The Divine Sacrifice

The Arthurian Mysteries #2

by Tony Hays

The Divine Sacrifice continues the story of King Arthur's conselor, Malgwyn ap Cuneglas, a solider who lost his arm in battle but was saved by his king. Malgwyn hated Arthur for this gift, but he has come to grudgingly acknowledge that he yet may have some purpose in life. 

Arthur and Malgwyn are called to the abbey of Glastonbury to settle a matter of great political importance—tin is being mined for export to the Empire.  While there, Malgwyn and Arthur meet St. Patrick, a legend in the Church who is there on a mission of his own, to root out the heresy of Pelagius.

When an aged monk is found cruelly murdered in his cell, Malgwyn is set with a problem that will test his skills as an investigator.  His search for the truth may uncover a conspiracy that could endanger the kingdom.

Gritty and powerful with a true ring of historical perspective, and a character who sees more than those around him, The Divine Sacrifice is a historical mystery that will hook mystery readers and historical fans alike.        

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Arthurian, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Medieval

303 pages, Hardcover

First published March 30, 2010

About the author

A native of Madison, Tennessee, Tony spent his teenage years on a farm about 10 miles southeast of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Although he had dreamed of being a writer since childhood, it was only after a brief career as a university administrator that he began to come into his own. Initially, he was awarded an undergraduate degree in history and a MA in educational psychology from Tennessee Technological University. Later, he received his MA degree in English/Creative Writing at Texas A&M University at Commerce in December 1991. Since then, he has been constantly on the move and in print.

Tony has visited some 30 countries, living in six -- Japan, Kuwait, Poland, the Marshall Islands, Macedonia, and England. During his tenure in the Middle East, he was close to members of Hezbollah and actually attended a Spring 1997 fundraiser for the Taliban. He also served as the founding chairperson of the Overseas Security Advisory Council--Kuwait, a non-profit, State Department-sponsored consortium of representatives from the various segments of the American expatriate community, exchanging security information and working closely with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in planning for civilian evacuations. His third novel, The Trouble With Patriots, grew out of this experience.

Returning to the US, Tony entered freelance writing fulltime, publishing widely in both print and online news sources as well as national magazines. His 20-week series on drug trafficking in southwest Tennessee won the Tennessee Press Association's Public Service Award in 2000 for the Savannah/Hardin County Courier.

Always going where the story is, Tony sailed aboard the USS Tortuga (LSD-46) from Norfolk, VA to the Horn of Africa during its 2002-2003 deployment in preparation for the War with Iraq. He stood the bridge of the American warship, serving as an unofficial Arab linguist, during the ship's transits through the Straits of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, and the Bab al Mendab Straits off the coast of Yemen. After living and working with the men and women of the Tortuga and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, he published an account of his experiences in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

His eclectic tastes are demonstrated by the diverse magazines and publications that have printed his articles and stories: Insight on the News at the Washington Times, Accuracy in Media, Cvil War Times Illustrated, Appalachian Heritage, The Christian Reader, Cats Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Buffalo Spree, and Archaeology among many others. Frequently, he has collaborated with Charles C. Thompson II, a former producer at CBS' 60 Minutes and a founding producer of ABC's 20/20. Their work on Tennessee political and law enforcement corruption has been lauded across the nation. Many of their articles have been picked up and reprinted by Free Republic and The Progressive Review. Tony's articles on the Taliban, Al-Qaida, and Saudi Arabia have been reprinted or reported on by organizations as varied as the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Spanish television.

In 2003, Tony made the decision to return to his roots, historical mysteries. His efforts have not gone unrewarded. An active member of Mystery Writers of America and the Appalachian Writer's Association, Tony is the author of three novels, two historical mysteries and a contemporary satire, The Trouble With Patriots, set in the Middle East and released in 2002 by Bridge Works Press. It has now been optioned for film. His first novel, Murder on the Twelfth Night, was nominated for the Tennessee Volunteer Book Award. A scholar as well as a novelist, he is a member of the Robert Penn Warren Circle and has published criticism on Warren's early novel Night Rider.

