The Return of King Arthur Omnibus

By: Jacob Sannox

Narrated by: Nigel Peever

Length: 26 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

The complete trilogy of The Return of King Arthur series.

The Ravenmaster's Revenge (An SPFBO 2019 semi-finalist):

King Arthur is back, but can he stop the Ravenmaster?

It is the autumn of 2019. Merlin’s wayward apprentice has escaped from the Tower of London with his raven familiars. Legend foretells that the White Tower, then England, will fall.

Can King Arthur, a weary veteran of the English Civil War, Waterloo and the Somme, prevent the Ravenmaster from exacting his revenge?

Agravain's Escape: It is 2021, and Sir Agravain's nemesis, Malagant, is back. But Agravain, who hunted the Dread Knight during the 18th and 19th centuries, is now serving a prison sentence. Nimue, a mysterious student of Merlin, seeks King Arthur to offer him a choice. Arthur can settle into the normal life he yearns, abandoning his estranged knight, or risk everything he has achieved to aid in Agravain’s escape.

Tristan's Regret: In the fifth century, Tristan and Isolde are at the mercy of the scheming Morgana Le Fay, who seeks to undermine King Arthur’s alliance with Cornwall.

The consequences of their actions echo down the centuries, and in 2021, Arthur, Tristan, and the Knights of the Round Table desperately hunt the last remaining followers of Malagant, an immortal ally of the dead sorceress.

Will Arthur finally live up to his own legend, and can anything put an end to Tristan’s regret?

©2023 Alan O'Donoghue (P)2023 Alan O'Donoghue

King Arthur in the modern day

I've seen stuff like this a few times now, where King Arthur is brought into the modern world to help England in its hour of biggest need. I recall a favorite comic book from years ago call Camelot 3000, where Arthur and his knights return to fight an alien invasion. This isn't quite as futuristic as that, but it does pull Arthur into the NOW.

To be fair, I will admit to being Arthured out before I got this series. I had actually asked for a different book and was sent this one on accident, but because I am a huge fan of Nigel Peever, I gave it a shot. I can't say that I regret it one bit. The trilogy is collected here and provides a full 26 hours + of storytime. That's a bonus unto itself. If I am honest this book kept me hooked and interested in spite of my Arthurian fatigue. I enjoyed it immensely. That said, I think I'm going back to my former stance, This is a complete series, and so if I reinstate my moratorium on the King of Camelot, I won't be missing out on anything from this author. Again, loved it. Great interpretation, a wonderfully constructed world, and a great update to an old mythology.

The narration, as I alluded to earlier, is what drew me to this originally. Peever produces amazing work, doing one of my favorite interpretations of Sherlock Holmes all the way to telling a coming-of-age story about a boy dealing with his grief in a book called The Electric. Peever is an amazing storyteller. If I had one complaint, it would be that his trademarked music and sound effects are missing. I can happily listen to him read a phonebook, but it's that extra Peever Pizazz that really makes a book special.

This book is worth getting just to hear Nigel talk, but it has a genuinely great story that will grip you in the same way Arthur grasps Excalibur.