Kindle Edition Amazon amazon page Category:  Historical Fiction Publisher: creativia ISBN-10:  1534655484 Type: Fiction Pages: 332 Copyright: May 28, 2016 ISBN-13: 9781534655485 Price: $3.46 (eBook) Legends of old can never fade. The truth can never die. The tip of a spear settles any dispute. But the love of a King comes before all. The second book in C.M. Gray's Shadowland series, The Shadow of a King is a standalone fantasy adventure and can be enjoyed even if you haven't read the first book in the series. Legends of old can never fade.  The truth can never die.  The tip of a spear settles any dispute.  But the love of a King, well... that comes before all.  In his fifteenth year of rule, King Uther Pendragon - High King of all the Celtic Tribes - is set on a quest by Merlyn and the druids of Mona, to brave the winter seas and set sail for the Isle of Erin. The quest placed upon the king, despite the tribal lands being at war with Saxon invaders, is to take a war party and return with a prize that will lay to rest the ghosts of the past and allow the Celts to reclaim their lands.  But none of those who set sail realize what this quest will release within their king, and what events will unfold.  The second book in C.M. Gray's Shadowland series, The Shadow of a King is a standalone fantasy adventure and can be enjoyed even if you haven't read the first book in the series.  Excerpt - Chapter 1 - Glastening Abbey - AD 472 ‘No… please, do not move him. The King is not to be moved… I beg of you.’ The nun stepped in front of the advancing warrior and pushed her hands against his chest, hindering his passage further into the dimly lit cell. ‘There must be some mistake… the King is gravely ill.’ She was flustered, almost beside herself in her wish to turn these intruders around and see them gone. ‘The Abbess is not here, she sleeps now, but she left instructions that he cannot be disturbed... you may kill him.’ The warrior looked down at the small figure blocking his path. Her gown, as with all of these nuns, was a covering from head to foot of coarse black wool, stained and showing signs of many repairs. This nun was gazing up from beneath her cowl with a look of abject horror at his intrusion. Her pale white hands fluttered ineffectually against his stained and dented breastplate; then she glanced towards her charge, the lone figure that lay upon the cot within the damp, dark cell. Beside the cot, a single stub of candle was set upon a small table, its light reflecting from a thick torc of twisted gold, the dull metal gleaming in the candlelight; the candle guttered in the invasive draught sending shadows dancing along the rough, stone walls. ‘Spirits preserve us, what a piss-hole,’ the warrior whispered under his breath. Rats were moving close by, he could hear them, squeaking and rustling amongst the floor rushes in the darkness; the whole place reeked of vermin. This was a godforsaken place, even if it was an Abbey. Rank with the smell of rat piss, burning herbs and rotting flesh, but it was still an improvement on smells around the gathering of tribes he had so recently left. The Abbey was deathly cold, but at least it was out of the incessant, drizzling rain. The warrior raised a hand and rubbed absently at the knot of wires, shaped into the form of an intricate cross that hung between the ends of his own, somewhat thinner, gold torc at his throat. The cross was not a Christian emblem, but something far older, a connection to the ancient spirits of the land. For like many of his ilk, the warrior was still a follower of the old ways. He had not yet been won over by the honeyed words or threats of certain damnation delivered by the priests, should they not turn their backs upon their ancient Gods and follow the one nailed God. He didn’t like nor trust them. Touching the cross had been an unconscious reflex to ward off the evil that he felt dwelt within the Abbey. He had not wanted to come here this night, but then fool’s errand or not; he would do the Druid’s work and so be it. With a sigh, he removed his helm and brushed his fingers back through long, greying hair. It was thinning badly as the gesture rudely reminded him. He was tired, weary to the bone, truth be told, and his arms felt heavy from a clash with a Saxon raiding party during the dark hours of their riding to the Abbey. They had met upon the wooded road, both groups startled to come upon the other, neither wishing to tarry yet both needing to pass the other. After a brief period of both parties shouting and taunting each other, each attempting to force the other to turn and run, they had fought, which of course had been inevitable. The clash had been brief and violent, but on this particular occasion, they had not taken any losses and sustained only one small wound to a member of their party. The Saxons, once past the Britons and heavy with raided goods, had fled towards their own border; it wasn’t deemed prudent to pursue them considering the mission the Druid had tasked them with. Drawing a deep breath, the warrior calmed himself. ‘My name is Sir Ector, and I am sorry, lady, I surely am, but there is no mistake. My orders were spoken by the lips of the Druid Merlyn himself; our King must rise.’ Turning, he threw his helm back into the hands of one of his men, gently brushed the sobbing nun to the side and approached the low sleeping pallet. While he dropped to one knee beside his King, his two companions entered fully into the cell, bringing with them dampness and the sharp smell of the rainy dawn that had settled on the metal of their mail and armour. ‘Sire. ’ In the inadequate light from the flickering candle, Uther Pendragon, High King of the Britons, appeared for all the world as if he may already be dead. Sir Ector studied the dying man and felt the small light of hope that he had been desperately holding onto, begin to dim, this surely could not be a man who within days would be leading a mass of warriors into battle. It would be some kind of Christian miracle if the King ever rose from this pallet again unless it was to be taken to his funeral pyre.

Another excellent story of King Uther Pendragon from Mr C.M. Gray!
I loved this well-written story, here writer Chris Gray (C.M. Gray) serves us with more of the life of Uther Pendragon, High King of Britain, and father of more well known legendary hero King Arthur...but who begat the round table? Read on:)

Setting: post-Roman Britain after the 5th century of the common era, when Saxons, and other tribal forces from overseas, were looking to take control of Briton and its fertile lands by force...and where Paganism and Druid priests, led by Druid Merlyn, of what was then the established religious beliefs of Celts and Britons, being at odds with the early spread of Christianity here.

A period in history now called the Middle Ages and where limited knowledge is known about the political or social norms of that time. Yet the knowledge that there is, is reflected in this story by much research that must have taken place for this brilliant story to have been formulated and written. I say story; this is a story where fact, legend, fantasy and fiction intertwine and culminate to provide a rare treat for us, the readers.

Places, people, history and legend all come to life, and you can feel this through your senses as Mr Gray uses his research knowledge, geography, imagination and language skills to paint his pictures into story and so becoming the bard for this tale he has given us.

This tells of the end of Uther's reign, his life story in retrospect, the cause and effect of his and his spiritual guide Druid Merlyn actions and manipulations on their world, their people, their quest to the Isle of Erin, and onto Uther's love, Lady Igraine, Duc Gerlois' wife and their daughters, in particular Morgana.
Morgana for whom events whilst under the pretext of a sparse Christian nunnery upbringing which marred her life to become a bitter and twisted woman, who some say was involved in the occult. Yet, I could also empathise and felt for her, despite her intention for revenge.

This includes Arthur, but in a cameo role only. His story in the developing from the earliest moment possible, say I, tongue in cheek, but this is about his father and the start of the legendary Pendragon family.

This can be read as a standalone but is one of two books linked closely, one tells the story of how Uther became king, entitled Shadowland and somehow it doesn't matter which is read first as each links to the other and reading one, in my opinion, won't limit or spoil the reading of the other. Both are excellent stories and in my opinion 5 star reads, and suitable for all ages from 10 to 100. In saying, I actually think these should appeal to young males in order to stimulate and hopefully foster a love of reading. I am more than happy to recommend this story as well as Shadowland.

Arthurian fantasy at its best!
There is a border between this world and the Shadowlands. At one point everyone will cross into this ghostly realm. No man or druid can halt the natural way of things. King Uther Pendragon is dying, and the Saxons are coming. The future of Britain is uncertain.

Uther is in the care of the Abbess Morgana, at Glastening Abbey. The Abbey is a place of sanctuary, where a dying man may be given every possible comfort and attention. But the Abbess, although she appears godly, has a dark heart. She wants answers, and Uther will give them to her before he dies...one way or another.

C.M. Gray has brought back to life Uther Pendragon in this most evocative and beautiful story, set in the backdrop of the brutalities of 5th Century, Britain. This is the story before King Arthur, and it is a fascinating and spellbinding read. From the magic of the druids to the spender of the world that it is set in, I was enchanted.

The influence of Gildas, Bede, Nennius and not forgetting, Geoffrey of Monmouth, rings throughout this book as loud as any bell. Gray has given new life to a very old tale, and he has done it to an incredibly high standard, and I commend him for that.

I found myself completely immersed into the world Gray has created. I could almost smell the stench of battle, and I really took to Uther. He was an incredibly well crafted and believable character.

