Arthur, the Always King

by Kevin Crossley-Holland, Chris Riddell (Illustrator)

In this pulse-quickening retelling, Carnegie Medalist Kevin Crossley-Holland and former British Children's Laureate Chris Riddell welcome another generation to Camelot.

Translated, adapted, told, and retold, the stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table have captivated imaginations across time. Now comes a lavishly illustrated, masterful retelling sure to enthrall a new generation of readers. From the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to the quest for the Holy Grail, stories both familiar and unfamiliar are woven into a vivid tapestry of Arthurian lore that spans from the king’s conception to his final battle. Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot, and other timeless characters come to life as complex men and women in a rich and atmospheric feat of storytelling that feels at once historical and fantastical, otherworldly and fully human. A compelling collaboration between internationally acclaimed author Kevin Crossley-Holland and three-time Kate Greenaway Medal winner Chris Riddell, this beautiful volume is sure to be treasured by readers of all ages.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Historical Fiction, Arthurian, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2021

About the author

Kevin Crossley-Holland is an English poet and prize-winning author for children. His books include Waterslain Angels, a detective story set in north Norfolk in 1955, and Moored Man: A Cycle of North Norfolk Poems; Gatty's Tale, a medieval pilgrimage novel; and the Arthur trilogy (The Seeing Stone, At the Crossing-Places and King of the Middle March), which combines historical fiction with the retelling of Arthurian legend.

The Seeing Stone won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the Smarties Prize Bronze Medal. The Arthur trilogy has won worldwide critical acclaim and has been translated into 21 languages.

Crossley-Holland has translated Beowulf from the Anglo-Saxon, and his retellings of traditional tales include The Penguin Book of Norse Myths and British Folk Tales (reissued as The Magic Lands). His collaborations with composers include two operas with Nicola Lefanu ("The Green Children" and "The Wildman") and one with Rupert Bawden, "The Sailor’s Tale"; song cycles with Sir Arthur Bliss and William Mathias; and a carol with Stephen Paulus for King’s College, Cambridge. His play, The Wuffings, (co-authored with Ivan Cutting) was produced by Eastern Angles in 1997.

He often lectures abroad on behalf of the British Council, regularly leads sessions for teachers and librarians, and visits primary and secondary schools. He offers poetry and prose workshops and talks on the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, King Arthur, heroines and heroes, and myth, legend and folk-tale.

After seven years teaching in Minnesota, where he held an Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Kevin Crossley-Holland returned to the north Norfolk coast in East Anglia, where he now lives.

He has a Minnesotan wife, Linda, two sons (Kieran and Dominic) and two daughters (Oenone and Eleanor). He is an Honorary Fellow of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, a patron of the Society of Storytelling and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur. King of all Britain. The Once and Future King. Or, as this author puts it: the Always King.

The book tells us of Arthur's childhood (spirited away from his real mother to grow up with a foster family), of Merlin and the sword in the stone, the fellowship of the Round Table, about the six trials (such as the Trial of Honour which is the one about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight or The Trial of Love which is about Sir Geraint and Enid) as well as the quest for the Holy Grail and Merlin in his House of Glass in the end.

I love how the author slightly adapted the tales (as will always happen when something is retold) but kept the spirit of them all. Especially since he didn't simplify (or dumb down) anything for a potentially younger audience. No. He simply collected the different stories and narrative poems and recounted the story they told together.

Moreover, Chris Riddell's illustrations accompanying the stories were wonderful. The following five were my favourites:







There were more colourful images but I very much enjoyed how expressive and often detailed these ones were.

A wonderful retelling, including all bits (yes, the gruesome ones as well), for young and old. Full of magic, wit, gallantry, heart and gravitas.

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have all heard of King Arthur. The legends of the Knights of the Round Table, Merlin, etc.

This book is like a biography of 'The Always King' as the author calls him and illustrated by the very talented Chris Riddell.

The book is a wealth of knowledge and will be amazing for any child (or adult) who loves to learn about Kings or King Arthur. It is told in various stages of the King's life, his trials and tribulations, etc.

It is a large, heavy book that actually looked quite daunting when it arrived and I do wonder if children maybe put off by its size and the amount of text within.

It would make a fabulous present for any King Arthur fan.

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amount of problems that could have been fixed if people would just shut up and listen to Merlin.

[Haley The Caffeinated Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2022...

I think part of me is still a small girl wanting to be the Princess Knight who was off to see dragons, go on quests and be part of the Round Table, to meet Lancelot and Merlin. I don’t know that I’ll ever lose that small part of myself.

Getting this book was for that small part of the child I used to be. I love Riddell’s art and I love King Arthur so it was a no brainer to buy this.

Crossley-Holland stays faithful to the older versions of the tales and Riddell brings them to life as we go through the seven great trials with Arthur and his knights. We get to see the Fisher King, the Green Knight, and of course Morgan. It reminds me of all the pretend quests I used to go on as a child and I look forward to looking through this book with my kid while also still embracing the beauty of our newer retellings and versions of King Arthur that have been popping up in publishing. (Including my bestie’s version, just saying.)

It’s a gorgeous collection for any Arthur fan and/or any Riddell fan.

Some may find this dry if the old style/classic is not something they lean toward.

Overall I would recommend this if you like classics and old style writing for King Arthur or if you just want an extremely pretty book.

5/5 Cups of coffee from me, I’ve got this one propped up on my bookshelf to show off at the moment.

[Georgina Monk · Rating 5 out of 5]

the illustrations are astounding beautiful awe inspiring without shying away from the gruesome parts of the Arthur legend

A traditional yet riveting, heart-breaking and violent retelling

could have done with some modernising for a new generation

[Stephanie Fachiol]

Two of my childhood MVPs collaborated to create this spectacular work. In presentation, the book is simply gorgeous. The illustrations are seamlessly integrated into the text, and the (near) full color is eye-popping, especially the double-paged spreads. I adore many of the portrayals here, both in text and image, of the Arthurian cast. This isn't to say the work is perfect; "foreshadowing" is sometimes done a paragraph in advance, and some character motivations are hand-waved, if explained at all. Morgause in particular stands out as a shadow of herself; she's briefly mentioned as Mordred's mother and then does absolutely nothing, in such a way that I wonder why she wasn't combined with Morgan. While I like the interpretation of Nimue as well, she barely has enough screen time to explain her beef with Merlin. Gawain too has a bit of a character arc in a chapter recounting "The Green Knight," only for this development to not matter all that much at the end when Lancelot becomes persona non grata.

Still, I don't want to be too harsh on this book, because it truly has a stand-out atmosphere. Crossley-Holland has written many beautiful lines that ooze fairy tale and mystery. This complements Riddell's illustrations in such a way that there is a cohesive tale that has the right feel of an heir to the chivalric sagas/romances. Compared to modern deconstructions, it's a breath of fresh air.

Since this book is marketed towards the middle grade, a note on audience appropriateness: it is perhaps a tad gorey for very young children, and while nothing objectionable happens on screen, the infidelity (and, yes, incest) of Arthuriana is still mentioned, if not in those exact words. Even so, it's likely to be engaging for older middle school students, and has the makings of a family favorite.

[romantasyreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a huge fan of Chris Riddell and someone who is very interested in the Arthurian legends, I got this without needing much deliberation. The book is gorgeous as expected with many lavishly illustrated double-paged spreads but the writing however, leaves much to be desired. What sets this book apart from other retellings is its focus on continuity across the different trials faced by Arthur and his knights but it is through this that the book ironically looses its magic. The story goes on for way too long and the characters, perhaps because there were so many of them, felt dull and lifeless as they mostly seemed unconnected with one another. The gaps within the trials were also painfully evident, feeling almost like plot holes. The subject matter also seemed rather deep for young readers in my opinion as adultery arises on many occasions. Unfortunately, it was discussed without much nuance making it rather disappointing. Perhaps it is better suited for secondary readers but given the size, dimension and weight of the book, I can hardly imagine them being too invested in reading this. Altogether, the story is largely superficial and its appeal as a book is further marred by its confusion over its target audience which makes it come across as more antiquated than inspiring.

