Customer Reviews

Pendragon's Banner (2nd in trilogy)

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Author Helen Hollock's "Pendragon's Banner" is the second novel in the "Pendragon's Banner Trilogy." As with Part #1, I found myself unable to put this book down. Ms. Hollick continues here with her story of King Arthur, a unique tale without magical or supernatural elements. It is more complicated than the first novel. Many of the characters from before, return here. I was immediately drawn into the narrative and was amazed at how believable her characters and storyline are. This is extraordinary "historical" fiction rather than fantasy. Ms. Hollick's Arthur is no mythical monarch of yore, but a flesh and blood, complex man. He is a courageous, warrior king, now approaching his middle years. At times he is cunning and ruthless. He wenches, drinks, has a terrible temper, and adores his lovely Gwenhwyfar and his three sons.

Arthur, the son of a Romano-British nobleman, Uthr, follows the "old religion," the soldiers' god, "Mithras." The Christian Church was still young during the Dark Ages and most people remained pagan for quite some time. Many of Arthur's problems eventually stem from the vying for power between the Church and the old ways.

The setting is an island country situated off the North West coast of Europe - now called Great Britain - during the 5th century. It was inhabited by the Celtic people known as the Britons and a collection of various Germanic peoples, the Anglis, Jutes, and Saxons. This was a time of great upheaval and change. "The province of Britain had been abandoned to fend for herself, for the great power that had for four hundred years dominated an Empire was dying; but in Britain a few influential men clung obstinately to the security of Rome's tattered skirts, refusing to believe their established way of life was over, finished, and a new about to begin." Meanwhile, a power vacuum was created when the Romans left.

Arthur marries his first wife Winifred, the Saxon granddaughter of his hated rival Hengst. Hengst's son, Vortigen, also a bitter enemy, forced him to wed her in order to forge and alliance and keep the peace. Arthur has a son with Winifred, Cerdic, who could be in line for the throne. He divorces Winifred after a short while and then remarries Gwenhwyfar, whom he has loved from boyhood.

He fights to unify the land of Britain, though war and strife plague him constantly. Arthur faces numerous and seemingly insurmountable problems. His uncle Ambrosius, Uthr's youngest brother, longs for a return to the Roman Empire. Also, numerous chieftains are ready to fight to the death to take Arthur's place as High King and Supreme Ruler. Far in the north the evil Morgause, who wants to be queen, plots his downfall. To add to the mix, a series of heartbreaking losses threaten his marriage to Gwenhwyfar. The two quarrel frequently and Arthur's many infidelities are insupportable...at least to me they are, but I don't live in the 5th century. He actually discusses some of his lovers, a few taken for political purposes, with his wife. Ugh!!

Both Arthur and Gwenhwyfar grow and undergo major transformations in "Pendragon's Banner." Arthur is a man who can suppress his emotions when it comes to making decisions, leading his army and his prized calvary in war, and when ruling his kingdom. Emotionally, however, he is still like the boy the reader first met in "The Kingmaking." Here he is, once again, forced to face Morgause, his father's mistress, who abused him so in his childhood. Now she is determined to make him suffer as a man, especially since she has acquired power of her own. Morguase has laid a curse on Arthur - that if he pursues her, none of his sons will live. Another problem he must face concerns his ex-wife, Winifred, who schemes to get the kingship for the son she had by him. And, several plotting warlords refuse to accept him as their rightful king. Now more than ever, he needs the one person he has always loved and trusted. He needs his Gwenhwyfar. She has been, since their adolescence, his best friend, confident, counselor and lover. But their relationship has deteriorated. The question is whether they can rebuild it in time to face their enemies together. There is a sense of foreboding throughout the storyline.

The character Gwenhwyfar is, perhaps, my favorite. She is a strong and independent woman who loves her husband, with all his strengths and shortcomings, and of course she adores her children. She seems to make space for everyone in her life, even while traveling constantly under less than ideal conditions. Of course, she makes mistakes, mostly driven by emotion, but these errors only make her more human.

Oddly, Arthur, Gwenhwyfar, and their sons have never had a home of their own - a castle, a Caer. They've spent years wandering, leading their army and the calvary, the loyal and skilled Artoriani, all over the country, putting down rebellions, forging alliances and making sure the diverse peoples of Britain know he their ruler. All this fighting to keep a kingdom united, frequently cause the family to move to new locations, living a nomadic life in tents. And the travel, under less than ideal circumstances, has caused a further rift between the couple. Gwenhwyfar, a warrior in her own right, and the children, follow Arthur to almost every battlefield, or they spend time with Gwenhwyfar's family in Gwynedd, (today's northwest Wales). Now, they find the perfect place to build their home, a safe haven, in the Summerland, a castle they name Caer Caden. There is no Camelot nor knights of the round table here, however. But, the security that Gwenhwyfar has been longing for is now within reach. And for a while it does seem as if the outside world has allowed the family the peace and time to heal that it so richly deserves. Obviously, this precious, quiet time does not last for long.