With the critically-acclaimed release of Tony's first Dark Ages mystery, The Killing Way, from Tor/Forge, he is now under contract for three more volumes in this series. The first, The Killing Way, set against the murky

Reviews

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sequel to The Killing Way, this is another Arthurian mystery novel. I don't think you need to read the first book if all you're interested in is the mystery, but if you're interested in the emotional development of the main character, then you'd be better served by reading the first book.

I enjoyed The Divine Sacrifice less than The Killing Way, I think. It's less about Arthur, and Arthur's rule, particularly in the first half or so, and more about a complex situation involving both religious issues and personal ones. The answers to the mysteries weren't particularly a surprise for me, but nor was I particularly involved in them. The character of Patrick was an interesting one, and Malgwyn's development continued somewhat, but Kay -- a major feature of the first book, for me -- wasn't really present, and Bedevere didn't move forward to take that place as much as I could wish.

Another thing that bothers me is the... racial determinism. It's very black and white: Saxons are bad. The Scotti are bad. Admittedly, it's told from the point of view of someone who has no particular reason to be sympathetic in any way to the Scotti and Saxons. Still, Bernard Cornwell managed to make the Saxons the enemy at the same time as rendering them human -- I'm thinking of the narrator, Derfel, and his father... I suppose it could be moving to a less black and white view of the Saxons, as Malgwyn comes to terms with his reasons for fighting them.

Reading the author's notes is interesting, too. He refers to unsympathetic Welsh material, which I'm guessing must be the hagiographies, as I can't think of anything else I've read that is particularly unsympathetic.

(Sometimes, I long for a bibliography in books as much as I would in an academic essay. Hah.)

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads First Reads Winner

Goodreads rating of "Liked it": 3 Stars. Would give 3.5 if possible.

The Divine Sacrafice wasn't a horrible read, it was enjoyable, simply not as much as I had hoped for this sequel.

After reading the first novel in the Arthurian Mysteries series, I could not wait to start the second novel in the series. I thought the adventures could only get better from here, sadly that wasn’t exactly the case. Regardless, The Divine Sacrifice can still be enjoyable on different levels as an Arthurian story, a historical fiction novel and a murder mystery, merely I suggest not setting your hopes too high up for it.

The book had a very slow start and instead of the storyline taking place in the Castellum Artorius, which is the name of the location of Arthur’s castle, the storyline was centered around Yins-witrin, the Christian community that is now known as Glastonbury.
All of the same characters were present in this second novel from the debut, as well as a few new ones; however, they all took a back seat this time to Malgwyn ap Cuneglass, Arthurs most trusted lieutenant. I would have liked to have seen more of Merlin, Arthur, and Guinevere in this novel.
It took me a while to relate to and truly understand the characters within this novel but, once their layers began to peel back, they developed into multi-dimensional figures. The character of Patrick was an interesting one, and Malgwyn's development continued somewhat, but Kay -- a major feature of the first book, for me -- wasn't really present, and Bedevere didn't move forward to take that place as much as I could wish. I was particularly fond of the way Patrick developed through the story and his relationship with the hero, Malgwyn.

The plot also had weaknesses, which I found even more frustrating. As in the last book, a suspect thought he had killed someone—and Malgwyn left him thinking he had done so—when in fact someone else came along later and killed her. This felt a little contrived the first time; the repetition struck me as lazy plotting. The ultimate resolution of the original murder was also unsatisfying, and didn't make sense. The answers to the mysteries weren't particularly a surprise for me, but nor was I particularly involved in them. A good historical mystery gets both the history and the mystery right.

Overall, The Divine Sacrifice had its many ups and downs and then it takes you up to that very steep incline then you plunge to your “death.”
That is exactly how I would describe Tony’s second novel.
Unlike, the first novel in this series The Killing Way, I didn’t think the twists and turns were nearly as good as the first novel. All-in-all, this was just okay in my opinion. It wasn’t an utter failure for a second novel in a series but there was a lot of room for improvement.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malgwyn, reluctant counselor to King Arthur, finds himself tasked with solving the cruel murder of a monk. Upon examining the body and the monk's cell it becomes apparent to Malgwyn that much more is at play than a simple killing. With heresy and political intrigue in the air, and fortunes and crowns to be made or lost, his investigation takes on lethal urgency.

