Arthur the King: A Romance

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Orion, Dec 8, 2011 - Fiction - 304 pages
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A thrilling and highly original retelling of the Arthurian legend with a twist!

It is the aftermath of the Roman occupation of Britain. Kings are now jockeying for position, for title, for land and for power. A young boy confounds the most famous knights of the realm when he pulls a jewelled sword from a cleft in a stone and claims the throne left vacant by the death of Uther Pendragon.

In this new vision of the Arthurian story, Camelot is set on the River Tweed and Merlin who disapproves of his knights' yearning for battle and their quest for the Holy Grail. With great humour and energy, Massie has created a bold and original new tale from the stuff of legend.

From inside the book

 

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The crowd took upthe cry,but was silenced when,first SirKay pushed himself forward, saying 'this is tomfoolery, enoughofit' and then KingLot strode forward. He looked the boy up and down, and spat on.
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He knew a presentiment of doom, and thatnight Vortigern, Count oftheSaxon Shore, slipped from the camp, and took with him King Lot of Orkney andallhis men, forhesaw that, with Marcus overseas, he could secure the throne for himself.
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But here, thatposition has been usurpedby the Bishop, and those whose dutyit is merely to pray, asinthe old daysthey conducted sacrifices and took theauspices, now exercise the imperium which belongs properlytomen of birth.
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The prioress took Merlin bythe hand and led him into the convent, to herday chamber, which some call by the French word 'boudoir', though thatword wasnot yet known sincenobody at this date spoke French. Thischamber wasfurnished with an ...
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She took up her needle and resumed workon atapestry that was stretched onan easel. The needle trailed blue thread and she worked onthe Virgin's gown. 'Sheis too young.' 'Nevertheless,' he said. 'Youbrought me a child,ignorant of manners ...

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ARTHUR THE KING

User Review  - Kirkus

Historical novelist Massie unrolls the familiar knightly yarns with some fresh, unusual twists.Offering a vaguely postmodern take not merely on Arthur himself but on the whole of British history, the ... Read full review

Other editions - View all

Arthur the King
Allan Massie
No preview available - 2003
Arthur the King: A Romance
Allan Massie
No preview available - 2011

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About the author (2011)

Allan Massie is the author of seventeen highly praised novels, as well as non-fiction works on Muriel Spark, a study of twelve emperors of ancient Rome, a history of crime in 19th-century Edinburgh and the acclaimed Glasgow: Portraits of a City. Born in Singapore in 1938, he was brought up in Aberdeenshire and educated at Glenalmond School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read history. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has been a judge of the Booker Prize. He is also a journalist contributing to the Scottish and English press. He is married, has three children and lives in the Scottish Borders.

Bibliographic information

QR code for Arthur the King
TitleArthur the King: A Romance
Volume 2 of Dark Ages
AuthorAllan Massie
PublisherOrion, 2011
ISBN178022270X, 9781780222707
Length304 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
Fiction / General
Fiction / Historical / General
  
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