Pendragon’s Heir series – The Door to Camelot (1), The Quest for Carbonek (2), and The Heir of Logres (3) – by Suzannah Rowntree
Camelot is falling.
Can she save it?
Blanche was an ordinary girl in 1900 England…until the knight crashed through her door. Now, her guardians say she’s a princess lost in time.
Now, her father’s enemies want her dead.
Raised in the wild, Perceval has never known his father. Hoping for answers, he pledges his sword to the legendary King Arthur Pendragon.
But dark forces threaten Camelot. And darker crimes fester behind the legend.
Together, Blanche and Perceval uncover a secret that could destroy the kingdom – and in a world of immortals, knights, and deadly combat, they must join forces if they hope to survive.
Even if Camelot could be saved, is Blanche the one to do it?
Or is someone else the Pendragon’s heir?
If you loved Narnia and Middle Earth, you’ll be enchanted by this beautifully crafted Camelot.
I meant to review book one, but then by the time I remembered I hadn’t, I’d nearly finished book two, and then I got swept up in the story and next thing I know I’ve finished all three. So I’ve done a series review instead, which really feels more fitting.
Pendragon’s Heir is a trilogy, but the story is cohesive across the three; so much so, it felt like one long book to me. A feeling probably helped by the fact that each book was only 180 or so pages—and I regularly read 300-600 page books.
This story is lovely. It’s slower than a lot of the books I’ve read recently—not because it’s boring, but because it reads like a classic. I could have been reading a real tale of Arthur. The prose fit in, the pacing of the story, the dialogue and word choices and everything. The spirit of it fit. The themes and questions the characters struggled with. Such good noblebright.
Perceval, one of the two main characters, was probably my favorite in the story. He was just… so great. Everything a knight should be, striving for the world he believed in, but not perfect.
Blanche was lovely too, but admittedly—I didn’t like her much at first. Which translates to: she had an amazing character arc, and by the end I did love her, and I loved seeing how she grew and changed.
Everything came full circle; even the smallest details I didn’t think were relevant came back up by the end. That was really fun to see. The foreshadowing was layered in well; I didn’t suspect a thing, but when a twist happened I went, “WELL OF COURSE.” Perfectly surprising yet inevitable, as one of my favorite authors puts it.
I enjoyed the last novella I read from Rowntree, and I’ve had my eye on some of her other works. Reading this series just solidified it for me: she’s amazing and I am definitely reading everything else she puts out.
This review was written by Constance Lopez. Constance knows magic is real. Dragons, faeries… and don’t even get her started on unicorns. She grew up having epic duels in the woods with her siblings, and nature is still one of her favorite places to be. If she isn’t out there working on her stories, she’s dragging her children and husband on adventures (they always enjoy it once they’re outside). Except in summer. For those months she hides inside, because Texas heat is real and it hates her.
Books have always been her haven and inspiration, and now she writes her own noblebright stories, hoping to pass those feelings along to others. Fantasy, of course. Because everything is better with magic. Her debut YA fantasy will release in Spring 2021.
