Gwendolyn's Sword
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- £2.49
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- £2.49
Publisher Description
Cornwall, England, 1193. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the indomitable dowager queen, has ordered all of England onto a war footing while her son King Richard languishes in a German dungeon. Gwendolyn de Cardinham, the defiant wife of an absent crusader, protects and defends her estate, Penhallam, with her sword and the garrison of men that she commands. While travelling to deliver a captured mercenary of would-be usurper Prince John to a nearby gaol, her constable takes her on a detour to the local prior, who gravely informs her that King Arthur’s mythical sword, Caliburn, is destined to be hers. When Gwendolyn discovers that Prince John has been hunting for Caliburn, she realizes she is in a unique position to end the wayward prince’s rebellion. Determined to protect Penhallam and its tenants at any cost, Gwendolyn travels to London to present herself to the dowager queen, placing herself in the middle of the brothers’ duel for the throne. But Gwendolyn has kept a secret from even her constable that could put all of Penhallam—and herself—at risk if the queen discovers it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Haltom's debut novel weaves Arthurian fantasy into the vivid reality of 1193 Cornwall and London. Gwendolyn de Cardinham, whose husband is imprisoned with King Richard, decides to learn sword fighting so that she can defend her estate of Penhallam. The discovery that her husband's ambitious brother is allied with the rebellious Prince John leads Gwendolyn to a local prior, who claims that she is the descendant of King Arthur and destined to wield the fabled sword Caliburn. With the assistance of her constable, William, sworn to protect her since she was a child, and the onetime mercenary Nigel, Gwendolyn travels to London to pledge her sword to the dowager queen Eleanor, using her position as the supposed heir of Arthur as bait for John's rebels. The historical aspects are very well done, and Gwendolyn and William sit comfortably alongside well-known royals and schemers. The fantastical elements are more unexpected but do not distract from the strength of the main characters. The ending satisfies while setting up a sequel. (BookLife)
