This seventh book in the Swithin series about the King Arthur legend, has a number of interconnected stories all happening throughout the book. It begins with the focus on two knights, Balin and Balan, and twines their story, Arthur’s courtship of Lady Guenivere, the war with King Lot, King Mark, and others, the family Grail knights seeking to redeem themselves in God’s eyes, and several other events happening at the same time. In other words, a lot happens quickly in this novel.
I read a review copy of this novel. I loved the intertwining storylines and the character growth that both the main and minor characters of the King Arthur legends experience. King Arthur may be the main focus of most legends and stories about Camelot, but there is so much more to his story. Mr. Telek has based his series on historical legends and texts, and these books show us much more than simply the familiar story of King Arthur, Merlin, Queen Guenivere, Sir Lancelot, and Mordred that many of us grew up reading. There is much more to the story of Camelot than we ever knew, though not all of it is the pleasant story that we may remember. There is a darker side to some of the story that most authors do not include in their tales. And while Mr. Telek does not shy away from the darker elements of the story, he does show them tactfully and gives the context of why such events happened. (One of those events took place during book six in the series, and the consequences of those actions are now being felt in book seven.)
Mr. Telek shows us the flaws in these legendary characters, as well as their heroism, and gives us reasons to enjoy these new aspects of characters that we may have thought we knew well. In truth, there is much more to each of them that many of us were likely unaware of, and it brings a new, and enjoyable, depth to this familiar tale. I am looking forward to seeing where we are taken next on this journey of King Arthur, his knights, and Camelot.
I have enjoyed learning new information and a somewhat different look at the King Arthur legends. This story is certainly a unique look at a familiar tale. I also enjoyed the inclusion at the end of the novel by the author regarding the information that he used to write this book. Some of it I was familiar with, some of it I was not. But it does add a great deal of context to know where some of the plot points in this book were originally found in his research, as well as a hint of what is to come in the future for this series.
I believe that anyone who enjoys reading stories about King Arthur, Merlin, Camelot, and any of the many legends that have been written about them will enjoy this book. Yes, there are some dark moments, but I believe they add a bit or a more realistic approach to this legendary story. And I am very much looking forward to getting to read the next book in this series.
Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.
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