"If you are tired of the standard Christianized Arthurian romance of an idealized Camelot, then The Pagan King is the book for you. Narrated by Arthur himself, he is first a rustic farmboy, discovers through Merdin's (Merlin's) help his true identity as the legitimate heir to Vortigern's throne, and goes on to lead his Cambrian troops to the conquest of Britain. Gone are the standard characters of Lancelot, Kay, Gawain and others; the Holy Grail is absent; and Modred (Mordred) is recast as Arthur's rakish and conniving half-brother. In general, The Pagan King derives much more from the Welsh traditions of King Arthur than the French and later British romances. If you want to have some idea what the historical Arthur might have been like, this book is the one to read."—SFsite.com.