Tim Walker's Blog, page 5
July 11, 2020
Arthur, King of the Britons – book review
#BOOKREVIEW ARTHUR REX BRITTONUM BY TIM WALKER @TIMWALKER1666
Posted by blackbooks2017
Today I am reviewing book 5 of Tim Walker’s Light in the Dark Ages called Arthur Rex Brittonum
ABOUT THE BOOK
From the decay of post-Roman Britain, Arthur seeks to unite a troubled land
Arthur Rex Brittonum (‘King of the Britons’) is an action-packed telling of the King Arthur story rooted in historical accounts that predate the familiar Camelot legend.
Britain in the early sixth century has reverted to tribal lands, where chiefs settle old scores with neighbours whilst eyeing with trepidation the invaders who menace the shore in search of plunder and settlement.
Arthur, only son of the late King Uther, has been crowned King of the Britons by the northern chiefs and must now persuade their counterparts in the south and west to embrace him. Will his bid to lead their combined army against the Saxon threat succeed? He arrives in Powys buoyed by popular acclaim at home, a king, husband and father – but can he sustain his efforts in unfamiliar territory? It is a treacherous and winding road that ultimately leads him to a winner-takes-all clash at the citadel of Mount Badon.
Tim Walker’s Arthur Rex Brittonum picks up the thread from the earlier life of Arthur in 2019’s Arthur Dux Bellorum, but it can be read as a standalone novel.
Fans of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Mathew Harffy will enjoy Walker’s A Light in the Dark Ages series and its newest addition – Arthur Rex Brittonum.
MY REVIEW
This is book 5 in Tim’s Light in the Dark Ages series, which follows Britain in the 6th Century after the Romans had abandoned Britain and turmoil started before Arthur came along to try and Reunite the land.
As with the previous books this one is really well written and immersed me in the action start from the start.
Throughout the book there are adventures, journeys throughout the very well described land and some epic battles as Arthur tries to prove to the rest of Britain that he is the king who can bring peace to the land.
If you thought you knew everything there was to know about the legend of Arthur then think again as this bring more depth to his legendary character
Overall it is yet another great book by Tim and I have loved reading them all and learning about the early centuries of Great Britain.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AUTHOR PROFILE – TIM WALKER
Tim Walker is an independent author living near Windsor in the UK. He grew up in Liverpool where he began his working life as a trainee reporter on a local newspaper. He then studied for and attained a degree in Communication studies and moved to London where he worked in the newspaper publishing industry for ten years before relocating to Zambia where, following a period of voluntary work with VSO, he set up his own marketing and publishing business.
[image error]Tim at an old Iron Age hillfort on the Ridgeway
His creative writing journey began in earnest in 2013, as a therapeutic activity whilst undergoing and recovering from cancer treatment. He began writing an historical fiction series, A Light in the Dark Ages, in 2014, following a visit to the near-by site of a former Roman town. The aim of the series is to connect the end of Roman Britain to elements of the Arthurian legend, presenting an imagined history of Britain in the fifth and early sixth centuries.
His new book, published in June 2020, is Arthur, Rex Brittonum, a re-imagining of the story of King Arthur (book five in the series). It follows on from 2019’s Arthur Dux Bellorum, the story of young Arthur (book four in the series), that received recognition from two sources in 2019 – One Stop Fiction Book of the Month in April, and an honourable mention in the Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year (Historical Fiction) Awards. The series starts with Abandoned (second edition, 2018); followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017); and book three, Uther’s Destiny (2018). Series book covers are designed by Canadian graphic artist, Cathy Walker. Tim is self-published under his brand name, timwalkerwrites.
Tim has also written two books of short stories, Thames Valley Tales (2015), and Postcards from London (2017); a dystopian thriller, Devil Gate Dawn (2016); Perverse (verse and short fiction, 2020); and two children’s books, co-authored with his daughter, Cathy – The Adventures of Charly Holmes (2017) and Charly & The Superheroes (2018) with a third in the pipeline – Charly in Space.