I adored Merlyn in all his eccentricity, and I loved the way he and Uther played off each other - It was just how I imagine the two of them would be. One thing was for certain - when Merlyn was around anything could happen, and it usually did! This kept me engaged as I wondered what this old druid was going to get up to next!

Morgana was the perfect antagonist – but she had a very compelling backstory, and I could understand – if not agree – with why she did what she did. Loneliness and abandonment turned to bitterness. And bitterness makes for a very unhappy life. As much as I wanted to dislike her, I could not, she had my sympathy.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book. It is a fantastic introduction to anyone interested in Arthurian legends, and it is on my repeat-to-read list.

If you enjoy reading the legend of King Author you will adore ...
If you enjoy reading the legend of King Author you will adore “The Shadow of a King (Shadowland book 2)” As with the writing of C.M. Gray it is written in a perspective of feeling you know the entire backstory of the character and all about the world of the legendary king as if you lived there yourself.

As in the first book “Shadowland” this book is a treat to escape into when all your work is done or anytime. I know a book has dragged me into its colourful pages when I cannot think of anything I would like to do better than sit in the corner and read. That is the way this book will grip you.

Let us start with the king in this rich tale.

This story is about Uther Pendragon, the legendary father of King Arthur. He is half alive half in the shadow land. He is being cared for by an abbess, and her nuns. The interesting thing about this caring abbess is her name. She is Morgana le Fay. The reader delves further into her scheming. You know there is an undercurrent of treachery concerning her character, however, the way her story unfolds through the pages of this grand tale is something you as the reader knows you need to understand. You think maybe the legend is different than you remember. You also find yourself feeling the general atmosphere is like a well-spun reality.

It is clear how important King Uther is to the people of his time. They even drag him from the Abby where it is thought he is near death and allow his people to see him leading them all into battle on his horse. This increases the moral of the warriors and they succeed where otherwise they may have failed.

Merlin plays a major role in this tale, as one would expect. His powers and knowledge of the diverse lands they must travel is fantastic. C.M.Gray manages nicely to bring each character from the legend to life and give them a feasible background, literally grounding them with actual historical people. This makes the story read somewhat like a historical fiction. When you start to think of the story as a historical fiction it brings it to life in a most special way.

Highlights of the Legend

What do you think of when you think of Arthurian legend? I don’t know about you, but I know the roundtable and Excalibur come to my mind. These are two prominent items that glue the tale together.

One of the most exciting elements in this book is the way the famed “Roundtable” came into the works together with the famous sword Excalibur. Though the sword Excalibur is mentioned many times before in this fine tale; it was coupled in one scene with the Roundtable as if the two were complete. It felt like the mighty essence of the Arthurian legend was together at last.

We get to see the beginning of the roundtable and how it is mentioned that it is round for a good reason so that no one is above anyone else. It has a purpose and it is to deliberate strategies about war against the opposing tribes. One of the main troublesome tribes of that time (400’s AD) was the Saxons. It united the tribes that Uther was the leader of and one of the men included in this group was Morgana le Fay’s father.

We are treated to her first meeting Uther when she was a girl of eight summers. I find delving into the backstory of these famous characters really helps put everything into perspective. It brings everything into a clear light.

The Abbess Morgana Le Fay (Expounded)

Thanks to Merlin and his magic, the king comes back to life sort of speak and joins in battle acting as a figurehead for the moral of his troops. He is escorted and protected by a woman in his military named Maude. It is later on the march to their destination to defeat the Saxons etc. that Uther gets injured by an arrow that marks his neck with a deep wound. He begins to fail in health again even though the injury was not bad enough to produce the reaction he had. He faded into a type of coma and was brought back to the Abbey where Morgana le Fay and the nuns under her command tended to him, though loyal Maud would not leave him there.

He came out if his long healing sleep and then descended back into it again aided by some type of potion made up by Morgana to get the story of why her father died and more.

It becomes clear why Morgana is working so hard to make Uther spill what happened to her father on a trip to Erin. She is looking for revenge and is an abbess living with the nuns. She makes potions or infusions for Uther to drink to make him talk of the past. She is plotting her revenge on the King.

However, will she succeed? You will have to buy this fantastic book to find out more. I highly recommend “The Shadow of a King” Do yourself a big favour and buy this book. I for one will read it many times over. It has been added to my favorite Arthurian legend books. 5 stars! And 2 thumbs up!

~Arwin