The Stolen Bride
When Malgwyn accompanies King Arthur to help settle a dispute in Doged’s troubled lands, they arrive to find more than ambitious nobles and Saxons vying for the throne. If Arthur wants to keep Doged’s land in the fold, and the gold that might be found in its mines, then they must find some way to keep the peace. But when Doged is murdered, his young wife demands answers. Arthur turns to Malgwyn, his most trusted counselor and the man most experienced in such matters, but Malgwyn soon discovers that not only his life, but the future of the kingdom, will be lost should he not find the true murderer.
The Stolen Bride is the fourth book in Tony Hays’ Arthurian Mysteries. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each one. The previous three novels are fantastic, though they aren’t necessary to enjoy this fourth installment. Hays has done a tremendous amount of research to breathe new life into this era, where Rome has retreated and the Britons are left to fill the power vacuum and fight off the Saxon invasion. Malgwyn, for all his flaws, is brilliantly written, as are Arthur, Merlin, Bedevere, Guenevere, and all the rest. Highly recommended.
