Arthur is now Supreme Commander of Armies in Britannia and just about to lead his first major engagement, north of Hadrian's Wall against the Picts; he is eighteen years old. His battles and victories will make Bedwyr the Fox a hero. Fighting with a crippled left arm, the Fox tells of his one-armed struggle to stay alive in his first Pictish battle; the greatest of his young life. Yet battle after battle wears him down, and fighting to know his own identity, he strives through Arthur's growing power to understand himself and who he loves. The Clan Bear return south, victorious, where again, Arthur destroys the Saxons in more intense battles - and yet Arthur the soldier, the fighter, becomes a lover when he meets his future wife ... and the Fox falls into darkness... Book Two: The King of Battles opens the door on both their lives, setting the pace for all that will come...
The Story grows ever stronger.
“Once again, this is brilliant. I am hopelessly enthralled. The way Arthur is becoming more and more a great leader is so well done, so subtle. I want to join Clan Bear.
I noted the way you conveyed that Arthur was a 'gifted' child. And you also did very well in showing how he had an inner mind, deep thought - a battle genius. But also loves to have fun.
I noticed the delicate touches of the old myths, putting the chairs in a circle, Aurelius's old table at Cadwy. I cannot begin to imagine the work you have put into this. But over it all is of course Prince Bedwyr, the Fox. His voice is so true. I loved the bit where Arthur tells him 'Don't let death defeat you before you die' and 'I'm going to the mountaintop and I'm taking you with me.' Well, I loved all of it. All the detail, everything."
EilyStar; reader/writer/reviewer on HarperCollins’ Authonomy.com, talking about 'The Silurian, Book Two, The King of Battles'
The Silurian, Book Two, The King of Battles
Although following Arthur Pendragon after his rise from Roman soldier to Supreme Commander and High King of Britain, this second book in Wilson’s magnificent series “The Silurian” focuses more on the “life in blood and sword” of the narrator, Bedwyr, as a leader of men and striving for independence out of Arthur’s orbit. Unifying the clans—the Dumnonians, Durotriges, Cornovii, Bretons, Godonnin, Atrebates, and so forth—against enemies ranging from the Picts to the Saxons keeps Arthur and Bedwyr busy in battle in this aptly named volume.
The compelling interplay between complex characters, with men and women alike maneuvering for Arthur’s attention, makes this story riveting rather than a dry recitation of tactics and sword strokes. But Bedwyr’s development as the perfect warrior proves even more compelling than the boy-king’s attempt to live up to others’ expectations of him.
A brilliant book, this should go on the shelf next to Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur and T. H. White’s The Once and Future King.
The striking cover and clear layout enhance the text, making this historical novel a joy to read.
Sally Bennett, author of Homegrown Muse
http://www.wordsmithpages.com
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