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Dark Age #1
Pendragon
Here is the beginning of a legend. Long before Camelot rose, a hundred years before the myth of King Arthur was half-formed, at the start of the Red Century, the world was slipping into a Dark Age…
It is AD 367. In a frozen forest beyond Hadrian’s Wall, six scouts of the Roman army are found murdered. For Lucanus, known as the Wolf and leader of elite unit called the Arcani, this chilling ritual killing is a sign of a greater threat.
But to the Wolf the far north is a foreign land, a place where daemons and witches and the old gods live on. Only when the child of a friend is snatched will he venture alone into this treacherous world - a territory ruled over by a barbarian horde - in order to bring the boy back home. What he finds there beyond the wall will echo down the years.
A secret game with hidden factions is unfolding in the shadows: cabals from the edge of Empire to the eternal city of Rome itself, from the great pagan monument of Stonehenge to the warrior kingdoms of Gaul will go to any length to find and possess what is believed to be a source of great power, signified by the mark of the Dragon.
A soldier and a thief, a cut-throat, courtesan and a druid, even the Emperor Valentinian himself - each of these has a part to play in the beginnings of this legend…the rise of the House of Pendragon.
It is AD 367. In a frozen forest beyond Hadrian’s Wall, six scouts of the Roman army are found murdered. For Lucanus, known as the Wolf and leader of elite unit called the Arcani, this chilling ritual killing is a sign of a greater threat.
But to the Wolf the far north is a foreign land, a place where daemons and witches and the old gods live on. Only when the child of a friend is snatched will he venture alone into this treacherous world - a territory ruled over by a barbarian horde - in order to bring the boy back home. What he finds there beyond the wall will echo down the years.
A secret game with hidden factions is unfolding in the shadows: cabals from the edge of Empire to the eternal city of Rome itself, from the great pagan monument of Stonehenge to the warrior kingdoms of Gaul will go to any length to find and possess what is believed to be a source of great power, signified by the mark of the Dragon.
A soldier and a thief, a cut-throat, courtesan and a druid, even the Emperor Valentinian himself - each of these has a part to play in the beginnings of this legend…the rise of the House of Pendragon.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2017
About the author
James Wilde
16 books115 followersJames Wilde is a Man of Mercia. Raised in a world of books, the author studied economic history at university before travelling the world in search of adventure. Unable to forget a childhood encounter - in the pages of a comic - with the great English warrior, Hereward, Wilde returned to the haunted fenlands of Eastern England, Hereward’s ancestral home, where he became convinced that this legendary hero should be the subject of his first novel. Wilde now indulges his love of history and the high life in the home his family have owned for several generations in the heart of a Mercian forest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
July 14, 2017
Growing up in the United Kingdom, I’ve always felt that the Arthurian legends are stitched into the very fabric of British society. Everyone knows the names Arthur, Excalibur, Guinevere, Merlin and Camelot. These stories, names and places evoke ideals that everyone should aspire to. The narrative Wilde has created explores these same principles. Lucanus is driven by a sense of honour. He has vowed to ensure the people he cares for remain safe, and it becomes evident as the story progresses that he will do anything to achieve this aim. Like the Knights of Camelot, he feels it is his responsibility to defend the weak and powerless. His resolve is steadfast and contagious. The rest of the Arcani would happily walk into Hell for him and so they are happy to assist in any way they can. This group of scouts are more than just part of the same unit, they are a brotherhood.
Hands down my favourite character is Myrrdin, the enigmatic ‘wood priest’. He appears, some would say as if by magic, and guides Lucanus on his journey. Myrrdin is secretive, prone to mysterious pronouncements and more than likely knows far more than he is letting on. Initially, Lucanus is suspicious, and frustrated, by the priest’s arrival but the further they travel the more he begins to trust this strange man. From a plot standpoint, the character of Myrrdin adds an additional thread to the novel’s narrative. Through him, the author gets to explore differences and similarities between Christianity and the other religions that existed in that period.
The other standout character is Amarina. Not having been born into a life of privilege, she has come to rely solely on herself. Determined and resourceful, she is always focussed on the next opportunity to improve her station. Her actions are always quite controlled and watching how she acts and reacts to the situations around her is fascinating. She is neither good nor bad, she inhabits the grey area inbetween.
Meanwhile, in the heart of Rome, political intrigue is the order of the day. The Cult of Mithras and Christianity are at loggerheads, and a character called Corvus draws together his own plans. How these schemes relate to Lucanus is not immediately obvious, but as the plot unfolds Wilde’s writing draws these threads together masterfully.
James Wilde is the pen name of fantasy author Mark Chadbourn. I read the Age of Misrule trilogy some years ago at a friend’s recommendation, and it left such a distinct impression I re-read it on an annual basis. World’s End, Darkest Hour and Always Forever cover some similar thematic ground to Pendragon. Those who are familiar with that series will appreciate the subtle nods to those books that can be found if you choose to look. There is nothing too overt just passing references that the eagle-eyed amongst you are likely to spot.
Now I don’t want you thinking that Pendragon is an entirely cerebral affair, there is plenty of action to appreciate as well. The end of the Roman occupation of Britain was a brutal, uncertain time and violence never seemed to be that far away. To survive Lucanus, and the rest of the Arcani, need to fight and kill. It is a simple fact of their daily existence. Wilde doesn’t shy away from this element of the story, he embraces it. The battles that punctuate the narrative are intense, bloody affairs.
I do enjoy historical fiction, but I much prefer it when that historical fiction includes the merest hint of fantasy. Pendragon can really be viewed either way. The journey Lucanus takes features elements that could be interpreted in several ways. Personally, I veer towards the mystical as this ties in nicely with the Arthurian mythos. Myrrdin could be a simple priest or he could be something far more otherworldly. Viewing his potions with modern eyes, he could be using hallucinogenic plants to alter perception, or could it really be magic? The author leaves the choice entirely up to you. It is likely this will drive some readers nuts, but I like this sense of ambiguity. Authors like Theodore Brun and Snorri Kristjansson are also producing fiction in a similar vein and I love it all.
Though it works successfully as a standalone, Pendragon can also be viewed as the beginning of a much larger tale. The events weaving together aren’t just changing individual lives, they are shaping a nation. Wilde’s latest skillfully deconstructs the myths of Arthur and Camelot but creating a stunning prequel. I’m not surprised I enjoyed Pendragon, it is written by one of my favourite authors, and he knows just how to deliver when it comes to story and characters. Once again, he has created a novel that not only entertains but it forces the reader to engage their brain. Any book that leaves you thinking about its content is a winner. Fiction doesn’t get much better than that in my opinion.
Hands down my favourite character is Myrrdin, the enigmatic ‘wood priest’. He appears, some would say as if by magic, and guides Lucanus on his journey. Myrrdin is secretive, prone to mysterious pronouncements and more than likely knows far more than he is letting on. Initially, Lucanus is suspicious, and frustrated, by the priest’s arrival but the further they travel the more he begins to trust this strange man. From a plot standpoint, the character of Myrrdin adds an additional thread to the novel’s narrative. Through him, the author gets to explore differences and similarities between Christianity and the other religions that existed in that period.
The other standout character is Amarina. Not having been born into a life of privilege, she has come to rely solely on herself. Determined and resourceful, she is always focussed on the next opportunity to improve her station. Her actions are always quite controlled and watching how she acts and reacts to the situations around her is fascinating. She is neither good nor bad, she inhabits the grey area inbetween.
Meanwhile, in the heart of Rome, political intrigue is the order of the day. The Cult of Mithras and Christianity are at loggerheads, and a character called Corvus draws together his own plans. How these schemes relate to Lucanus is not immediately obvious, but as the plot unfolds Wilde’s writing draws these threads together masterfully.
James Wilde is the pen name of fantasy author Mark Chadbourn. I read the Age of Misrule trilogy some years ago at a friend’s recommendation, and it left such a distinct impression I re-read it on an annual basis. World’s End, Darkest Hour and Always Forever cover some similar thematic ground to Pendragon. Those who are familiar with that series will appreciate the subtle nods to those books that can be found if you choose to look. There is nothing too overt just passing references that the eagle-eyed amongst you are likely to spot.
Now I don’t want you thinking that Pendragon is an entirely cerebral affair, there is plenty of action to appreciate as well. The end of the Roman occupation of Britain was a brutal, uncertain time and violence never seemed to be that far away. To survive Lucanus, and the rest of the Arcani, need to fight and kill. It is a simple fact of their daily existence. Wilde doesn’t shy away from this element of the story, he embraces it. The battles that punctuate the narrative are intense, bloody affairs.
I do enjoy historical fiction, but I much prefer it when that historical fiction includes the merest hint of fantasy. Pendragon can really be viewed either way. The journey Lucanus takes features elements that could be interpreted in several ways. Personally, I veer towards the mystical as this ties in nicely with the Arthurian mythos. Myrrdin could be a simple priest or he could be something far more otherworldly. Viewing his potions with modern eyes, he could be using hallucinogenic plants to alter perception, or could it really be magic? The author leaves the choice entirely up to you. It is likely this will drive some readers nuts, but I like this sense of ambiguity. Authors like Theodore Brun and Snorri Kristjansson are also producing fiction in a similar vein and I love it all.
