Arthur Dux Bellorum
(A Light in the Dark Ages
Book 4)
By Tim Walker
From the ruins of post-Roman Britain, a warrior arises to
unite a troubled land.
Britain in the late Fifth Century is a troubled place – riven with tribal infighting and beset by invaders in search of plunder and settlement. King Uther is dead, and his daughter, Morgana, seizes the crown for her infant son, Mordred. Merlyn’s attempt to present Arthur as the true son and heir of Uther is scorned, and the bewildered teenager finds himself in prison. Here our story begins…
Arthur finds friends in unexpected quarters and together they flee. Travelling through a fractured landscape of tribal conflict and suspicion, they attempt to stay one step ahead of their pursuers, whilst keeping a wary eye on Saxon invaders menacing the shoreline. Arthur’s reputation as a fearsome warrior grows as he learns the harsh lessons needed to survive and acquire the skills of a dux bellorum, a lord of war.
Tim Walker’s Arthur Dux Bellorum is a fresh look at the Arthurian legend, combining myth, history and gripping battle scenes. Although in a series, it can be read as a standalone novel.
Britain in the late Fifth Century is a troubled place – riven with tribal infighting and beset by invaders in search of plunder and settlement. King Uther is dead, and his daughter, Morgana, seizes the crown for her infant son, Mordred. Merlyn’s attempt to present Arthur as the true son and heir of Uther is scorned, and the bewildered teenager finds himself in prison. Here our story begins…
Arthur finds friends in unexpected quarters and together they flee. Travelling through a fractured landscape of tribal conflict and suspicion, they attempt to stay one step ahead of their pursuers, whilst keeping a wary eye on Saxon invaders menacing the shoreline. Arthur’s reputation as a fearsome warrior grows as he learns the harsh lessons needed to survive and acquire the skills of a dux bellorum, a lord of war.
Tim Walker’s Arthur Dux Bellorum is a fresh look at the Arthurian legend, combining myth, history and gripping battle scenes. Although in a series, it can be read as a standalone novel.
“We live in dangerous times…”
When King Uther Pendragon
died, his daughter, Morgana, placed her son upon the throne. However, Mordred
is just a child, and therefore it is Morgana that rules the kingdom, and she
will quash her enemies, even if they are of her blood, if it serves her purpose
to do so.
Artorius’ destiny, if you can call it that, was nothing more than a conjurer’s trick that had been planned
and executed by the overly zealous healer, although some say sorcerer, Merlyn.
But it is not Merlyn that languishes in prison. For it was not he that pulled
the sword from the stone. Merlyn does not have to suffer the squalor and
indignity of a prison cell.
Artorius' succession to his
father’s throne may not have gone exactly the way Merlyn had envisaged, but he
wasn’t one to give up. He would vanquish Morgana and her son. All he had to do
was to break Artorius out of prison and then convince the other tribes that
Artorius is Uther’s son and therefore is the heir apparent and should be sat
where Mordred sits. However, such things are easier said than done. Merlyn must
use his wit and cunning to achieve that which seems, on the face of it,
impossible.
From a dark and filthy cell
to the coronation of one of the most celebrated legendary kings of all time,
Arthur Dux Bellorum (A Light in the Dark Ages Book 4) by Tim Walker is the
story of a young teenage boy, who despite all the odds, takes the throne that
is rightfully his.
Following in the footsteps of
the great Arthurian authors, Walker has penned a story that is as rich in
historical detail as it is in all its mythological traditions. Drawing on the
works of Monmouth, Nennius and Welsh folklore, Walker has presented a hero who
has to desperately fight a seemingly invincible foe to win his throne and take
his place in British history.
Walker’s compelling narrative
caught my attention from the opening sentence. Walker’s careful blend of
mystery, treachery, deceit, war, honour, and the knightly code made this book
unputdownable. The skilfully described battle scenes were so real in the
telling that I could almost taste the terror and the chaos as our intrepid hero
fought for not only his life, but for the throne and the kingdom which was
rightfully his. All of which is set against a very believable historical
backdrop.
The forces of good and evil
run through the heart of this book. Morgana’s desire for power is as seemingly
unstoppable as the tide. She is determined to secure her son’s throne. However,
one could surmise that it is not in Mordred’s interest that Morgana is so
despotic in her ambition to vanquish her enemies, but
in her own insatiable lust for power. Morgana is often portrayed as the
anti-hero in the story of Arthur, but I thought Walker brought a refreshingly new
take on the character. She is deplorable, but at the same time she drives this
story forward, and I found myself holding my breath as she continued to plot
and scheme to thwart her adversaries.
In comparison to Morgana, her
half-siblings, and in particular Artorius, came across as level headed and for
the most part compassionate. Artorius does struggle with some of the things he
has done, particularly in the heat of battle, which I think gave his character
a tremendous depth, and made him very believable. Likewise, Merlyn was a
character I enjoyed reading about. His ingenuity and his use of the tools
available to him made his story compulsively readable. I enjoyed following his
progression throughout this wonderful book.
There are several secondary
characters that fans of Arthurian fiction will be familiar with — Gawain,
Percival, Bors and Tristan — all of whom Artorius looks up to for advice. I
thought these characters were well fleshed, and I look forward to reading more
about them in the next edition of this remarkable series.
Like a heroic poem from times
of old, Tim Walker’s Arthurian saga continues to mesmerise. A must read for
those who love everything Arthurian, but also for those who have a keen
interest in the Dark Ages.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.
Pick up
your copy of
Arthur Dux Bellorum
(A Light in the Dark Ages Book 4)
Tim Walker
Tim Walker is an
independent author based in Windsor, UK. His background is in marketing,
journalism, editing and publications management. He began writing an historical
series,A Light in the Dark Ages (set in Fifth Century Britain), in 2015,
starting with Abandoned, set at the time the Romans left Britain.
This was extensively revised and re-launched as a second edition in 2018.
Book two, Ambrosius:
Last of the Romans, was published in 2017 and the third installment, Uther’s
Destiny, was published in March 2018 (winner of One Stop Fiction book of
the month award, April 2018). The adventure continues from March 2019 in the
fourth book, Arthur, Dux Bellorum.
His creative writing
journey began in July 2015 with the publication of a book of short
stories, Thames Valley Tales. In September 2017 he published a
second collection of short stories – Postcards from London. These
stories combine his love of history with his experiences of living in London
and various Thames Valley towns.
In 2016 he published
his first novel, a dystopian political thriller, Devil Gate Dawn,following
exposure through the Amazon Scout programme. In 2017 he published his first
children’s book, The Adventures of Charly Holmes, co-written with
his 12-year-old daughter, Cathy, followed In 2018 by a second adventure, Charly
& The Superheroes.
Connect with
Tim: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Amazon Author Page.
Congratulations on your award, Tim!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your award!
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