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Arthur Rex #1
Arthur Rex: In Principio
The High King is dead.
While royal bastards and petty kings squabble for the power to take the vacant throne, only the druid Merlin and his succubus mother know where to find the late king’s only legal heir.
Arthur is young, idealistic, and living a quiet life at Caer Gai, protected by his foster father. Merlin put him there, and he will take him back out when the time is right, but first he has to set the stage and sweep away distractions… like the boy that Arthur loves.
Merlin and his mother have plans for the hidden king, and they will stop at nothing to get him where they want him to go. But Arthur is no mere pawn, and though Merlin is a master manipulator, Arthur has ideas of his own about how his life should be.
“ARTHUR In Principio” is the first installment of an epic retelling of the Arthurian legend. You only think you know the story.
While royal bastards and petty kings squabble for the power to take the vacant throne, only the druid Merlin and his succubus mother know where to find the late king’s only legal heir.
Arthur is young, idealistic, and living a quiet life at Caer Gai, protected by his foster father. Merlin put him there, and he will take him back out when the time is right, but first he has to set the stage and sweep away distractions… like the boy that Arthur loves.
Merlin and his mother have plans for the hidden king, and they will stop at nothing to get him where they want him to go. But Arthur is no mere pawn, and though Merlin is a master manipulator, Arthur has ideas of his own about how his life should be.
“ARTHUR In Principio” is the first installment of an epic retelling of the Arthurian legend. You only think you know the story.
- GenresFantasy
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 16, 2019
24 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Cummings
54 books76 followersI have been writing for as long as I can remember. It started on a snowy day near Christmas when I was three or four. I don't recall the impetus, but my older sister, whom I idolized and copied as much as possible, started writing a story. Not to be outdone, I started writing a story too. I've been writing ever since.
I am proud to have written the Rune Series books ("Rune Sword", "Rune Master", "Rune Hunter", and "Rune King's Daughter"), and I intend to continue my first series, Clans, which began with the novel "Nightchild". I'm currently working on an Arthurian retelling, "Arthur Rex".
I am proud to have written the Rune Series books ("Rune Sword", "Rune Master", "Rune Hunter", and "Rune King's Daughter"), and I intend to continue my first series, Clans, which began with the novel "Nightchild". I'm currently working on an Arthurian retelling, "Arthur Rex".
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 25, 2019
Most of us are at least somewhat familiar with the legends and stories of King Arthur. But this version has a quite unique perspective on the boy who will one day become King.
Arthur was left by the druid Merlin to be raised and protected within Sir Ector’s household. With no idea who his birth parents were, Sir Ector’s family is the only one he has ever known, and even Sir Ector did not know who Arthur truly was. He only saw him as a child who was to be raised with his own family.
I do need to include for those reading this book a trigger warning as well as warning that this is not a book meant for younger readers. At one point, a young Arthur is brutally beaten after unsuccessfully attempting to stop the rape of another boy. At this point in history, rape of either sex was unfortunately a fairly common practice as those who were strong enough to take what they wanted often did so without concern for anyone but themselves.
Seeing his friend suffer through being raped sets the stage for Arthur’s future sense of how everyone should be treated, no matter who they are or what their station in life is meant to be.
I found this a fascinating story with a very original look into how the young Arthur will grow to become the great King Arthur of legend. It was well written and catches the reader’s interest from the very beginning. And while I did catch a few typos as I read, overall I felt that the book was well edited with excellent writing that made it quite difficult to put down.
All of the characters one expects to find in an Arthurian tale are there: the Ladies of the Lake, Merlin, the many Knights we have come to recognize as part of this story, and even the beginnings of those who will likely play a much bigger role in the next book in this series.
If you enjoy a good Arthurian tale, this is one you won’t want to miss. While it does contain a few scenes that are a bit graphic in their content, those scenes do fit with the nature of how life was at that point in history and are critical to showing how a young Arthur develops and grows into the man he is destined to become. Without them, it would not have been as clear as to why he believes so completely in what is right or wrong, despite how those around him seem to see things differently. I will definitely be waiting to see where the author takes this story next when book 2 in the series is released. Recommended.
Arthur was left by the druid Merlin to be raised and protected within Sir Ector’s household. With no idea who his birth parents were, Sir Ector’s family is the only one he has ever known, and even Sir Ector did not know who Arthur truly was. He only saw him as a child who was to be raised with his own family.
I do need to include for those reading this book a trigger warning as well as warning that this is not a book meant for younger readers. At one point, a young Arthur is brutally beaten after unsuccessfully attempting to stop the rape of another boy. At this point in history, rape of either sex was unfortunately a fairly common practice as those who were strong enough to take what they wanted often did so without concern for anyone but themselves.
Seeing his friend suffer through being raped sets the stage for Arthur’s future sense of how everyone should be treated, no matter who they are or what their station in life is meant to be.
I found this a fascinating story with a very original look into how the young Arthur will grow to become the great King Arthur of legend. It was well written and catches the reader’s interest from the very beginning. And while I did catch a few typos as I read, overall I felt that the book was well edited with excellent writing that made it quite difficult to put down.
All of the characters one expects to find in an Arthurian tale are there: the Ladies of the Lake, Merlin, the many Knights we have come to recognize as part of this story, and even the beginnings of those who will likely play a much bigger role in the next book in this series.
If you enjoy a good Arthurian tale, this is one you won’t want to miss. While it does contain a few scenes that are a bit graphic in their content, those scenes do fit with the nature of how life was at that point in history and are critical to showing how a young Arthur develops and grows into the man he is destined to become. Without them, it would not have been as clear as to why he believes so completely in what is right or wrong, despite how those around him seem to see things differently. I will definitely be waiting to see where the author takes this story next when book 2 in the series is released. Recommended.
March 25, 2019
Most of us are at least somewhat familiar with the legends and stories of King Arthur. But this version has a quite unique perspective on the boy who will one day become King.
Arthur was left by the druid Merlin to be raised and protected within Sir Ector’s household. With no idea who his birth parents were, Sir Ector’s family is the only one he has ever known, and even Sir Ector did not know who Arthur truly was. He only saw him as a child who was to be raised with his own family.
I do need to include for those reading this book a trigger warning as well as warning that this is not a book meant for younger readers. At one point, a young Arthur is brutally beaten after unsuccessfully attempting to stop the rape of another boy. At this point in history, rape of either sex was unfortunately a fairly common practice as those who were strong enough to take what they wanted often did so without concern for anyone but themselves.
Seeing his friend suffer through being raped sets the stage for Arthur’s future sense of how everyone should be treated, no matter who they are or what their station in life is meant to be.
I found this a fascinating story with a very original look into how the young Arthur will grow to become the great King Arthur of legend. It was well written and catches the reader’s interest from the very beginning. And while I did catch a few typos as I read, overall I felt that the book was well edited with excellent writing that made it quite difficult to put down.
All of the characters one expects to find in an Arthurian tale are there: the Ladies of the Lake, Merlin, the many Knights we have come to recognize as part of this story, and even the beginnings of those who will likely play a much bigger role in the next book in this series.
If you enjoy a good Arthurian tale, this is one you won’t want to miss. While it does contain a few scenes that are a bit graphic in their content, those scenes do fit with the nature of how life was at that point in history and are critical to showing how a young Arthur develops and grows into the man he is destined to become. Without them, it would not have been as clear as to why he believes so completely in what is right or wrong, despite how those around him seem to see things differently. I will definitely be waiting to see where the author takes this story next when book 2 in the series is released. Recommended.
Arthur was left by the druid Merlin to be raised and protected within Sir Ector’s household. With no idea who his birth parents were, Sir Ector’s family is the only one he has ever known, and even Sir Ector did not know who Arthur truly was. He only saw him as a child who was to be raised with his own family.
I do need to include for those reading this book a trigger warning as well as warning that this is not a book meant for younger readers. At one point, a young Arthur is brutally beaten after unsuccessfully attempting to stop the rape of another boy. At this point in history, rape of either sex was unfortunately a fairly common practice as those who were strong enough to take what they wanted often did so without concern for anyone but themselves.
Seeing his friend suffer through being raped sets the stage for Arthur’s future sense of how everyone should be treated, no matter who they are or what their station in life is meant to be.
I found this a fascinating story with a very original look into how the young Arthur will grow to become the great King Arthur of legend. It was well written and catches the reader’s interest from the very beginning. And while I did catch a few typos as I read, overall I felt that the book was well edited with excellent writing that made it quite difficult to put down.
All of the characters one expects to find in an Arthurian tale are there: the Ladies of the Lake, Merlin, the many Knights we have come to recognize as part of this story, and even the beginnings of those who will likely play a much bigger role in the next book in this series.