Though it works successfully as a standalone, Pendragon can also be viewed as the beginning of a much larger tale. The events weaving together aren’t just changing individual lives, they are shaping a nation. Wilde’s latest skillfully deconstructs the myths of Arthur and Camelot but creating a stunning prequel. I’m not surprised I enjoyed Pendragon, it is written by one of my favourite authors, and he knows just how to deliver when it comes to story and characters. Once again, he has created a novel that not only entertains but it forces the reader to engage their brain. Any book that leaves you thinking about its content is a winner. Fiction doesn’t get much better than that in my opinion.
December 29, 2018
This fascinating book by James Wilde is a story about Roman Britain where its occupants, the various Celtic tribes and other Barbarian tribes and the Romans, will fight each other for domination of Britannia towards the Dark Ages.
Its certainly another marvellous book with wonderful storytelling and which is beautifully pictured with great fighting scenes and superb interaction between all the characters, whether they are real or fictional people, and its a book with a great feel for the historical atmosphere of these times.
As far as possible the book is historically sound from whatever is known from that period of history, and the rest is magnificently put into a feel of legend of the highest calibre.
The tale will set off in the year AD 367 beyond Hadrian's Wall in Britannia, and from that point on the tale will develop into something absolutely worth reading from start to finish.
Its a marvellous historical adventure full of betrayal and bloodshed, and which is set when times are heading towards the Dark Ages and within these times civilization is foundering and thus this world is in need of a hero.
The book is divided into three parts, and the main action in part 1 is that Lucanus, the Wolf, in an attempt to save Marcus, son of Catia, from the clutches of the northern tribes, is being lured into the forests by the three witches, the old, middle and young one, all named Hecate, and also by the wood-priest/ Druid, Myrrdin, and they will bestow upon Lucanus to become the protector of the future King of Britannia, a King who will never die, and also become the leader of the tribes of Britannia.
In part 2 it will tell us about Gaia's secret in Rome, who's the mother of Ruga and Corvus and of the bloodline, but she's also Catia's mother, the girl she left behind in Britannia with the wolves after leaving her then husband Menius, and she's now plotting with her son Ruga with the cult of Mithras, while in Britannia itself the Romans are being driven and overwhelmed by the onrushing barbarian tribes at Hadrian's Wall and fleeing for their lives going south.
Part 3 is mainly about the struggle for survival for Lucanus, now crowned the Pendragon (Head of the Dragon), as leader of the Briton tribes, and thus fighting with his brothers, the Grim Wolves, to protect the people of Britannia in an attempt to bring the Briton tribes together and so to bring about the possibility of this future King who will not die, while in Rome Corvus by branding himself with the Serpent, is plotting to get his share of fame by marrying the witch Hecate, and have a son who will also be then of the bloodline.
Very much recommended, for this is a most astounding book to read, and therefore I would like to call it: "A Brilliant Legendary Begin"!
Its certainly another marvellous book with wonderful storytelling and which is beautifully pictured with great fighting scenes and superb interaction between all the characters, whether they are real or fictional people, and its a book with a great feel for the historical atmosphere of these times.
As far as possible the book is historically sound from whatever is known from that period of history, and the rest is magnificently put into a feel of legend of the highest calibre.
The tale will set off in the year AD 367 beyond Hadrian's Wall in Britannia, and from that point on the tale will develop into something absolutely worth reading from start to finish.
Its a marvellous historical adventure full of betrayal and bloodshed, and which is set when times are heading towards the Dark Ages and within these times civilization is foundering and thus this world is in need of a hero.
The book is divided into three parts, and the main action in part 1 is that Lucanus, the Wolf, in an attempt to save Marcus, son of Catia, from the clutches of the northern tribes, is being lured into the forests by the three witches, the old, middle and young one, all named Hecate, and also by the wood-priest/ Druid, Myrrdin, and they will bestow upon Lucanus to become the protector of the future King of Britannia, a King who will never die, and also become the leader of the tribes of Britannia.
In part 2 it will tell us about Gaia's secret in Rome, who's the mother of Ruga and Corvus and of the bloodline, but she's also Catia's mother, the girl she left behind in Britannia with the wolves after leaving her then husband Menius, and she's now plotting with her son Ruga with the cult of Mithras, while in Britannia itself the Romans are being driven and overwhelmed by the onrushing barbarian tribes at Hadrian's Wall and fleeing for their lives going south.
Part 3 is mainly about the struggle for survival for Lucanus, now crowned the Pendragon (Head of the Dragon), as leader of the Briton tribes, and thus fighting with his brothers, the Grim Wolves, to protect the people of Britannia in an attempt to bring the Briton tribes together and so to bring about the possibility of this future King who will not die, while in Rome Corvus by branding himself with the Serpent, is plotting to get his share of fame by marrying the witch Hecate, and have a son who will also be then of the bloodline.
Very much recommended, for this is a most astounding book to read, and therefore I would like to call it: "A Brilliant Legendary Begin"!
Read
November 23, 2018DNF
I'm not going to rate this because I only got 100 pages in. This just completely failed to connect for me. I wasn't expecting Arthurian myth or a grand retelling, or even Uthur's story (Spoiler but that is not what this book is about - in fact the title is very misleading. It has next to nothing to do with Arthurian legend), but I was expecting a decent historical novel with perhaps a tiny amount of fantasy. The book delivered neither. It might well be a matter of taste but I like historical novels to be concerned with time and setting and I felt this one could have literally taken place anywhere and any time within a 1000 yr window. There was no historical context, no sense of culture or tradition, nothing except a few names and the historical novelist's cheat - a date at the beginning of the book. Add to that and all the women so far were bog standard sexy lamps who were either sex workers or abused spouses. Big yawn. No society was that cut and dried. Women weren't all meek little mice or dominated shrews up until we got the vote. Nor were those who didn't fit the mould the exception rather than the rule. Perhaps male writers could start looking at a slightly broader perspective. Otherwise this was depressingly off the peg. I can see someone who wants an unchallenging read, who doesn't mind spare prose and detail possibly enjoying this. It really wasn't a satisfying read for me.
I'm not going to rate this because I only got 100 pages in. This just completely failed to connect for me. I wasn't expecting Arthurian myth or a grand retelling, or even Uthur's story (Spoiler but that is not what this book is about - in fact the title is very misleading. It has next to nothing to do with Arthurian legend), but I was expecting a decent historical novel with perhaps a tiny amount of fantasy. The book delivered neither. It might well be a matter of taste but I like historical novels to be concerned with time and setting and I felt this one could have literally taken place anywhere and any time within a 1000 yr window. There was no historical context, no sense of culture or tradition, nothing except a few names and the historical novelist's cheat - a date at the beginning of the book. Add to that and all the women so far were bog standard sexy lamps who were either sex workers or abused spouses. Big yawn. No society was that cut and dried. Women weren't all meek little mice or dominated shrews up until we got the vote. Nor were those who didn't fit the mould the exception rather than the rule. Perhaps male writers could start looking at a slightly broader perspective. Otherwise this was depressingly off the peg. I can see someone who wants an unchallenging read, who doesn't mind spare prose and detail possibly enjoying this. It really wasn't a satisfying read for me.
December 4, 2021
I was thinking last year that there needs to be some fantasy books about the old myths of Britain. Turns out there’s quite a few already. This is set at the very beginning of the Dark Age, the end of Roman rule in Britain, a period ripe for fables. This is a good one. It’s not without its flaws: it took far too long to get going properly and I could have done with one less narrator, there are 6. But it has moments of great excitement and mystery with a good cast of varied characters.
4.5
4.5
July 14, 2017
If you have read James Wilde's Hereward series you will love it. Same style as Hereward - gritty, dark, grim. Harsh environment and an uphill battle throughout. Readers of the author's other works under a different name (The Age of Misrule series) will also like it, probably love it (I don't know how many of them like historical fiction) because they will like seeing the Arthurian legend come to life, although in a very different way from any other book centred on this particular legend. It has the same references to power numbers and old gods and goddesses that are part of Celtic folklore but this is no tale of knights and round tables. It sets the legend at it's very infancy in far darker times.
The story is as old as time itself really. Which is the point. The Arthurian legend is another type of religion - a belief in something that will make life better. Doesn't matter if the King actually comes in to existence - just the belief he will is enough.
It is very much a first book - setting the stage for what is to come. It has enough closure but in no way can it stand alone and it leaves you wanting the next chapter - always a good thing if frustrating as a reader.
Enough of the key characters are developed to keep them interesting. My favourite probably Amarina. There are unexpected twists and a good fast pace which I have come to expect from this author. He also has some really creepy people in the The Attacotti, Wilde's version make you shudder. Grim to think they existed.
It has left me thinking and pondering. I read some other Roman historical fiction last year - a series about Vespasian. This is much better writing, there is a depth to it that makes it stand out more. I read various other new authors last year and some were up there with my favs and some just poor relations. I wish I knew what makes a book good, what it is the makes me really like a book. There is a formula but it's a bit of magic really, the ability to get in a head and under the skin. But more importantly the ability to get in the heart, to make the reader care what happens. Hereward got in the heart. This book and these characters are chipping their way in. It was too much of a scene/stage setting book to get them all the way in and that is often the case. But well on the way and I want to find out if my theories are correct. Roll on the next one please
The story is as old as time itself really. Which is the point. The Arthurian legend is another type of religion - a belief in something that will make life better. Doesn't matter if the King actually comes in to existence - just the belief he will is enough.
