The third and final installment of Helen Hollick’s Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy, Shadow of the King, finds Arthur and Gwen at Caer Caden, their kingdom in Britain. Arthur has been king for 11 years and though they are both still grieving over the deaths of their sons, they are basking in the love of their baby daughter.Arthur is sent on a fool’s errand to Gaul under the pretext of war, but this turns out to be a ploy to get him away from his kingdom, leaving it vulnerable to invaders. Namely, his uncle Ambrosius, whose ultimate goal is to bring Britain back under the fold of Rome. But, Ambrosius is not the only one gunning for Arthur’s downfall and he again must prove that he is the Pendragon. It’s rare that you find a trilogy where all 3 books hold up against each other. There’s bound to be one that‘s not quite as good as the others ….not so with this trilogy. I loved every one of them and I can tell you right now that I will be re-reading them again. What I liked most about Shadow of the King was how we saw Arthur dealing with defeat for the first time and how he comes to terms with it. Hollick has a talent with bringing her characters to life – no one-dimensional people here – but I feel like I really got to know Arthur, faults and all and it made me love him even more. And who could not like Arthur’s queen, Gwen, who is the quintessential heroine …strong, courageous and fierce! And Arthur’s band of Artoriani are brave, loyal men who live to serve their King with everything they have. With their help, Arthur is able to shed his cloak of self doubt and return to Britain, to fight for his kingdom.We meet up again with Winifred, Arthur’s first wife who he set aside to marry Gwen. Still calling herself Lady Pendragon, she will do anything in her power to get the crown for their son Cerdic. This tenacious ambition of hers will ultimately lead to her downfall. Cerdic, who loathes his father, the Pendragon and who has made it his lifelong mission to kill Arthur and take his lands has teamed up with the Saxons and invades Britain.There isn’t one thing about this book that I didn’t like. Hollick’s writing is one of the best I’ve come across and her descriptions are so vivid that it seems as if there’s a movie screen in front of you, playing out the scenes as you’re reading. The characters emotions are very real and so relatable that you feel yourself empathize with them even if they are one of the villains! How I would love to see this novel on the big screen, but then again, I don’t think anyone could do it justice. (besides your own imagination).Now, for those of you that may be put off by the size of this book…don’t be! It may seem huge, but with the chapters at 2-3 pages each it flows really quickly. I know I was so enthralled that I didn’t even look at the page numbers. Well, that is until the end when I knew I only had a few left and then I was like NOOOOOOO and read really slowly until the last page, savoring every word like a priest savors meat before lent. Oh, and let me warn you – make sure you have some Kleenex handy and also, make sure your loved one isn’t in the room with you, so that they can’t make fun of you for crying about people you didn’t even know! Heehee.Highly Recommended!
Though it has been a struggle, Arthur and Gwenhwyfar have somehow managed to put their lives back together after the deaths of all three of their sons. Their small daughter and sole surviving child, Archfedd, is their joy and the kingdom of Britain their solace and responsibility. But they never can seem to agree when it comes to Arthur's decisions about the ruling of it.An urgent summons for assistance from across the sea in Gaul arrives and Arthur, against Gwenhwyfar's pleading, cannot resist the promise of action. Despite the fact that his absence will leave Britain without a leader, he is restless and drawn to the excitement that battle brings.The summons is a trap. After prolonged delays the battle is finally fought and Arthur is killed, as was intended by the plotters all along. Chaos and despair reign across Britain, there will never be another King like Arthur. As the fate of an entire nation hangs in the balance, those who loved him must try to pull together to save the island nation from being torn to pieces by those hungry for wealth and power.As I've said before, this series is one of my very favorites. I read it years ago, in the 1990s, it played a large part in the development of my love for historical fiction. It doesn't get done any better than this! If you like historical fiction that comes alive, is thoroughly researched, smart and intricate, this is the series for you. Helen Hollick is, in a word, excellent. I can't recommend her or her novels any higher, they are simply the best. If you haven't read them yet, you are MISSING OUT!!!
Do You like book Shadow Of The King (2011)?
I really did love this series. Books that force research and leave a reader wanting to know more truths about the history behind the characters inspire me. It might be a while, but I will dive into more of Hollick's books, as this series has stirred my interests of British history beyond my normal Yorkshire and Batley interests. I think I said it before, but taking out the fantasy around King Arthur but leaving the bits of facts that have popped up in history are intriguing. Arthur's round table and an infamous stone even make an appearance in this series. :) I knew based on other reviews what would happen, there would be a definite end, but I was so pleased to have the suspense over the course of the novel and as each book did in this series, my attention was grabbed early on making the book harder to put down as the pages turned.
—Stephanie
In many ways this third in the Pendragon trilogy was as satisfying as the first two but I had some issues with the writing. The author's sentence structure is careless at times and downright confusing at other times. A little more clarity would have been good. I did like the way she used phrases that conjured up history and made it seem like I was right back in the fifth century. At other times these seemed to intrude. Always there is a decision to be made as to whether the language should be of the period or of today.I liked Hollick's imaginative way of looking at Arthur and Gwenhwyfar; sometimes their relationship frustrated me but it was very believable. The whole idea of Arthur being dead was effective and led to Gwenhwyfar going to Less Britain on her own quest. Showing the effects of his tumultuous life on Arthur was very interesting and I liked the way it all unfolded. The novel is just so real. The characters have flaws, bad things happen to good people and the mythical Arthur and Gwenhwyfar are forever expunged. I enjoyed these three books very much and was glad when I found each succeeding one. Well done, Helen Hollick!
—Elaine Cougler
I am so completely and thoroughly obsessed with this author right now. As you all know I am an Arthurian Legend obsessed nut, so I was so thrilled to get this book for review. SOOO thrilled. 'Shadow of the King' is a the third book in the Pendragon's Banner Trilogy, and the copy I have is the reprint of this trilogy.This whole trilogy is just beautiful, amazing, wonderful, and I could go on and on but you get the idea. I love how the author turns King Arthur into a man and then the King of legend. It's amazing to see the transformation in the characters and to read a story that shows King Arthur as he truly might have been as opposed to the magically enhanced version of the story that is so popular (nothing wrong with those either). The amount of research Ms. Hollick must have done is astounding because the detail in this book is wonderful. I highly recommend this trilogy to any Arthurian Legend nuts or anyone who just likes a great read.
—Monica
