Arthur, Giles Kristian
Arthur, Giles Kristian
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Arthur

Author: Giles Kristian

Narrator: Philip Stevens

Unabridged: 16 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/06/2024


Synopsis

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

Reviews

Goodreads review by John on July 30, 2024

Loved this. 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.......more

Goodreads review by William on June 06, 2024

Very lucky that the publishers have sent me an ARC of Arthur in return for an honest review! “He watched them die, those horse lords. Those gods of war. The clamour of it ebbed even as the light leached from the land, but he knew he would hear it always. He watched until it was done.” We follow a grim......more

Goodreads review by James on July 11, 2024

Arthur is the dramatic and emotional third entry in Giles Kristian's thrilling The Arthurian Tales trilogy. After a striking and moving prologue, Arthur introduces readers to Beran. He is a grizzled old warrior who runs with a group of ruthless mercenaries. Beran is gruff, tough, and does not care m......more

Goodreads review by Hamad on August 21, 2025

Lancelot ★★★★★ Camelot ★★★★ Arthur ★★★★ I’m honestly shocked that this series hasn’t gotten more recognition, this final installment in The Arthurian Tales has fewer than 1,000 ratings, and it deserves so much more. Arthur brings the series to a powerful and satisfying close, with Kristian once again p......more

Goodreads review by Clemens on May 17, 2025

This excellent book is the 3rd and final volume of the "Arthurian Tales" by Giles Kristian. At the beginning of the book you'll find a well-drawn map of "the Kingdoms of Britain after the fall of Arthur", while at the back there's an Author's Note where the historical details and mythical elements ar......more


Quotes

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

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.

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.

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.

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. HISTORY...THE INTERESTING BITS!

A tale elegantly and expertly told; Kristian's novels are the modern exemplar of the Arthurian mythos.

Absorbing and gripping . . . Arthur is a moving, atmospheric, and enthralling experience that culminates the Arthurian Tales in the best possible manner. GRIMDARK