Arthur Rex Brittonum

A Light in the Dark Ages #5

by Tim Walker

FROM THE DECAY OF POST-ROMAN BRITAIN, ARTHUR SEEKS TO UNITE A TROUBLED LAND

Arthur Rex Brittonum (‘King of the Britons’) is an action-packed telling of the King Arthur story rooted in historical accounts that predate the familiar Camelot legend.
Britain in the early sixth century has reverted to tribal lands, where chiefs settle old scores with neighbours whilst eyeing with trepidation the invaders who menace the shore in search of plunder and settlement.

Arthur, only son of the late King Uther, has been crowned King of the Britons by the northern chiefs and must now persuade their counterparts in the south and west to embrace him. Will his bid to lead their combined army against the Saxon threat succeed? He arrives in Powys buoyed by popular acclaim at home, a king, husband and father - but can he sustain his efforts in unfamiliar territory? It is a treacherous and winding road that ultimately leads him to a winner-takes-all clash at the citadel of Mount Badon.

Tim Walker’s Arthur Rex Brittonum picks up the thread from the earlier life of Arthur in 2019’s Arthur Dux Bellorum, but it can be read as a standalone novel.

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2020

About the author

Welcome to my Goodreads page.
I'm an independent author living near Windsor in the UK. To date, I have written and self-published fourteen books and two audiobooks. Historical fiction is my main genre for both reading and writing.

In July 2025 I published a novella, The Trials of Arthur Whitty. This follows the fortunes of ordinary Arthur who overcomes many setbacks through a sense of humour and vivid imagination.

In 2024 I re-hired British actor and author, Richard James, to voice London Tales audiobook, available from Amazon Audible and Apple i-Tunes.

In November 2023 I published London Tales, a collection of 11 short stories that echo London's past, reflect the present and imagine its future. Mainly historical fiction shorts, with two contemporary tales and one dystopian story predicting the city's final days as rising sea levels claim it. This is a companion volume to Thames Valley Tales.

In March 2023 my first audiobook, Thames Valley Tales, was published on Amazon Audible and Apple i-Tunes. The audiobook was narrated and produced by actor and author, Richard James. This second, extensively revised edition, is also available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited.

My most recent novel is Guardians at the Wall, published in June 2021, an historical dual timeline action and adventure novel set at Hadrian's Wall. It's about archaeologists who uncover artefacts that connect them to the life of a Roman centurion in second century Britannia, and an ensuing search for a missing payroll chest.

In June 2020, Arthur Rex Brittonum, was published - the fifth and final instalment in A Light in the Dark Ages series. This is part two of my re-imagining of King Arthur, and follows on from 2019's Arthur Dux Bellorum.

In March 2015, whilst visiting the site of a former Roman town, I pondered the question, 'what would life have been like for the native Britons after the end of the Roman occupation?' This kindled an interest that led to extensive research and my first book, Abandoned (2015 novella/2018 novel 2nd edition) that became the first book in what was to become a series.

Abandoned was followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017); Uther's Destiny (2018); Arthur Dux Bellorum (2019) and Arthur Rex Brittonum (2020).

My first novel, Devil Gate Dawn, released in April 2016, is a thriller set in 2026 that predicted political chaos in a divided post-Brexit UK, and a dystopian Trump America (way back in 2015 I figured Trump had a chance of winning, and if he did, he would behave like a Third World dictator and re-write the constitution to make himself President for Life - OK we were spared that... although there's always next time - that's the magic of fiction, folks!).

Postcards from London, published in September 2017, was unpublished and delisted in August 2023 to make way for London Tales. Some stories were retained in updated versions, supplemented by new stories set in London. Similarly, Thames Valley Tales, first published in 2015, was relaunched as an extensively revised second edition in March 2023. Perverse, a book of short fiction and verse, came out in April 2020.