The novel spans a period of about seven years during which the sprawling narrative includes much warfare, battle scenes, political scheming as well as intimate details of personal relationships.

Once again, the author delivers a vivid portrait of England in the Dark Ages, complete with the complex political struggles of a tribal nation.

"Pendragon's Banner" is a wonderful and skillfully written sequel to "The Kingmaking." Because of the complex nature of these books, I advise that you read them in sequence. I cannot wait to begin Part 3, "Shadow of the King." Highly recommended!
Jana Perskie

The Kingmaking: Book One of the Pendragon's Banner Trilogy

Shadow of the King: Book Three of the Pendragon's Banner Trilogy

Harold the King

Pendragon's Banner takes up where The Kingmaking left off as Arthur Pendragon has a constant battle to hold on to his crown and keep peace among the rival British and Saxon factions. With no real home of their own, Gwenhwyfar and their sons ride with Arthur and his men, but this eventually leads to tension between the two, especially after a tragic accident threatens to destroy the marriage permanently. Uthr's former mistress Morgause plots with King Lot and the Picti of the North to destroy Arthur and his family, as Arthur's ex-wife Winifred continues her scheming to make her son Cerdic as Arthur's heir.

There's actually a whole lot more to it than that, but I'm not into book reports and we all know the main gist of the legends. What you don't find in Hollick's trilogy is all the glorified magic and enchantment of many other books on the period - no Merlin, no Knights of the Round Table and no Lancelot. Arthur is a hard drinking, unfaithful (at times), hot tempered ruthless warrior who does what he has to do to survive and protect his kingdom and his family. Just be warned, the battle scenes are brutal and bloody, so if you're looking for a prettified story of Arthur and his Gwenhwyfar I suggest you look elsewhere. Next up and last in the trilogy Shadow of The King. 4.5/5 stars.

Helen Hollick has done an exceptional job with this middle book of her Arthurian trilogy. This is an Arthur without magic, and Merlin has no role in Hollick's Camelot. In fact, even Camelot itself, at this point in the trilogy, really has a minimal role, and there is neither a Lancelot, nor a Round Table anywhere to be seen. She has set her trilogy in mid-400's Great Britain, and it is a dark place indeed.

This section of the trilogy puts Arthur and Gwenhwyfar through the emotional wringer. It is a time of continual strife, and they suffer some very significant losses over the course of this book. Toward the end of the book, I struggled a bit with finishing because it seemed that the tragedy would never end.

One of the strengths of this series, in my mind, is the character of Gwenhwyfar. Hollick, more than any other writer that I have encountered in a number of Arthurian retellings, has given her Gwenhwyfar realistic virtues and faults. Cymraes, as Arthur calls her, is a complex person: warrior, woman and mother. She is stubborn and, at times, inflexible, but she is genuinely and deeply in love with Arthur, and he with her. Their relationship is frustrating and sad, and at the same time deeply moving.

This is not a book for the faint of heart. It is long, often sad, and depicts a way of life that is dark and primitive. However, for someone who is looking for a portrayal of Arthur and his Queen that is less idealized and romanticized then the average retelling of the myth, Hollick's trilogy is simply wonderful.

Pendragon's Banner by Helen Hollick is a continuation of The Kingmaking and another fantastic example of Helen Hollick's amazing story telling. It is the story of King Arthur and granted I loved the first book as well but picking up this one was wonderful - being able to go back in time and learn more about Arthur and Gwenhwyfar, their lives together and the times that the novel takes place in had me completely engrossed. I was sucked into Pendragon's Banner from the first page and let me just say that the 460 odd pages of this novel just fly by as you're trapped inside with battles raging both on the war fields and at home with Arthur and Gwenhwyfar.

Arthur is Supreme King for the past three years and he has been fighting battles and moving Gwenhwyfar and his three sons many times. Gwenhwyfar is plain sick of it; sick of living in tents and never having a place to call their own. Gwenhwyfar has not changed much with the years. She is still the feisty woman she has always been; a woman with her own mind and not afraid to use it or voice her thoughts. She is angry with Arthur as his need to settle is not as great as her own. Along the way tragedy strikes and Gwenhwyfar decides to take some time away from Arthur and go home to Gwynedd until finally their love wins out again and they are back together.

What I think I like best about Helen Hollick's writing is her ability to make me feel like I'm living in the pages of the novel. I'm on the battlefield seeing the bloodshed and feeling the fear. I'm feeling Arthur's fears as he tries to do his best for his men and his family and I'm feeling anger when he is unfaithful to his wife and needs a kick in the butt. I'm feeling their sadness when things go terribly wrong and their happiness and hope when they don't. This book is hard to put into words because it is such an epic tale and one that needs to be experienced to feel the full impact of it.

