Arthur
Published on 27. February 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
512 pages
978-0-552-17852-5 (ISBN)
Description
Antonia Senior in The Times said:
'Superb . . . authentic and terrifying . . . fans of Bernard Cornwell's Winter King trilogy will devour this and conclude that Kristian has surpassed the Master.'
And readers are loving ARTHUR . . .
'By far the best Arthurian story I have had the honour to read.' *****
'Brilliant writing, excellent characterization, and immersive storytelling.' *****
'I've adored this trilogy. The best re-telling of Arthur's legend I've read, and I'd include Cornwell's in that.' *****
'The ending is bloody and glorious, and very well done. One last thunder of hooves, one last trill of the trumpets. I'm just gutted it's over, I could have read on and on.' *****
'Enough originality and sheer writing talent to make it a literary must.' *****
'This is proper storytelling that does not let down those characters of legend.' *****
Years have passed since the clash of shield-walls 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.'
Ageing mercenary Beran has no love of bards' songs. Nor of people. Unless they are paying him to steal or kill. Now he has been ordered to murder a boy. But this is no ordinary child. The son of King Constantine and the grandson of High King Ambrosius, this boy could be the saviour of Britain . . . if he lives.
Betraying his companions and returning to a world he believed he'd forsaken, Beran vows to take the boy to the one place that still holds out against the invader: Camelot.
Hunted by Saxons, Queen Morgana and those he deceived, he will seek the help of Guivret, called the Little King, and the Saracen, Palamedes who once rode beneath Arthur's banner. They will meet the doomed lovers, Tristan and Isolde. And they will 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. And to do that, he must come to terms with his past . . .
Arthur is the breathtaking new novel from the author of the bestselling Lancelot, hailed 'a masterpiece' by Conn Iggulden.
'Superb . . . authentic and terrifying . . . fans of Bernard Cornwell's Winter King trilogy will devour this and conclude that Kristian has surpassed the Master.'
And readers are loving ARTHUR . . .
'By far the best Arthurian story I have had the honour to read.' *****
'Brilliant writing, excellent characterization, and immersive storytelling.' *****
'I've adored this trilogy. The best re-telling of Arthur's legend I've read, and I'd include Cornwell's in that.' *****
'The ending is bloody and glorious, and very well done. One last thunder of hooves, one last trill of the trumpets. I'm just gutted it's over, I could have read on and on.' *****
'Enough originality and sheer writing talent to make it a literary must.' *****
'This is proper storytelling that does not let down those characters of legend.' *****
Years have passed since the clash of shield-walls 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.'
Ageing mercenary Beran has no love of bards' songs. Nor of people. Unless they are paying him to steal or kill. Now he has been ordered to murder a boy. But this is no ordinary child. The son of King Constantine and the grandson of High King Ambrosius, this boy could be the saviour of Britain . . . if he lives.
Betraying his companions and returning to a world he believed he'd forsaken, Beran vows to take the boy to the one place that still holds out against the invader: Camelot.
Hunted by Saxons, Queen Morgana and those he deceived, he will seek the help of Guivret, called the Little King, and the Saracen, Palamedes who once rode beneath Arthur's banner. They will meet the doomed lovers, Tristan and Isolde. And they will 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. And to do that, he must come to terms with his past . . .
Arthur is the breathtaking new novel from the author of the bestselling Lancelot, hailed 'a masterpiece' by Conn Iggulden.
Reviews / Votes
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 * THE TIMES * Giles Kristian is a sure hand. Great ending and a talented author. * Conn Iggulden, Daily Express * A truly excellent finale to a wonderful trilogy. Gritty and heartbreaking, this is a novel that grabs you and sweeps you along to its emotional and bittersweet ending. A must read. -- JOHN GWYNNE, author of The Faithful and the Fallen 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 Giles Kristian's Arthur is brilliant . . . it is a rare gift to be able to transport readers into such an ancient and alien time and make them smell, see, hear and experience every battle, each sword thrust or step of a journey as if they were physically there. But Kristian has that gift in spades . . . an exquisitely poignant and perfect ending. -- KAREN MAITLAND, author of Company of Liars 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 Shines out like a beacon . . . the characters scarred and ravaged by time, it pulls no punches in its depiction of the dark ages, these were brutal and hard times . . . the ending is sublime . . . full of heart and emotion . . . had me spellbound throughout. * AMWBOOKS * 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 * HISTORY...THE INTERESTING BITS! * A tale elegantly and expertly told; Kristian's novels are the modern exemplar of the Arthurian mythos. -- RICHARD SWAN , author of the 'Empire of the Wolf' trilogy Absorbing and gripping . . . Arthur is a moving, atmospheric, and enthralling experience that culminates the Arthurian Tales in the best possible manner. * GRIMDARK *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Transworld Publishers Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
350 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-552-17852-5 (9780552178525)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Giles Kristian
Arthur
A gripping, must-read retelling of the legend from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot
E-Book
06/2024
Transworld Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Family history (he is half Norwegian) and a passion for the fiction of Bernard Cornwell inspired GILES KRISTIAN to write. Set in the Viking world, his bestselling 'Raven' and 'The Rise of Sigurd' trilogies have been acclaimed by his peers, reviewers and readers alike. In The Bleeding Land and Brothers' Fury, he tells the story of a family torn apart by the English Civil War. He also co-wrote Wilbur Smith's No.1 bestseller, Golden Lion. His contemporary survival thriller, Where Blood Runs Cold, won the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. With his Sunday Times bestseller Lancelot, Giles plunged into the rich waters of the Arthurian legend. His epic reimagining of our greatest island 'history' continued in Camelot and draws to a breath-taking close with Arthur.
Giles Kristian lives in Leicestershire.
To find out more, visit www.glieskristian.com. You can follow him on X @GilesKristian and Facebook/Giles Kristian
Giles Kristian lives in Leicestershire.
To find out more, visit www.glieskristian.com. You can follow him on X @GilesKristian and Facebook/Giles Kristian