arthur #1
The First Round Table: The Legends of King Arthur: Book 1
At just 18 years old, Arthur is on the verge of being crushed under the weight of his great destiny. The mighty castle at Tintagel has fallen. King Uther Pendragon lies dead. The mad King Vortigern sits upon the throne with a dragon at his command. And Merlin, having turned traitor, stands at the new king's side. Now Arthur, with the help of the mysterious sword in the stone and his loyal mentors, Gawain and Percival, embarks on a daring mission to retake the crown. However, his greatest challenges lie not in overcoming his enemies, but in finding a way to reunite with two lost a wounded knight called Lancelot and an assassin named Guinevere. Experience the classic tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table like never before with this thrilling re-imaginings of ancient legend. Packed with swordplay, magic, romance and humor, "The Legends of King Arthur" promise to take readers of all ages on an unforgettable journey of fantasy and adventure! Witness new twists on classic stories The mysteries of the Sword in the Stone The origins of the Round Table The treachery of the wizard Merlin Inspired by classic Arthurian works Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte D'Arthur" and T.H. White's "The Once and Future King" In the vein of other classic fantasy and YA series like William Goldman's "The Princess Bride," J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," Neil Gaiman's "Stardust," and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Cover Fiona Jayde Media For more details and updates visit www.thelegendsofkingarthur.com Or follow us on Twitter @LegendsofArthur
- GenresArthurian
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2017
56 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 25, 2019
The novel is the story of the young Arthur, orphaned at 17, and his work to lead the rebellion against king Vortigern, after the man killed Uther.
The book has a quick dry sense of humor and immediately captured me. I did enjoy quite a lot and I found the overall plot a new twist on arthuriana (a twist I've never encountered before!), so I have to say that I did read the novel in just two days because I wanted to know how it would end!
More comments in details under spoilers (major spoilers).
The book has a quick dry sense of humor and immediately captured me. I did enjoy quite a lot and I found the overall plot a new twist on arthuriana (a twist I've never encountered before!), so I have to say that I did read the novel in just two days because I wanted to know how it would end!
More comments in details under spoilers (major spoilers).
August 19, 2017
****I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review****
Growing up, I loved all things King Arthur and Camelot. I loved reading about the different iterations of Morgana from evil Fey Queen to misunderstood guardian Lady of the Lake. I loved reading the more young adult books focusing on Guinevere becoming a warrior queen rather than a damsel in distress. Then for some reason, that really isn’t witty or enlightening, I moved on from Arthur and his Knights of The Round Table, and went on to more Greek and Norse Mythology and on and on. But I am so glad to be getting back into Arthurian fantasy! It reminds me why I loved these books as a kid, and the first book in “The Legends of King Arthur” really hit the spot for a craving I had nearly forgotten about! I don’t know of a single person who hasn’t at least heard of the legends around King Arthur, so I don’t really need to say what this book is about. Suffice it to say, this story follows Arthur on those crucial few “steps” before he can covet his Kingly title, when everything goes wrong, and he has to prove himself worthy to lead his people.
Gillman’s love of Arthurian legends and tales is quickly apparent with the ease in which he puts his own spin on these well-known characters. He takes their classic attributes and turns the dial all the way up on them until they ooze with a near satirical perfection. This is exceedingly apparent in Gillman’s spin on Lancelot, Merlin, and Guinevere, I won’t say more than that because half the fun is rediscovering these characters. Sometimes it did feel a bit overboard if I’m being 100% honest, and sometimes tiptoed towards just being ridiculous rather than charming, but the character arches for all of the characters is handled wonderfully, and the witticisms that Gillman strings throughout his book with each character left me chuckling quietly to myself, which worried my husband.
The pacing of this book was well handled as well, I never felt like the story was dragging and often I found myself so wrapped up in the story it made it easy for me binge read late into the night, which is always a great thing. I also enjoyed that this book felt complete. It may be the first in the series, but Gillman manages to tell a complete story, so the mild “cliffhanger” at the end doesn’t feel like a cheap attempt to keep the reader hooked, something I greatly appreciated. Honestly, I think this would be a great book for people as young as 13, given they have read or are really familiar with the knights and people of legend that swirl around the fabled King Arthur, as it’ll make Gillman’s take on these characters all the more endearing.
