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Date Posted: 16:07:03 08/11/08 Mon
Author: Kirsten
Subject: I've put a copy of the review of Helen Hollick's Pendragon series inside. I've read quite a lot about Arthur both fiction and non fiction and these books just grabbed me from start to finish and I could re-read them over again. >>>
In reply to: Kirsten 's message, "I am a huge fan of Bernard Cornwell but I know that some of his series aren't so easy to get along with - the Arthur series being one of them. I much preferred the Arthur trilogy by Helen Hollick and posted a detailed review when Sassenach Musings was still on the go. My favourite books by Bernard Cornwell have been the current series about the Saxons and Vikings at the time of Alfred the Great with Uhtred as the main character. The first book is 'The Last Kingdom' and there have been four so far. I also loved the trilogy about Thomas of Hookton the archer in the Grail Quest series. I've just read the first two in a trilogy he wrote with his wife about the Lazender family - different but highly enjoyable. DH is a big fan of his 'Sharpe' series but I haven't read any of those - yet!" on 16:00:17 08/11/08 Mon

‘The Kingmaking’
‘Pendragon’s Banner’
‘Shadow of the King’

Author : Helen Hollick


Genre : Historical Fiction


This trilogy is the story of The Pendragon; warrior, warlord, Supreme King – Arthur. This is not the Arthur of the Mallory tales with their courtly love and chivalry. Forget that, this Arthur can be cruel, ruthless, a killer with a violent temper, he is also pagan, promiscuous and a habitual liar. Despite these failings, he can be very appealing and likeable; he has a large degree of vulnerability and insecurity, stemming from a childhood in which he was unwanted, ill treated and unloved, as it was not known that he was the only son of Uther Pendragon, the king. His identity had been hidden for his own safety.

Arthur’s great redeeming feature throughout these books is his deep love for, and dependency on the beautiful Gwenhwyfar, his wife and the love of his life. In keeping with the times, she is no courtly lady, she was brought up to fight and to use weapons and she takes her place by Arthur’s side in some of the many battles against the invading Saxons, she too can be a ruthless killer when necessary. Arthur and Gwenhwyfar inspire great respect, devotion and love from his people and his elite fighting force, the Artoriani, although he does also have enemies who do not share his vision of how he thinks Britain ought to be.

The story begins in 450 AD, when Arthur is only 15, the Romans have left Britain and the country is in turmoil, these books are peopled by memorable characters, some truly vile and there is a lot of violence in the telling of Arthur’s story. There is also heroism, pathos, passion and heartbreak. I was totally swept along with the telling of the story and found it difficult to put the books down.

Helen Hollick freely admits in her Author’s notes that as so little is known for certain about the so called Dark Ages, she has been able to use her imagination more than is usual in fact based historical novels. She goes to great lengths to explain the reasons why she decided certain events happen as they do in her stories and why she developed characters in a particular way.

Historical characters are mingled with those from legend i.e. Uther Pendragon, Cerdic, Vortigern, Ambrosius Aurelius, Bedwyr, Cei, Medraut, and Morgaine but there is no Lancelot or Merlin. There is no magic in the books, unless you count the effect on the reader, and as Lancelot was a later addition to the Arthurian legends, he has no place in the telling of Arthur’s life as it may have been.

I have read many books about King Arthur, both fiction and non fiction, and in my opinion, this is the most realistic of them all. We will probably never know for sure a great deal about him but in my opinion Helen Hollick has shown us how the life and times of King Arthur could have been and has created a truly memorable character.

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