Find out more about the author at – http://www.timwalkerwrites.co.uk
Author Website: http://timwalkerwrites.co.uk
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/timwalker1666
Amazon Author Page: http://Author.to/TimWalkerWrites
Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/TimWalkerWrites
Twitter: http://twitter.com/timwalker1666
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3 THOUGHTS ON “#BOOKREVIEW ARTHUR REX BRITTONUM BY TIM WALKER @TIMWALKER1666”
TIMWALKER1666
July 2, 2020 at 11:32 amThanks Dimon – another great review! Glad you’ve enjoyed the series 
July 2, 2020
#BookReview Arthur Rex Brittonum by Tim Walker @Timwalker1666
Today I am reviewing book 5 of Tim Walker’s Light in the Dark Ages called Arthur Rex Brittonum About the Book From the decay of post-Roman Britain, Arthur seeks to unite a troubled land Arthur Rex Brittonum (‘King of the Britons’) is an action-packed telling of the King Arthur story rooted in historical accounts that […]
#BookReview Arthur Rex Brittonum by Tim Walker @Timwalker1666
June 27, 2020
A Light in a Dark Age
A Light in the Dark Ages is a book series conceived and written by British author, Tim Walker. It began in 2015 as a reflection on a question that popped into his head on a visit to the site of a Roman town (Calleva Atrebatum/Silchester) – how would the Briton tribes have reacted to the end of nearly 400 years of Roman occupation?
The first book, Abandoned, was published as a short novella in 2015, but was extensively re-written an re-launched as a novel in 2018. The narrative is loosely based on Geoffrey of Monmouth’s description of the politics of post-Roman Britain in his 1136 work, The History of the Kings of Britain, but supplemented by scraps of researched historical opinion.
Picture shows the author at the Roman wall remains at Silchester.
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Although widely dismissed by historians as at best, wildly inaccurate, and worst, a work of fiction, Geoffrey has been credited with accumulating and working from source material, including a mysterious ‘text in a native tongue’ that remains undiscovered by historians. More recently his work has been re-evaluated with attempts made to try to understand why he moved historical figures and events around in his timeline in a sort of Middle Ages cut-and-paste job. Historian Miles Russell offers an interesting attempt at ‘decoding’ Geoffrey’s work in his Arthur and the Kings of Britain (2019).
Certainly the figure of Arthur, plucked from early Welsh folktales and mentions by church clerics such as Nennius in his work, History of the Britons (820), has been embellished with the deeds of other heroic leaders to create Britain’s first superhero. The deliberate creation of an heroic Briton leader who defeated the hated Saxons in battle is thought to have been done to please his Norman readership and sponsor. So there is a backbone of researched historical facts (and earlier mythology) in Geoffrey’s work, although it fails as a history due to the creative embellishments and the switching around of events and people to plug gaps in his timeline – and, presumably, to make his book a more enjoyable read.
Abandoned is followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017). Both high kings Vortigern and Ambrosius Aurelianus are believed to be genuine historical figures in mid-fifth century Britain, due to mentions from a range of sources. This book charts the intense rivalry between these two figures that ultimately resulted in defeat and death for Vortigern, and victory and renewed hope for the Britons with Ambrosius.
Ambrosius is followed by Uther’s Destiny (2018), a story that is also based around Geoffrey’s tale of Uther, Merlin and the birth of Arthur. Uther’s name, ‘Pendragon’ is a title that literally means ‘The Head Dragon’. This may have been the title given to kings of Gwynedd in North Wales, some historians believe, hinting at a possible base for a historical ‘Uther’. But no early king of Gwynedd has this name, leaving historians with another puzzle to solve.
Arthur Dux Bellorum (2019) is the fourth book in the series. This covers the early life of Arthur, from late teens to late twenties. The idea for the plot came from an article historian David Ford Nash, who wrote an article on his best-guess for the locations of Nennius’s twelve battles of Arthur. He believes that Arthur first three battles may have been fought in Lincolnshire, in East England.