[Art Enyedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up Arthur the Always King because it is illustrated by Chris Riddell. I enjoy Riddell's style of artwork and this book is profusely illustrated. There is artwork on almost every one of the 237 pages in this book. Some are black and white ink drawings, but there are also abundant full page colorful art and some double page spreads. Riddell must have worked on this project for years. I tried to find a link for this artwork on-line, but could not. Riddell created the delightful Ottoline series and Goth Girl series, which are fun children's books full of great drawings, so check those out if you like Riddell's work.

Unfortunately, the text of Arthur the Always King is not as impressive as the artwork. Crossley-Holland has dutifully narrated the most common tales of the Arthurian legend: the sword in the stone, Gawain and the Green Knight, the quest for the Holy Grail, the betrayal of Arthur by the adulterous Guinevere and Lancelot, the treachery of Mordred - but he fails to make the personalities come alive. I always loved T.H. White's The Once and Future King depiction of King Arthur; White shows Arthur's struggles to make Camelot a paragon of justice, where might does not make right, only to show Arthur's dream failing due to human frailties. The King Arthur in these pages does not come across as sympathetically. I know this is a children's book (though it has a number of bloody violent scenes), so Crossley-Holland is unable to spend time on great depth of character, but it still made the reading experience less than I hoped for. In this book, Merlin explicitly tells Arthur not to marry Guinevere because she is faithless and will fall in love with Lancelot, and Merlin also warns Arthur that Mordred will try to usurp him, but Arthur ignores Merlin, which makes him seem feckless.

Although Crossley-Holland tells us about how Nimue imprisons Merlin, there is no explanation of why she did so. Indeed, after Merlin departs the narrative, so does Nimue and we never learn of her fate.

After pulling the sword from the stone and being crowned King, Arthur announces that the knights of his round table must do chivalrous deeds. Merlin has told him that there will be seven great trials: The trial of friendship and bravery, the trial of love, the trial of honor, the trial of magic, the trial of the Holy Grail quest, the trial of love and loyalty and the trial of the blood knot. The story of Gawain and the Green Knight is the trial of honor. The betrayal of Arthur by Lancelot is the trial of love and loyalty, and because it fails, the round table cracks and Camelot falls.

This book tells that the Roman Emperor Lucius has declared that he will destroy King Arthur. But Arthur gathers an army of a hundred and fifty thousand men and marches across Europe to confront the much larger armies of Lucius. Of course, Arthur is victorious, and he plans to conquer Rome itself. But he turns back because word comes that Guinevere has not been able to rule England properly in his absence. This is the first time in the Arthurian lore that I have read about him leading armies against Rome. But I never read Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur, so perhaps that part of the story was passed over by T. H. White.

There are many books about King Arthur. The only reason to chose to read Arthur the Always King is if you wish to enjoy the many illustrations.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur, the Always King is an illustrated coffee table book for young readers, exploring the legend of King Arthur. Kevin Crossley-Holland retells the origins of Arthur and his journey to becoming King of Camelot and the trials he and his knights endured to achieve. All familiar characters appear and play a big role in this story: Arthur, Kay, Gwain, Morgan, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, and so much more. And with the collaboration of Chris Riddell, provides detailed visuals to the lore of the famous legend that is King Arthur.

As I've say in my review of another King Arthur-related work, Dark Age Monarch, I only know the lore from other different media & literary sources. So my knowledge on the Arthurian lore is very amateurish, surface level at best. The premise was that Arthur, the Always King was going to tell the whole story from the start to the bitter end. And for what it's worth, that is true. From Arthur's birth, we are lead to his upbringing and timing with the famous sword in the stone. Then we go through his early reign as King and recruitment of his legendary Knights of the Round Table, as each venture into the trials to prove their worth. Holland's writing is pretty straightforward and reasonably detailed in each chapter, including the setting and the action moments. I do feel like he did omit some of the more, possibly, violent and explicit scenes, this book is not fully sanitized. I do not mind that, as this book was made for a younger audience, but I am sure they will also find some enjoyment in how the knights killed a giant or fought against another invading army. Riddell's art is very detailed and fitting of the story. It can be vibrant or grotesque, when needed, with his pencil-styled art. My one complaint is how some of the human characters are drawn. Some of them look pretty neat, a few designs give me an off model vibe, though I am sure this is just me not fully grasping Riddell's style.

