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Arthur is the dramatic and emotional third entry in Giles Kristian's thrilling The Arthurian Tales trilogy. After a striking and moving prologue, Arthur introduces readers to Beran. He is a grizzled old warrior who runs with a group of ruthless mercenaries. Beran is gruff, tough, and does not care much about anything. Give him someone to rob or kill for payment and he will follow orders with no questions asked. That is until his mercenary band are ordered by Queen Morgana to murder a boy. During the skirmish, someone from Beran's past recognises him and this familiar figure's dying plea is for Beran to save the child and take him to Camelot. Camelot is still standing strong against the Saxons whereas the rest of the Dark Isles is succumbing to the onslaught. Beran turns against the group of mercenaries, saving the boy, and they begin a dangerous trek to the legendary stronghold. The child could become someone of great importance and may even spark a small amount of hope in the disillusioned Beran. Throughout Arthur, they are pursued by Saxons, Queen Morgana's forces, and a very pissed-off mercenary captain.

Arthur works as a standalone and, in isolation, is an absorbing and gripping historical fiction read. I have read Lancelot and Camelot however my memories of these books are hazy. If I had read them more recently, I feel it would have increased my enjoyment of Arthur by about five percent. Arthur has two point of view perspectives. The first is the 'present-day' Beran storyline which features characters from mythology such as Saracen warrior Palamedes and the lovers Tristan and Isolde. The other viewpoint is of past events through the eyes of a young Arthur. Here, familiar characters such as Merlin, Gawain, and Uther are present as moments from Arthur's formative years are depicted. As the novel progresses, similarities between a young Arthur and the rescued boy and his potential become clear. As I read further, it became engrossing to try and work out who Beran was in his past life before he was a mercenary and lost faith in humanity. He is a skilled fighter for his age, showcases fine horsemanship, and knew, in some capacity, famous warriors such as Galahad and King Constantine.

Through the two timelines in Arthur, we see Kristian's interpretation of the beginning and the end of this legendary age of warlords, battles, and kings. I was completely absorbed in Kristian's working of this period. It is dark and gritty, and Britain is an uncertain place with many rulers, rival gods, and competing factions. Magic is presented well in Arthur too as the presence of the druids and the messages delivered by omens seeming more grounded in reality than some retellings. However, these occurrences are witnessed as otherworldly and mysterious to the inhabitants of Britain present in Arthur. These elements add to the complicated murkiness of the Britain on show. Furthermore, Kristian's crafted world is hostile and unforgiving, and just because a character is either good or weak does not mean they are entitled to a happy ending.

Arthur contains many features I adore in well-crafted historical fiction tales. For example, there are gripping battles, vendettas to settle, pasts to escape from, a disgruntled protector figure, brotherhoods, friendships, honour and loyalty, and the high costs of fate, expectancy, and the weight of a nation on a set of shoulders. Kristian does some adept foreshadowing throughout the novel and the payoffs that I foresaw were highly satisfying. That being said, the finest moment was a twist I did not see coming. If I had to be more critical, I wish Arthur was longer, more complicated, and the 'present-day' action set over a longer timeframe. However, the immediateness and the pacing make it tough to put Arthur down.

To conclude, the two storylines are skilfully presented and equally important to the novel's incredible and emotional conclusion. Arthur is a moving, atmospheric, and enthralling experience that culminates The Arthurian Tales in the best possible manner.