SIGN OF THE WHITE FOAL BY CHRIS THORNDYCROFT
Publication Date: July 1, 2019
eBook & Paperback; 327 Pages
eBook & Paperback; 327 Pages
Series: Arthur of the Cymry Trilogy (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction
A generation after Hengest and Horsa carved out a kingdom in the east, a hero of the Britons rises in the west…
480 A.D. The sons of Cunedag have ruled Venedotia for fifty years but the chief of them – the Pendraig – is now dying. His sons Cadwallon and Owain must fight to retain their birthright from their envious cousins. As civil war consumes Venedotia, Arthur – a young warrior and bastard son of the Pendraig – is sent on a perilous quest that will determine the fate of the kingdom.
The Morgens; nine priestesses of the Mother Goddess have found the cauldron of rebirth – a symbol of otherworldly power – and have allied themselves with the enemy. Arthur and six companions are dispatched to the mysterious island of Ynys Mon to steal the cauldron and break the power of the Morgens. Along the way they run into the formidable Guenhuifar whose family have been stewards of Ynys Mon for generations. They need her help. The trouble is, Guenhuifar despises Arthur’s family and all they stand for…
Based on the earliest Arthurian legends, Sign of the White Foal is a rip-roaring adventure of Celtic myth and real history set in the ruins of post-Roman Britain.
AMAZON | INDIEBOUND
My Review
“Sign of the White Foal" by Chris Thorndycroft is the first book in the “Arthur of the Cymry Trilogy.”
As this is the first book in the series, we are meeting all of the characters for the first time and seeing their beginnings. The Arthur character is still young and he is only just now meeting the Guinevere character (Guenhuifar) and the other knights. The story takes place in the midst of kingdoms warring against one another and Arthur gets swept up into the battle. Lovers of Arthurian legend will recognize familiar figures with their own distinctive voices in this retelling. At first, I found it a little confusing as to the history of each character from before the book begins, and who is related to whom, but I found the family chart at the beginning to be very helpful. Once I continued into the story, I loved the drama between the family and the kingdoms and the quest that Arthur is sent on.
This book has a lot of action and war. I think someone who loves to read about battles will definitely appreciate the well written, “edge of your seat” battle scenes. I wanted more romance between Arthur and Guenhuifar, but it looks like we’ll get that in the next book, as Arthur is still young in “Sign of the White Foal.”
I really enjoyed this unique take based on Celtic myth, real history and early Arthurian legends. I think lovers of history, Arthurian legend, Celtic stories, and action will love this book!
Content: This is a general market book. I would give it a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content are: the word “bastard” is used; people drink alcohol; there is a lot of war, so there is blood and gore; warriors are naked; the word “d**n” is used; there is reference to an orgy during a pagan festival; the word “whore” used; sexual innuendos are used; it’s mentioned that a woman was raped, but no detail is given.
Rating: I give this book 4 stars.
I want to thank Chris Thorndycroft and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
About the Author
Chris Thorndycroft is a British writer of historical fiction, horror and fantasy. His early short stories appeared in magazines and anthologies such as Dark Moon Digest and American Nightmare. His first novel under his own name was A Brother’s Oath; the first book in the Hengest and Horsa Trilogy. He also writes under the pseudonym P. J. Thorndyke.
For more information, please visit Chris Thorndycroft’s website. You can also find him on Twitter and Goodreads.
Blog Tour Schedule
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, one winner will receive an eBook of Sign of the White Foal by Chris Thorndycroft! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 2nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
– Giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
Thank you for hosting the Sign of the White Foal blog tour! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteAmy
HF Virtual Book Tours
Hi Amy!
DeleteIt is my pleasure! It is such a great story. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteHi Chris!
DeleteIt's my pleasure. I am honored to have been able to read and review it. Thanks for stopping by!