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Anthology, Book Review, david wiley, King Arthur, King of Ages, Merlin, short story, Uffda Press
King of Ages: A King Arthur Anthology
Containing the following Short Stories:
“Unto His Final Breath” by Mike Morgan
“The Siege of Battle-Station Camelot” by Patrick S. Baker
“Arturia” by David W. Landrum
“Twilight’s First Dreaming” by Paola K. Amaras
“Arthurus Rex Tempus, Rex Eternae” by Alex Ness
“The Trek” by Philip Kuan
“If this Grail Be Holy” by P. Andrew Miller
“She Who Makes Us Free” by Joanna Michal Hoyt
“Lord of the Plains” by Doug Goodman
“The Challenge” by C.A. Rowland
“Pirate King” by Josh Brown
“The Saga of Artur Uthersson” by David Wiley
“The Breaking Dawn” by Dale W. Glaser
Published by Uffda Press on 8/2/2015
334 Pages (Paperback)
Blurb: A fresh take on a legendary tale, this anthology of thirteen short stories is a testament to just how eternal and timeless the story of King Arthur truly is.
One recurring aspect of Arthurian literature is the notion that he will one day return as a messiah to save his people. Another hallmark of the King Arthur legend is that Merlin—wizard, prophet, and Arthur’s most trusted advisor—lives backwards through time. What if Merlin was actually advising multiple reincarnations of King Arthur during various points, and places, in time and history? And what if this all began at the end of time?
King of Ages is an anthology like no other, showcasing stories that re-imagine King Arthur at several points in history, from the end of days all the way to the beginning of mankind.
My Take: All bias aside, this is an excellent collection of stories that re-imagine King Arthur through various time periods and acting in various situations. Some of the tales take on a traditional feel, while others are extremely innovative in their approach. Arthur and Merlin are the constants in every tale, although not always with those exact names, and many other gems of Arthurian legend are scattered throughout the thirteen stories in this anthology. It was almost as much fun picking out those references as it was reading the stories themselves, but that is my own love of Arthurian legend talking.
I absolutely love the concept behind this anthology, as it poses the idea of Merlin travelling backwards through time, with the first story coming at the end of the universe and working its way back to ancient times. There are a solid set of futuristic tales to begin the anthology and, honestly, I wished there had been more historical fiction tales in this anthology. I loved the pirate tale and, of course, my own, but the possibility of Ancient Rome, late-Renaissance or even Victorian-era tales are a glaring omission. Of course the publisher can only accept the stories that get pitched so that is no fault toward this anthology. It just would have been nice to see more tales taking place more than a century removed from our own.
As with any set of tales, there are ones I enjoyed more than others. There are some absolutely fantastic stories on display here, and I will state that even the stories that didn’t really appeal to my tastes at least had excellent writing. The collection of authors who are pooled together in this book are truly amazing and talented and I am honored to have my own story stand alongside theirs.
If you love Sci-Fi, if you love Fantasy, or if you love all things King Arthur than do yourself a favor and get a copy of this book. By the end you will agree that it was well worth the time invested to explore this interesting and fresh approach on the Arthurian legend.
Author David Wiley 