Shadow of the King

Pendragon's Banner #3

by Helen Hollick

They knew what was coming. Man and beast knew what lay ahead. After the war cry. Bitter the grave. At long last, the peace King Arthur was born to usher in has settled over the realm. But Arthur was also born to be a warrior… and all true warriors are restless without a fight. Yearning for battle and ever-loyal, Arthur is easily deceived into setting sail for Gaul to defend its territories―leaving his country vulnerable and leaderless. A beacon of hope in a land of desolation, he was to be the Lord of the Summer Land for now and forever. But first, the Pendragon must face the ultimate test, one that will take all his courage, strength of will, and honor to survive. Because once destiny is fulfilled, can you ever truly win again? "Helen Hollick has it all. She tells a great story…" ―Bernard Cornwell "Hollick's interpretation is bold, affecting, and well worth fighting to defend." ― Publishers Weekly

Genres: Historical Fiction, Arthurian, Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology, British Literature, Historical

672 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

About the author

I escaped London in January 2013 to live in North Devon - but was born in Walthamstow, North East London in 1953 I began writing at the age of 13. Desperately wanting a pony of my own, but not being able to afford one, I invented an imaginary pony instead, writing stories about our adventures together at every spare opportunity. In the seventies I turned to science fiction - this was the age of Dr. Who, Star Trek and Star Wars. I still have an unfinished adventure about a bit of a rogue who travelled space with his family, making an honest(ish) living and getting into all sorts of scrapes. Perhaps one day I might finish it.

I had wanted to become a journalist when leaving secondary school, but my careers advice was not helpful. "Don't be silly," I was told, "you can't type." (I still can't, I use four fingers.) Instead, I worked in a Chingford library where I stayed for 13 years although I was not very happy there - I did not realise it, but I wanted to write. The one advantage of the library, however, was the access to books, and it was there that I came across the Roman historical novels of Rosemary Sutcliff, the Arthurian trilogy by Mary Stewart, and the historian Geoffrey Ashe. I was hooked on Roman Britain - and King Arthur!

Reading everything I could, I eventually became frustrated that novels were not how I personally felt about the matter of Arthur and Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere).

By this time, I was married with a young daughter. I had time on my hands and so I started writing my idea of Arthurian Britain . I deliberately decided not to include Merlin and Lancelot, there was to be no magic or Medieval myth. My book was to be a "what might have really happened" historical novel, not a fantasy, and most certainly not a romance! What I didn't know, when I started, was that my one book was to grow into enough words to make a complete trilogy.

I found an agent who placed me with William Heinemann - I was accepted for publication just after my 40th birthday. The best birthday present I have ever had.

I had previously had a smaller success with a children's personal safety book (stranger danger) called "Come and Tell Me," a little story that I had written for my daughter when she was 3. I wanted to tell her how to keep safe in a clear and simple manner - with a message that could be easily remembered. "Always come and tell me before you go anywhere with anyone" fitted nicely. I was immensely proud when my little story was taken up as an official safety book by the British Home Office to be used nationally by the police and schools. An updated and revised version of "Come and Tell Me" was re-published by Happy Cat Books but is now out of print.

I followed on with two Saxon period novels A Hollow Crown and Harold the King - both are about the people and events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 - from the English point of view.
(these titles are published as The Forever Queen and I Am The Chosen King in the US)

When Heinemann did not re-print my backlist I took my books to a small UK independent publisher with their even smaller mainstream imprint, adding my historical adventure series the Sea Witch Voyages to my list.
Unfortunately Discovered Authors / Callio Press, were not as organised as they should have been and the company closed in the spring of 2011. Not wanting my books to fall out of print in the UK I took them to an indie company - SilverWood Books of Bristol UK - and with their technical assistance "self published"

I am also with Sourcebooks Inc in the US, with Artemis Yayinlari in Turkey, Sadwolf in Germany at Catnip Edizioni in Italy.
I was delighted to make the USA Today bestseller list in 2011 with The Forever Queen (US title of A Hollow Crown)

I have published two non-fiction books: Pirates Truth and Tales with Amberley Press and Smugglers : Fact and Fiction with Pen & Sword.

I also run an historical fiction review blog, Discovering Diamonds, with a dedicated and enthusia

Reviews

[Peggyzbooksnmusic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the final entry in this trilogy. Rated this title 3 stars as I felt it could have been 100 pages shorter. Overall I would give the series as a whole 4 stars.

Heartbreaking ending to a well written retelling of the Arthurian legend.

[Malacima · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always a risk to try to write a new take on the Camelot legend. I gave this trilogy the 4 stars because this is one of the few books about King Arthur who has no magic, fantasy, and very little mythology and the efforts the author has invested in reading various chronicles and wants to portray Arthur as the real person who lived according to his time. I can't say anything about the historical accuracy (who can?) but as a work of historical fiction, I enjoyed it. A novel full of adventure and love story between King Arthur and Gwenhwyfar. The book is written from a modern point of view, although it contains Welsh and Roman names and other stuff suitable for that time. Personally, I really don't like it when authors bring up religions in books but it was necessary in the book to be added to understand some things. This is a novel about King Arthur based on various theories about him, but written with the imagination and artistic freedom of the author and as such you should read it.

[Amy Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third and final installment of Helen Hollick’s Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy, Shadow of the King, finds Arthur and Gwen at Caer Caden, their kingdom in Britain. Arthur has been king for 11 years and though they are both still grieving over the deaths of their sons, they are basking in the love of their baby daughter.

Arthur is sent on a fool’s errand to Gaul under the pretext of war, but this turns out to be a ploy to get him away from his kingdom, leaving it vulnerable to invaders. Namely, his uncle Ambrosius, whose ultimate goal is to bring Britain back under the fold of Rome. But, Ambrosius is not the only one gunning for Arthur’s downfall and he again must prove that he is the Pendragon.

It’s rare that you find a trilogy where all 3 books hold up against each other. There’s bound to be one that‘s not quite as good as the others ….not so with this trilogy. I loved every one of them and I can tell you right now that I will be re-reading them again.

What I liked most about Shadow of the King was how we saw Arthur dealing with defeat for the first time and how he comes to terms with it. Hollick has a talent with bringing her characters to life – no one-dimensional people here – but I feel like I really got to know Arthur, faults and all and it made me love him even more. And who could not like Arthur’s queen, Gwen, who is the quintessential heroine …strong, courageous and fierce! And Arthur’s band of Artoriani are brave, loyal men who live to serve their King with everything they have. With their help, Arthur is able to shed his cloak of self doubt and return to Britain, to fight for his kingdom.

We meet up again with Winifred, Arthur’s first wife who he set aside to marry Gwen. Still calling herself Lady Pendragon, she will do anything in her power to get the crown for their son Cerdic. This tenacious ambition of hers will ultimately lead to her downfall. Cerdic, who loathes his father, the Pendragon and who has made it his lifelong mission to kill Arthur and take his lands has teamed up with the Saxons and invades Britain.

There isn’t one thing about this book that I didn’t like. Hollick’s writing is one of the best I’ve come across and her descriptions are so vivid that it seems as if there’s a movie screen in front of you, playing out the scenes as you’re reading. The characters emotions are very real and so relatable that you feel yourself empathize with them even if they are one of the villains! How I would love to see this novel on the big screen, but then again, I don’t think anyone could do it justice. (besides your own imagination).

Now, for those of you that may be put off by the size of this book…don’t be! It may seem huge, but with the chapters at 2-3 pages each it flows really quickly. I know I was so enthralled that I didn’t even look at the page numbers. Well, that is until the end when I knew I only had a few left and then I was like NOOOOOOO and read really slowly until the last page, savoring every word like a priest savors meat before lent.
Oh, and let me warn you – make sure you have some Kleenex handy and also, make sure your loved one isn’t in the room with you, so that they can’t make fun of you for crying about people you didn’t even know! Heehee.