If you enjoy a good Arthurian tale, this is one you won’t want to miss. While it does contain a few scenes that are a bit graphic in their content, those scenes do fit with the nature of how life was at that point in history and are critical to showing how a young Arthur develops and grows into the man he is destined to become. Without them, it would not have been as clear as to why he believes so completely in what is right or wrong, despite how those around him seem to see things differently. I will definitely be waiting to see where the author takes this story next when book 2 in the series is released. Recommended.
April 16, 2019
My only complaint? The next book isn't here, yet!
I've always been enthralled by the Arthurian legend, but Arthur has always been made to seem like a god, untouchable or distinctively 'other' in some sense. You're not going to have that problem with this book.
The characters, dear lord. Likeable or not, they're distinct, real people. The age leaps off the page, and you're not just reading this book- you're living it. I caught myself following plot threads days after I was done with this book. It makes me think, makes me wonder, and I'm still not sure who's good and who's bad, if such black and white terms even apply.
I need the next book. Yesterday.
I've always been enthralled by the Arthurian legend, but Arthur has always been made to seem like a god, untouchable or distinctively 'other' in some sense. You're not going to have that problem with this book.
The characters, dear lord. Likeable or not, they're distinct, real people. The age leaps off the page, and you're not just reading this book- you're living it. I caught myself following plot threads days after I was done with this book. It makes me think, makes me wonder, and I'm still not sure who's good and who's bad, if such black and white terms even apply.
I need the next book. Yesterday.
June 16, 2019
I've read a couple of King Arthur retellings and I enjoyed this first installment as a more unique preamble as we get to know Arthur as a boy. Magic has too much power in this story (although, I don't think I know if it has this much power in the original version or not to compare it to), but I enjoyed the complexity of Arthur's relationships with those around him who would become his future council. I also especially enjoyed Arthur's journey towards deciding what god or gods to believe in and how he begins learning to make sense of it all from his personal experiences. Finally, his bisexuality lends an air of authenticity to the era represented within the mythical world.
March 18, 2019
The journey is worth it.
Even though I know the ending of this section of the story, the reading of it was absolutely fascinating.
The ancillary details surrounding the main story only illustrate the completeness of the story. I am horribly interested in much of the background of the Pagan versus Christian history here.
The pacing of the writing kept me up reading way past when I should have gone to bed.
I would definitely recommend this book and then eagerly anticipating the next installment.
Brava to the author!
Even though I know the ending of this section of the story, the reading of it was absolutely fascinating.
The ancillary details surrounding the main story only illustrate the completeness of the story. I am horribly interested in much of the background of the Pagan versus Christian history here.
The pacing of the writing kept me up reading way past when I should have gone to bed.
I would definitely recommend this book and then eagerly anticipating the next installment.
Brava to the author!
July 3, 2019
I was given this book to review and I am very thankful that I was. J.A is an amazing author and her writing style is astounding. The story that she has weaved from a timeless tale of King Arthur is by far my favorite telling. This book will literally have you exhausted from sleepless nights of reading. I know it did for me. I am forever a fan of the Arthur Rex Series and can not wait to continue the tale. This book is full of diversity and inclusion for all. This is definitely a must read. Well done J.A .
April 16, 2020
A tale of Arthur and Merlin. The story has been told many times, and I find this one fascinating. Such intricate detail. Knights and Kings. Ladies and Queens. Magic and Religon. All battling for dominance.
A tale of a younger Arthur finding his way in life, always questioning the world and it’s morals. Wondering who he is, where he’s going, and learning about love.
There are characters to admire, distain, love, hate, and fear. You want to follow this tale to the end, and this is just part one. We know how it ends, but getting there is intriguing.
A tale of a younger Arthur finding his way in life, always questioning the world and it’s morals. Wondering who he is, where he’s going, and learning about love.
There are characters to admire, distain, love, hate, and fear. You want to follow this tale to the end, and this is just part one. We know how it ends, but getting there is intriguing.
April 19, 2019
Fantastic
The tales of King Arthur have always been one of my favorites categories in fantasy reading. This book has startled me with it’s surprising differences in the telling. I am excited to read the other books.
The tales of King Arthur have always been one of my favorites categories in fantasy reading. This book has startled me with it’s surprising differences in the telling. I am excited to read the other books.
October 4, 2019
The is a unique that follows how king author starts his journey to being king I enjoyed the twist as well as the normality of the tail I can't wait to see what book 2 has in store.
March 31, 2020
Kittee Approved!!!!!
This book has been read, laughed at, gasped at, cried over, nd is now cherished nd treasured by Kittee. Read It!
This book has been read, laughed at, gasped at, cried over, nd is now cherished nd treasured by Kittee. Read It!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews