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The Silurian #6
Bedwyr's Loss
Freshly broken from his time in Cadwallon Longhand's war-host, reunited with Arthur, it is time for the Fox to begin the long journey to regain his place in the Clan Bear - and go to war against the mighty Angle warlord, the Atheling Colgrin.
303 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2010
1 person is currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Wilson
26 books22 followersUnique writer of Arthurian fiction; this is King Arthur like you have never read before, called The Silurian: the Silurian is Arthur, and this is his story told by his closest companion and foster-brother, Bedwyr, called The Fox.
There are ten books in the Silurian series, with book ten issue only as part one, The Wounded Bear. Part Two will follow in 2013.
Book One: The Fox and The Bear
Book Two: The King of Battles
Book Three: Arthur's Army
Book Four: Hunters and Killers
Book Five: Longhand, White-tooth and the Fox
Book Six: Bedwyr's Loss
Book Seven: The Blacksmith's Hammer
Book Eight: Facing the Bear
Book Nine: The Fox on the Water
Book Ten, Last Man to Avalon; Part ONE: The Wounded Bear
Book One of the series received an 'Honorary Mention' in the London Book Festival of 2007
My work has been describe as 'art', as intense and full of passion. The Silurian, a battleground of Saxon invasions and British survival, of loss and love and enduring resistance. Whatever The Silurian is, it is not in the mould of 'Lancelot loves Guinevere'; but in the true mould of Dark Age warriors, who fight for their lord in war-host to the very ends of the endurance, with Arthur at their head. This is not the romance of Merlin, Tristan, Lancelot, or the 'knights of the round table': this is real life in the raw,told in a unique first person narrative, in the unique style of Bedwyr, the Fox...
There are ten books in the Silurian series, with book ten issue only as part one, The Wounded Bear. Part Two will follow in 2013.
Book One: The Fox and The Bear
Book Two: The King of Battles
Book Three: Arthur's Army
Book Four: Hunters and Killers
Book Five: Longhand, White-tooth and the Fox
Book Six: Bedwyr's Loss
Book Seven: The Blacksmith's Hammer
Book Eight: Facing the Bear
Book Nine: The Fox on the Water
Book Ten, Last Man to Avalon; Part ONE: The Wounded Bear
Book One of the series received an 'Honorary Mention' in the London Book Festival of 2007
My work has been describe as 'art', as intense and full of passion. The Silurian, a battleground of Saxon invasions and British survival, of loss and love and enduring resistance. Whatever The Silurian is, it is not in the mould of 'Lancelot loves Guinevere'; but in the true mould of Dark Age warriors, who fight for their lord in war-host to the very ends of the endurance, with Arthur at their head. This is not the romance of Merlin, Tristan, Lancelot, or the 'knights of the round table': this is real life in the raw,told in a unique first person narrative, in the unique style of Bedwyr, the Fox...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 7, 2014
The Fox on the Water. A beautiful visual image, reinforced by the cover of the book. As soon as I started reading I was transported to a vivid world and the raw emotions of a time without the 21st century distractions of email, social media or on demand TV watching. A time when the awareness that death might arrive at any moment gave extra sweetness to life and love was all. Survival meant relying on others, group living and true deep friendship.The narrator, the awesome Prince Bedwyr, the Fox, has loved Arthur since boyhood. He and Arthur are now older, great warriors acknowledged as High King and High Prince of Britain.
When ‘The Fox on the Water’ begins, Arthur is away from Britain, fighting in Armorica (roughly equivalent to Brittany, in France). Bedwyr crosses the sea to join him with the Norse-men. Here I found the best evocation of a Viking journey I’d ever read. Sailing on a ‘vast open wilderness of water’ with the Norse Men, in their long-ship, Wave-Hound, Bedwyr is amazed by the ‘red sky, dark waves, sweet wind, cold, far, far, from land. This was a journey to the ends of the earth, would we fall over the edge?’ It really gave me a sense of wonder at the Norse-men/Vikings and their navigational and survival skills. Many adventures follow on from this one, much love and death, but also laughter. Arthur and the Fox both have a strong sense of humour!
I admit to being obsessed with 'The Silurian' series, for me the best ever re-telling of the Arthurian legends, the 'matter of Britain', a true myth. I'm totally addicted to the wild hallucinogenic writing of L.A. Wilson who I would name as Arthur's bard and poet. In all the books there is an intense sense of being alive. The past isn’t ‘another country’, it is now, and I always feel that events are actually happening as I read, taken into Bedwyr’s heart, living his life, moment by moment.
Bedwyr believes that he will live on after Arthur dies but that once his life is over, 'I would be with him forever in Avalon, where we would be lovers, such as we were not in this life, and there, we would not be judged or harmed, but free to love.' Beautiful. ‘The Fox on the Water’ is a message of love without prejudice, universal love, a powerful, passionate book.
When ‘The Fox on the Water’ begins, Arthur is away from Britain, fighting in Armorica (roughly equivalent to Brittany, in France). Bedwyr crosses the sea to join him with the Norse-men. Here I found the best evocation of a Viking journey I’d ever read. Sailing on a ‘vast open wilderness of water’ with the Norse Men, in their long-ship, Wave-Hound, Bedwyr is amazed by the ‘red sky, dark waves, sweet wind, cold, far, far, from land. This was a journey to the ends of the earth, would we fall over the edge?’ It really gave me a sense of wonder at the Norse-men/Vikings and their navigational and survival skills. Many adventures follow on from this one, much love and death, but also laughter. Arthur and the Fox both have a strong sense of humour!