In 2017 I published my first children's book, The Adventures of Charly Holmes, co-authored with my daughter, Cathy. This was followed in 2018 by book two, Charly & the Superheroes, and in 2020 by Charly in Space.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Rex Brittonum is part of Tim Walker’s ‘A Light in the Dark Ages’ series. This book continues Arthur’s story which began with his early life, in a previous book, ‘Arthur Dux Bellorum’, however this story can be read as a standalone novel. In this book Arthur, known as, ‘King of the Britons’ is trying to unite a troubled land in a post-Roman Britain. Set in the early sixth century this is an action packed telling of the King Arthur story which predates the familiar Camelot legend we all know. You can tell whilst reading this exciting novel that the author knows his subject well, and I liked having a map, a list of place names and a list of the main characters at the start of the book, and which I referred to whilst reading and found useful as there are a lot of characters to keep track of.
Britain has reverted to tribal lands and its in this setting that Arthur, the only son of Uther, the late King has been crowned King of the Britons by the northern chiefs but now has to persuade their counterparts in the south and west to also except him as their King. Arthur’s aim is to lead a combined army against the Saxon threat. This puts Arthur on a “treacherous and winding road that ultimately leads him to a winner-takes-all clash at the citadel of Mount Badon”.
I enjoyed this fast paced novel and it was an exciting read as I followed King Arthur on his adventures. I felt fully immersed in the sixth century world due to the authors wonderful detailed descriptions. I had read the previous book and personally I think that knowing the backstory of Arthur’s life made this book flow well. This is a great read and the wonderfully written narrative really takes you back to the time of King Arthur and portrays the era well. I recommend this novel, as I was gripped from page one and could not put the book down, a sign of a good book!

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There is mischief about in our land, now Mordred has returned..."

Arthur had always been a warrior king. He had defeated Mordred once. He would do so again.

But Arthur was no longer the warrior of his youth, and Mordred now had experience on his side. The war, when it came, would change the course of history forever and it would make a legend from a king...

From the desperate battle at Mount Badon to the harrowing final confrontation at Camlann, Arthur Rex Brittonum (A Light in the Dark Ages) by Tim Walker is the enthralling story of the latter half of King Arthur's reign.

With an engrossing sense of time and place, Walker has presented his readers with a novel that is as rich in historical detail as it is in story. It is the tale of one man as he struggles to unite his country and hold onto his crown.

I adore anything Arthurian, so I was eagerly awaiting the next instalment of Walker's A Light in the Dark Ages series. I am pleased to report that the wait was most definitely worth it. This book was simply brilliant!

The origins of a historical King Arthur is, at times, as mythical as the man himself. The sources from this period are incredibly biased depending on whose point of view the source is from. Walker combines both the best and the worst aspects of the Arthurian story from Nennius' Historia Brittonum and Gildas' On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain, and he has penned a novel that is as beguiling as it is entertaining. Like Arthur and Mordred, Nennius and Gildas came from opposing sides — one adored Arthur, the other, it is thought, despised him so much he excluded him from his book! I thought Walker's approach worked well, and it helped to give this book a very balanced view and reminds the reader that not everybody liked this man who was destined to become a romanticised legend.

With one eye on the somewhat subjective secondary sources and another on what makes a book pleasurable, Walker has presented his readers with a plausible Arthur — a very human Arthur, who stumbles, falls, makes mistakes, and has moments of unbearable guilt. Arthur is forever questioning himself, wanting reassurance. The righteous and confident leader who led his men to victory at Mount Badon is replaced with one who is plagued with crippling doubt. I thought Walker's portrayal of Arthur was very authentic in the telling, and he was a character that I relished reading about.

Despite Arthur's importance to this novel, it is the secondary characters that control the narrative, especially in the second half of this novel. Merlyn's sorcery, Guinevere's seduction, and Morgana's plotting make for an action-packed story of strained loyalties and political intrigue. I thought Morgana's depiction was brilliant. Morgana's ambition and her resolve to never give up makes her a formidable opponent. Likewise, Merlyn controls Arthur through carefully thought out games of manipulation — no wonder everyone fears his influence. Of all the characters in this story, it is Merlyn who I think is the most dangerous and the fact that Arthur is so blinkered to this man's faults made this tale all the more appealing.

This novel is split into two parts. In the first part, Walker gives us an Arthur who is passionate about his cause, who is determined to be victorious. In the second part of this book, his enthusiasm seems to waver, and Arthur's rule becomes rather lacklustre. He becomes an uninspiring figurehead which, for a king who had promised much, was a bitter disappointment for his subjects. His enthusiasm for the throne and the dream of a peaceful, united nation is replaced with the seemingly unquenchable passion for the flesh. Love makes fools of us all, it seems, and it certainly makes a fool of Arthur in this story.