It is very much a first book - setting the stage for what is to come. It has enough closure but in no way can it stand alone and it leaves you wanting the next chapter - always a good thing if frustrating as a reader.
Enough of the key characters are developed to keep them interesting. My favourite probably Amarina. There are unexpected twists and a good fast pace which I have come to expect from this author. He also has some really creepy people in the The Attacotti, Wilde's version make you shudder. Grim to think they existed.
It has left me thinking and pondering. I read some other Roman historical fiction last year - a series about Vespasian. This is much better writing, there is a depth to it that makes it stand out more. I read various other new authors last year and some were up there with my favs and some just poor relations. I wish I knew what makes a book good, what it is the makes me really like a book. There is a formula but it's a bit of magic really, the ability to get in a head and under the skin. But more importantly the ability to get in the heart, to make the reader care what happens. Hereward got in the heart. This book and these characters are chipping their way in. It was too much of a scene/stage setting book to get them all the way in and that is often the case. But well on the way and I want to find out if my theories are correct. Roll on the next one please
January 12, 2019
A grand disappointment I'm afraid. Not a patch on his previous Historical Fiction series - Hereward - and not a patch on Steven A. McKay's The Druid, which covers similar ground in the post-Roman Britain, start of the Dark Ages, beginning of the Arthurian legend era.
The plot is simple, find out the kid is the one, lose him, find him, lose him, find him…repeat until fade, as all the best song lyrics have it.
It just reads like a Historical Fiction Cliché checklist - ‘scarlet spray’, ‘raised eyebrow(s),’ ‘pursed lips,’ there was more than likely a 'barely discernible’ or two, but my mind wandered from time to time. The clichés extend to the make up of the motley band of warriors and misfits that are thrown together and then engaged on the quest for something or other. Ex-Roman soldier, who is actually British and seems to more often than not think he actually is a wolf, called 'Lucanus.' The Wolf's Latin name is of course, Canis lupus. There's a huge warrior, who uses his sword before he thinks, but has a heart of gold. There's a thinner one who is good at something else, there's a woman who is/was someone else's wife, there's the female brothel owner, who obviously has a heart of gold...you could have written this yourself, couldn't you? And that's not why I buy and read historical fiction, damnit!
The little group - of exquisitely crafted friends, each having a different and at various times much-needed in that particular instance, personalities, and abilities (imagine Marvel’s Fantastic Four) - seem to travel south from H. Wall, for…well, no particular reason as far as I could say. Maybe because the Wood Priest wanted them to, who knows? A big wrench for, especially, The Wolf, as he is born and bred (I think) up there by the wall, and doesn’t seem to think he needs to ‘return home’ to the south, as far as I could tell. To get away from the barbarians invading from the north? Maybe, but surely he would want to stand and defend his homeland? OK, maybe overwhelming odds, but still. The boy, as far as I could tell, isn’t captured (again), and taken south, forcing Wolfie to go south after him.
So the Wood Priest, Merlin, sorry, Myrrdin, comes on to the scene. Now he is a cliche. Nothing is as it seems, child. Everything has two meanings, all will become clear, etc. There is what is, and there is the real meaning just under it, which if you will only open your eyes, you know - you've read this character hundreds of times before, really irritating. No one says ‘ok, if what you say is or will come true - what are next week’s lottery numbers, eh?’ The name Myrrdin…apart from me groaning as yet another version of the name that would later become Merlin from legend. That could be real I suppose, and you can see how that would over the years become Merlin. So you could say, in this story, this is being proposed as being a real figure. A druid, who names his son Myrrdin, who names his son Myrrdin, etc. Who will, at some later stage, associate himself with Arthur. Except, where does this son come from? As this Wood Priest - the word Druid, is suggested to be a form of 'oak-knower' - clearly, has precisely no interest in women. Or are we saying that he too will have a magic mushroom flying experience with a witch, who will bear the child? But he’s an old man here and there’s no indication of there being a Mrs Wood Priest back at home looking after Myrrdin Jr. Anyway, being a druid of sorts, Merlin knows secrets, but they mainly seem to consist of reciting legends and stories from the age before men were…so how does he know? Druids didn't write things down and there was no one around to see the star come crashing down! Myrrdin is such a terrible, terrible cliché, that you really dread him appearing, are glad when he's gone and we can get back to Lucanus' oh dear, oh my, depressed Hyena act.
Stripped down, you have the end of Roman occupation in (at least) Northern Britain, and the overrunning of Hadrian’s Wall by ‘barbarian’ hoards, here, the various tribes who lived north of the wall. Elsewhere, as far as I could tell, there are waves of ‘barbarians’ coming in from the east. Presumably supposed to be Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, who, seeing that the Romans had relinquished control over Britannia, were seizing their chance. Except that they most probably didn’t. I’ve read books which now say that there wasn’t a concerted, organised invasion at one time, or over a relatively short period, but that archaeology suggests more of a gradual, continuous wandering over from northern Germany, lower Scandinavia. And anyway, the barbarian invaders from the east, I couldn’t really get a hold of what he was exactly meaning with them, how they would impact the tale. Maybe that's for the second (or third) book.
While the setting and the frame of the story is at east based on some sort of reality, all too much of the rest is pure author-invented fantasy. So much that I felt a few times, it should be properly filed under ‘Fantasy.’ There is way too much pure fantasy - flying with and impregnating Witches while flying on magic mushrooms - and fantasy which, as far as I can see, doesn’t, or can't, have a basis in any actual legends or even suggestion of passed down through the generations but now lost legends. Some comments I've seen were trying to claim that it was about how this time was when such legends as the Arthurian one, were formed. That, I agree, is not in doubt, but this is the kind of imagining that you find in Robert Holdstock’s Mythago Wood books (the ones that have most of the story set inside the wood, that is). All too much is about the prophecy of 'the king who will not die,' the saviour coming/returning, to save the poor and whatever else. All too many scenes - with the witches, with the druid, with moistened bints lying around in lakes - is, can have, no basis in any kind of historical reality. All the talk from the wood priest for instance, that is pure invention. And so much of what happens, hinges on acceptance of this imagination as real, that I lost touch with it.
I did try to think once or twice "what if I'm wrong?" (it can happen) and this is really, really good. But, how could someone possibly think this minestrone is actually pottage? Well, let's look at the trees. He likes his trees, all sorts of trees mentioned. Names, each and every one of them, in groups and singularly. Maybe it is, to emphasise the connection the people had with the country, the land, the nature. Despite the main ones being Roman auxiliaries. Maybe, it's to emphasise the people, once Roman surety and security was gone, were in need of being in touch with the ground, like the Wolves and the other animal-named groups they seemed to have fought alongside as Roman auxiliaries? Is it suggesting this is something, an ability, a connection we've lost in the 1500 years since? Maybe. If it is, then it should have been developed more, instead of going off one one as the rest of it seems to be.
If you’re going to go the ‘before Arthur, before Camelot...’ route, you’ve got to go realistic with the rest. And this is a long way from that. Just changing the spelling of a few names we know, so we think ‘ah, so that must be where the name Merlin comes from...’ isn't going to do it. Putting your own mythic ideas on top of other half-myths, isn’t really explaining, or hypothesising how these myths could have been created. It's not legends forming from the mists, it's losing the reader in them. I’ve ordered the second - because Hereward - but if I hadn’t, I can’t think of very much here that would have had me doing so otherwise.
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The plot is simple, find out the kid is the one, lose him, find him, lose him, find him…repeat until fade, as all the best song lyrics have it.
It just reads like a Historical Fiction Cliché checklist - ‘scarlet spray’, ‘raised eyebrow(s),’ ‘pursed lips,’ there was more than likely a 'barely discernible’ or two, but my mind wandered from time to time. The clichés extend to the make up of the motley band of warriors and misfits that are thrown together and then engaged on the quest for something or other. Ex-Roman soldier, who is actually British and seems to more often than not think he actually is a wolf, called 'Lucanus.' The Wolf's Latin name is of course, Canis lupus. There's a huge warrior, who uses his sword before he thinks, but has a heart of gold. There's a thinner one who is good at something else, there's a woman who is/was someone else's wife, there's the female brothel owner, who obviously has a heart of gold...you could have written this yourself, couldn't you? And that's not why I buy and read historical fiction, damnit!
The little group - of exquisitely crafted friends, each having a different and at various times much-needed in that particular instance, personalities, and abilities (imagine Marvel’s Fantastic Four) - seem to travel south from H. Wall, for…well, no particular reason as far as I could say. Maybe because the Wood Priest wanted them to, who knows? A big wrench for, especially, The Wolf, as he is born and bred (I think) up there by the wall, and doesn’t seem to think he needs to ‘return home’ to the south, as far as I could tell. To get away from the barbarians invading from the north? Maybe, but surely he would want to stand and defend his homeland? OK, maybe overwhelming odds, but still. The boy, as far as I could tell, isn’t captured (again), and taken south, forcing Wolfie to go south after him.