There was so much I enjoyed about this book, and other than the few instances where I felt like Lancelot’s lack of humility and Guinevere’s perfection in literally all things got a bit overdone, I thought this was a wonderful novel. The author’s love of Arthurian stories, and the characters involved is apparent with each character he writes, which makes the book even more enjoyable and I can’t wait to continue on in the series. Without a doubt, this deserves 5 stars!
Growing up, I loved all things King Arthur and Camelot. I loved reading about the different iterations of Morgana from evil Fey Queen to misunderstood guardian Lady of the Lake. I loved reading the more young adult books focusing on Guinevere becoming a warrior queen rather than a damsel in distress. Then for some reason, that really isn’t witty or enlightening, I moved on from Arthur and his Knights of The Round Table, and went on to more Greek and Norse Mythology and on and on. But I am so glad to be getting back into Arthurian fantasy! It reminds me why I loved these books as a kid, and the first book in “The Legends of King Arthur” really hit the spot for a craving I had nearly forgotten about! I don’t know of a single person who hasn’t at least heard of the legends around King Arthur, so I don’t really need to say what this book is about. Suffice it to say, this story follows Arthur on those crucial few “steps” before he can covet his Kingly title, when everything goes wrong, and he has to prove himself worthy to lead his people.
Gillman’s love of Arthurian legends and tales is quickly apparent with the ease in which he puts his own spin on these well-known characters. He takes their classic attributes and turns the dial all the way up on them until they ooze with a near satirical perfection. This is exceedingly apparent in Gillman’s spin on Lancelot, Merlin, and Guinevere, I won’t say more than that because half the fun is rediscovering these characters. Sometimes it did feel a bit overboard if I’m being 100% honest, and sometimes tiptoed towards just being ridiculous rather than charming, but the character arches for all of the characters is handled wonderfully, and the witticisms that Gillman strings throughout his book with each character left me chuckling quietly to myself, which worried my husband.
The pacing of this book was well handled as well, I never felt like the story was dragging and often I found myself so wrapped up in the story it made it easy for me binge read late into the night, which is always a great thing. I also enjoyed that this book felt complete. It may be the first in the series, but Gillman manages to tell a complete story, so the mild “cliffhanger” at the end doesn’t feel like a cheap attempt to keep the reader hooked, something I greatly appreciated. Honestly, I think this would be a great book for people as young as 13, given they have read or are really familiar with the knights and people of legend that swirl around the fabled King Arthur, as it’ll make Gillman’s take on these characters all the more endearing.
There was so much I enjoyed about this book, and other than the few instances where I felt like Lancelot’s lack of humility and Guinevere’s perfection in literally all things got a bit overdone, I thought this was a wonderful novel. The author’s love of Arthurian stories, and the characters involved is apparent with each character he writes, which makes the book even more enjoyable and I can’t wait to continue on in the series. Without a doubt, this deserves 5 stars!
May 3, 2021
No one is safe in this fast and loose depiction of the Arthurian legends.
When reading, the premise immediately reminded me of the television series 'Merlin' - Arthur is a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, learning to rule under the guidance of his father, Uther. The book starts with a siege, and goes from there, following Arthur's struggle to rise to power.
No well-known knight or character is off limits in this novel, and there is plenty of death and destruction, and a hint of humour and not-taking-itself-too-seriously to boot. Those who prefer 'historical' explorations of King Arthur may well be disappointed, as this adaptation is more fantastical, with dragons, magic, and a sketchy grounding in fifth? sixth? twelfth? century Britain - no, wait - that's Briton: something I admit did annoy me (a Briton lives in Britain), though given there are dragons in this, one can't complain really (glass mead bottles? Really?) and the villains were a sweeping bunch of Saxons, without much explanation as to how, or why.