Walker has depicted a nation at war, not only with the Saxon invaders but with itself. War is seemingly inevitable, and it is one of the major themes in this novel. Walker is an author who excels in creating believable battle scenes. Walker does not shy away from the bloodshed and the carnage, but what I found incredibly fascinating were the characters themselves as they fought a war where the losers died, and the survivors were either victorious or were fated to spend the rest of their lives as slaves. There is also a delicate balance between brutal violence and knightly chivalry in this book. The kings and knights that Walker introduces us to, are fighting for their kingdoms and for themselves, but there are also those who are unwilling to commit to a side but would rather wait and see which way the wind blows! I thought this political uncertainly was a wonderful insight into the complicated allegiances of the Early Medieval Period.

Arthur Rex Brittonum (A Light in the Dark Ages) by Tim Walker is a novel that I really enjoyed. It will undoubtedly appeal to those who love everything Arthurian, but I also think fans of very battle heavy historical fiction would enjoy it as well.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible journey this has been. Tim Walker opened my eyes to reading historical stories and I have grown to love them. The incredible battles that they fought, the horrors that they saw daily and the way that the hardship of life made the people old way before their time.
Arthur’s journey continues in this book as he is full of life and spirit trying to band together with the tribal lands that make up Britain to push back any future invaders from the seas. Arthur had escaped from being imprisoned by his half brother who had claimed the throne. Now Arthur has been anointed King but must defend himself from his half-brother who is waging war against him.
Merlyn isn’t far from his apprentice King Arthur and is extremely influential on the decisions he makes. Merlyn is far from the good old guy that makes everything perfect. He can conjure some pretty potent and intoxicating suggestions to an Arthur who looks up to this Druid.
The church plays a big part in how things are done so having a Druid being an influential whisperer in the King’s ear doesn’t go down well. This story has all the nitty-gritty bits in it, including how the once happily married Arthur becomes under the spell of Guinevere that puts her on the trail to become Queen.
The story portrays two sides to Arthur, one a happily married man with a son while the other seems to live in a daze and lose his way. I have been enthralled by this series, loved each one as it has come along and felt so much richer for reading them all, although each can be read as a story in its own right.
I wish to thank the author for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly

[Colin Garrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur, King of the Britons, and only son of the late King Uther, now rules over the northern regions, but he still has to take on the Saxons in order to succeed. This is the fifth instalment of Tim Walker’s ‘A Light in the Dark Ages’ series and while it is clearly part of the series, it can also be read as a standalone.

The author has a solid knowledge of the period and the book is peppered with the kind of detail that brings his stories to life. He also provides lists of places and character names at the start of the book, which is handy (though I still got a bit confused about who was who). The writing is packed with vivid descriptions and it’s easy to plunge yourself into the world of King Arthur. As with the previous book I’d read by this author (‘Ambrosius: Last of the Romans’) I had to occasionally re-read passages a couple of times before moving on. However, for anyone keen on history (or historical fantasy) this is a jolly good read with believable settings and suitably accurate historical facts, particularly for fans of Arthurian legends and the likes of Bernard Cornwell’s Last Kingdom series.

[Chris Tunnicliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is number 5 in A Light in the Dark Ages series but is a great read by itself. In the early sixth century Britain has become very tribal with chiefs fighting each other while keeping an eye out for invaders looking to raid and settle.
Arthur has been crowned King of the Britons by the chiefs in the north and must now persuade the southern and westerns chiefs to follow him. This book is full of history and action. Arthur is portrayed warts and all very different from the stories of Camelot.

A great read and I will definitely be backtracking to read the rest of the series.

