Book Synopsis:
The legions of Rome are a fading memory. Enemies stalk the fringes of Britain. And Uther Pendragon is dying. Into this fractured and uncertain world the boy is cast, a refugee from fire, murder and betrayal. An outsider whose only companions are a hateful hawk and memories of the lost.
Yet he is gifted, and under the watchful eyes of Merlin and the Lady Nimue he will hone his talents and begin his journey to manhood. He will meet Guinevere, a wild, proud and beautiful girl, herself outcast because of her gift. And he will be dazzled by Arthur, a warrior who carries the hopes of a people like fire in the dark. But these are times of struggle and blood, when even friendship and love seem doomed to fail.
The gods are vanishing beyond the reach of dreams. Treachery and jealousy rule men’s hearts and the fate of Britain itself rests on a sword’s edge.
But the young renegade who left his home in Benoic with just a hunting bird and dreams of revenge is now a lord of war. He is a man loved and hated, admired and feared. A man forsaken but not forgotten. He is Lancelot.
Set in a 5th century Britain besieged by invading bands of Saxons and Franks, Irish and Picts, Giles Kristian’s epic new novel tells – in Lancelot’s own words – the story of the most revered yet reviled of all Arthur’s knights, the warrior who fought at his lord’s side – yet stole his wife. This is the story of the of one of the great figures of British myth and legend – a story ready to be re-imagined for our times.
Lancelot is available to buy in Hardback and paperback now, you can purchase a copy of both here.
My Review:
Lancelot is a stunning work of historical fiction about a legend I didn’t know much about.
The writing is exquisite with the reader drawn into the book almost immediately and transported to 5th Century Britain. It was fascinating to read about what life was like at that time with some pretty brutal but realistic descriptions of the dangers and battles people would have faced then. I felt at times like I was there walking along beside them experiencing all the action first hand. I could hear the battles, and almost smell the blood and fear, which really added to my reading experience.
The story is told from Lancelot’s point of view and it was brilliant to see his transition from timid little boy to brave knight. He was a character you could really get behind and support. I found I developed a bit of a soft spot for him and I really wanted to continue reading to find out what happens to him.
This book is quite fast paced with lots of action and intrigue to keep the reader interested. Despite the length I flew through the pages utterly fascinated by the story. The old romantic in me did want the story to end slightly differently but I know that wouldn’t have been possible as it’s not how the legend goes.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I can’t wait to read more from him in the future.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book. If you like utterly fascinating, realistic and thrilling historical fiction you’ll love this book. A definite must read for fans of the genre.
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Over The Rainbow Blog 
I was just thinking the other day that I haven’t read any proper historical fiction for ages. Not anything that goes back more than about 100 years anyway. This sounds great!
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This was amazing Joanne definitely worth a read! I tend to read ww2 fiction but love retellings so knew I’d love this x
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