I admit to being obsessed with 'The Silurian' series, for me the best ever re-telling of the Arthurian legends, the 'matter of Britain', a true myth. I'm totally addicted to the wild hallucinogenic writing of L.A. Wilson who I would name as Arthur's bard and poet. In all the books there is an intense sense of being alive. The past isn’t ‘another country’, it is now, and I always feel that events are actually happening as I read, taken into Bedwyr’s heart, living his life, moment by moment.
Bedwyr believes that he will live on after Arthur dies but that once his life is over, 'I would be with him forever in Avalon, where we would be lovers, such as we were not in this life, and there, we would not be judged or harmed, but free to love.' Beautiful. ‘The Fox on the Water’ is a message of love without prejudice, universal love, a powerful, passionate book.
August 8, 2011
L.A. Wilson needs to finish this series like YESTERDAY! Haw dare he leave me hanging on like this, wondering when the end is going to come and how bad it might be, LOL. This series is like a novel version of John Boorman's legendary King Arthur film Excalibur. It's dark, gritty, sad, full of life, loss, humor and tears. By no means is it perfect--the lapses into modern speech and terminology can be grating at times, but not enough to stop me from utterly devouring it.
It takes the rare author to make me emotionally invested in the characters, and here Wilson succeeds admirably. I love Bedwyr. He makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me want to smack him in the head, makes me want to hug him until his heart mends. I also love Medraut--the man who just may be Arthur's ultimate nemesis. His life has been a tragedy and one cannot help but feeling compassion for a man who has known very little of love. I do find him far more honest in hiss love for men than Bedwyr, who has spent the entire series struggling with it. Medraut simply does not care, and in fact takes great pleasure in shocking people with it.
Arthur is an interesting character, though I don't always find him as compelling. Yet he has his own cross to bear--keeping his land safe from Saxon invaders--only to realize that all of his battles and the countless lives lost may mean little in the end.
Here, Bedwyr travels to Armorica against Arthur's orders (again) and in spite of a bardic prophecy that he will die on a foreign shore. What he finds is his friend and love a changed and dangerous man. He also finds the remnants of Clan Bear. Things have turned extremely dark as both men begin to examine just what it is they're fighting for. And there are even fiercer battles back at home, pitting Arthur and Gwenhyfar and their respective peoples. And a once-thought-lost lover returns...
It takes the rare author to make me emotionally invested in the characters, and here Wilson succeeds admirably. I love Bedwyr. He makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me want to smack him in the head, makes me want to hug him until his heart mends. I also love Medraut--the man who just may be Arthur's ultimate nemesis. His life has been a tragedy and one cannot help but feeling compassion for a man who has known very little of love. I do find him far more honest in hiss love for men than Bedwyr, who has spent the entire series struggling with it. Medraut simply does not care, and in fact takes great pleasure in shocking people with it.
Arthur is an interesting character, though I don't always find him as compelling. Yet he has his own cross to bear--keeping his land safe from Saxon invaders--only to realize that all of his battles and the countless lives lost may mean little in the end.
Here, Bedwyr travels to Armorica against Arthur's orders (again) and in spite of a bardic prophecy that he will die on a foreign shore. What he finds is his friend and love a changed and dangerous man. He also finds the remnants of Clan Bear. Things have turned extremely dark as both men begin to examine just what it is they're fighting for. And there are even fiercer battles back at home, pitting Arthur and Gwenhyfar and their respective peoples. And a once-thought-lost lover returns...
April 11, 2011
I have not read a book that affects me the way this series does in so long. The story and the characters are unique and yet the themes embedded within it are timeless. Loyalty, Brotherhood, Bravery in the face of adversity, suffering, fear. And Love. Unceasing love most of all. I feel as though these characters lived, truly lived, rather than being merely players inhabiting some lasting myth.
L.A Wilson has written Bedwyr and Arthur's journey beautifully and with such depth and genuine emotion. I am not one to cry when reading a book, but I have cried for these characters (and here I thought I had a heart of stone. HA!). But just when the story gets too painful, it is tempered with such tenderness. This series is amazing and I eagerly await the 10th and final book, I am sure it will break my heart and mend it all in one ( or at least I hope).
L.A Wilson has written Bedwyr and Arthur's journey beautifully and with such depth and genuine emotion. I am not one to cry when reading a book, but I have cried for these characters (and here I thought I had a heart of stone. HA!). But just when the story gets too painful, it is tempered with such tenderness. This series is amazing and I eagerly await the 10th and final book, I am sure it will break my heart and mend it all in one ( or at least I hope).
October 28, 2013
This last chapter hints of finality. Is it the end of wars and the beginning of another love or is death coming? Can the Fox and Marc build another life together that will please his King? Maybe so but the King and Prince are destined to death and heart break. Their years of battles and death have taken a heavy toll setting them up for a major battle defeat. They power may be short lived and fleeting.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews