Bøger af Stephen Sim

The battle for power in the Celtic kingdom of Britannia, reaches a climax when families turn against each other and the most trustworthy can no longer be trusted. It is the sixth century and the growth of immigrants threaten the Celtic way of life for the wealthy and elite. It appears that only one man, King Arthur, can reunite the divided parties, but he has been lured into a untimely war with the Romans. When he is away fighting in Gaul (France) his wife Guinevere seizes her chance at power. Guinevere's great rival is Morgan Le Fay, she becomes embroiled with the Gods of Avalon when she asks for their help. Vivienne, the Goddess of the lake, helps her in her quest, but has her own selfish agenda. Vivienne allows her special creatures, the fairies, to assist Lady Morgan and in so doing changes the balance of power throughout the land. Eros, the King of the fairies, undergoes a physical transformation, while others including Guinevere and Morgan undergo a more spiritual one. Steeped in intrigue and double dealing the protagonist, Lady Morgan, doesn't know who to trust as friend begin to betray friend. Against a background of fear and loathing the story of Joseph of Arimathea's Holy treasure unfolds. All the main characters are after the Holy Grail, but who will capture it? Is the treasure even real, or only a legend? This is volume one of a trilogy of quests, as the well known Arthurian characters battle; magic, gods, dragons, war, famine, mystery and witchcraft to find their objectives. The work is inspired by many great writers who have in the past, put pen to paper to bring adventure and life to the medieval myth of King Arthur. Such authors include: Malory, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chretien de Troyes, Tennyson and go on up to recent times with Tolkien, C.S.Lewis and Marion Bradley. The most recent mentioned, explores the proto-feminist priestess of Avalon (Morgan Le Fay). This trilogy will follow on from that. The battle of good versus evil, Christianity versus Paganism continues but the definition has now become blurred. Who is good and who is evil becomes impossible to distinguish as we see unfold a whole new world.

The second book of the 'Grail Quest' trilogy, introduces a new line of enquiry for the Arthurian heroes to explore. What happened to Joseph of Armathea's treasure? This treasure, reported to have been handed down to King Solomon contained amongst other things the Holy Grail (the vessel used by Jesus at the last supper). These items were housed in a great Ark, or chest, now known as the Ark of the Covenant. With neither opposing parties ready for war, a strange peace descends upon the land. This calm does not suit Gawain, who is restless and wants revenge for his brother's death. He goes off on his own and gets involved with a ruthless and provocative female, by the name of Ragnell. The brave and reckless Gawain soon realises he has met his match. This maiden has knowledge that even the greatest scholars in the land do not, but more importantly, she is ruthless and obsessed at finding the Ark. At first Gawain thinks Ragnell is insane, but as they journey together he begins to feel her story could be true. The couple get lost in the great Rheged Mountains and stumble upon a secret cave, filled with strange clues of past Gods and Demons. No matter how bad things get, Ragnell will not give up her quest. Journey with them into a strange world and be astonished at what they find. The combat that seems inevitable between Guinevere and Morgan Le Fay is put on hold. But that does not stop the combatants from trying to gain the upper hand, by sly and deceitful methods. By the use of magic and the use of poison, both courts reek of intrigue and betrayal. can either of these powerful trust their friends and family? Be prepared for another surprising cliffhanger in the second instalment of the Arthurian Quest series.