What do you think?
Pendragon's Heir #2
The Quest for Carbonek
A lost princess. A daredevil knight. A quest like no other.
They say that Blanche is King Arthur’s daughter. But only Queen Guinevere knows that for sure—and she’s not telling.
To prove herself as the king’s rightful heir, Blanche must travel to the lost castle of Carbonek as the guardian of the mysterious Holy Grail. But Carbonek houses many secrets—some of which could destroy Arthur’s kingdom.
Meanwhile, young Sir Perceval returns to his fellow knights at Camelot, eager to join them in the quest for the Holy Grail—and for the damsel who guards it.
But even at the height of its power, Camelot seethes with ugly rumours. What is the secret behind Sir Galahad’s birth? And why is the queen meeting Sir Lancelot in secret?
As Perceval searches for the elusive Carbonek, Blanche must battle to protect the Holy Grail from enemies who would use it to destroy the kingdom. Could the sacred relic help Arthur’s kingdom stand forever?
Or is it already too late for Camelot?
For fans of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien! The Quest for Carbonek is Book Two of Pendragon’s Heir, an acclaimed new Arthurian retelling now being re-released in three volumes.
Preorder it today!
They say that Blanche is King Arthur’s daughter. But only Queen Guinevere knows that for sure—and she’s not telling.
To prove herself as the king’s rightful heir, Blanche must travel to the lost castle of Carbonek as the guardian of the mysterious Holy Grail. But Carbonek houses many secrets—some of which could destroy Arthur’s kingdom.
Meanwhile, young Sir Perceval returns to his fellow knights at Camelot, eager to join them in the quest for the Holy Grail—and for the damsel who guards it.
But even at the height of its power, Camelot seethes with ugly rumours. What is the secret behind Sir Galahad’s birth? And why is the queen meeting Sir Lancelot in secret?
As Perceval searches for the elusive Carbonek, Blanche must battle to protect the Holy Grail from enemies who would use it to destroy the kingdom. Could the sacred relic help Arthur’s kingdom stand forever?
Or is it already too late for Camelot?
For fans of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien! The Quest for Carbonek is Book Two of Pendragon’s Heir, an acclaimed new Arthurian retelling now being re-released in three volumes.
Preorder it today!
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2019
About the author
Suzannah Rowntree
34 books637 followersHi! I live in a big house in rural Australia with my awesome family, drinking fancy tea and writing historical fantasy fiction that blends real-world history with legend, adventure, and a dash of romance.
If you like the historical fantasy of H. G. Parry, Gail Carriger, or S. A. Chakraborty, you'll probably like my stories too!
You can visit me online at https://suzannahrowntree.site
AI POLICY: It is my firm conviction that only human beings, being made in God's image, have the unique creativity and divine inspiration that engenders art worthy of the name; and that so-called "art" created with the use of generative AI has worth only insofar as it steals and defaces the true art created by human beings. In this conviction I have not and will not in the future make any use of AI in researching, writing, editing, or advertising my books; and to that end I also include no-AI stipulations in my cover design and illustration briefs.
GOODREADS FRIEND POLICY: I'm afraid I don't accept every single friend request I receive, unless we already know each other, or it looks like we have tastes broadly in common. However, please feel free to follow and interact.
If you like the historical fantasy of H. G. Parry, Gail Carriger, or S. A. Chakraborty, you'll probably like my stories too!
You can visit me online at https://suzannahrowntree.site
AI POLICY: It is my firm conviction that only human beings, being made in God's image, have the unique creativity and divine inspiration that engenders art worthy of the name; and that so-called "art" created with the use of generative AI has worth only insofar as it steals and defaces the true art created by human beings. In this conviction I have not and will not in the future make any use of AI in researching, writing, editing, or advertising my books; and to that end I also include no-AI stipulations in my cover design and illustration briefs.
