Review
Mystery series set in Britain's "Dark Ages" (the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, now referred to by scholars as the Middle Ages) are not uncommon. They've been
popular with readers since Edith Pargeter (aka Ellis Peters) wrote the first
Brother Cadfael novel in 1977 depicting life in 1137. Tony Hays's book, set six centuries earlier, is a welcome addition to the genre.
The Killing Way is not the story of knights and chivalry one might expect
in a novel about King Arthur's time. Hays focuses on the historical Arthur and
his environs. He strips away the legends and myths surrounding the well-known
hero of the romantic age, portraying instead a warrior and leader who may have
existed around 500 CE. Indeed, the book is more historical fiction than mystery,
one of its major strengths being Hays's ability to convey a...
Beyond the Book
King Arthur - history or myth?
No one is sure if there was truly a person named Arthur who was a ruler of
the Britons. Evidence for his existence is scant at best.
The first complete account of the life of King Arthur appeared in
Historia
Regum Britanniae (
History of the Kings of Britain), written in 1137 -
1138 CE by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Geoffrey surely used historic accounts, but
modern scholars believe that he fabricated much of his text, and that other
parts were a combination of traditions relating to multiple rulers. Regardless
of its inaccuracy, it was very popular and influential. Many manuscript copies
of this document have survived into the 21
st century.
The legends surrounding King Arthur are generally...