So the Wood Priest, Merlin, sorry, Myrrdin, comes on to the scene. Now he is a cliche. Nothing is as it seems, child. Everything has two meanings, all will become clear, etc. There is what is, and there is the real meaning just under it, which if you will only open your eyes, you know - you've read this character hundreds of times before, really irritating. No one says ‘ok, if what you say is or will come true - what are next week’s lottery numbers, eh?’ The name Myrrdin…apart from me groaning as yet another version of the name that would later become Merlin from legend. That could be real I suppose, and you can see how that would over the years become Merlin. So you could say, in this story, this is being proposed as being a real figure. A druid, who names his son Myrrdin, who names his son Myrrdin, etc. Who will, at some later stage, associate himself with Arthur. Except, where does this son come from? As this Wood Priest - the word Druid, is suggested to be a form of 'oak-knower' - clearly, has precisely no interest in women. Or are we saying that he too will have a magic mushroom flying experience with a witch, who will bear the child? But he’s an old man here and there’s no indication of there being a Mrs Wood Priest back at home looking after Myrrdin Jr. Anyway, being a druid of sorts, Merlin knows secrets, but they mainly seem to consist of reciting legends and stories from the age before men were…so how does he know? Druids didn't write things down and there was no one around to see the star come crashing down! Myrrdin is such a terrible, terrible cliché, that you really dread him appearing, are glad when he's gone and we can get back to Lucanus' oh dear, oh my, depressed Hyena act.
Stripped down, you have the end of Roman occupation in (at least) Northern Britain, and the overrunning of Hadrian’s Wall by ‘barbarian’ hoards, here, the various tribes who lived north of the wall. Elsewhere, as far as I could tell, there are waves of ‘barbarians’ coming in from the east. Presumably supposed to be Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, who, seeing that the Romans had relinquished control over Britannia, were seizing their chance. Except that they most probably didn’t. I’ve read books which now say that there wasn’t a concerted, organised invasion at one time, or over a relatively short period, but that archaeology suggests more of a gradual, continuous wandering over from northern Germany, lower Scandinavia. And anyway, the barbarian invaders from the east, I couldn’t really get a hold of what he was exactly meaning with them, how they would impact the tale. Maybe that's for the second (or third) book.
While the setting and the frame of the story is at east based on some sort of reality, all too much of the rest is pure author-invented fantasy. So much that I felt a few times, it should be properly filed under ‘Fantasy.’ There is way too much pure fantasy - flying with and impregnating Witches while flying on magic mushrooms - and fantasy which, as far as I can see, doesn’t, or can't, have a basis in any actual legends or even suggestion of passed down through the generations but now lost legends. Some comments I've seen were trying to claim that it was about how this time was when such legends as the Arthurian one, were formed. That, I agree, is not in doubt, but this is the kind of imagining that you find in Robert Holdstock’s Mythago Wood books (the ones that have most of the story set inside the wood, that is). All too much is about the prophecy of 'the king who will not die,' the saviour coming/returning, to save the poor and whatever else. All too many scenes - with the witches, with the druid, with moistened bints lying around in lakes - is, can have, no basis in any kind of historical reality. All the talk from the wood priest for instance, that is pure invention. And so much of what happens, hinges on acceptance of this imagination as real, that I lost touch with it.
I did try to think once or twice "what if I'm wrong?" (it can happen) and this is really, really good. But, how could someone possibly think this minestrone is actually pottage? Well, let's look at the trees. He likes his trees, all sorts of trees mentioned. Names, each and every one of them, in groups and singularly. Maybe it is, to emphasise the connection the people had with the country, the land, the nature. Despite the main ones being Roman auxiliaries. Maybe, it's to emphasise the people, once Roman surety and security was gone, were in need of being in touch with the ground, like the Wolves and the other animal-named groups they seemed to have fought alongside as Roman auxiliaries? Is it suggesting this is something, an ability, a connection we've lost in the 1500 years since? Maybe. If it is, then it should have been developed more, instead of going off one one as the rest of it seems to be.
If you’re going to go the ‘before Arthur, before Camelot...’ route, you’ve got to go realistic with the rest. And this is a long way from that. Just changing the spelling of a few names we know, so we think ‘ah, so that must be where the name Merlin comes from...’ isn't going to do it. Putting your own mythic ideas on top of other half-myths, isn’t really explaining, or hypothesising how these myths could have been created. It's not legends forming from the mists, it's losing the reader in them. I’ve ordered the second - because Hereward - but if I hadn’t, I can’t think of very much here that would have had me doing so otherwise.
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July 13, 2017
Review
Pendragon…. the name just screams Arthur, Genevieve, Lancelot and all that goes with it. Well take that preconception and throw it out the window. Not since Bernard Cornwall took on the Arthur myth has any writer provided such a new and innovative view of the Arthurian story.
full review: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
Pendragon…. the name just screams Arthur, Genevieve, Lancelot and all that goes with it. Well take that preconception and throw it out the window. Not since Bernard Cornwall took on the Arthur myth has any writer provided such a new and innovative view of the Arthurian story.
full review: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
May 3, 2024
Things I loved:
- The book takes place at Hadrian's wall
- massive King Arthur 2004 vibes
- murder mystery thriller more then historical fiction
- interesting Preludes to King Arthur Morgan and Merlin
What I didn't like:
- Plot jumped around way to much. The book started off super engrossing, but theirs too many side stories. I wanted to stay with the main characters and plot, but the author kept jumping across countries and adding names and characters, and after a while, you're confused about who is who and why they matter.
It's kind of sad because it's making me struggle to finish the book, and i'm sixty percent done.
- The book takes place at Hadrian's wall
- massive King Arthur 2004 vibes
- murder mystery thriller more then historical fiction
- interesting Preludes to King Arthur Morgan and Merlin
What I didn't like:
- Plot jumped around way to much. The book started off super engrossing, but theirs too many side stories. I wanted to stay with the main characters and plot, but the author kept jumping across countries and adding names and characters, and after a while, you're confused about who is who and why they matter.
It's kind of sad because it's making me struggle to finish the book, and i'm sixty percent done.
November 27, 2021
A well-written, fast-paced drama set in the depths of the Dark Ages. Following a strong ensemble of characters, we see relationships develop and blossom in a number of ways as the plot is moved on in a timely fashion by the constant action and strong dialogue.
Clearly setting up a much wider ongoing plot, with multiple antagonists being introduced towards the latter part of the story. Unclear what the motives of several characters are, and how this will play to the true history of the period.
Overall, an enjoyable and original story which benefits from authentic historicity, strong character development and well-written action scenes.
Clearly setting up a much wider ongoing plot, with multiple antagonists being introduced towards the latter part of the story. Unclear what the motives of several characters are, and how this will play to the true history of the period.
Overall, an enjoyable and original story which benefits from authentic historicity, strong character development and well-written action scenes.
August 28, 2022
I liked it quite a bit up until the last few chapters. Having the king being an idea only ruined it a bit for me. It became less fantasy and more of realism. Plus that last chapter with the implied incest gave me GoT vibes which I didn't like. It would have been 4 stars, but with the last chapters I have to drop it to 3 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2017
In a remote outpost on the wall built by Hadrian a group of army scouts are the last defense against the marauding barbarians. This is Roman Britain towards the latter part of the empire when fighting between various groups is threatening to bring it all tumbling down. What the world needs is a saviour, a king who will never die and who will lead the people to glory. This is a novel about how the seeds of a legend were sown and were passed down to us as the story of King Arthur. I found it took a little while to get going but I was happy enough once the action begun. Very interesting and presumably the start of a series.
May 10, 2018
Brilliantly written with a great cast and fantastical back story. If you like Bernard Cromwell and his Warlord or Saxon books this is for you.
April 29, 2019
3,5 stelle in verità, ché alla fine la bilancia pende più dal lato degli elementi positivi.
Gli ingredienti per un buon libro ci sono tutti, in effetti: a partire dal substrato della materia arturiana (eh, be'!) fino ad arrivare ai diversi personaggi che animano la storia, che pian piano si delineano e fanno innamorare il lettore. C'è l'eroe che ancora non conosce il suo valore, la donna amata e forse perduta, il gruppo di compagni, la saggezza antica, la magia, la cerca.
Due ingranaggi, però, non sono perfettamente oliati. Primo, una partenza difficoltosa: fin quasi a metà del libro la lettura risulta difficoltosa e a tratti poco appassionante. Occorre non demordere per arrivare al punto in cui la storia prende finalmente il volo.
Secondo (ahimè!), la scrittura dell'autore (o forse al traduttore, non so). Lo stile, talvolta slegato, non agevola nella lettura di una storia in cui, soprattutto all'inizio, bisogna entrare in confidenza con tanti personaggi diversi. Inoltre la narrazione a volta procede a "salti", ci si dilunga in dialoghi con battute eccessive, mentre si sorvola rapidamente o addirittura si tace di elementi che sarebbero essenziali alla narrazione (in un caso mi sono addirittura chiesta se non fosse saltato un capitolo - o parte di esso - nella stesura o nella traduzione).
Tuttavia è il primo libro di una serie, e alla fine, anche grazie alla fascinazione del mito che si racconta, resta l'idea di proseguire con il secondo titolo (che ancora in italiano non c'è, però!).
Gli ingredienti per un buon libro ci sono tutti, in effetti: a partire dal substrato della materia arturiana (eh, be'!) fino ad arrivare ai diversi personaggi che animano la storia, che pian piano si delineano e fanno innamorare il lettore. C'è l'eroe che ancora non conosce il suo valore, la donna amata e forse perduta, il gruppo di compagni, la saggezza antica, la magia, la cerca.
