Arthur

By: Giles Kristian

Narrated by: Philip Stevens

Brought to you by Penguin.

Years have passed since the clash of shieldwalls echoed across the land. The Saxons are now the lords of Britain. And yet the bards still sing of Arthur - 'In our darkest time, when we need him most, shall he come again.'

Yet old Beran has no love of bards' songs. Nor of people, unless they are paying him to steal or kill. He is a mercenary, in the employ of the cutthroat Nabor ap Nabor, and he has been ordered to murder a boy fleeing a burning city. No ordinary boy either. No, this boy is the son of King Constantine and the grandson of High King Ambrosius. And he could be the hope of Britain...if he lives.

Betraying his companions and returning to a world he thought he had left forever, Beran gives his word that he will take the boy to the one place that still holds out against the Saxons: Camelot.

Crossing a hostile land, they will meet the runaway lovers, Tristan and Isolde. They will seek the help of Guivret, called the Little King, and the Saracen, Palamedes, who once rode beneath Arthur's banner.

Hunted by Saxons, Nabor ap Nabor, and Queen Morgana, this unlikely band must fight for their lives and for each other. For if there's to be any hope for Britain, Beran must deliver the boy to Camelot. But to do that, he must also face his own past...

©2024 Giles Kristian (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Superb . . . authentic and terrifying . . . fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Winter King trilogy will devour this and conclude that Kristian has surpassed the Master. (Antonia Senior)

For me, Arthur is Kristian’s crowning achievement. Taken together, his trilogy will surely stand in a high place of honour among the many great retellings of the legend of Arthur. (THEODORE BRUN, author of The Wanderer Chronicles)

The best re-telling of Arthur's legend I've read . . . Giles brings Dark Age Britain to life in a way no one else could. He touches all your senses, from the sight of a rook in flight to the smell of Britain's rich earth. Every bird, tree, landmark or hilltop painted in vivid colour for the reader as they travel through the Dark Isles in the midst of legends of old . . . bloody and glorious, and very well done. (ADAM LOFTHOUSE, author of Ravensworn)

Every now and then, a book comes along that stands head and shoulders above the rest . . . it is perfection. If there is only one book you read this year, make sure it is Arthur by Giles Kristian. (Sharon Bennett Connolly)

Fantastic!

This was one of the best retelling of the legend of Arthur, the story and performance were fantastic.

wow

I absolutely loved these series of books. This was perfect ending. if you are a fan of Authorion legend and marvel comics, think of this as Old Man Logan meets King Arthur.