Tony Hays continues his Arthurian Mysteries series with this second novel. Like the first, Malgwyn himself tells the tale, and we see the world through his sometimes-cynical, sometimes-angry, but always insightful eyes. The world of Arthur and his people is brought to life with deep characters. The plot is fast-paced and well told, complete with intrigue, false clues, and twists that had me guessing until the last page. For fans of historical fiction, murder mysteries, or those who want to see the Arthurian world related by a gifted author who has delved the depths of the historical record, this book is for you. Highly recommended, as is the whole series.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This installment was not as well written as Hays' first book, The Killing Way. The author repeated himself several times inserting necessary information from the first book that was pertinent to this story. The plot is based on an excellent premise but Hays doesn't execute the story very skillfully. The narrative doesn't flow well and is a bit convoluted at times.

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part moved so slowly I almost put it down. Then the pace picked up. Perhaps I should have read the first in the series before this one.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When an elderly monk is found murdered in his cell at the abbey of Ynys-witrin, King Arthur's counselor Malgwyn ap Cuneglas is asked to investigate. On their arrival at the abbey, however, Malgwyn and Arthur are surprised to find that St Patrick is also about to arrive from Hibernia in order to root out heresy in the monastery. Is there a connection between the death of old Elafius and the presence of St Patrick at the abbey? As Malgwyn begins to unravel the mystery he discovers something which could threaten not only Arthur but the future of the country.

The Divine Sacrifice can be enjoyed on different levels as an Arthurian story, a historical fiction novel and a murder mystery, although it's the combination of all three that makes the book so compelling. I have read a lot of mysteries and a lot of historical fiction but this book really stands out as something new and different.

I love the character of Malgwyn, who is one of the most unusual detectives I've ever encountered in a book. As one of the other characters in the novel observes, he's an 'uncommon man with an uncommon clarity of vision'. We also meet Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin and others who will be familiar to anyone with even a basic knowledge of Arthurian legend, athough they are not depicted in the way you might expect. It's important to understand that this is not a retelling of the famous Arthur legends - it's actually an original historical mystery with elements of the legends cleverly woven into the story. Arthur is shown here as a powerful leader who is working to unite the warring tribes of post-Roman Britain.

The mystery unfolds at just the right pace and there are enough twists in the story to keep the reader guessing all the way to the end. Tony Hays has obviously done a lot of research on his subject and is able to portray life in 5th century Britain in a realistic and convincing manner, meaning that I came away from the book feeling I knew a little bit more about the time period than I did before.

Although I hadn't read the first book in the series, The Killing Way, the author provided enough background information relating to the events of the first book that I was quickly able to pick up the threads of the story and understand what was going on. However, I enjoyed The Divine Sacrifice so much I now want to go back and read The Killing Way and I'll look forward to more books in this series in the future.

http://shereadsnovels.wordpress.com

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a long time in King Arthur retellings – roughly from the 14th century to the 1960’s – Christianity was the de facto religion of the story, there wasn’t even a suggestion of other possibilities. Even characters like Merlin and Morgan Le Fey used their magic within a Christian context. But, as counter culture was embraced in the 1960’s and 1970’s, so did the Other come to the forefront in Arthurian legend, starting with the Mists of Avalon as the ladies grooved to the Goddess, and a whole new subgenre was off, featuring awesome pagans and evil, dirty Christians, howling, foaming at the mouth mad dogs that needed to be put down.

Only very recently ha the pendulum swung towards a more grey approach – stories featuring good Christians, bad pagans, as well as bad Christians and good pagans. Hays makes a good point that at least the Christian religion doesn’t require slitting someone’s throat on a marble alter to ensure a good harvest. Also, he shows a true 5th century Catholic Church – one without a LOT of the bad stuff that got added on over the centuries. People forget that there was a reason Christianity first spread – they were actually doing/saying/offering some good stuff.

Still, for all that, Hays chooses to have his narrator be fairly firm in his Spock-like I believe-in-the-scientific-method approach to ALL religions, so he can describe everything without much bias, summing up a lot of the squabbling over which direction Christians want to take the Church with a modern liberal American attitude of seriously guys? You’re fighting over this?

[Tinika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t you just hate it when the premise of a book intrigues you but the reality fails to deliver. I read legend, historical fiction and mysteries and The Divine Sacrifice promised all three of them. King Arthur and St. Patrick in a story complicated by murderous happenings at Glastonbury Abbey - what fun! and, to tell the truth, some of the problems are not so such with the plot as with the telling. Malgwyn, protagonist and narrator, is interesting enough. He is a former farmer, soldier and drunkard who is now counsellor to Arthur and charged with solving the deaths of two elderly monks at Ynys Witrin. He is testy and quick to anger yet people are readily (and incomprehensibly) willing to share confidences with him. I suppose this makes the story move faster than if it had to rely on evidence. Anyhow, the narration is constantly disrupted to give background information, some of it unnecessary to the current story and some of it repetitive. (ex: Eleanor.) Finally, the enemy forces are presented as completely incompetent: a one-armed man, on the ground and sustaining a gaping head wound, can hold off an attack by four mounted assailants prepared for war. As I said at the beginning - great premise, failed delivery.

[Lianne Burwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second volume of the Arthurian Mysteries series, but I had no problem with not having read the first book. However, I'm not all that sure that I will read any of the others in the series based on this one.

Malgwyn is a one-armed warrior who is an adviser to Arthur, although this is more true to history than the legends. While on their way to inspect one of the local abbeys, they are met by one of the monks, saying that a monk had been murdered, and Malgwyn (having a talent for this) is needed to solve the mystery. As well, Patrick (Saint Patrick) has arrived on his way to be questioned about a crime he may have committed as a young man before being abducted by pirates and taken to Ireland.

The main problem I had with the book was that while it was labeled as a mystery, and the murder is central to the story, it wasn't really a mystery, and the guilty are never exposed. In fact, innocent (so to speak) people are judged guilty in the end.

All in all, it was interesting, but not terribly gripping.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I won this book on GOODREADS GIVEAWAY! Am anxiously waiting for the book to arrive. Am very exited about my win, very seldom do I ever win anything!

Congratulations Tony Hays for a wonderful book! (THE DIVINE SACRIFICE) Who would ever think of King Arthur involved in a murder mystery?

King Arthur assigned his counselor, Malgwyn, a soldier who lost his arm in battle, the responsibility of investigating and solving a murder of a monk cruelly murdered at the abbey of Glastonbury.

This is a mystery that will keep you engrossed through the entire book, keeping you guessing as to who the murderer is and to the motive as well. Every time I thought I knew who the murderer was or the motive, it would lead me into another direction. I never did figure who the murderer or motive was until the very end. The story was loaded with a lot of mystery and plenty of action to keep you engrossed through the entire book.

Thank you Tony, for a very entertaining book. I highly recommend this book. It has earned a permenant place in my library.

[Tam (is a cryptid) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Divine Sacrifice is a tale of murder, religious and political intrigue, loyalty, and human endurance in the setting of Arthurian legends. Hays manages to successfully weave a page-turning mystery with a well known literature world, simultaneously staying true to the genre and telling an original story. It took me a while to relate to and understand the characters but once their layers began to peel back they developed into multi-dimensional figures. I was particularly fond of the way Patrick developed through the story and his relationship with the hero, Malgwyn. Subtle romance, and deep intrigue kept the story interesting while the mystery kept me wondering, and I was ultimately surprised at how the plot unfolded.

(Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through GoodReads First Reads program)

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why I didn't rate this higher as I did enjoy it- just not as much as the first. I always like the getting-to-know-you phase of a new series best and this second outing seemed to have less of the personal story and more of the politics both religious and social. Once again the period feel was palpable- I felt the cold and the mud and almost smelled the blood of battle. It added to the experience when the night after I finished this there was a NatGeo program on a huge Anglo-Saxon gold hoard that was recently found in England. The program included reproductions of armor and weaponry and reenactments from the period close to that of the book so it helped fix images in my mind.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't read my review of book one in the series "The Killing Way" my comments from that still hold true here. This story revolves around the possibility of a rebellion, most of it takes place on or around Glastonbury Abbey and it revolves around the murder of a monk and the arrival at the Abbey of the man who would come to be known as St. Patrick. As my comments about the first book would suggest this was my "What the What" moment that pulled me out of the story (for a moment). But as in the first book, I enjoy the story and the characters especially as Malgwyn's character is developed.

