The Grail King

When I first stumbled across The Grail King, by Joy Nash, I presumed it was yet another retelling of the Arthur saga, until I read the blurb on the back of the book. Not one mention of Arthur! What a relief. Now, don't get be wrong, I love a good Arthurian tale, but they have to be damn good and with a different twist in order to catch my attention.

However, Joy Nash doesn't even mention Arthur. Instead she spins a tale of Celts and Romans, the violence and beauty of the era, and mixes in the powers of the Druids and Avalon.

The opening of the book caught me off guard, I didn't like the hero at first, Owein struck me as a man who was either a thug, or one with such a dark heart that there was no redemption for him. I was wrong. Slowly, an inch at a time, sometimes kicking and screaming along the way, Owein forced me to change my mind and became a character I grew to admire.

Then we have Clara, a strong willed, beautiful Roman woman raised in a position of power and respect thanks to her father, yet she takes a risk when her father becomes sick, a risk that could leave her marred in the eyes of her fellow Roman's. When she takes the advice of a Celt serving in her father's home, Clara sets out on the road to find the ancient one, a Druid, who might be able to help her save her father's life.

Caught between two worlds, both Clara and Owein find themselves pulled down a dark and dangerous path as they seek to recover the grail, the cup that holds the answer not just to save Clara's father, but the people of Avalon. Yet all is not as it seems. Without spoiling the story for those who want to pick the book up, this story is filled with strength, courage, light and darkness. It keeps to some of the stories of the Horned One from Celtic belief, and makes it clear that the Roman rule of Britain was, at times, brutal.

Clara and Owein are not characters you want to leave at the end of the book, and Ms. Nash has proven, with this book, that she is a talented author with the ability to write characters that drag you with them into their story. She doesn't write pretty, clean, characters in a neatly packed story with a pretty pink ribbons and no consequences for actions.

So, to those readers who are looking for something that packs a punch, with gritty, believable characters, who have real faults, fears, hopes and dreams, then I strongly recommend Ms. Nash's The Grail King. I give this book 4.5 out of 5, and a must read to those who love the era.