Highly Recommended!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

From My Blog...[return][return]Shadow of the King is the third book in Helen Hollick's Pendragon Series, which opens with King Arthur, his wife Gwenhwyfar and their daughter Archfedd living at Caer Caden. Arthur is now 33 and has been King of Greater and Lesser Britain for 11 years and while Winifred's second husband, Leofric, has passed away, she continues to remain a threat to Arthur even though they have been legally divorced for 13 years. Their son Cerdic has run off to his step-father's lands hoping to one day claim his rightful lands held by Arthur but Cerdic is not alone when it comes to plotting and scheming for the throne and the lands owned by King Arthur. Helen Hollick does a superb job in this third novel, picking off where her second in the trilogy, Pendragon, left off. Political battles replace the more physical battles of her previous novels. King Arthur is summoned to help the Romans and what he believes will be a swift trip for him and his Artoriani turns out to be not at all what it first appeared. To say much more would give away the surprises that lie in store for Arthur, Caer Caden, as well as the reader. Suffice it to say, Hollick once again has written a novel that not only engages the reader, but keep the reader busy thinking with all of the politics, scheming, and plot twists. Shadow of the King is an excellent book in its own right and a brilliant finish for the trilogy. The Shadow of the King is a wonderful rendition of Hollick's view of the final battle for Camelot.

[Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it has been a struggle, Arthur and Gwenhwyfar have somehow managed to put their lives back together after the deaths of all three of their sons. Their small daughter and sole surviving child, Archfedd, is their joy and the kingdom of Britain their solace and responsibility. But they never can seem to agree when it comes to Arthur's decisions about the ruling of it.

An urgent summons for assistance from across the sea in Gaul arrives and Arthur, against Gwenhwyfar's pleading, cannot resist the promise of action. Despite the fact that his absence will leave Britain without a leader, he is restless and drawn to the excitement that battle brings.

The summons is a trap. After prolonged delays the battle is finally fought and Arthur is killed, as was intended by the plotters all along. Chaos and despair reign across Britain, there will never be another King like Arthur. As the fate of an entire nation hangs in the balance, those who loved him must try to pull together to save the island nation from being torn to pieces by those hungry for wealth and power.

As I've said before, this series is one of my very favorites. I read it years ago, in the 1990s, it played a large part in the development of my love for historical fiction. It doesn't get done any better than this! If you like historical fiction that comes alive, is thoroughly researched, smart and intricate, this is the series for you. Helen Hollick is, in a word, excellent. I can't recommend her or her novels any higher, they are simply the best. If you haven't read them yet, you are MISSING OUT!!!

[Elysium · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Arthur is planning to go fighting to Gaul for Rome yet all isn’t well in his kingdom. His uncle Aurelianus Ambrosius wishes to bring back old Roman ways and his son Cedric is starting to become a real problem.
Discovering treachery in Gaul, Arthur comes to realize he’s very close to defeat for the very first time on his career.

This is the final book of the trilogy and I’ve loved watching Arthur’s and Gwenhwyfar’s relationship through. It wasn’t easy marriage but I loved seeing how they managed to make it work despite everything.
Arthur is still a bastard at times but we see more humane and emotional side of him in this book. And I noticed there was no mentions of his women towards the end. I’d like to think he spent less time womanizing but I’m most likely just dreaming. He might be asshole most of the time but I still liked this realistic version of him.

It was great seeing Bedwyr and Ider again. Poor Bedwyr nearly got what he wanted…

The book started little slow and the parts during Arthur staying away from Britain dragged little bit but when he returned the book got lot better. Surprisingly I think the middle book was the best and for me didn’t have any dragging parts.

[Elaine Cougler · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many ways this third in the Pendragon trilogy was as satisfying as the first two but I had some issues with the writing. The author's sentence structure is careless at times and downright confusing at other times. A little more clarity would have been good. I did like the way she used phrases that conjured up history and made it seem like I was right back in the fifth century. At other times these seemed to intrude. Always there is a decision to be made as to whether the language should be of the period or of today.
I liked Hollick's imaginative way of looking at Arthur and Gwenhwyfar; sometimes their relationship frustrated me but it was very believable.
The whole idea of Arthur being dead was effective and led to Gwenhwyfar going to Less Britain on her own quest. Showing the effects of his tumultuous life on Arthur was very interesting and I liked the way it all unfolded. The novel is just so real. The characters have flaws, bad things happen to good people and the mythical Arthur and Gwenhwyfar are forever expunged. I enjoyed these three books very much and was glad when I found each succeeding one. Well done, Helen Hollick!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book the best of the three. There was a lot more suspense than in the first two. Arthur is badly wounded in battle in Gaul and is presumed dead, so his family tries to move on. This is just the beginning of Arthur's trials and tribulations that lead eventually to the climactic end.
The characters are either very likeable or so nasty that you want to find a time machine and take them out yourself.
This series is one of the better Arthurian series I have read. Hollick's Arthur is no knight in shining armor. He faces temptations of the flesh, and follows them. He loves and hates and feels pain like any other mortal and defends his hard earned kingdom through both bravery and deceit. All in all, a great read.

[Lucienne Boyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

So here I am at the end of the Pendragon series and it’s hard to tear myself away. There are a few very special books/series which you wish would never end, and for me the Pendragon trilogy is one of them. As with the first two books, this is notable for its lyrical descriptions, especially the close observation of nature – a bird in a hedge, the changing colours of dawn and dusk, the mists around Glastonbury Tor. It all conveys a sense of something eery about the British landscape with its standing stones and ancient graves. I particularly liked the way Arthur’s absence drives the story, and how that absence foreshadows the ending. A magnificent trilogy.

[Gilda Felt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last in the trilogy, I found it to be the best. There's a sense of fate drawing the characters to their respective destinies, especially as Arthur, Gwenhwyfar, and their contemporaries, age. Their world will end along with them, and the reader is left to wonder of what could have been. Though the book ends just shy of Arthur's death, which saved the reader from that tragedy, I would have loved for it to go on just a little longer, just long enough to know Gwenhwyfar's future.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic finish to this trilogy! Helen Hollick has done a wonderful job of weaving the web that is Arthur's story. I am a person who grew up with Arthur through "The Once and Future King" -- the story of Merlin entwined with the King. I love this trilogy so much that I didn't even miss Merlin!!!!
Read this!

[Sharon Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I much prefer this flawed, yet endearing version of Author. I don't need Merlin and Lancelot- this is indeed a great way for Author to be brought to life.

Sadly, after reading all 3 books- i admit i miss Author and his gang- what a great set of characters.

I enjoyed this- and will recommend to others.

[Chris Lange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fiction centered around King Arthur and Camelot, yet this novel (part of a trilogy) is ambitious, compelling, well written, and allows Gwenhwyfar to be a real heroine.

[Jeremiah Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book nearly killed my desire to ever read again. It was long, dull, and largely uneventful; much like life in an abandoned nunnery. I'm pretty sure Hollick realized this at some point, because the last third of the book felt as though she were simply trying to wrap up the story. It went something like this: "Some minor Characters died. Of Arthur's two illegitimate sons, the whiny wimp ran away. The crazy wimp tried to kill Arthur in battle several times but couldn't win until Arthur was old. Then Arthur died somehow. Probably because he wanted to. Guenhwyvar was old. The End." The first two thirds of the book went like this: "Arthur is sad because he lost a battle. He hid in the woods with his whiny wimp of a son and his half-sister/sometimes-girlfriend. Guenhwyvar found him because her story was not worth reading without Arthur and she craved the attention. Arthur was dull and briefly took on some of the wimpy characteristics of his whiny wimp son. That apparently improved because his wimpiness isn't mentioned after a while, but Arthur remained dull forever."

[Sandra Visser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Britain lies uneasily at peace, and Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain, is secure in his stronghold in the heart of the Summer Lands. Ever the fighter, he defies the advice of his wife, Gwenwhwyfar, to sail for Gaul to defend his territories in Less Britain, leaving his country vulnerable and leaderless.

When the word comes that the Pendragon has fallen in battle, Gwenwhwyfar, at Caer Cadon with their small daughter, faces overthrow by the powerful council, headed by Arthur’s uncle, anxious to reassert Roman ways. She must struggle to assure a future for herself and her daughter, opposed also by Arthur’s ambitious ex-wife, Winifred, keen to advance her own son, Cerdic, as the rightful heir.

But, unknown to Gwenwhwyfar, events abroad mean a far mightier battle for the Pendragon throne – and the very future of Britain itself – lies ahead.

Very entertaining, I enjoyed it a lot. You fall in love with the characters and it all feels real.

[Joan Fallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does one review a book that has kept you spellbound for evening after evening? Compared to Ms Hollick’s evocative writing my comments will seem lame. Her descriptions of the medieval world of warring Britain and its charismatic leader Arthur Pendragon bring this distant, bloody and confusing period to life. Maybe not historically accurate - but then not a lot is from the sixth century - but a very believable portrait of a warrior king and his brave queen. As this is book three in the series I had not expected Ms Hollick to keep the tension going, but she has and more so. Is he still alive? Or is he dead? The temptation to skip forward is great. Thank you for writing such an informative and riveting trilogy.
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[John Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

And here we find the reason for the weird chronology, which is that ... Arthur is Riothamus. Never mind that this is a theory that has been thoroughly rejected by Arthurian scholars, both skeptics and optimists with regards to his historicity, but it keeps rearing its head in modern Arthurian fiction. Other than that, my other reviews apply here - Hollick fails to write dark and gritty convincingly and clearly doesn't know much about Celtic Paganism, but I've given Shadow of a King a higher rating for one reason - I do think Mordred was written well as a character and a victim of fate.

[Alison Jeffreys · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you sit, as I have recently, and read one book in a series after another, by the time you get to the third, you feel like you have grown up with the characters. I have loved spending time with Arthur and Gwenhwyfar and I think in some ways, this, the last in the series, is my favourite. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed immersing myself in this type of sweeping saga and also how much I enjoy Helen Hollick's books. In this time of Corona Crisis, I shall be revisiting a few more, I think.

[Ben Page · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the others. First half was ok. Then a random end to a main enemy. Then it wallows for like 150 pages, then the ending is solid but I almost quit at 2/3 because it was going nowhere. The battle scenes are criminally not described. All this build up to the battles and then, wa, wa, waaaaa.

[Anne DiLorenzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally enjoy Helen Hollick’s books and did enjoy parts of this one as well. However, I did struggle with finishing it as the story tended to drag. Also, being a tale of Arthur Pendragon I knew it would not end well for him.

[Crystal Ellyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadow of the King Review!!!

I truly enjoyed this book and series!!!!! I love reading about King Arthur and Arthurian Legends! It was great and very interesting!!!!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll read just about any story based on the Arthurian legend. This was really well written and researched. I thoroughly enjoyed the series.

[Ashley Chaput · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 3.5, some parts are overly written and the book is too lengthy. Very good content overall.

[Jennifer Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

You're reading the last book of a really good series, and you try and go slow, but it's good, so you speed through it and then you have that letdown one experiences when the series is done. I'm sure others know the feeling I'm talking about.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished the trilogy. I'm actually kinda sad. Not only has the trilogy finished, but Arthur the scummy, manwhoring, cruel, bullying immoral bastard also died. It's wrong that it makes me sad, but I couldn't help but be somewhat attached to him, faults and all. It helped that he was mostly faithful in this book - I say mostly, there was the one exception but apart from that he wasn't as repellent as normal. The book starts with him taking a foolhardy mission to Gaul and getting stuck there for a year while Gwenhwyfar and their daughter Archefeld are back at home. The war wages and Arthur gets word about Gwen being sick and not expecting to live and he's wrecked and heads off to the battle (not before sleeping with his taken whore again right enough - gotta love Arthur) where he is badly injured and his men, believing that he is dead leave him behind as they go home. Morgaine who followed Arthur is the one who convinces the men to leave him with her, but then taking advantage of his weakened state and mental frailty since the defeat she conspires to make him stay.

In England Gwen is distraught and with the death of their sons in the last book she finds Arthur's uncle trying to exert his influence on the country and one of his tasks is to try and force her into marriage to try and curb her potential influence over the country. She tries to resist, until finally settling on marrying Arthur's cousin, Bedwyr but even with the knowledge that she cares for him, she can't fully commit to marriage and chooses to join a Holy house instead until word reaches her that Arthur may indeed be alive. She goes to try and reclaim him but Arthur's changed and at first resists until he realises that he's been drugged by Morgaine. Finally breaking free of her influence he takes Mordreud and rejoins his wife where they fight to reclaim the country back.

I really loved this book - it spans around thirty years and we get to see the true bond between Arthur and Gwenhwyfar as she coaxes him back to greatness and fights alongside him, shoulder to shoulder and as his equal in every other battle. The fights are brutal and the description of what happened to poor Ider (Gwenhwyfar's most loyal guard) and Archefeld's husband and child are truly horrific. Even Winfred's end at the hand of her own son was brutal (although it was hard to be overly sympathetic) but it didn't feel gratuitous. It was horrific and difficult to read, but it fit in the context of the times.