Due ingranaggi, però, non sono perfettamente oliati. Primo, una partenza difficoltosa: fin quasi a metà del libro la lettura risulta difficoltosa e a tratti poco appassionante. Occorre non demordere per arrivare al punto in cui la storia prende finalmente il volo.
Secondo (ahimè!), la scrittura dell'autore (o forse al traduttore, non so). Lo stile, talvolta slegato, non agevola nella lettura di una storia in cui, soprattutto all'inizio, bisogna entrare in confidenza con tanti personaggi diversi. Inoltre la narrazione a volta procede a "salti", ci si dilunga in dialoghi con battute eccessive, mentre si sorvola rapidamente o addirittura si tace di elementi che sarebbero essenziali alla narrazione (in un caso mi sono addirittura chiesta se non fosse saltato un capitolo - o parte di esso - nella stesura o nella traduzione).
Tuttavia è il primo libro di una serie, e alla fine, anche grazie alla fascinazione del mito che si racconta, resta l'idea di proseguire con il secondo titolo (che ancora in italiano non c'è, però!).
March 10, 2018
In questo libro non troverete la storia di Re Artù, qui si parla di generazioni precedenti quando il re che non morirà è soltanto una speranza per un domani migliore.
Un primo libro che in molti punti puzza di già letto, ma che è capace di mantenere l'attenzione del lettore sulla storia senza dilungarsi in scene inutili.
L'eccessiva presenza di personaggi onniscienti alla lunga mi ha dato fastidio, smorzato in parte dal fatto che quasi ogni cosa alla fine del libro viene spiegata.
Ho invece apprezzato molto il fatto che dei, magia e creature magiche rimangano sospese tra il reale e il sogno. Sarà la mente umana a crearle o esisteranno veramente?
Un primo libro che in molti punti puzza di già letto, ma che è capace di mantenere l'attenzione del lettore sulla storia senza dilungarsi in scene inutili.
L'eccessiva presenza di personaggi onniscienti alla lunga mi ha dato fastidio, smorzato in parte dal fatto che quasi ogni cosa alla fine del libro viene spiegata.
Ho invece apprezzato molto il fatto che dei, magia e creature magiche rimangano sospese tra il reale e il sogno. Sarà la mente umana a crearle o esisteranno veramente?
March 30, 2018
Pendragon… un nome a cui molti di noi lettori assocerebbero Re Artù, Ginevra e Lancillotto, i Cavalieri della Tavola Rotonda e la leggendaria Excalibur!
James Wilde, invece, non ci racconta le storie del ciclo arturiano, ma ci conduce nel mondo da cui tutto ebbe inizio.
Metà del quarto secolo d.c..
I soldati del forte di Vercovicium, lungo il vallo di Adriano in Britannia, sono preoccupati per gli attacchi da parte delle tribù germaniche. Lucanus, leader di un gruppo di cinque esploratori, i Lupi Feroci, deputati al pattugliamento nelle terre selvagge del nord presidiate dai barbari, s’imbatte nei corpi dei Corvi, un’altra banda degli esploratori arcani, morti misteriosamente e in modo brutale.
“C’erano tre corpi appesi sugli alberi, i polsi e le caviglie legati ai rami, fatti a pezzi come bestiame da mettere in pentola. Lucanus fece scorrere lo sguardo tra i resti scomposti, gambe che pendevano da un lembo di pelle, braccia sparse qua e là, arti recisi lanciati tra gli alberi”.
Quando il figlio della donna che ama scompare, probabilmente catturato dai barbari, Lucanus decide di andare a cercarlo, anche se rischia di diventare un prigioniero.
Da qui avrà inizio la sua nuova missione: proteggere Marcus, il ragazzo rapito.
Cos’avrà di tanto speciale questo bambino?
Ammetto che la prima cosa che ho notato del libro, anche se non ci si deve fermare alle apparenze – perché come si suole dire “un libro non si giudica dalla copertina”- è stata la cover. Subito dopo ho letto la trama e immaginavo castelli medievali, cavalieri e tutto ciò che è legato all’epoca arturiana.
Sinceramente, dopo le prime cento pagine, il mio entusiasmo si era già spento; la lettura mi risultava difficile, poco fluida e un tantino noiosa – leggendolo sotto le coperte ho rischiato l’abbiocco più volte!
James Wilde non mi ha coinvolto da subito e stavo per perdere le speranze, fino a che la storia inizia a ingranare e la scintilla, ormai del tutto esaurita, si riaccende. L’interesse per le vicende di Lucanus e i Lupi Feroci si è destato dal sonno profondo e ho potuto godere a pieno di questa storia dal sapore medievale.
Lucanus, il protagonista, è un uomo coraggioso che sente il bisogno di proteggere i più deboli e ha un forte senso dell’onore: proprio come un Cavaliere della Tavola Rotonda.
Conosceremo dei Druidi, uno dei quali avrà il compito di guidare Lucanus, impresa non facile perché il nostro protagonista è diffidente, poco propenso a credere alle parole del druido Myrridin.
Contemporaneamente alla storia di Lucanus in Britannia, l’autore ci porta a Roma dove gli intrighi politici sono all’ordine del giorno e diversi tipi di religione, come il culto di Mitra e il cristianesimo, si stanno diffondendo.
Concludendo, questo è uno di quei libri che non riescono a farti dire né sì né no.
Abolendo i primi capitoli, è sicuramente una storia che consiglio a tutti gli appassionati del genere e a chi ha voglia di scoprire la leggenda prima della leggenda.
James Wilde, invece, non ci racconta le storie del ciclo arturiano, ma ci conduce nel mondo da cui tutto ebbe inizio.
Metà del quarto secolo d.c..
I soldati del forte di Vercovicium, lungo il vallo di Adriano in Britannia, sono preoccupati per gli attacchi da parte delle tribù germaniche. Lucanus, leader di un gruppo di cinque esploratori, i Lupi Feroci, deputati al pattugliamento nelle terre selvagge del nord presidiate dai barbari, s’imbatte nei corpi dei Corvi, un’altra banda degli esploratori arcani, morti misteriosamente e in modo brutale.
“C’erano tre corpi appesi sugli alberi, i polsi e le caviglie legati ai rami, fatti a pezzi come bestiame da mettere in pentola. Lucanus fece scorrere lo sguardo tra i resti scomposti, gambe che pendevano da un lembo di pelle, braccia sparse qua e là, arti recisi lanciati tra gli alberi”.
Quando il figlio della donna che ama scompare, probabilmente catturato dai barbari, Lucanus decide di andare a cercarlo, anche se rischia di diventare un prigioniero.
Da qui avrà inizio la sua nuova missione: proteggere Marcus, il ragazzo rapito.
Cos’avrà di tanto speciale questo bambino?
Ammetto che la prima cosa che ho notato del libro, anche se non ci si deve fermare alle apparenze – perché come si suole dire “un libro non si giudica dalla copertina”- è stata la cover. Subito dopo ho letto la trama e immaginavo castelli medievali, cavalieri e tutto ciò che è legato all’epoca arturiana.
Sinceramente, dopo le prime cento pagine, il mio entusiasmo si era già spento; la lettura mi risultava difficile, poco fluida e un tantino noiosa – leggendolo sotto le coperte ho rischiato l’abbiocco più volte!
James Wilde non mi ha coinvolto da subito e stavo per perdere le speranze, fino a che la storia inizia a ingranare e la scintilla, ormai del tutto esaurita, si riaccende. L’interesse per le vicende di Lucanus e i Lupi Feroci si è destato dal sonno profondo e ho potuto godere a pieno di questa storia dal sapore medievale.
Lucanus, il protagonista, è un uomo coraggioso che sente il bisogno di proteggere i più deboli e ha un forte senso dell’onore: proprio come un Cavaliere della Tavola Rotonda.
Conosceremo dei Druidi, uno dei quali avrà il compito di guidare Lucanus, impresa non facile perché il nostro protagonista è diffidente, poco propenso a credere alle parole del druido Myrridin.
Contemporaneamente alla storia di Lucanus in Britannia, l’autore ci porta a Roma dove gli intrighi politici sono all’ordine del giorno e diversi tipi di religione, come il culto di Mitra e il cristianesimo, si stanno diffondendo.
Concludendo, questo è uno di quei libri che non riescono a farti dire né sì né no.
Abolendo i primi capitoli, è sicuramente una storia che consiglio a tutti gli appassionati del genere e a chi ha voglia di scoprire la leggenda prima della leggenda.
April 29, 2019
The saviour everyone hopes for has not yet come, but there are powers stirring. And, when six Roman scouts are found brutally murdered, suspicions start to form. Lucanus, a leader among the Arcani, expert scouts and loyal to the last, finds himself in the middle of things he cannot understand. For there is a prophecy that speaks of a king to come and he must be the protector of the royal blood. The same blood that runs through Marcus veins, a child he loves as if his own and the center of too many conspiracies. To protect him, Lucanus must put behind his old life… and became the Pendragon, a leader such as the world has never seen.
Considering the title of this book, one might expect a retelling of King’s Arthur myth and, in a sense, that’s what this story is. But not Arthur’s story. A tale that came before, of the beginnings of legend and the great king’s predecessors. This is part of what makes it so interesting: it is an Arthurian tale, but not Arthur’s. It has its own characters, its own identity, its own dangers, prophecies, battles and losses. It is a tale in itself.