That said, this book was a fast-paced and enjoyable read. I was greatly entertained by the boastful Lancelot, and Guinevere certainly held her own. Each 'scene' was short and fleeting - I wasn't surprised at all to learn in the acknowledgements that the author is also a screenwriter, hence the television feel. Bonus points to being inspired by the movie 'First Knight' - an absolute classic. This book was a fun and refreshing look at the Arthurian legends, and though it's not my usual type of King Arthur book, I am sure plenty will love its action-packed pages.
When reading, the premise immediately reminded me of the television series 'Merlin' - Arthur is a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, learning to rule under the guidance of his father, Uther. The book starts with a siege, and goes from there, following Arthur's struggle to rise to power.
No well-known knight or character is off limits in this novel, and there is plenty of death and destruction, and a hint of humour and not-taking-itself-too-seriously to boot. Those who prefer 'historical' explorations of King Arthur may well be disappointed, as this adaptation is more fantastical, with dragons, magic, and a sketchy grounding in fifth? sixth? twelfth? century Britain - no, wait - that's Briton: something I admit did annoy me (a Briton lives in Britain), though given there are dragons in this, one can't complain really (glass mead bottles? Really?) and the villains were a sweeping bunch of Saxons, without much explanation as to how, or why.
That said, this book was a fast-paced and enjoyable read. I was greatly entertained by the boastful Lancelot, and Guinevere certainly held her own. Each 'scene' was short and fleeting - I wasn't surprised at all to learn in the acknowledgements that the author is also a screenwriter, hence the television feel. Bonus points to being inspired by the movie 'First Knight' - an absolute classic. This book was a fun and refreshing look at the Arthurian legends, and though it's not my usual type of King Arthur book, I am sure plenty will love its action-packed pages.
March 8, 2022
This book is horrible. The author apparently missed that you should show not tell. All he did was tell. Pretty much the whole thing was paragraphs explaining that this happened and then this happened and then this happened. It was quite dreadful and it made even the action scenes so boring. Reading it I kind of felt like it would work as a movie script with a lot of action and mostly ad libbed dialogue. As it turns out, the author mostly write scripts so I guess that makes sense. The problem is, the ability to write a good script apparently doesn’t always translate to the ability to write a good novel. Additionally, it really needs a good copy editor. There were so many spelling and punctuation mistakes. I found that very distracting and annoying. The First Round Table is the first in a series about King Arthur, but I will definitely not be continuing on. I do not recommend wasting your time with this book, especially since there are so many other excellent Arthurian books out there.
November 3, 2022
A truly wonderful story from start to finish. I loved Gillman's interpretations of all the characters from Arthurian Legends. Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot are written in a way never been done before. My favorite though, was Merlin. Such a great take on the character and something I never expected.
There are some great twists and plenty of well-written action scenes that makes for a thrilling and emotional ride.
The book has excellent pacing and it all leads up to a gripping, satisfying ending with some hints of what's to come. I have already bought book 2 and look forward to reading the rest of the series!
There are some great twists and plenty of well-written action scenes that makes for a thrilling and emotional ride.
The book has excellent pacing and it all leads up to a gripping, satisfying ending with some hints of what's to come. I have already bought book 2 and look forward to reading the rest of the series!
May 14, 2019
Epic!
A great retelling of a timeless classic. It takes a classic and turns it on it's ear with fresh twists on all of the characters making it darker and more humorous at the same time. A truly fast-paced read.
A great retelling of a timeless classic. It takes a classic and turns it on it's ear with fresh twists on all of the characters making it darker and more humorous at the same time. A truly fast-paced read.
November 23, 2020
Defied my expectations
I had originally expected something more cliche but I love a more progressive Arthur, mistrusting allies, a complicated Merlin. It’s fun and easy to get into. It feels like the author enjoyed writing it, I enjoyed reading it.
I had originally expected something more cliche but I love a more progressive Arthur, mistrusting allies, a complicated Merlin. It’s fun and easy to get into. It feels like the author enjoyed writing it, I enjoyed reading it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews