Member Review
Review by
Jeffrey B, Reviewer
A WORTHY NEW ENTRY TO ARTHURIAN LORE Jeffrey Bampos
I have had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of this book by Chris Gidlow. The reader is in good hands from the start as Gidlow is the author of "The Reign of Arthur", a non-fiction exploration of the legendary king's historical reality. I have read that book, and Gidlow, a member of the Oxford Arthurian Society, provides intriguing theories on the subject.
In his first novel, "Arthur the Soldier", the author creates an immersive world of post-Roman Britain, with all of its dark-age drama. It is written in a truly bardic style, and the characters and setting are very Celtic. In the back of the book, there is a list of characters and places. I suggest the reader tackle this first to understand this world better.
Here we meet not only Arthur, always referred to as "the Soldier", but his companions, also with their Celtic names and descriptive nicknames. Gidlow's narrator describes these colorful characters delightfully. Hair color, clothing, distinct ornamentation, all of these are included to give a real sense of these boastful, independent folks. The story revolves around Arthur's mission to restore unity and peace to Britain until the Emperor returns to reclaim the land. But first, he must convince the skeptical kings that he is the heir to Uthyr Pendragon. The pace is leisurely, as there are two more books in the series, called "The Ruin of Britain". I encourage Arthurian buffs and fans of heroic literature to read this delightful addition to King Arthur's fascinating world.
I have had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of this book by Chris Gidlow. The reader is in good hands from the start as Gidlow is the author of "The Reign of Arthur", a non-fiction exploration of the legendary king's historical reality. I have read that book, and Gidlow, a member of the Oxford Arthurian Society, provides intriguing theories on the subject.
In his first novel, "Arthur the Soldier", the author creates an immersive world of post-Roman Britain, with all of its dark-age drama. It is written in a truly bardic style, and the characters and setting are very Celtic. In the back of the book, there is a list of characters and places. I suggest the reader tackle this first to understand this world better.
Here we meet not only Arthur, always referred to as "the Soldier", but his companions, also with their Celtic names and descriptive nicknames. Gidlow's narrator describes these colorful characters delightfully. Hair color, clothing, distinct ornamentation, all of these are included to give a real sense of these boastful, independent folks. The story revolves around Arthur's mission to restore unity and peace to Britain until the Emperor returns to reclaim the land. But first, he must convince the skeptical kings that he is the heir to Uthyr Pendragon. The pace is leisurely, as there are two more books in the series, called "The Ruin of Britain". I encourage Arthurian buffs and fans of heroic literature to read this delightful addition to King Arthur's fascinating world.
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