Combined with Riddell's, still fabulous style, Holland's direct take on the Arthurian events are further emphasized by his delicate storytelling. Gradually, as I got deeper into the story, I started to feel like I was pulled into this fantastical realm, with it's also human approach to these legendary characters. I must say it is something worth a read if it made me feel the way I felt after I turned the final page. I will also add I do feel like I learned a little more here about the myths, and it's quite intriguing. The myths of King Arthur are forever integrated in British culture and around the world, as a source of inspiration whether in the storytelling or virtues of its characters. I wouldn't say this book is meant for just young readers, but I do think all ages (child or adult) can find enjoyment in reading King Arthur's story, it is iconic for a reason, and I do think Riddell & Holland did an exceptional job in bringing King Arthur to life in Arthur, the Always King. Please give this a try, if you are interested in Arthurian tales.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
The narration of the tale is an interesting blend of historical “facts” and storytelling. Arthur is the main character and the book traces his life from birth to his tragic death. He’s dependent on Merlin’s counsel during his early years but slowly learns to incorporate the lessons into his own leadership style. Readers will also notice a reverent, religious element as references to Jesus and to faith are sprinkled throughout the narrative. King Arthur must repel invaders from the Roman Empire and he later heeds an order directly from the pope. Warriors wield time-period weapons including spears, lances, and swords, and their bodies are protected by armor. The narrator shares Arthur’s jubilations, frustrations, and doubts as he tries to lead his faithful followers in Britain.
The entire book has the feel of a collection of short stories rather than one long adventure. Arthur and Merlin imagine the Round Table will be the greatest collection of chivalrous knights in history but it will only come true if they successfully complete seven trials. These steps are identified by Arthur and the next seven chapters share different stories of how various knights triumph and fail with individual challenges. The first trial is “Friendship and Bravery”, followed by the trial of “Love”, and the final test is “The Blood Knot”. Arthur tries to lead his brave knights in a life of chivalry and honor, but in the end, he discovers they’re all human. The book sometimes reads like a medieval soap opera.
The stories present a good deal of magic and fantasy through the wizard Merlin, Arthur’s half-sister Morgan, and different imaginary creatures. Arthur pulls a sword from a stone thus demonstrating he’s the new true king and he later retrieves a magical sword and scabbard from the Lady in the Lake. A girdle protects a knight from harm and a cape engulfs a character in flames. Merlin shares prophecies and visions of the future which may be spoilers for readers without basic knowledge of the legends surrounding King Arthur. Beautiful, colorful drawings adorn the book’s pages, enhancing the descriptions and immersing readers in the tales.
What didn’t work as well:
While the book’s listing indicates it’s written for ages 10 and up, Arthur and the other characters are more adultlike than kids. The book quickly covers Arthur’s childhood as he becomes king and gets married in the early chapters. It’s probably most appropriate for middle-school readers or younger teens.
The Final Verdict:
The short story format breaks the book into logical stopping points and the seven trials give the overall narrative direction and structure. This book will appeal to lovers of medieval times and especially to readers who are familiar with King Arthur. I recommend you give it a shot.

[Becs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone loves the legends of King Arthur - it is a tale which just entirely bypasses the ages (of its readers and of time). This is a large, colourful and entirely compelling re-telling of the legends of King Arthur but paired with really nice illustrations. If you like Chris Riddell, you're already winning.

I have been so impressed by some of Chris Riddell's illustrated work before - I'm mostly thinking of their contribution to the Alice and Wonderland stories - and it is a very unique style, almost quite peculiar in the recreation of character faces in particular, but that really works in this book too.

This story takes us from childhood, through Arthur's battles and eventually to his final battle. We visit well-known places from mythology, the round table and the sword in the stone of course, and get to wonder at the magic of Merlin (isn't Merlin everyone's favourite? Or just me?).