It is also a quite memorable one, and for many reasons. The biggest of which is, of course, Lucanus. A natural leader, but a quite reluctant one, a wise man, a loyal friend, a devoted companion, but vulnerable, tormented, heroic in his flaws as in his qualities. A complex main character, as he should be, especially given that his tale is one of great conflict and survival.
But, beyond the battles, the intrigue and the prophecies, there is also a more personal path. Lucanus becoming the Pendragon is a fulfilling of a destiny, and every event makes sense. But there are smaller things that are equally impressive. Lucanus relationship with Catia, the loyalty and friendship in his group of Arcani, even the choices made more with the heart than with the mind by many characters. There is a crescendo of tension throughout the book, but there are also many great moments that only seem to matter to the ones involved. And this reminds us that these characters are more than chess pieces: they’re human.
It is the beginning of a series, and thus it also makes sense that there are many questions left unanswered. However, the ending seems to come at the precisely right moment, like the ending of an era giving place to a new dawn to come. Many more things are destined to these characters, that is clear: but the story this far is already a full cycle.
With a remarkable main character, a plot that’s full of twists and surprises and a scenery where magic – and belief – shape the paths of generations, this is a quite brilliant start to a series that seems to be brimming with potential. Intense, full of surprises and with a memorable cast of characters, a book I’d definitely recommend.
** I received this book from Bantam in exchange for an honest review.
Considering the title of this book, one might expect a retelling of King’s Arthur myth and, in a sense, that’s what this story is. But not Arthur’s story. A tale that came before, of the beginnings of legend and the great king’s predecessors. This is part of what makes it so interesting: it is an Arthurian tale, but not Arthur’s. It has its own characters, its own identity, its own dangers, prophecies, battles and losses. It is a tale in itself.
It is also a quite memorable one, and for many reasons. The biggest of which is, of course, Lucanus. A natural leader, but a quite reluctant one, a wise man, a loyal friend, a devoted companion, but vulnerable, tormented, heroic in his flaws as in his qualities. A complex main character, as he should be, especially given that his tale is one of great conflict and survival.
But, beyond the battles, the intrigue and the prophecies, there is also a more personal path. Lucanus becoming the Pendragon is a fulfilling of a destiny, and every event makes sense. But there are smaller things that are equally impressive. Lucanus relationship with Catia, the loyalty and friendship in his group of Arcani, even the choices made more with the heart than with the mind by many characters. There is a crescendo of tension throughout the book, but there are also many great moments that only seem to matter to the ones involved. And this reminds us that these characters are more than chess pieces: they’re human.
It is the beginning of a series, and thus it also makes sense that there are many questions left unanswered. However, the ending seems to come at the precisely right moment, like the ending of an era giving place to a new dawn to come. Many more things are destined to these characters, that is clear: but the story this far is already a full cycle.
With a remarkable main character, a plot that’s full of twists and surprises and a scenery where magic – and belief – shape the paths of generations, this is a quite brilliant start to a series that seems to be brimming with potential. Intense, full of surprises and with a memorable cast of characters, a book I’d definitely recommend.
** I received this book from Bantam in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2017
I am a quick reader but this book has taken me far longer to read than any other novel (bar The Mists of Avalon) and while the story itself is painfully intense, shrouded in mystery and quick turns I feel there was little to keep me wanting to reach for it in the middle of the night.
I have a passion for the Arthurian Legends and so this book was a no brainer for me to get stuck into when it was flagged up to me by a friend. I have not really got anything negative to say about the storyline, it delivers a gruesome and beautiful interpretation into the life and legend before Arthur while cleverly bringing in clues as to how this story will connect to his future, regularly making comments about the King who will not die and will lead the country into peace...obviously this book is way before the time of Arthur's reign and so I appreciated how the characters were all linked to those we already know so well (Merlin, Arthur etc.) However, I was constantly torn on my opinion, I wanted to finish the text but nothing was gripping me, nearer the end it became more fast paced and dangerous which was good. The text over uses adjectives and general description which leads to constant repetition, for me this was too much and became irritating more than helping me delve into imagination.
There are other words than 'reek/reeking' for example but there seems to be little exploration into synonyms. Many a term or word was overly used and as I said before, became unimaginative and meant some of the character layers were lost because they were always 'loping' down a hill and never any other form of movement.
That being said, a lot of sensitive topics were covered in this text and it takes a good writer to portray them in such a way that does not cause offence. There are many gruesome references in this text and leaves little to the imagination which while at times meant I needed to put the book aside for a second and take a few breaths, made it incredibly real and hacked at the emotions (hacked being a word used a lot in this text as well.)
I give this book 3 stars mainly for the pestering things I have mentioned and for the fact I wasn't gripped throughout - however, you wouldn't see me not recommending this text to anyone who has a love or general interest in Arthurian Mythology and Legend, it is powerful and touches on the hidden beauty of myth, exploring all aspects of it and Wilde never directly tells you what he means, which one of the characters preaches in his own life, therefore insinuates how Wilde has portrayed his own beliefs about writing and story telling into his characters, I enjoy that. The end of the novel has left me curious and I am pondering on what it means and what it holds for the future which again, can only be a good sign, no?
I have a passion for the Arthurian Legends and so this book was a no brainer for me to get stuck into when it was flagged up to me by a friend. I have not really got anything negative to say about the storyline, it delivers a gruesome and beautiful interpretation into the life and legend before Arthur while cleverly bringing in clues as to how this story will connect to his future, regularly making comments about the King who will not die and will lead the country into peace...obviously this book is way before the time of Arthur's reign and so I appreciated how the characters were all linked to those we already know so well (Merlin, Arthur etc.) However, I was constantly torn on my opinion, I wanted to finish the text but nothing was gripping me, nearer the end it became more fast paced and dangerous which was good. The text over uses adjectives and general description which leads to constant repetition, for me this was too much and became irritating more than helping me delve into imagination.
There are other words than 'reek/reeking' for example but there seems to be little exploration into synonyms. Many a term or word was overly used and as I said before, became unimaginative and meant some of the character layers were lost because they were always 'loping' down a hill and never any other form of movement.
That being said, a lot of sensitive topics were covered in this text and it takes a good writer to portray them in such a way that does not cause offence. There are many gruesome references in this text and leaves little to the imagination which while at times meant I needed to put the book aside for a second and take a few breaths, made it incredibly real and hacked at the emotions (hacked being a word used a lot in this text as well.)
I give this book 3 stars mainly for the pestering things I have mentioned and for the fact I wasn't gripped throughout - however, you wouldn't see me not recommending this text to anyone who has a love or general interest in Arthurian Mythology and Legend, it is powerful and touches on the hidden beauty of myth, exploring all aspects of it and Wilde never directly tells you what he means, which one of the characters preaches in his own life, therefore insinuates how Wilde has portrayed his own beliefs about writing and story telling into his characters, I enjoy that. The end of the novel has left me curious and I am pondering on what it means and what it holds for the future which again, can only be a good sign, no?
June 24, 2020
Overall, I enjoyed this book as a fun ‘sit outside in the sun and read’ nov.
For reference, I’m an archaeologist specialising in Ancient Rome and roman religion , a Roman legionary reenactor, a pretty big mythology nerd. So a series based in a late Roman period dealing with Iron Age/early medieval mythology, Mithraism, Christianity AND arthurian legend? Sign me up.
Overall, great story, good characters, and a fun read. If you’re a history and mythology nerd I recommend it.
But the big reason I want to write this review is the reason this book doesn’t get 4 or 5 stars. This book falls into the same crutch as the majority of modern historical fiction- female characters with very little personality who are /always/ subjected to sexual violence.
I get it, rape happened in the ancient world. So did shitting in a forest and using leaves as toilet paper but you are picking and choosing which nasty realities you want to share and honestly it’s so tiring.
It is tiring to be a woman and to read story after story involving women who always seem to end up being threatened with sexual violence again and again. There are female characters in this book who get absolutely no lines and are described in one scene as being in a brothel and in the only other scene they are in they are being raped and killed by enemies. That is the only time we hear of four female characters.
And even the main female characters aren’t exempt from this fate. Not only is it their fate but this sexual violence is intrinsically ties into their character and their character’s purpose for existing and its boring! It’s boring and it’s gross and I’m so sick of reading this over and over.
I’m especially annoyed because I really REALLY enjoyed this book! It had some amazing twists and turns, and it’s clearly well researched and well written. But the female characters are lazy and I’m so sick of reading that the only way to include female characters in historical fiction is using sexual violence.
I have the next two books and I will give them a go because I’m invested, but if the story had not been as compelling I would have given up half way through book one.
For reference, I’m an archaeologist specialising in Ancient Rome and roman religion , a Roman legionary reenactor, a pretty big mythology nerd. So a series based in a late Roman period dealing with Iron Age/early medieval mythology, Mithraism, Christianity AND arthurian legend? Sign me up.
Overall, great story, good characters, and a fun read. If you’re a history and mythology nerd I recommend it.
But the big reason I want to write this review is the reason this book doesn’t get 4 or 5 stars. This book falls into the same crutch as the majority of modern historical fiction- female characters with very little personality who are /always/ subjected to sexual violence.
I get it, rape happened in the ancient world. So did shitting in a forest and using leaves as toilet paper but you are picking and choosing which nasty realities you want to share and honestly it’s so tiring.
It is tiring to be a woman and to read story after story involving women who always seem to end up being threatened with sexual violence again and again. There are female characters in this book who get absolutely no lines and are described in one scene as being in a brothel and in the only other scene they are in they are being raped and killed by enemies. That is the only time we hear of four female characters.
And even the main female characters aren’t exempt from this fate. Not only is it their fate but this sexual violence is intrinsically ties into their character and their character’s purpose for existing and its boring! It’s boring and it’s gross and I’m so sick of reading this over and over.
I’m especially annoyed because I really REALLY enjoyed this book! It had some amazing twists and turns, and it’s clearly well researched and well written. But the female characters are lazy and I’m so sick of reading that the only way to include female characters in historical fiction is using sexual violence.
I have the next two books and I will give them a go because I’m invested, but if the story had not been as compelling I would have given up half way through book one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2017
A fantastic book. If you like Arthurian myth it's well worth a look as a different take on the whole thing. Most of the Arthurian novels I've read have been retellings of the legends either as fantasy (like the Stephen Lawhead series) or as "historical" (like the Bernard Cornwall series) - some with some very clever additions, but none the less the focus is on Arthur and Guinevere and Camelot.
Pendragon is written from the interesting point of view that it really doesn't matter whether there was an actual King Arthur, the idea of Arthur is far more important than the real events. It's a story that is very much about the power of stories to inspire, and about the seeds of legends being planted. So while you won't see King Arthur or the Knights of the Round Table in this book, there are characters that could inspire their legends. You won't see Uthur and Ygraine, or Arthur and Guinevere, but aspects of both couples are present. The author himself admits in the after-word that part of this was inspired by the way mythology grew up around Hereward a hundred years or so after his resistance to the Norman Conquest.
It's very cleverly written, and it's quite a joy to see the flashes of the familiar Arthurian mythology peering out from between the lines.
It's also got a lot of very nice nods to the Age of Misrule, Dark Ages and Kingdom of the Serpent novels that the author has out as Mark Chadbourn. Anyone who has read and enjoyed those will see a lot of familiar concepts peeking through as well.
Pendragon is written from the interesting point of view that it really doesn't matter whether there was an actual King Arthur, the idea of Arthur is far more important than the real events. It's a story that is very much about the power of stories to inspire, and about the seeds of legends being planted. So while you won't see King Arthur or the Knights of the Round Table in this book, there are characters that could inspire their legends. You won't see Uthur and Ygraine, or Arthur and Guinevere, but aspects of both couples are present. The author himself admits in the after-word that part of this was inspired by the way mythology grew up around Hereward a hundred years or so after his resistance to the Norman Conquest.
It's very cleverly written, and it's quite a joy to see the flashes of the familiar Arthurian mythology peering out from between the lines.
It's also got a lot of very nice nods to the Age of Misrule, Dark Ages and Kingdom of the Serpent novels that the author has out as Mark Chadbourn. Anyone who has read and enjoyed those will see a lot of familiar concepts peeking through as well.
July 29, 2017
The women laughed among themselves, a musical sound that seemed to tinkle on too long. ‘Words change the world,’ the mother said when they were done. ‘Tell a man he will be a king, and a king he may well be.’
James Wilde’s latest novel is billed on the cover as an “epic new historical adventure." Although it has the requisite elements of the genre (gritty action, intense physical danger, and an honorable hero you’ll be rooting for), it’s also a remarkably thoughtful example of its kind. Drawing on Roman, Celtic, Christian, and even older belief systems, Pendragon speaks to the ways religions supplant one another, and the motifs they all share. It explores how people create and communicate myths, and how these myths, in turn, can spur people into action.
Looking at the title, you’ll guess (rightly) that it’s has Arthurian themes, but you won’t see most of the usual suspects in these pages. There’s no Lancelot, no Guinevere, no Uther, no Igraine. Arthur himself, the “bear king” who’ll supposedly unite Britain’s people at the time of greatest need, is the subject of a prophecy that may come to fruition, several generations down the road, but only if forces align to make it happen.
Pendragon takes place mostly in Britannia in the mid-4th century, an era that very few authors are writing about. At the far reaches of the empire, soldiers of the fort of Vercovicium along Hadrian’s Wall have gotten used to slow communication with Rome, whose leaders are preoccupied with attacks by Germanic tribes and political infighting. Lucanus, one of a group of five scouts patrolling the northern wilderness occupied by barbarians, comes across the bodies of some compatriots who died in a particularly savage manner. So he’s less than eager to return there, but after the eight-year-old son of the woman he loves disappears, and a witness says the boy was taken into barbarian territory, Lucanus has no choice but to search for him, even at terrible risk to himself.
Deadly culture clashes and earthy mysticism (complete with witchcraft and visions fueled by magic mushrooms) combine in this exciting saga about a dark time in European history. The plot doesn’t go where you’d expect, and there are more than a few fierce, stereotype-defying women characters.
However, it wasn’t a perfect read for me. One character makes a dumb decision purely to generate drama (or so it seems), and Wilde draws back from showing readers two key scenes. Also, a parallel storyline set in Gaul and Rome felt fragmented in comparison, although I did like the way the two threads were slowly brought together – their connection wasn’t obvious.
Overall, recommended for anyone interested in the Roman Empire or who’s entranced by the power the Arthurian legend exerts.
First published at Reading the Past.
James Wilde’s latest novel is billed on the cover as an “epic new historical adventure." Although it has the requisite elements of the genre (gritty action, intense physical danger, and an honorable hero you’ll be rooting for), it’s also a remarkably thoughtful example of its kind. Drawing on Roman, Celtic, Christian, and even older belief systems, Pendragon speaks to the ways religions supplant one another, and the motifs they all share. It explores how people create and communicate myths, and how these myths, in turn, can spur people into action.
Looking at the title, you’ll guess (rightly) that it’s has Arthurian themes, but you won’t see most of the usual suspects in these pages. There’s no Lancelot, no Guinevere, no Uther, no Igraine. Arthur himself, the “bear king” who’ll supposedly unite Britain’s people at the time of greatest need, is the subject of a prophecy that may come to fruition, several generations down the road, but only if forces align to make it happen.
Pendragon takes place mostly in Britannia in the mid-4th century, an era that very few authors are writing about. At the far reaches of the empire, soldiers of the fort of Vercovicium along Hadrian’s Wall have gotten used to slow communication with Rome, whose leaders are preoccupied with attacks by Germanic tribes and political infighting. Lucanus, one of a group of five scouts patrolling the northern wilderness occupied by barbarians, comes across the bodies of some compatriots who died in a particularly savage manner. So he’s less than eager to return there, but after the eight-year-old son of the woman he loves disappears, and a witness says the boy was taken into barbarian territory, Lucanus has no choice but to search for him, even at terrible risk to himself.
Deadly culture clashes and earthy mysticism (complete with witchcraft and visions fueled by magic mushrooms) combine in this exciting saga about a dark time in European history. The plot doesn’t go where you’d expect, and there are more than a few fierce, stereotype-defying women characters.
However, it wasn’t a perfect read for me. One character makes a dumb decision purely to generate drama (or so it seems), and Wilde draws back from showing readers two key scenes. Also, a parallel storyline set in Gaul and Rome felt fragmented in comparison, although I did like the way the two threads were slowly brought together – their connection wasn’t obvious.
Overall, recommended for anyone interested in the Roman Empire or who’s entranced by the power the Arthurian legend exerts.
First published at Reading the Past.
March 11, 2020
A fascinating idea but it did not deliver despite the concept that blends arcane knowledge, ancient religions, mythology and Dark Age history. The narrative devices are derivative of so many other works but without the skill of Bernard Cornwell or G.R.R. Martin or others writing in this genre. The characters are stereotypes, especially the women, either good hearted/ mysterious whores, misunderstood witches or abused but beautiful noble lady ( who just happens to be better than men with a bow and arrow, begging the question why she didn’t shoot her weak and abusive husband years before?) Mary Sues all of them. As for the men..tough, courageous, capable of formidable endurance or rotten bounders who would sell their own mothers. The dialogue is clunky and doesn’t seem to reflect the period. In fact there is very little sense of time or place. This could be anywhere in history from Ancient Rome to high Middle Ages. The story meanders along with the same tropes repeated and plenty of cruelty and horror replacing real tension. the big reveal is unbelievable and pretty lame. However, there is much to commend in the initial idea (the author’s notes at the end were more interesting than the novel itself!) I just don’t think Wilde has the lightness of touch or the natural ability of a storyteller to weave the required magic.
November 21, 2017
It's an odd start, involving a northern wall, the savages beyond it, and an imminent winter that may not end. Yet if we learn any lessons from the many Wood Priests wandering around Wilde's book, "Everything is the thing it is, but it can also be another thing."
The name 'Pendragon' clearly conjures up visions of round tables and strange women lying in ponds distributing swords as a basis for a system of government. Yet this pre-Arthurian tale is the legend behind the legend, weaving Mithraism, Christianity, Britannian, and Roman history to create a world that is both unique and true to legend and the textbooks alike.
How much you get into this will then depend on your tolerance for posturing speeches about prophecy of future days to come and the like. (Mine ranges from medium to oblong). Wilde's book is also (necessarily) burdened with exposition and the introduction of numerous character who initially seem incidental, but ultimately build to something grander.
Nevertheless, the intriguing ending has me hooked for the next book. This is British legend on a grand scale, with a possible post-Brexit subtext about British nationalism. Hopefully the next chapter will directly address the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow.
The name 'Pendragon' clearly conjures up visions of round tables and strange women lying in ponds distributing swords as a basis for a system of government. Yet this pre-Arthurian tale is the legend behind the legend, weaving Mithraism, Christianity, Britannian, and Roman history to create a world that is both unique and true to legend and the textbooks alike.
How much you get into this will then depend on your tolerance for posturing speeches about prophecy of future days to come and the like. (Mine ranges from medium to oblong). Wilde's book is also (necessarily) burdened with exposition and the introduction of numerous character who initially seem incidental, but ultimately build to something grander.
Nevertheless, the intriguing ending has me hooked for the next book. This is British legend on a grand scale, with a possible post-Brexit subtext about British nationalism. Hopefully the next chapter will directly address the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow.
December 10, 2017
A rather dark depiction of the decline of Rome in Britannia in what was to become the Dark Ages.
It's a clever account of the negligence of the Roman troops left guarding what I can only assume as Hadrian's Wall when the barbarians of the North take up arms and invade...
Lucanus is our hero, although he really doesn't want to be; but he has a goodness about him which makes him an obvious choice for a leader - and to become the latest carrier of the name 'Pendragon'.
The story is a clever amalgam of things Roman and British; and also very descriptive of the hardships faced by the local populace, as well as their gory deaths by the invading Scoti and other tribes.
I liked many of the characters, especially Mato (one of Lucanus's Arcani group of scouts, who I think will learn a lot more from Myrrdin (here as a wood-druid) in the next book. Also in the next book, I hope that we learn more of Corvus, his (hidden) attachment to the cult of Mithras, and why his character changed so dramatically at the end of this book.
It's quite a lovely change of view of (the beginnings of) the Arthurian Legend, and very cleverly done. Thoroughly enjoyable.
It's a clever account of the negligence of the Roman troops left guarding what I can only assume as Hadrian's Wall when the barbarians of the North take up arms and invade...
Lucanus is our hero, although he really doesn't want to be; but he has a goodness about him which makes him an obvious choice for a leader - and to become the latest carrier of the name 'Pendragon'.
The story is a clever amalgam of things Roman and British; and also very descriptive of the hardships faced by the local populace, as well as their gory deaths by the invading Scoti and other tribes.
I liked many of the characters, especially Mato (one of Lucanus's Arcani group of scouts, who I think will learn a lot more from Myrrdin (here as a wood-druid) in the next book. Also in the next book, I hope that we learn more of Corvus, his (hidden) attachment to the cult of Mithras, and why his character changed so dramatically at the end of this book.
It's quite a lovely change of view of (the beginnings of) the Arthurian Legend, and very cleverly done. Thoroughly enjoyable.
January 31, 2018
I had read somewhere that this was unlike any other books covering this subject and would not be what I was expecting and they weren't wrong. It gives a completely new spin on that period of history and those dark turbulent times at the twilight of the Roman empire in Britain.
I'm a huge fan of James Wilde and absolutely loved the Hereward series and would even go as far as to say that was my favourite series or at least as good as Cornwell's Last Kingdom series, so I was always going to give this series a go.
The characters are strong and well-rounded and the writing gripping and descriptive. That said, I would not describe myself as being absolutely hooked on the series as I was by the end of page 1 of the first Hereward book, but then again it had a lot to live up to in my eyes and perhaps it's a series that I will grow into. Either way it was an excellent read anyway and will appeal to a great many people I'm sure.
I'm a huge fan of James Wilde and absolutely loved the Hereward series and would even go as far as to say that was my favourite series or at least as good as Cornwell's Last Kingdom series, so I was always going to give this series a go.
The characters are strong and well-rounded and the writing gripping and descriptive. That said, I would not describe myself as being absolutely hooked on the series as I was by the end of page 1 of the first Hereward book, but then again it had a lot to live up to in my eyes and perhaps it's a series that I will grow into. Either way it was an excellent read anyway and will appeal to a great many people I'm sure.
March 14, 2018
I found this book by accident, scrolling through my library's audiobook app one night, and was pulled in by the title alone. I'm a serial audiobook listener, raised on storytapes to lull me to sleep as a childhood worrier and now they keep me company as an adult who doesn't like to be left alone with her thoughts whilst trying to calm a fretful toddler back to sleep. Although, to be honest, Pendragon was not the most relaxing bedtime listen!
We start in a secluded (but seemingly almost-boringly safe) place but it's not long before hints of cannibals outside the walls solidify into terrifying ritualistic warriors who are impossible to ignore. Essentially, if it had been a BBC documentary about mysterious happenings on Hadrian's Wall, I would have probably had as much luck guessing what was coming next as I did whilst listening to this. Which is to say, my tired brain was led in spirals around whispers and murmurings of hopes that might one day become truths and I loved every second of it.
See more at https://stormingthelibrary.wixsite.co...
We start in a secluded (but seemingly almost-boringly safe) place but it's not long before hints of cannibals outside the walls solidify into terrifying ritualistic warriors who are impossible to ignore. Essentially, if it had been a BBC documentary about mysterious happenings on Hadrian's Wall, I would have probably had as much luck guessing what was coming next as I did whilst listening to this. Which is to say, my tired brain was led in spirals around whispers and murmurings of hopes that might one day become truths and I loved every second of it.
See more at https://stormingthelibrary.wixsite.co...
September 14, 2020
Firstly anybody who says this book has nothing to do with King Arthur clearly hasn't read it. This is the first part of a trilogy and is exactly what it says it is on the cover: Every legend has a beginning. It is a prequel in every sense of the word and begins to set up the Arthurian legend in competent style although as it is part one of a trilogy the book at times felt like a bit of a slow burner.
Unfortunately for me due to the sheer number of characters introduced I found it difficult to get to know anyone of them and the main character Lucanus left me particularly cold. Overall the small cast of female characters probably come off the best in terms of characterisation.
Would I read it again? Probably not, but I guess its essential to read it if only to set up the next two parts of the trilogy, and I suspect momentum will gather as the story progresses.
Unfortunately for me due to the sheer number of characters introduced I found it difficult to get to know anyone of them and the main character Lucanus left me particularly cold. Overall the small cast of female characters probably come off the best in terms of characterisation.
Would I read it again? Probably not, but I guess its essential to read it if only to set up the next two parts of the trilogy, and I suspect momentum will gather as the story progresses.
June 1, 2018
“We are few, but we are brave”
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I absolutely love Arthurian legend and mythology, so when I discovered this book, I started it straight away. Unfortunately, I just couldn't gel with this prequel - I really had to force myself to keep going, which is unheard of for me when reading this genre. Whilst the plot itself wasn't gripping, I appreciate that it tried to bring new ideas to the table, but for a prequel, it didn't really do much but describe a prophecy that we already knew about. We don't get any new content or intensity - the author didn't really put a unique spin on things, and watered down what was promised in the synopsis. I wanted a really epic, dark, twisted Arthurian fantasy, and this book definitely didn't hit that brief for me.
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I absolutely love Arthurian legend and mythology, so when I discovered this book, I started it straight away. Unfortunately, I just couldn't gel with this prequel - I really had to force myself to keep going, which is unheard of for me when reading this genre. Whilst the plot itself wasn't gripping, I appreciate that it tried to bring new ideas to the table, but for a prequel, it didn't really do much but describe a prophecy that we already knew about. We don't get any new content or intensity - the author didn't really put a unique spin on things, and watered down what was promised in the synopsis. I wanted a really epic, dark, twisted Arthurian fantasy, and this book definitely didn't hit that brief for me.
September 28, 2021
Quite a jolly read, although I found it sits uneasily on the cusp between historical fiction on fantasy.
In the same way that George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire borrowed (and expanded on) the concept of Hadrian's Wall, I get the feeling that this book owed quite a debt to that series.
I was a bit unhappy with the timings. It is set in 367 AD, and I gather that there was a significant incursion across the wall at that time. But I'm pretty sure that Scots would not have been involved, as they didn't leave Ireland in any significant numbers until a hundred years later. I was also surprised at the road behind the Wall being called the Stanegate - a purely Danish name, which is several hundred years ahead of its time.
In the same way that George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire borrowed (and expanded on) the concept of Hadrian's Wall, I get the feeling that this book owed quite a debt to that series.
I was a bit unhappy with the timings. It is set in 367 AD, and I gather that there was a significant incursion across the wall at that time. But I'm pretty sure that Scots would not have been involved, as they didn't leave Ireland in any significant numbers until a hundred years later. I was also surprised at the road behind the Wall being called the Stanegate - a purely Danish name, which is several hundred years ahead of its time.
March 2, 2022
I absolutely loved this read so full of fast moving action and characters that are well defined, having depth and attributes that suit the story. I enjoyed James Wilde's 'Hereward' series and wondered if this would be as good and it certainly seems as if it is going to be. Wilde is a captivating story teller and his champion, 'Lucanus', is evolving into a charismatic leader but is surprised to find himself in a situation which a mystical Druid insists is of historical significance in the defence of Britain. There is a mixed bag of diverse characters who have special qualities that enrich the whole train of events that are happening as the Romans are overcome and the barbarian hordes unite and are on the march to change the world.
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