I loved that like so much in this story that it harped back to earlier legends although without Merdraud being the villain, just a foolish boy who was ultimately looking for his place and never being able to find it. (Although, ngl - I was almost hoping for the Mordred pulling Guinevere off her throne and beating her scene from some legends just because I wanted to see this Arthur's reaction - although I can imagine. When Mordraud kidnapped Gwen, Arthur nearly killed him so there was little chance he would have let anything else pass.) He didn't bring about Arthur's end, but he did die beside him and I was pleased for him. Ultimately after his mistakes he found his peace at long last. I think the fact that Cedric (Arthur's son to Winifred) won in the end makes it hard to forget. Ultimately any story on Arthurian legend is going to end tragically but the fact that it ended with them defeated like that and Cedric taking over the throne was hard to read. At least Arthur lived to an old age, and he died in Gwenhwyfar's arms which seemed fitting, because it was always about them. Everything, everyone else came and went but in the end it was always about them.

*sigh* I'm going to miss this series and I'm looking forward to being able to read it again in the future. I imagine it will get many re-readings in time.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last book in the trilogy tells of the last few years of Arthur's reign. It starts off with him leaving Britain to defend his land in France, but double crosses and miscommunications create chaos on both sides of the channel. With no male heir with Gwynhafwr, but a number of illegitimate sons, grandsons, ex-wives and lovers, enemies and even friends all clamouring for a piece of his kingdom when he's gone, nothing can stay quiet and calm for long.

Sadly, I think this is the weakest book of the trilogy - don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but I just didn't feel the same about it as the first too. The story is a bit disjointed - it's a brilliant, plausible reason for our legend that Arthur will return to Britain whenever it's in need. But I found it a bit disjointed and things kept happening for seemingly no reason other than to awkwardly move another character into place for something else to happen.

Still, I have read and enjoyed this trilogy a few times now and may well read it again in the future.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so completely and thoroughly obsessed with this author right now. As you all know I am an Arthurian Legend obsessed nut, so I was so thrilled to get this book for review. SOOO thrilled. 'Shadow of the King' is a the third book in the Pendragon's Banner Trilogy, and the copy I have is the reprint of this trilogy.

This whole trilogy is just beautiful, amazing, wonderful, and I could go on and on but you get the idea. I love how the author turns King Arthur into a man and then the King of legend. It's amazing to see the transformation in the characters and to read a story that shows King Arthur as he truly might have been as opposed to the magically enhanced version of the story that is so popular (nothing wrong with those either). The amount of research Ms. Hollick must have done is astounding because the detail in this book is wonderful. I highly recommend this trilogy to any Arthurian Legend nuts or anyone who just likes a great read.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book to end the trilogy! It was a little slow at first when Arthur was still in Gaul with Morgaine, and it seemed like it took half the books for Gwenhwyfar to find him. This was also the time that Gwenhwyfar was involved with Bedwyr (who I assume was suppose to be the Lancelot character in this book). Merdraut (Mordred), the son of Arthur and Morgaine (who was suppose to be his half-sister) was not the evil son as portrayed in other Arthur stories, but was a character to be pitied since no one, including Arthur, seemed to accept him. Cerdic (son of Winifred and Arthur) was the evil, loathsome fool who tried time and time again to take the title of Supreme King as his own. The only disappointing part of this story was where Cerdic finally succeeded at the end of the book. But I guess all good stories must come to an end...

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did love this series. Books that force research and leave a reader wanting to know more truths about the history behind the characters inspire me. It might be a while, but I will dive into more of Hollick's books, as this series has stirred my interests of British history beyond my normal Yorkshire and Batley interests. I think I said it before, but taking out the fantasy around King Arthur but leaving the bits of facts that have popped up in history are intriguing. Arthur's round table and an infamous stone even make an appearance in this series. :) I knew based on other reviews what would happen, there would be a definite end, but I was so pleased to have the suspense over the course of the novel and as each book did in this series, my attention was grabbed early on making the book harder to put down as the pages turned.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say about Helen Hollick's books that I haven't said before. She has truly made me a fan of King Arthur and I want to learn more about him and that time period. As in the second book, much of this material was new to me. It is not a book for "light" reading (no pun intended as it weighs in at 672 pages.) Helen Hollick really brings King Arthur's story to life and shows him with all his faults and imperfections as well as his strengths and great romances. Even though this book is the final in the series, it could easily be read as a stand alone - but I recommend the entire trilogy!