King Arthur: Dragon’s Child
In Dark Age Britain, a boy called Artorex is being fostered by Lord Ector. Even Ector does not know who and what the boy is. In this first book of a trilogy, the tale covers his life from a boy to the very early years of the King Arthur of legend.
The narration shifts around to various characters, which can be distracting, but the author is seeking to control her story, using different views where necessary. Initially Artorex seems too perfect, but gradually he becomes a little more manipulative and makes hard decisions, which means he develops into an interesting and intriguing character.
Though much is made of Roman culture, unfortunately the Romans as portrayed here are those of the Early Empire, or maybe earlier. One character, for example, carries a short sword, specifically pointed out as being Roman. But by the Late Empire, the short gladius had been abandoned in favour of the longer spatha (ideal for slashing the enemy from horseback, for instance). There are many more examples (including confusing Saxons with Vikings) which inevitably leads to an unconvincing historical setting.
This is an interesting addition to the growing legion of King Arthur novels, much in the tradition of the medieval and later legends.