[Des · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book in a giveaway and I inititally had a great deal of trouble attempting to finish it. HOWEVER, the last 3/4 of the novel made up greatly for the slow read -- so much so that I actually wanted to do a victory dance for a great ending to the mystery and good battle detail (I adore a good battle). The last stretch of the book made me quite happy with the overall story, which was initially going at a 2-3 star pace. If the entire book had the passion that I found in the ending, it could have been 5 stars, easy.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur, Bedevere, and Malgwyn are preparing to leave for the abbey at Glastonbury, when a summons arrives from the abbot for Malgwyn to come immediately as one of the brothers has died. Malgwyn remembers Elafius from the time he spent at the abbey, and is surprised at the summons since Elafius is quite elderly. But once they arrive he realizes that the death was not natural. But who could have wanted to kill the old monk? The unexpected arrival of Patrick from Ireland adds to the tensions at the abbey, as he seeks to roots out heresy.

[Carol Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two in the Arthurian mystery. This was give a look into the early Christian church in Britain. It is the time of St Patrick before he became a saint. He is just a tired old man who has struggles to bring the Christ to the Scotti. The ancient name for the Irish of Ireland.

The story has a wonderful murder mystery, a top notch historical aspect and some nice heart pounding adventure scenes.

[PDXReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first entry in the series. I thought the mystery was a tad predictable, and that there was a LOT of repetition. I also felt the author's recap of the previous book was clumsy and largely unnecessary. It didn't dissuade me from reading other books in the series, but I did have higher hopes for this entry.

[Enjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was slow, and hard to keep reading until halfway through. The mystery was good. The book glossed over most of the horrors of life in the 6th century. I was confused about who the "Scotti" were...were they early Irish or early Scots? One would assume early Scots, but Picts are mentioned as well.

[Kalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second installment of the Arthurian mystery series. The characters develop a little more and the mystery gets a little bigger. The historical perspective adds a different dimension to the story and keeps things interesting. The mystery is more complex in this one than the previous book but the pieces all fit together in the end without straining credulity.

[Susan Jo Grassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am definitely a Tony Hays fan. I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways. I love mysteries and history and when an author can successfully join them together as Mr. Hays has, I'm hooked. This series has a life of it's own. I am looking forward to attacking the next one in the series and every one there after. Keep them coming Mr. Hays!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As romanticized as the "Arthurian period" is in the present day, it is really excellent to read a book that makes one think what actually living in that time would have been like--how physically uncomfortable it had to have been.

3.5

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

a "reader's choice" at the library, but I didn't realize it was book two of a series. Maybe it would have been better had I read the first one, but I stuggled with the characters and the plot. I found myself saying "who cares?" alot through this book.

[Reeny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a signed copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

This story was an intriguing mystery but I felt that it was quite repetitive at times. Additionally, I felt like the characterization fell kind of flat. I liked the twists at the end though.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to get into the story, but I just couldn't. I think it does help to read the first book in the series to get a better understanding of the background of the characters. I will probably try reading this book again after I read the first book in the series.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder mystery in the time of St. Patrick and King Arthur. Now I need to get hold of The Killing Way, the 1st in the series.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

So-so as far as an historical mystery, but I do love anything King Arthur!

[Mary G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tony Hays has really found a unique nitsh in historical. The characters are great and the mystery interesting.

[Melanie's · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as the first but it was still an interesting read V""V

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to give it a chance, hoping it was written better than the first. It wasn't. In fact, I found it more poorly written.

[Debby Zigenis-Lowery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing Arthurian mystery, set in the early years after the Roman withdrawal from Britain, involving disputes within the early church and questionable use of Glastonbury Tor.