GOODREADS FRIEND POLICY: I'm afraid I don't accept every single friend request I receive, unless we already know each other, or it looks like we have tastes broadly in common. However, please feel free to follow and interact.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 16, 2019
3.5 out of 5 stars
Well, that was a weird ending. My solution is to immediately start reading the next book.
Once I start a Pendragon's Heir book, it's very difficult for me to lay it down and do something else -- let alone think about something else. Obviously, this series has a pretty good plot. But the characters seem flat. This is probably just a personal preference, but I like knowing what the characters are thinking and feeling. I have trouble taking them seriously when I only find out what they do and what's going on around them with fragmented bits of their emotions and mental processes thrown in. At several places I was left very confused, reading over the same passage multiple times to figure out just what was going on -- often because I couldn't understand how or why a character came to a certain conclusion.
That sounds overwhelmingly negative, but I was expecting a lot of this book. It's definitely worth reading and I still like Suzannah Rowntree's writing style. She does so much research (in this case she apparently read many editions of Arthurian legends) that her stories can't help coming to life. I'm sure her writing skills will continue developing; they're already exceptional!
Well, that was a weird ending. My solution is to immediately start reading the next book.
Once I start a Pendragon's Heir book, it's very difficult for me to lay it down and do something else -- let alone think about something else. Obviously, this series has a pretty good plot. But the characters seem flat. This is probably just a personal preference, but I like knowing what the characters are thinking and feeling. I have trouble taking them seriously when I only find out what they do and what's going on around them with fragmented bits of their emotions and mental processes thrown in. At several places I was left very confused, reading over the same passage multiple times to figure out just what was going on -- often because I couldn't understand how or why a character came to a certain conclusion.
That sounds overwhelmingly negative, but I was expecting a lot of this book. It's definitely worth reading and I still like Suzannah Rowntree's writing style. She does so much research (in this case she apparently read many editions of Arthurian legends) that her stories can't help coming to life. I'm sure her writing skills will continue developing; they're already exceptional!
April 23, 2019
The Quest for Carbonek is the second in a three book series by Suzannah Rowntree. Its a retelling of the Arthurian Legends from the perspective of the King's daughter, Blanche. In the last novel, Blanche was a young woman in 19th century England, who discovered she was the daughter of the legendary monarch who was set through time and space to save her from the evil sorceress, and enemy of Camelot, Morgana la Fay.
In this second installment, Blanche has returned to the mythical ancient Britain known as Logres, to discover her place and prove herself as the true heir to the Great King. Her job is to protect the Holy Grail: yes, that is as in the famous Holy Relic from all the stories and the Arthurian Legends.
This second story is full of adventure, and basically, everything that's loved in the old stories. There's knights, sword fights, chivalry, and even a dragon slaying. And some epic quests. Basically, imagine the series Merlin without the Magic, and with all the references to Christianity kept very firmly in.
There's also spiritual allegory and quests as Blanche and the other characters must grow and develop to find their place in the world, and adjust to their new worlds. Blanche faces hardships, heartbreak and harsh testing, as well as a hint of love in her attempt to protect the Grail and prove herself in a world she was born into, but did not choose to live in.
What I live about this novel most, is that its true to the original spirit of the Arthurian Legends, which were written and composed in the firmly Christian context of Medieval Europe.
Its lyrical and poetic (each chapter begins with a short extract of a poem about Arthur or one of the associated Myths), giving the audience a taste of a bygone age in which faith was real and expressed through the Medieval belief in tangible objects such as relics and the Grail, but also through a genuine belief in grace and forgiveness. The characters fall and falter, but their intent is is to restore a corrupted world: or really, to yearn for the perfection of heaven.
In that sense, there are echoes of the Pilgrim's Progress and other spiritual classics.
So many versions of the Arthurian legends now are bland and shallow. They try to remove all references to Christianity and the mythical, or make Christians into the villains. They make warfare or romance the central focus, but in doing so create only a poor imitation of the stories: which are the basis of some of today's epic fantasy. There is a struggle between good and evil in the Quest for Carbonek: but its not some vague good and evil.
