Book Review: Excalibur by Peter Gibbons

We’re happy to be welcoming Peter Gibbons to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his novel, Excalibur.

The sword has the power of Britain in its steel, men will follow and fight for whoever wields it…

Dark Age Britain. A legendary hero rises to unite a divided and threatened land…

A country left in ruins after the fall of the Roman Empire is plundered and broken. Saxon hordes have invaded and conquered the East coast of Britain in a blood-soaked Great War which tore the old kingdoms apart. From Bernicia to Kent, land and kingdoms are now under Saxon rule. But these new conquerors want more…

Britain’s remaining kingdoms are jaded by the constant threat of war, their Kings old, alliances fickle and frayed. It seems Britain must fall enslaved to the brutal and marauding conquerors from across the sea.

But no one counted on a new and fearsome warlord. A warrior granted power by the druid Merlin through the mighty sword Excalibur. A man with no Kingdom but a quest to unite the country and fight back against the baying Saxon warriors? He is known as the legendary Arthur.

The compelling, fast-paced start of a brand new series from bestselling writer Peter Gibbons. Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwall.

*****

Arthur, an orphaned boy raised by one of Britain’s greatest warriors sets out to prove that he is a man by killing his first enemy in battle, but after meeting the Druid Merlin, he finds that the course of his future is not truly in his own hands.

Gifted the mighty sword Excalibur, he must ride to unite Britain and defeat the Saxons. 

Having previously read some of Peter Gibbon’s novels covering the Viking era, I was intrigued to get started on this new series, which focuses on the times of Arthur and Merlin.

I have read several series from other authors based upon the Arthurian legends, ranging from highly detailed historical tomes to throughly fanciful tales and this sits somewhere in the middle.

I did like this book as it didn’t distract from the main story which can be easy to do with historical fiction. It does a great job at focusing on the narrative but it also felt like it could be plausible.

Excalibur is a really fun read (provided you don’t try and pronounce the old British names out loud) and it draws you through the pages. The characters are vivid and clear in your mind as the story unwinds. 

I am a big fan of this author and enjoyed the beginning of what feels like a great series. I look forward to the next instalment. 

(Thanks to Boldwood Books, Netgalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.) 

About Peter Gibbons–

Peter is the winner of the 2022 Kindle Storyteller Literary Award, and an author based in Kildare in Ireland, with a passion for Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and of course writing!

Peter was born in Warrington in the UK and studied Law at Liverpool John Moores University, before taking up a career in Financial Services and is now a full time author. Peter currently lives in Kildare Ireland, and is married with three children.

Peter is an avid reader of both Historical Fiction and Fantasy novels, particularly those of Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, David Gemmell, and Brandon Sanderson. 

Say hello to Peter via his website, Facebook, X, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to his newsletter. 

His books include the Viking Blood and Blade Saga. The first novel in his new Saxon Warrior Series entitled Warrior & Protector was released on 31st October 2022. His latest novel, Excalibur, is the first book in the Arthurian Chronicles series and was released by Boldwood Books on 1st July 2024. Click here to buy on Amazon and Waterstones. 

by

Chris Parish