[Karen Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mentioned at the end of my review of the previous book in Tim Walker's A Light in the Dark Ages series, Arthur Dux Bellorum that I hoped there was more to come, so I was delighted to see he had written another novel about Arthur following his exploits after his crowning as King of the Britons. Although this is a follow-on, I am happy to recommend it as a standalone read, however, many of the characters included here were introduced in the earlier story and I feel to really know who them it is worthwhile reading that first.
The legend of King Arthur is one of our most enduring but what if he was more than just a myth? There are some scholars who believe that he really existed and though his life has been dramatised and exaggerated by various storytellers, there may be some truth to certain aspects of his life. It's this man - a warrior turned king, whom Tim Walker brings to life.
The book is divided into two parts; in the first, Arthur has only recently been crowned King of the Britons but there are some who still doubt or oppose his claim to the throne, believing his half-brother, Mordred to be the true successor to King Uther. Various kingdoms existed in post-Roman Britannia, some unified under an overlord but peace was fragile and there was often violent clashes with neighbouring tribes. Threats also came from invaders, most notably the Angles and Saxons. The diplomatic manoeuvring between kingdoms and the uneasy truces depicted in the story give a vivid impression of a land seemingly always on the cusp of change.
Tim Walker's Arthur is a believable character and a far more real, flawed individual than many other versions of him. His ebullience and natural leadership skills make him popular with many but he has enemies too and it's fascinating to see him try to negotiate with other kings as he attempts to raise an army against combined threats in the south. The battle scenes are exciting and brutal and the negotiations tense but the portrayal of everyday life is interesting too. Britannia is a country unsure of what it wants to be and the lingering influence of the Romans is still plain to see, from interior design tastes to religion. Arthur rides into battle as a Christian, with the Virgin Mary and Child on his shield but traditional pagan beliefs hold fast among much of the population.
In a book about Arthur, the presence of Merlyn is inevitable; he is a wise healer but his use of clever tricks as powerful tools of persuasion means it's not difficult to see how people could be made to believe in sorcery. Sacrifices to the gods are still commonplace so it's perhaps not surprising that despite this being a realistic imagining of Arthur, there are a few nods to folk tales too, including a scene which will be immediately familiar to anybody who knows the story of Snow White.
The second half of the novel follows Arthur later in his reign when he has become a rather lacklustre leader whose preoccupation with Guinevere threatens to undermine the goodwill he engendered previously. With his confident air of invincibility on the wane, he seems a far more vulnerable man when he faces another showdown with Mordred and the vivid descriptions of the fighting towards the end is viscerally dramatic.
Tim Walker has clearly researched his subject well and the rich historical details throughout ensures Arthur Rex Brittonum is an intriguing study of one of our most well-known characters. I am sure it will be equally appreciated by readers who are drawn to the Arthurian legend and those who are seeking thrilling historical fiction, especially if they are particularly interested in the early Middle Ages. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Samantha Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 5th part of an epic saga based on the life of the legend King Arthur and this instalment focuses on the later part of King Arthurs reign.

Set amongst Britain's varying landscapes, grand castles and rolling seas, the author fills the readers mind with knights, Saxons and the carnage of battle; of those fighting for their lives and their kingdoms and the consequences for those who survive.

This novel is exquisitely written and the characters that the author has created are beautifully crafted. You see both sides of the legend that is Arthur, both his strengths and his weaknesses and the supporting cast of characters with their plotting and manipulation made for an exciting read.

Lovers of anything Arthurian will absolutely love this, but also those who love any sort of historical fantasy stories. I came to this series at this final instalment and now have to go back and read them all from the start. An absolutely engrossing story that will stay with me for a long time and I look forward to not only reading the whole of this series in its entirety, but I eagerly await what this author creates next!

[John Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a pleasure to be asked to review this fifth book in what has shown to be a very exciting series encompassing the Arthurian legend.

With Arthur now being accepted as King in the northern regions, he is set on a collision course with Mordred over the crown in other areas. As he travels from his home area where he is highly regarded, he expects to be heading into battle. Who will reign supreme?

I was engrossed from the very first paragraph of this novel, and could easily have read it to completion there and then had life not got in the way. This was the final instalment I had been waiting for and it certainly did not disappoint. There were knights with lances, battles to spark the imagination, grand castles and the underlying notion that it could all have actually happened. Throw in the Saxons and the mysterious Merlyn and this book is an excellent read! Most definitely worth a full house of five stars and I await Tim Walker's next creation with bated breath!

[Simon Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 5 in Tim’s Light in the Dark Ages series, which follows Britain in the 6th Century after the Romans had abandoned Britain and turmoil started before Arthur came along to try and Reunite the land.

As with the previous books this one is really well written and immersed me in the action start from the start.

Throughout the book there are adventures, journeys throughout the very well described land and some epic battles as Arthur tries to prove to the rest of Britain that he is the king who can bring peace to the land.

If you thought you knew everything there was to know about the legend of Arthur then think again as this bring more depth to his legendary character

Overall it is yet another great book by Tim and I have loved reading them all and learning about the early centuries of Great Britain.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Rex Brittonum ('King of the Britons') is the fifth and final part in Tim Walker's A Light in the Dark Ages book series, that connects the end of Roman Britain to the earliest aspects of the Arthurian legend. The author believes that Arthur was a real, historical figure, who united the Briton tribes to oppose the settlement of Anglo-Saxons in early sixth century Britain. This is Arthur's story, that builds to his confronting a Saxon army at Badon Hill, and into his later years, that lead him to face his nephew in civil war and the final battle at Camlann.