Other battles could have take place around York and further north in Northumberland and the Central Lowlands of Scotland, including Cambuslang – now a suburb of Glasgow. So, my young Arthur travels north from Winchester, though Lincolnshire and Yorkshire to Northumberland and Hadrian’s Wall, where he is based at the old Roman fortress of Vindolanda. From here, he leads his men into battles north of the wall, in the Caledonian Forest of Celidon and further north at Cambuslang. Distance wise, the journey from Winchester to Hadrian’s Wall is less than 300 miles, so perfectly achievable over a number of weeks on horseback using Roman roads.
This book is followed by Arthur Rex Brittonum (2020), covering the remainder of Arthur’s life – from thirty to his late forties. Again, following Nash Ford’s speculation on the possible locations of Arthur’s battles, he leaves the north and travels to the Welsh borders and, finally, to the West Country. The author has opted to locate Mount Badon near Bath, and Camlann at Avalon in Somerset in the West Country.
This series is fiction, loosely based on scraps of historical evidence, and the author remains fascinated by this ‘black hole’ in British history. What really happened in the 200 years between the end of Roman rule and the establishment of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms? Perhaps one day historians and archaeologists will find the missing pieces in our historical jigsaw puzzle.
Order the book series HERE
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June 19, 2020
A Fresh Look at King Arthur
Arthur Rex Brittonum… a novel of Arthur.
Kindle/paperback- http://mybook.to/ArthurRex
ibook/kobo/nook/other-
https://books2read.com/Arthur-Rex-Brittonum
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A story of an imagined, historical Arthur, freed of the glitz and glamour of the Camelot legend.
No round table – instead Arthur hosts his councils of tribal chiefs in ‘Arthur’s Roundel’, the Roman ampitheatre at Caerleon.
No Holy Grail – instead the pre-Christian search for the Treasures of Britain, and an encounter with the ‘talking’ Head of Bran.
Arthur is accompanied by Welsh folklore (pre-Medieval) knights, Bedwyr, Kay, Lucan and the sons of Gawain – Agravane, Mador, and Gaheris, who all belong to the earliest incarnations of the Arthurian legend.
Arthur’s peers are ‘real’ historical tribal kings and chiefs of the late 5th/early 6th centuries, including, Meirchion Gul; Owain Ddantgwyn; Cadwallon; Geraint; Vortipor; Cyngar and Caradog.
Arthur’s enemies are names plucked from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle – Cerdic; Octha (son of Hengist); Icel King of the Angles, and, for a bit of fun, Beowulf, the legendary Angle warrior and slayer of monsters.
Father (later Saint) Asaph is Arthur’s chaplain, and literary monk, Gildas, appears as a dour novice.
June 11, 2020
Abandoned by Rome…
I started writing historical fiction series, A Light in the Dark Ages, in 2015, with ‘Abandoned’.
This tells my story of ‘what happened next?’ in Britain following Rome’s final separation from its most northerly province in 410 AD.
My account of Bishop Guithelin giving up on local Briton chiefs and taking ship to northern France to beg the Christian King Aldren to come and claim the island for himself, is lifted from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 1136 work, ‘The History of the Kings of Britain’. His mission results in Aldren’s maverick brother, Constantine, taking on the challenge – be careful what you wish for. Most other characters, including the half-Roman Marcus, are entirely fictitious.
Abandoned sets the ground work for a book series that encompasses the origins of the legend of King Arthur – thought to be a late fifth/early sixth century warrior leader who organised Briton tribes in defence of their island from creeping Anglo-Saxon colonisation.
As a series starter, the ebook of Abandoned has been discounted to just 99c/99p, and the paperback just £5.99/$6.99.
Amazon link – http://mybook.to/Abandoned
ibook/kobo/nook/other – https://books2read.com/Abandoned
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June 6, 2020
Dazed and Confused
I guess we’ve all said what we want to say,
When all’s said and done by the end of the day,
Are we any the wiser to issues in play?
Can we say we now know as we turn away?
But opinions that are built on shifting sand,
Will soon blow away from the palm of your hand.
And decisions informed by an evil lie,
Deserve only to bend, wither and die.
Seeds of doubt sown, targets they meet,
Short term impact, the life of a tweet.