Its the genuine and diabolical greed and thirst for power of the witch Morgana, against the purity and sacrifice represented by the cup of Christ, and His followers.
My only complaint was one reference to tomatoes, which do not belong anywhere in Medieval Europe. Although since in reference was in a mythical Kingdom, which also includes dragons I think it can be overlooked.
Recommended for all lovers of Mythical Fiction, the Arthurian Legends as well as Historical Fantasy and Fiction.
I volunteered to be an Early Reader of this book, and was given ARC by the author. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
In this second installment, Blanche has returned to the mythical ancient Britain known as Logres, to discover her place and prove herself as the true heir to the Great King. Her job is to protect the Holy Grail: yes, that is as in the famous Holy Relic from all the stories and the Arthurian Legends.
This second story is full of adventure, and basically, everything that's loved in the old stories. There's knights, sword fights, chivalry, and even a dragon slaying. And some epic quests. Basically, imagine the series Merlin without the Magic, and with all the references to Christianity kept very firmly in.
There's also spiritual allegory and quests as Blanche and the other characters must grow and develop to find their place in the world, and adjust to their new worlds. Blanche faces hardships, heartbreak and harsh testing, as well as a hint of love in her attempt to protect the Grail and prove herself in a world she was born into, but did not choose to live in.
What I live about this novel most, is that its true to the original spirit of the Arthurian Legends, which were written and composed in the firmly Christian context of Medieval Europe.
Its lyrical and poetic (each chapter begins with a short extract of a poem about Arthur or one of the associated Myths), giving the audience a taste of a bygone age in which faith was real and expressed through the Medieval belief in tangible objects such as relics and the Grail, but also through a genuine belief in grace and forgiveness. The characters fall and falter, but their intent is is to restore a corrupted world: or really, to yearn for the perfection of heaven.
In that sense, there are echoes of the Pilgrim's Progress and other spiritual classics.
So many versions of the Arthurian legends now are bland and shallow. They try to remove all references to Christianity and the mythical, or make Christians into the villains. They make warfare or romance the central focus, but in doing so create only a poor imitation of the stories: which are the basis of some of today's epic fantasy. There is a struggle between good and evil in the Quest for Carbonek: but its not some vague good and evil.
Its the genuine and diabolical greed and thirst for power of the witch Morgana, against the purity and sacrifice represented by the cup of Christ, and His followers.
My only complaint was one reference to tomatoes, which do not belong anywhere in Medieval Europe. Although since in reference was in a mythical Kingdom, which also includes dragons I think it can be overlooked.
Recommended for all lovers of Mythical Fiction, the Arthurian Legends as well as Historical Fantasy and Fiction.
I volunteered to be an Early Reader of this book, and was given ARC by the author. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
February 16, 2025
I still like the story idea, but the plot of the second book didn't make a lot of sense to me. The whole grail quest seems unnecessary in the end. The writing is still confusing. S.R. still randomly throws in latin sentences -which are your problem to understand. There is a lot of describing what the characters do, but no telling of their thoughts or feelings, so they fall pretty flat. Yes, both grow a little in the book, but in the end -after not seeing each other for 1,5years- their crushes on each other have miraculously developed into "love" -how??? I think they are in love with the idea of each other, and even this is unbelievable, because Perceval doesn't think very highly of her, so what does he want from her??? Blanche grows humble, which is a good thing, but then she goes from being humble to doubting herself more and more,which is annoying.
It's sad, that the whole time, she doesn't get to meet or know her parents...
(Spoiler) In the end, Perceval proposes to her and while she (thinks that she) loves him, she begs for more time. She's being mature and reasonable. He tells her, that his profession could kill him anytime and tries to pressure her into a decision, because he thinks, that she will say yes... I got the impression that S.R. illustrates this situation as if Blanche is the selfish one, the one who is immature and indecisive and as if that's a bad thing in this case to say no because of her reasons... This I find questionable, because while I'm all for marrying young when it's the right person, it's also a tough decision, which should be thought about well -which Blanche is doing. It's not okay for anyone to pressure the other into that decision -which Perceval tries to do. If he really loved Blanche so much and is "afraid" of not having much time with her (because he could die any moment), then maybe he should not be a knight anymore.