Arthur again is a man who you just can't make up your mind about. Do you love him or hate him - well it's both. He's a good man who loves Gwenhwyfar more than anything and you can feel that completely and he loves his family and he is fiercely loyal to his men. At the same time he does things that just get my feathers in an uproar. He has some definite problems saying no to women's wiles and has been unfaithful more than once. He has a jealous streak that sometimes takes over before his brain does. All in all though I have to say once again that I like him.

By far my favorite character is Gwenhwyfar. She is the type of woman, especially for those times, who was very different. She is extremely willful and has the tendency to do things her way, not the way Arthur or anyone else may tell her to. She's beautiful, strong and has no problem wielding a sword should the need arise. I could just envision her on the battle field with her hair flowing behind her and her sword at the ready. My heart just broke for her many times throughout this novel; she has suffered much heartbreak in her young life. She also made me laugh outright several times. When certain over zealous men try to put their hands where they don't belong they find the point of a sword awfully close to their equipment and back off quickly. lol.

There are many of the old characters back that I didn't find myself liking any more than the last time like Winifred who wants her son recognized as Arthur's and Morgause who just wants to destroy Arthur. There were others like Arthur's and Gwenhwyfar's sons who touched your heart and Gweir, Arthur's new slave boy who was pretty amusing as well.

Pendragon's Banner comes highly recommended for those who love a little history weaved in with a great fictional story. Helen Hollick has given real lives to these people and given us a glimpse once again into how they might have lived through her vivid imagination. I'm already anxious for the third and final book in this trilogy called The Shadow of the King so I can see how it will all end.

All three of Helen Hollick's books on Arthur are excellent. Unlike many other books on Arthur, however, they deal with Arthur from a realistic point of view and deny any form of magic. This has the effect of making the books more historical fiction than fantasy, but very worthwhile if you bear this in mind. Arthur is a much stronger character in these books, but also much more human. His love for Gwenhwyfar is his one saving grace, as he is nearly fatally flawed in every other regard and in every other relationship. Gwenhwyfar also is far more of a real person in this series. She is a real woman with real needs and intelligence of her own, not just the slightly dim but beautiful focal point of chivalry displayed in most portrayals. The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy is an excellent read, and will influence your opinion on all future and past writings of the tale of Camelot.

Though it got off to a rocky start, the second book in the Pendragon Trilogy did not disappoint! I was extremely impressed to discover that The Kingmaking was Helen Hollick's first novel. The writing, storyline and characters were superb. I loved it. So when this one started off a little awkwardly, I was upset. The narrative was clunky, the dialogue a little stilted - it just seemed to be missing that magic that captivated me in the first book. Fortunately, that feeling only lasted about thirty pages and then the author hit her stride and the book took off from there.

Arthur and Gwenhwyfar, who overcame so much to be together, are having a difficult time of it. They've spent three years leading his army all over the country, squashing small rebellions, forging alliances and reminding the people of Britain that Arthur is their supreme king. But Gwen longs for a home of her own, a safe haven in which to raise her family, and a husband who is as devoted to them as he is to ruling the country. Gwen's unhappiness and Arthur's unwillingness to compromise cause a rift to grow between them and a terrible tragedy ultimately separates them.

Both of these characters undergo growth and transformation, but particularly Arthur, and I came to care about him so much more through the course of this book. Arthur is a man who can put his emotions aside when it comes to making ruthless decisions about war and leading a kingdom, but at his heart he is very much still like that lost little boy he was when we first met him. That theme comes to the forefront of this story as he is forced to face Morgause, his father's mistress who abused Arthur as a boy, and who, in her new position of power, is determined to make him suffer as a man. And Arthur still has his evil ex-wife, Winifred to deal with as well, along with several plotting warlords who refuse to accept him as their rightful king. Now more than ever, he needs the one person he has always loved and trusted. But can they overcome their differences, the hurt they've caused each other, the fears and misgivings, to love again and unite in the face of their enemies?

This book zips along at a breakneck pace; there are some gripping battle scenes, tender love scenes, death, sadness, tears and laughter all culminating in a very satisfying ending that had me turning the last page and sighing, "Wow! What a book!"

In Pendragon's Banner, by Helen Hollick, the tale of Arthur, the grand King and warrior, holds no place for Lancelot-types and ladies in distress. In this meaty epic, you'll find a hero in the midst of endless battles, strong-willed women, questionable loyalty, heart-wrenching deaths, and true love.

Arthur possessed not only those majestic qualities loved in a king that's hero; he was also capable of extreme emotions and actions that could destroy, refute (as in the case of his first son by Winifred...I had a very hard time understanding this...) and could also literally `dispose of' mercilessly as a means to an end. Those passages led to very intense reading- where I just could not put the book down.

I appreciated the author's realistic in -the- times approach to this King Arthur who also proved to be endearing and vulnerable when it came to true love. I admired Arthur for the ruler and lover he was (though some of his swaying motives lost him some points...but those were different times...). Hollick brought her characters to life -drawing me to strong emotions, precisely, I imagine, as intended. Her portrayal led me to despise and wish cruelty on the venomous Morgause; understand the validity of Winifred's motives, while disliking her altogether; and then, there was Gwenhwyfar...

For me, she was the real heroine of this novel. I must admit that although I passionately read through the battle scenes, scheming plots, horrifying situations and the saddest of deaths-It was Gwen who kept me hooked to the storyline. What a heroine! In Pendragon's Banner, Gwenhwyfar is strong, loyal, incredibly skilled mentally and physically (she could whip a sword as well as any Artoriani!) Her devotion, as well as her determination proved unshakeable in the worst of fates. Her fiery temper was no less passionate in the face of love for her husband and children. In all her intensity, Gwenhwyfar was also capable of great compassion, kindness and giving towards others in their time of need. Based upon Hollick's fantastic character portrayal of Gwen in this rich novel, I have a renewed love and admiration for Arthur's glorious Queen.

Pendragon's Banner is a rich and gripping tale, but not without its light and often comical moments which the author interjects throughout the novel. Actions, motions and scenes are regularly described, with visual editorial type moments for vivid effect. It also helps alleviate the heavier scene being dealt with. For those who enjoy this type of thing, here's an example:

Bottom of pg. 351, `Arthur slid his thumb through his sword belt, and rocked forward onto the balls of his feet and back to his heels.'

And, here's another:

pg.312, `Arthur's expression was his familiar, implacable, grim squint of right eye half shut, left eyebrow raised.'

Pendragon's Banner, although quite chunky, is a relatively smooth read (difficult names and words have a pronunciation guide at the front). In addition, all chapters are only 3 to 4 pages long, easily readying you towards the next transition of events.

Arthurian fans will enjoy this tale portraying Arthur and his Lady in a different, yet more convincing light than ever read before.

I thoroughly enjoyed Helen Hollick's retelling of this early part of King Arthur's life. Unlike the medieval Arthur who seemed focused on the crusades and the older King who would hold festivals and jousts, the Arthur that we meet in Pendragon's Banner is a young king occupied with winning battles - much of the book is devoted to wresting control of his territory and keeping the land from invaders. Hollick's Arthur is deep into the work of creating his kingdom. He does not yet have his own castle, his Camelot and his round table is just a glimmer of a thought. He must still go through a great deal before establishing himself as the King Arthur of legend, but we can see from the man that he is in Pendragon's Banner the king that he will become.

It is easy to care for Arthur, his loyal and skilled Artoriani and his loyal wife Gwenhywyfar. When they face the cunning and treachery of Arthur's longtime enemy Morgause, it make for a gripping tale and a satisfying read.

Hollick weaves in bits of the Arthurian legend, details of the man that hint at his life and legend as king. Plus, Hollick's fight scenes are gripping and well done - and as enjoyable as those found in a good Bernard Cornwell tale.

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (September 2009), 496 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

Once again, Helen Hollick gives us a wonderful addition to King Arthur's story. Arthur started in The Kingmaking as a teenager - not even knowing that he was the heir to the throne. In Pendragon's Banner, he is not only King, but husband and father - and battling to do justice to all those roles.

Arthur has married Gwenhwyfar and with their children they have traveled, eventually settling at Caer Cadan. The traveling and Arthur's "wandering" have taken a toll on his and Gwenhwyfar's marriage. Add to the fact that Gwenhwyfar was also very intelligent and was somewhat a warrior herself - coming from a long line of warriors - there was bound to be conflict between the two. Even though they were estranged, they manage to come back together. Arthur is also battling his first wife, Winifred, and Morgause who has cursed his children if Arthur should ever come after her.

This book covers about 6 years but it does not lack for political struggles, battles, infidelity, romance. What you will not find though is Merlin or Excalibur or the Knights of the Round Table. This is historical fiction without all the fantasy - a King Arthur we can believe might really have lived.

I enjoyed this second installment of Pendragon's Banner as much as I did the first - but I found it hard to try to sum up. Most of this information is new to me, as I was never a big fan of the King Arthur stories. I am, however, a big fan of Helen Hollick's books and am looking forward to the re-release of the third book in this series next year.

King Arthur has married his second wife, Gwenhwyfar. His first wife was determined to overthrow her husband and place her son in his seat of power. One minor problem is that Arthur has impregnated several other women. Will he be able to weed out the traitors and make it to the top at all costs?

King Arthur has always interested me. I love sword fights and battles with courageous men. This is an action-packed book that includes blood, guts, gore and tons of lies, lust and greed. This is a book that has a little bit of everything and the writing is superb.