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ap Ector No. 1: Cries in the Storm
Kay, son of Ector, has three main concerns in his young life: doing his best at being a squire and the curious circumstances of his brother Arthur's birth and the death of his infant sister. While witnessing fine feats of arms at a tournament, Kay finds himself facing his own trial when his knight Sir Cynyr goes missing. He is caught in a conflict that will test his mettle. Can Kay save his knight?
Before there was a Round Table, there were Knights.
Before there was a Round Table, there were Knights.
78 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 17, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 7, 2020
The time has come for Kay to ascend to knighthood, if his annoying little brother Arthur won't get in the way. But his search for knightly glory may not go exactly his way when jousts, carousing and kidnap abound! This was fun read of the early days of King Arthur and his foster-brother Kay. It had a fast pace and a fundamental heroism that reminded me of the stories of Camelot I read when I was young. As well as being exciting, it was also touching, and I adored the brotherly relationship between Kay and Arthur. I look forward to future books!
October 4, 2020
A wonderfully human take on the early years of Arthurian legend, focusing on a young Kay.
His ambitions and actions feel realistic for a teenager, and the familial bonds showcased throughout the book are complex and well drawn.
If you're looking for a dramatic reimagining of Arthurian legend, this isn't that. This little tale fits in neatly with commonly accepted Arthurian canon, but it shines by giving the spotlight to a character who's often regulated to background or comic relief (without stealing glory from other characters as is so often the case). Ap Ector humanizes the mythical figures of legend with kindness and compassion and is overall a delight to read.
(Review based on an advance copy)
His ambitions and actions feel realistic for a teenager, and the familial bonds showcased throughout the book are complex and well drawn.
If you're looking for a dramatic reimagining of Arthurian legend, this isn't that. This little tale fits in neatly with commonly accepted Arthurian canon, but it shines by giving the spotlight to a character who's often regulated to background or comic relief (without stealing glory from other characters as is so often the case). Ap Ector humanizes the mythical figures of legend with kindness and compassion and is overall a delight to read.
(Review based on an advance copy)
October 10, 2020
I received an advanced copy and let me say wow! An excellent read providing just the right amounts of humor and intrigue while still following through on the mythology of King Arthur. Kay is an excellent character and really pulls you into his perspective. 10/10 can't wait for the next in the series.
June 4, 2021
I decided to write a review now, even if I have read this book some months ago, so I might be a bit rusty, but I just wanted to add some words for this novel, so that other arthurian fans might find it... especially Kay fans! First of all, I am always hungry for Kay books, and first of all I want to say that this is a novella, so it is shorter than you might expect and I am waiting for part 2 for... Bedivere reasons, let's say! But also to know more of Kay and Arthur, as they are usually my favorite relationship to explore in novel focusing on Kay.
I won't write spoilers, but this first novella focuses specifically on the relationship between them, a they actually act as brothers (as someone who has a sister, it felt so realistic, especially the mix of antagonism and competition that I used to have with her back when we were much younger). Furthermore there are many scenes where the narrator can see that a misunderstanding is happening and that makes their brotherly relationship far more realistic. Other added things that I really enjoyed were that there is actually some humor in it, and the research truly feels like it came out of a work of love and interest for arthuriana specifically and the time period as well. Plus, I loved that finally there is a book where Kay's mother is not immediately forgotten and put aside, but here she is an actual character.
I won't write spoilers, but this first novella focuses specifically on the relationship between them, a they actually act as brothers (as someone who has a sister, it felt so realistic, especially the mix of antagonism and competition that I used to have with her back when we were much younger). Furthermore there are many scenes where the narrator can see that a misunderstanding is happening and that makes their brotherly relationship far more realistic. Other added things that I really enjoyed were that there is actually some humor in it, and the research truly feels like it came out of a work of love and interest for arthuriana specifically and the time period as well. Plus, I loved that finally there is a book where Kay's mother is not immediately forgotten and put aside, but here she is an actual character.
January 22, 2024
Ap Ector is the debut novella by C. Leslie and C. Blackwood, owners of the Arthurian Mythia podcast. As the title implies, it focuses on Kay and Arthur.
What I liked about the book:
As someone with four younger brothers, Kay and Arthur’s relationship felt both relatable and realistic. They get on each other’s nerves constantly but underneath all the fighting and bickering is a genuine love for each other.
Most stories about King Arthur that I know of tend to gloss over his childhood and relegate Kay to a cameo role in favor of focusing on more popular characters like Lancelot or Gawain so it was definitely refreshing to read something set in Arthur’s formative years that also gave his foster brother prime of place.
Incidentally, that ties into the next thing I liked about Ap Ector. Being set prior to Uther Pendragon’s death and thus a time of peace, we get to see for a change what medieval society looks like when things are functioning the way they’re supposed to. The authors clearly did some research in that regard and it shows. In particular, I was surprised (and delighted) by the time they took to lay out in detail the duties of a squire and why each is important but in a way that avoided info-dumping while still making sense in-story from a plot and character perspective.
Finally, the low but more personal stakes gave the story a comforting, slice-of-life feel, which was a nice change of pace from the often world-shattering drama popular in fantasy.
What I didn’t like about the book:
This being a debut work the writing is a little rough around the edges and I did spot a handful of typos.
Overall, I enjoyed C. Leslie and C. Blackwood’s first foray into King Arthur and look forward to seeing how they as well as the characters grow when the next novella, Bedwyr and the Prince, comes out later this year.
What I liked about the book:
As someone with four younger brothers, Kay and Arthur’s relationship felt both relatable and realistic. They get on each other’s nerves constantly but underneath all the fighting and bickering is a genuine love for each other.
Most stories about King Arthur that I know of tend to gloss over his childhood and relegate Kay to a cameo role in favor of focusing on more popular characters like Lancelot or Gawain so it was definitely refreshing to read something set in Arthur’s formative years that also gave his foster brother prime of place.
Incidentally, that ties into the next thing I liked about Ap Ector. Being set prior to Uther Pendragon’s death and thus a time of peace, we get to see for a change what medieval society looks like when things are functioning the way they’re supposed to. The authors clearly did some research in that regard and it shows. In particular, I was surprised (and delighted) by the time they took to lay out in detail the duties of a squire and why each is important but in a way that avoided info-dumping while still making sense in-story from a plot and character perspective.
Finally, the low but more personal stakes gave the story a comforting, slice-of-life feel, which was a nice change of pace from the often world-shattering drama popular in fantasy.
What I didn’t like about the book:
This being a debut work the writing is a little rough around the edges and I did spot a handful of typos.
Overall, I enjoyed C. Leslie and C. Blackwood’s first foray into King Arthur and look forward to seeing how they as well as the characters grow when the next novella, Bedwyr and the Prince, comes out later this year.
April 17, 2021
I enjoyed this book! The prose reminded me a little of T. H. White's 'The Once and Future King', which is always a good thing. It was an interesting snippet into the origin story of Arthur and Kay, beginning with Arthur's arrival at Ector's household and ending with the promise of adventure. This is a very short book, or felt it, so I might have felt shortchanged had I actually bought it, but happily I read it on Kindle Unlimited so no complaints here. I'm always eager to read an Arthurian story, and will definitely be picking the next book in the series!
January 14, 2021
A coming of age story for Kay. A loveable character who you can’t help but cheer for. Follow Kay as he battles through things big and small. You will find well written characters here as well as what it means to be a knight, sibling and a heir of the family name. The characters stick with you long after you finish reading and the interactions between them really makes the book shine. It has great humor and wonderful emotion and tension. Enjoy your adventure as you follow Kay on his journey.
April 10, 2021
Excellent portrayal of a little known character. Really enjoyed the sibling dynamics, looking forward to reading more in the future
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews