Title: When First I Met My King (The Arthur Trilogy: Book One)
Author: Harper Fox
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 138 Pages
Category: Historical Fantasy
At a Glance: When First I Met My King is yet another title to add to my ever-growing list of lovely reads by this author, and the next in the trilogy can’t get here soon enough for me.
Reviewed By: Lisa
Blurb: Once upon a time, there was a winter that wouldn’t end. And all that’s standing between the people of White Meadows and starvation is a young man called Lance.
He’s sixteen years old, and for all his courage and hunting skills, he’s running out of fight. His family has been wiped out in a border raid, and he’s drowning in loneliness. When strangers arrive at White Meadows, all Lance can think of is using his last strength to drive them away.
But these men have come in peace, not to burn and destroy. Among them is a hot-headed, utterly charming prince-in-training named Arthur.
For Lance, Arthur’s arrival is like the return of the sun. The prince has everything – learning, battle skills, a splendid destiny. But as the days unfold in the remote northern settlement in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall, it soon becomes clear that Arthur needs Lance, too.
Review: I’ll be the first to admit I’m far from an expert on Arthurian legend. What I know could fit on the head of a pin and might be mostly gleaned from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Or, at least some Hollywood-izations of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Which, to say, is unreliable at best and inaccurate at worst. While I can’t declare with authority that author Harper Fox is following the legends to any degree of faithfulness, I can say that the introduction to Arthur and Lance in this short novel is a thing of true beauty.
Fox is one of the most consistent and reliable authors I’ve ever had the pleasure to read, and she just sort of keeps quietly releasing brilliant book after brilliant book. It’s not only her voice but also her facility for turning just the right phrase that lend themselves so beautifully to this story, and the language, the imagery, the tone, and the ethereal quality of the opening scenes becomes like a fever dream during Lance’s introduction.
“…in the wake of slaughter and grief, he was king.”
On the brink of starvation, we meet a desperate young prince who’d inherited his father’s kingdom following a Pictish invasion which resulted in the end of his family, and left his village in a smoking ruin. Lance tumbles down the figurative rabbit hole while, as literary beauty would have it, chasing a hare, and, it’s here that magic unfolds. The wizened crone, as the purveyor of wisdom and prophecy, enhances the fantasy aspect of the story, and I loved the ambiguity of this character’s corporeality. Was she present, or was she mere illusion? She’s part of the fever dream aspect that I mentioned earlier, and Lance’s encounter with her was revealing and then led nicely to him meeting young Arthur. We don’t get but a glimpse of what Lance will become in this introduction to the series—his heroism and the skills with sword and spear that earned him his name. We do, however, get to see what he is and will become to Arthur.
Lance and Arthur, as well as a certain sword called Excalibur, have a destiny to fulfill that begins on the pages of When First I Met My King. They are mere teens when they meet, and while they do consummate their burgeoning relationship, Fox is sensitive to their ages too. She’s created those scenes of intimacy in a beautiful way, just as the rest of the story is crafted, and allows that their duty to their lands and people means they can’t be together yet.
Arthur’s yearning for Lance is poignant and yet tempered by his realization that his yearning may be as much as he can have. His duty, after all, includes an heir to the throne. His fate is set in stone, as it were, which means this journey will be measured in years rather than in days. In other words, don’t expect anything to be neatly resolved at the end of book one. Do, however, expect to find all the hallmarks of Fox’s storytelling—compelling and charming characters, evocative settings, and a romanticism that befits the legend its heroes will reveal.
Knowing how some readers feel about endings, series, and continuing sagas, I’ll say again that this book is only the beginning of something that promises to be, and no doubt will be, gorgeous and spectacular. If you’re familiar with Harper Fox’s work, then you know why I say that with confidence. If you haven’t had the chance to read Fox’s work, then all I can ask is, “Why?” When First I Met My King is yet another title to add to my ever-growing list of lovely reads by this author, and the next in the trilogy can’t get here soon enough for me.
You can buy When First I Met My King here:
[zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B075G3Y8VP?d” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://bit.ly/2i2SdR0″ style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Barnes & Noble [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/when-first-i-met-my-king-book-one-in-the-arthur-trilogy/id1292022668?mt=11″ style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] iBooks [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://bit.ly/2i3Askz” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Kobo [/zilla_button]
The Novel Approach Reviews 
Leave a Reply