The scattered petty kingdoms of Britain are under siege.
Enemies press in upon them from every direction: slaughter-mad
Picts to the north, Irish pirates to the west, and murderous
Saxons everywhere their longboats can touch an inch of dry
land. Long gone are the troops Rome had assigned to protect
the island, withdrawn to fight the Empire's final, futile battles
against the barbarians on its own doorstep.
Yet there remain a stalwart few, such as the efficient and brutal
general Artorius, who struggle to keep Rome's glorious military
legacy alive in Britain. The half-million warriors massing to attack
are only part of Artorius' challenge, though. He must also
contend with the infighting of the myriad British princes, and the
machinations of the Druid bard Merddin and the seemingly mad
Christian missionary Gildas. More troubling still are the problems
presented by Princess Gwendaello, recent successor to the title
of Pendragon and rulership of all Britain. This clever and
courageous young woman refuses to compromise her followers'
freedom for the benefit of Artorius' Pax Britannica, and in doing
so reminds him that a tradition even more precious than the
leavings of Rome waits to be claimed by the true heirs to the
Island of the Mighty.
First published in 1930 and long unavailable to all but the most
devoted collectors of Arthurian fiction, Pendragon paints an
original and detail-rich picture of Britain in the early sixth
century, one made all the more appealing by W. Bernard
Faraday's flair for striking characters and sly, razor-edged
humor.
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