Our democracy carjacked by suited buffoons,
But we are the ones left looking like fools,
The agents of Capitalism who always blame ISIS,
Are the worst sorts in power in a human crisis,
They moved swiftly to shore up their ill-gotten gains,
Whilst we battled a virus of misery and pain.
Their patronising briefings suggest it’s our fault,
In a way that’s true as we’ve lost the plot.
The science is twisted to fit with their story,
Well, what do you expect from a self-serving Tory?
With bar charts that baffle, a twinkle in their eyes,
The silk-smooth conceit as they spin their lies,
We deserve to be fleeced like sheep on the run,
If we elect as our leaders Putin, Trump and Johnson.
Masters of saying what we want to hear,
Then after they’ve won there’s confusion and fear,
Served up with a large dollop of regret,
For those who survive, what fate will be met?
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June 5, 2020
Historical Fiction Author Tim Walker is my Guest Author
Excellent historical fiction guest blog post…
Please welcome my latest guest, Historical Fiction author, Tim Walker, who is going to tell us about himself, his writing, and his latest book:
Arthur, Rex Brittonum
His creative writing journey began in earnest in 2013, as a therapeutic activity whilst undergoing and recovering from cancer treatment. He began writing an historical fiction series, A Light in the Dark Ages, in 2014, following a visit to the near-by site of a former Roman town. The aim of the series is to connect the end of Roman Britain to elements of the Arthurian legend, presenting an imagined history of Britain in the fifth and early sixth centuries.
Published June 2020 – Arthur, Rex Brittonum
His new book, published in June 2020, is Arthur, Rex Brittonum, a re-imagining of the story of King Arthur (book five in the series). It follows on from 2019’s Arthur Dux Bellorum, the story…
View original post 1,328 more words
June 1, 2020
King Arthur Revealed
E-book Promotion!
To mark the launch of Arthur Rex Brittonum on 1st June, its two preceding books covering Arthur’s childhood (Uther’s Destiny) and youth (Arthur Dux Bellorum), have been discounted to just 99c/99p each this week![image error]So indulge yourself with three novels covering the imagined life of Arthur for less than $5 or £4…
Uther’s Destiny: http://mybook.to/Uther
https://books2read.com/Uther
Arthur Dux Bellorum: http://mybook.to/Arthur
https://books2read.com/ArthurDuxBellorum
Arthur Rex Brittonum: http://mybook.to/ArthurRex
https://books2read.com/Arthur-Rex-Brittonum
Available in #kindle #ibooks #kobo #nook #scribd #tolino #biblioteca #hoopla #vivlio #overdrive #bakerandtaylor #barnesandnoble
May 17, 2020
Was there a ‘real’ Arthur?
Was Arthur a real historical figure? Many believe that buried beneath the legend is a real sixth century leader of Briton resistance to the settlement of Anglo-Saxons…
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Tim Walker’s compelling book series, A Light in the Dark Ages, reaches its climax with the telling of his story of Arthur, based on historical evidence of an early sixth century warlord who aspires to unite the Briton tribes in opposition to Anglo-Saxon colonisation.
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pre-order Arthur’s story here:
http://mybook.to/ArthurRex
Or order the paperback:
http://mybook.to/ArthurRexPaperback
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May 5, 2020
Lockdown Reflection
I wear the same clothes day after day
My life’s like a blues riff from Purple Haze
Wondering if we’ll escape this ugly mess
I found a four-pack of Guinness in Tesco Express
Get up at midday and go to bed at midnight
Emerge blinking I give neighbours a fearful fright
When I come out on Thursday I look a right mess
To bang my saucepans for the brave NHS
The News is a source of concern and grief
Over 30,000 deaths is beyond belief
Boris tells jokes as the herd is thinned
Aloof Patel and Hancock are so thick-skinned
It’s nightmare on Penn Street every night
I peek through my shutters at the cold daylight
The foxes have been at the bins again
As nature reclaims what we took away
A mask and gloves are the new fashion necessities
On my lonely park walk with a snap for posterity
Crows mass on branches and stare like they’ll eat ya
As I wonder what’s next after deadly corona. [image error]
