The Arthur Trilogy

The Arthur Trilogy

by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Published by Phoenix, £6.99 each

Review by Gary S. Cousins

This is a trilogy consisting of (1) The Seeing Stone, (2) At the Crossing Places and (3) King of the Middle March. It is aimed at teenagers although I highly recommend it for adult reading too.

The trilogy spans the years 1199 to 1203. The start finds 13 year-old Arthur as a Page in a typical Mediæval manor. He longs to be a Squire and then, just maybe one day, become a Knight. He is clever at his lessons but not much good at his “yard skills” (knightly skills) and so he fears that the Lord of the Manor will send him away to become a monk or a bookman. He has a pure heart and helps out the villains and tenants on the manor much to the dismay of the Squire.

But the dawning of the new century is fated to bring many changes: King Richard I “Cœur-de-Lion” dies and his brother King John takes over the Crown, taxation is increased, the right to collect wood from the forests is restricted and Pope Innocent III proclaims the 4th Crusade. These form the backdrop to the real change that the new century heralds, which is Arthur leaving his childhood years behind and entering adulthood. How does he view his world? What sort of man will he become?

A mysterious man lives on the manor: free and without apparent ties or duties. His name is Merlin and he acts as a mentor to young Arthur. He gives Arthur an obsidian crystal and, when Arthur looks into it, he sees Arthurian myths and stories being played out in it. These echo his own life and offer him much insight and guidance.

Arthur is a deep thinking and sensitive boy and carries this through into the brutal adult Mediæval world. As Merlin advises him, what is really important in life is to ask the right questions and he sees this played out in the stories of King Arthur that he sees in his obsidian. This helps him keep true to himself: by always questioning whatever is going on around him.

This is a totally enchanting story. The language is simple but beautiful, conveying an innocent questioning about life. The description and detail of the Mediæval world is incredibly accurate and the author has a real talent for bringing this period to life.

The books are gently seductive. At first, you become enthralled by the vivid description of life on the manor (e.g. the feudal system, the manor court) but, as the story unfolds, you become increasingly drawn into the story of Arthur himself: what will his life hold and, more importantly, what sort of man will he become and what values will he adopt?

These books can be read on many levels. In the same way that the Mediæval Arthur finds inspiration in the stories of King Arthur, we too can find inspiration in his story. On one level, these books tell the story of a boy at the dawn of manhood and, on another, the story of life at the dawn of the 13th Century. Ultimately, however, they are about growing up, questioning what is around us and adopting a system of timeless values.

Available from Amazon.co.uk