I think this is a really really important thing for girls and women to understand. And it could have been a valuable and instructive example, but even though Blanche said no (and I loved her for it!!!) , S.R. manages to give the situation a sour aftertaste...
Nevertheless I'm looking forward to the next book, it's still a good story idea☺️
It's sad, that the whole time, she doesn't get to meet or know her parents...
(Spoiler) In the end, Perceval proposes to her and while she (thinks that she) loves him, she begs for more time. She's being mature and reasonable. He tells her, that his profession could kill him anytime and tries to pressure her into a decision, because he thinks, that she will say yes... I got the impression that S.R. illustrates this situation as if Blanche is the selfish one, the one who is immature and indecisive and as if that's a bad thing in this case to say no because of her reasons... This I find questionable, because while I'm all for marrying young when it's the right person, it's also a tough decision, which should be thought about well -which Blanche is doing. It's not okay for anyone to pressure the other into that decision -which Perceval tries to do. If he really loved Blanche so much and is "afraid" of not having much time with her (because he could die any moment), then maybe he should not be a knight anymore.
I think this is a really really important thing for girls and women to understand. And it could have been a valuable and instructive example, but even though Blanche said no (and I loved her for it!!!) , S.R. manages to give the situation a sour aftertaste...
Nevertheless I'm looking forward to the next book, it's still a good story idea☺️
August 5, 2019
King Arthur retelling?
We’ve all read fairy-tale retellings, but this is the retelling of the beloved legend of King Arthur and his knights! I was really amazed at how much I love these books. She stays close to the story and even the sweet beauty of the devotion of the old stories. I’ll admit that I was moved to tears and inspired to greater faith by this series. Thank you, Suzannah Rowntree for a wonderful read!
We’ve all read fairy-tale retellings, but this is the retelling of the beloved legend of King Arthur and his knights! I was really amazed at how much I love these books. She stays close to the story and even the sweet beauty of the devotion of the old stories. I’ll admit that I was moved to tears and inspired to greater faith by this series. Thank you, Suzannah Rowntree for a wonderful read!
June 13, 2019
Better than the first
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. There's something odd about the writing that I can't put my finger on. Sometimes passages just don't make sense, and it doesn't flow well. Blanche is still not a solid character to me, but I did enjoy it.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. There's something odd about the writing that I can't put my finger on. Sometimes passages just don't make sense, and it doesn't flow well. Blanche is still not a solid character to me, but I did enjoy it.
to-read-owned
August 22, 2024Owned as complete trilogy Pendragon's Heir
July 19, 2020
Honestly, how DARE!? What are you trying to do to me by ending the book like that!! Now I have up stay up all night reading the next one!🙈
August 23, 2020
Oh! Yes!
Oh, la, sir, shouldst thee have me tarry when more of this wondrous tale awaits? My eyes shine with the stars this telling put there, and I canst wait no longer!
Oh, la, sir, shouldst thee have me tarry when more of this wondrous tale awaits? My eyes shine with the stars this telling put there, and I canst wait no longer!
November 1, 2020
Book two was not my favorite book in the series, but I still enjoyed the story and the snippets of information gained about Morgan and King Arthur.
January 5, 2021
Ehaha.....why??? My emotions......*cries into pillow*
July 1, 2026
I must know what happens next.
May 13, 2020
I found this such a hard read.
The story is interesting, the characters too, but much of the writing just seemed non-sensical, and the plot less of a line and more like pick up sticks!
The story is interesting, the characters too, but much of the writing just seemed non-sensical, and the plot less of a line and more like pick up sticks!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews