ARTHUR by Giles Kristian

Book Review

Christine Downie

Arthur is another triumph for Giles Kristian, an author I have followed for a while.  This book is the third in the Arthurian Tales trilogy, following the equally excellent Lancelot and Camelot.

Kristian is well known for his epic Viking novels and has now transitioned to a different kind of saga in post-Roman Britain with his own interpretation of the Camelot mythology, and the trilogy as a whole makes for a very satisfying read.  As the last in the trilogy, Kristian carries the momentum of the first two books effortlessly into the final stages with plot twists and flashback timelines that bring together all the threads left from the previous two novels.  This really isn’t a book to be read as a stand-alone story.  The value of the book is the satisfying conclusion of a long and epic tale.  Lancelot is the star of the first book, from childhood to hero of dark age Britain.  Galahad is the star of Camelot, from an awkward young man to picking up the legacy of the first book.  And finally, we have Beran as the star of the Arthur book, doing his best to save a young boy, Erbin, the next new hope for Britain against the invading Saxons.  Beran remembers the time of Arthur and Lancelot and the glory days of the Lords and Kings of Britain but is ageing and has fallen on hard times.  Helping the boy brings him back to the man he once was and reignites the fire in him to rise up and fight against those determined to overrun Britain.

I loved this book so much.  It is written with such care and attention to detail throughout the narrative and is rich with imagery and description.  It is a broken Britain at the mercy of the Saxon invaders, and the main protagonists live precarious lives in constant threat of discovery and capture.  Beran is so well drawn and is a hero worth cheering for.  The fact that he is an old man and his body is a faint echo of the vibrant warrior he once was gives his story weight and poignancy.  His struggle to protect the boy, Erbin, is not sentimental but, in fact, quite brutal in places and runs along at quite a pace.  The plot twists are satisfying and unexpected and perfectly placed in the narrative to push the plot forward.

I would recommend the entire trilogy.  Giles Kristian is a safe pair of hands when it comes to writing historical fiction and is a master of action and battle scenes.  But this interpretation of the Arthurian legend is fresh and well executed, with the excitement of the action overwritten and with a depth of emotion and tragedy that truly pulls at the heartstrings.