About the Book

Who, or what, is the mysterious Pendragon? For over 1,500 years, that name has haunted the British soul, hinting at a truth about our ancestral identity. While at the same time, the shadowy figure of Arthur has taunted linguists, archaeologists, and historians alike, defying identification. For the first time, a work of scholarly fiction draws together each piece of evidence to drag both the Pendragon and Arthur out of the Dark Ages and into the light of discovery.

The Roman commander Lucius Artorius Castus brought 5,500 Sarmatian cavalry to Britain in 175 A.D. He left them his sword, Exchalybe – whose name meant: “(made) from steel” in Latin – set in a concrete plinth as an altar for them to worship as Wardana, the Sarmatian god of war (equivalent to the Anglo-Saxon war god, Woden). Legend told that ‘Arthur’ (as his name became in Celtic) would return one day and reclaim the sword as proof of his reincarnation.

In line with the prophecy, a young British soldier named Ambrosius Aurelianus withdraws the sword from the ‘stone’, claiming the legendary right to lead the Sarmatian armoured cavalry in battle. He then takes the war to the invading Anglo-Saxons in their south-eastern enclaves, where they have colonized the Thames estuary. This puts Ambrosius within reach of his nemesis: Hengist, king of the Jutes of Cantium (modern Kent) who murdered his wife and parents.

In the first of a series of battles, this new ‘Arthur’ works towards both securing the rest of Britain against conquest and taking his ultimate personal revenge. In the process, he rediscovers his will to live with a Sarmatian cavalrywoman who reminds him uncannily of his dead wife.