Alden du Lac, former king of Cerniw, finds his kingdom in tatters and only betrayal and ruin to look forward to. Saved from a grisly death by Annis, wayward daughter of Alden’s rebel Saxon foe, it seems his only hope lies with his brother Budic, King of Brittany. But will Alden’s budding romance with the offspring of their enemy be enough to prevent further bloodshed between the two warring tribes?
Though the historical background was interesting, this felt more like a romantic historical fantasy than serious histfic. The novel started off well as Alden and Annis escape to seek sanctuary with the High King, not knowing who they can trust as they alternate between hiding and running away. Occasionally the plot confused me and I got lost with its constantly changing point of view, though the banter between young couple is quite sweet. The characters of Alden and his brother Merton were well drawn and more rounded than that of Alden’s love interest, who at times felt a bit one-dimensional.
At 319 pages, The Du Lac Chronicles is perhaps a bit on the long side, but I’m sure it will have wide appeal to fans of Arthurian legend and historical fantasy.
Colin Garrow 