I think this will be a really treasured collection. It won't be for everyone - for the genre and for the illustrated style, but if it is something you like and these are illustrators you appreciate then, like me, you'll be very happy to add this to your shelf and share it with your kids (or, like me, just keep it for yourself so the edges don't get scuffed!).

ARC provided from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

[Michael McGrath · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know this is aimed at younger readers (though some content questionably so), still this book feels like a cliff notes version of Arthurian legend, and the parts that are good have been done better. Why not stick to the legends and make Gareth and Gaheris the brothers of Gawain as in the original and make the vengeance of Gawain that more powerful when his brothers are slain? Gone are the episodes of a Questing Beast, which is only told on passing, and in fact much of this book was lazily written and told in passing. Not much love or effort was put into it, which is puzzling as Crossley-Holland has written much better Arthurian tales.

And what's up with Englishman against Englishman in the final chapter. Arthur fought off the invaders, Saxons and Angles that later became the English. Arthur was a Briton, and so the last tale should have depicted that. Again, lazy writing.

And no the illustrations do not salvage the lazy writing.

My recommendation: seek out the older retellings, which are not only more faithful to the originals but more heartfelt as well. (And they don't read like a cliff notes version either).

As for this book, I shall not be returning to this Always King.

[RumBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many, many versions of the Arthur story, each is different, and each is wonderful in their own way. This book was one of the more unique, for the slight versions of the tale it presented.

The book chronicles Arthur's life from the time before his birth, that Merlin aided in, till after his death. This version incorporated not only many of the tales of the adventures of Arthur's Knights, but also scenes from Merlin's life as well. The writing is engaging, it has a feeling of oldness to it. It is not medieval or anything, and perfectly understandable to a modern audience, but it does not feel modern.

Without giving too much away, it was the ending of this book that differed from many versions I have read. It was much more in-depth, with several events chronicled that I had never read before. It was an interesting take on the story.

The illustrations were lovely. Done in only a few colors, and black and white, they nevertheless evoked the medieval age well. They were detailed and showed action and emotion clearly.

If you like King Arthur retellings, try this book.

[Dimity Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the huge hardback tome of a book this first appears to be or maybe because of it, it is wholly engrossing yet a breeze to read - hard to walk away from in fact. Neatly and eloquently structured and written and Riddell's illustrations - ohh. Just experience it for yourself soon to complement your Camelot compendiums and knowledge.

[Ammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic book by Crossley-Holland! He is an exceptional storyteller, and the narrator for this one was just as wonderful!

The book's illustrations are lovely but very graphic for a junior book. I would highly recommend the audiobook for preteens on up, but the book would be better for closer to high school.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story better than the illustrations which were sometimes grotesque and featured an Arthur who looked too much like depictions of Jesus for comfort. I think it's tough to tell the Arthur story for young ears since it's so horrible, and Crossley-Holland did well.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful language, glorious illustrations - a wonderful read and a classic addition to the Arthur legend retellings

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning book both for its narrative and wonderful illustrations.

[Anna Hopkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this read. It was an easy to read retelling of the Arthurian legend with beautiful illustrations by the amazing Chris Riddell.

[LudmilaM · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. Writing beautiful, poetic and wise, the mythology aspect stays closest to as we know it. Great illustrations.

[Perry Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging, well written narrative that tells the story of King Arthur and the trials set upon he and his round table.

[Nelson Soriano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusto poder tener en un solo libro las historias de este legendario personaje y de paso de los caballeros que hacen parte de su famosa, mesa redonda.

[stillme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeously illustrated and timeless version of Arthurian legend.

[Anne Meester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violent and dramatic, but gorgeous!

[Chris Wetwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Verschrikkelijk krukkige vertaling naar het Nederlands (demons ipv demonen, etc). Te uitleggerig over de middeleeuwen.

[Mary Sasala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and exciting look at the Arthurian Legends.

[Erika M.B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s nice and short, but missed a lot of important details that I was seeking out the book for. Great if you just want an overview.