Grail Prince
The thrilling tale of Galahad
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- £1.99
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- £1.99
Publisher Description
A gripping Arthurian adventure of clashing swords and hearts, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Judith Tarr.
King Arthur lies dead, struck down along with Mordred, his son and heir, and the greatest knights of Camelot. Of that peerless company, only Lancelot survives, a broken man who has turned his back on Britain and his forbidden love of Guinevere. Yet one knight, scarcely more than a boy, fights amid the ruins to keep Arthur’s dream alive: Galahad, the son of Lancelot.
Before his death, Arthur swore the young knight to undertake a quest: a search for the scattered treasures of an ancient king. On the recovery of these powerful relics – a grail, a spear, and a sword – hinges the future of Britain.
But it is the past that torments Galahad. He cannot forget or forgive his father’s betrayal of his king. Nor can he banish thoughts of the intoxicating Dandrane, sister of his friend Percival, from his mind. But can he set all this aside in order to complete his sacred task?
Weaving back and forth through time, from Arthur’s mighty reign to Galahad’s ultimate quest to preserve the destiny of a nation, The Grail Prince is an unforgettable epic of adventure and romance.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this imaginative retelling of the Grail legends, with alternating timelines between a younger and older Galahad, McKenzie (Queen of Camelot) offers a psychological study of the "best knight in all the world," obsessed with honor and disdainful of women. We first meet Galahad, perforce a man at age 15, traveling through a bleak, cold North Wales landscape with his 11-year-old cousin Percival, who was sorely wounded six weeks earlier in the cataclysmic battle that ended Arthur's reign. The regent, Percival's uncle Peredur, welcomes them to Percival's home castle, but Peredur's wife, Ennyde, resents their presence. They winter in the crowded castle, where Galahad spars with Percival's twin sister, Dane, a hoyden who challenges his beliefs about women. Preferring not to go home to his estranged father, Lancelot, Galahad is eager to head out on the quest Arthur gave him, to complete the set of powerful items said to ensure the health of Britain: the Grail and the Spear, locations unknown, and the Sword that Arthur threw into a lake as he lay dying. Taking Percival along on the quest serves to remove Galahad from the dangers of growing to majority under Peredur's rule. Thus proceeds a tale of prophecy, fulfillment and maturation. Familiarity with the Arthurian legends isn't necessary to enjoy this engrossing medieval fantasy, though the genealogy tables at the end do help.
