Enchanting King Arthur and Camelot Books

One of the most popular Arthurian retellings is The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. The first in this epic retelling, The Winter King, starts in a war-torn Britain after the High King Uther died. His only heir is his infant son, Mordred. As the lesser kings fight for control, no one sees the warlord Arthur coming. With power granted by Merlin and embroiled in a doomed romance, Arthur knows he’s destined to unite the country. But with Saxons pounding at the gates, his destiny may be harder than he knows.

Award-winning author Sarah Zettel combines sorcery and passion with epic adventure in this four-part fantasy romance series focused on the legendary women of Camelot. Drawing on Arthurian tales of old to craft her fresh perspective, Zettel captures the intrigues and interior lives of the ladies, maidens, and queens of the realm, from the magical Elen and Lady Risa of the Morelands to High Queen Guinevere.  

Within this collection of short stories is the novella, Once, Future, where the legend of King Arthur is retold on a college campus. There are patterns in the original tale, repetitions that Howard captures and highlights with a deft hand. But this isn’t a straightforward modernization. Instead, the story must repeat, over and over, until they finally get the ending right.

Jane Yolen is a wizard at tapping into the magic of myth to craft her enchanting narratives; after all, the multiple award-winning author is known as America’s modern-day Hans Christian Anderson. In Merlin’s Booke, Yolen revamps the Camelot legend to conjure King Arthur’s enigmatic tutor and sage: the great magician Merlin. Comprised of short stories and poems, Yolen transports you to the dark and enchanted world of King Arthur’s court, capturing its splendor and sorcery while summoning new tales about its famed “shape-changer, Druid high priest, wizard extraordinaire.”  

Another Arthurian tale from Yolen, King Arthur is newly crowned and struggling to win the hearts of his people. So, Merlin does the only thing he can think of. He designs the ultimate magic trick by creating a sword stuck in a stone slab that only Arthur can remove. All he has to do is build the legend by inviting all of England to try and do the impossible. It’s a good plan, guaranteeing instant adoration when Arthur proves himself worthy of being their King. The only problem is, someone else pulls the sword out first.

Sir Thomas Malory set out to compile the stories associated with King Arthur and his legendary Knights of the Round Table. Weaving together the material found in English and French sources, he interpreted the various texts and arranged them to form a complete story, following Arthur from his birth to his death. It’s one of the most complete texts on the myths and legends associated with King Arthur and his tragic Knights.

Curious about the wellspring of ancient history that flows through the Arthurian saga? In this sweeping work, lecturer and military historian Jim Storr surveys the English countryside in search of the evidence and artifacts left behind by Anglo-Saxon conquerors as they vied for control of post-Roman Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries. Meticulously researched and enriched with maps and illustrations, King Arthur’s Wars illuminates the military and political landscape of Dark Ages England and explores the lasting spell of Camelot and King Arthur, delivering an engrossing read for fans of ancient history and Arthurian lore. 

We all know the story of King Arthur and his Knights. Or do we? In Arthur Rex, the legend is retold with a slightly different perspective. The damsel isn’t exactly in distress. Merlin knows magic, but maybe a bit different than the legend tells. And the villains and heroes might end up surprising you. It’s a comical, if cynical, take on the famous story, encompassing not just the main elements, but the entire Round Table.

Acclaimed author Thomas Berger is best known for Little Big Man, his sprawling and satirical take on the outsized myths of the American West. In Arthur Rex, the author applies his wit to the tales of King Arthur and Camelot. Berger breathes new life into the warrior king’s fabled journey: from Arthur’s rise and grand reign to his demise in the battle against Modred. The result is a “splendid” (New York Times Book Review) spin on Camelot’s classic heroes and villains, and a fresh and funny reimagining of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table.  

Richard Monaco looks to the legend of Parsival, one of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table who quested for the Holy Grail, to craft this thrilling Arthurian narrative. Set in an extraordinary realm of myth and magic, yet written in a lean and contemporary style, Monaco delivers a gripping tale of heroism and heartbreak that beats with a modern pulse.  

In this cosmic retelling of the King Arthur legend, Andre Norton returns to Camelot—infusing the medieval tale with sci-fi flourishes and celestial awe. A beacon buried deep within a cave on Earth calls out to space-faring lords of the stars; Merlin, a star-born sorcerer touched by an alien intelligence, seeks to restore lost technologies and revive humanity’s ascent to the heavens; the Lady of the Lake receives signals beamed down to her from an outpost in the cosmos.

In the middle is Arthur. Unaware of his heritage, pulled between forces he can’t understand. A cosmic retelling that pulls the legend across the universe.

In sci-fi and fantasy, Andre Norton reigns supreme. The SFWA Grand Master published over 100 works throughout her career, often drawing on myths to craft her stellar narratives. Steel Magic, the first in the author’s Magic Sequence series, follows three siblings as they travel to the world of King Arthur and embark on a wondrous quest. Sara and her brothers are exploring their uncle’s Hudson Valley estate in search of a rumored lost lake when a gray mist envelops them. When the mist finally clears, the siblings find themselves transported to the age of Camelot and King Arthur. To save the realm from the encroaching darkness, Sara and her brothers must recover three magic talismans—or remain forever lost in time.  

Fans of antiquity will find much to love in Anthony Adolph’s quest through the centuries in search of Brutus of Troy, the mythological founder of Britain and ancestor of King Arthur. Brutus was said to have led a voyage from Greece to Britain, where he vanquished giants to become the first king of the island realm. During his fabled rule, Brutus laid the groundwork for what would become London and established a regal bloodline that flowed through King Arthur to the ancestors of today’s Royal Family. Adolph, a professional genealogist and broadcaster, explores the enduring legend of Brutus of Troy through history and fiction, revealing the crucial role it played in establishing England’s identity and the ways in which it inspired playwrights and poets from Shakespeare to Blake.  

In this dark tale of fantasy and revenge, Cary James leaves the exalted halls of Camelot and introduces us to a peasant farmer named Micah of Greenfarm, better known as Raven. Raven lives in the shadow of Camelot, toiling in the fields and having little to do with the royal life of King Arthur. But that all changes when a gang of Arthur’s knights descends upon Raven’s sister, raping and then murdering her. Raven swears an oath of vengeance, embarking on an elaborate mission to infiltrate the high courts of Camelot and King Arthur’s inner circle to exact his revenge.  

No list of Camelot books would be complete without Mark Twain’s seminal time-traveling satire. After suffering a hostile blow to the head, Connecticut firearms factory supervisor Hank Morgan awakes to find himself in King Arthur’s Camelot in the year 528. Needless to say, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table are not particularly welcoming to this oddly dressed visitor; soon, Hank is sentenced to burn at the stake. Now, the accidental time traveler must use his wits if he hopes to escape. Published in 1889, Twain’s timeless tale lampoons both the swords and chivalry of Arthurian legend and the politics and concerns of late-1800s America. It’s also viewed as a foundational text in the subgenre of time travel sci-fi.  

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are well-known. But what about the women? There’s Morgaine, Arthur’s half-sister and priestess of Avalon. And Gwenhwyfar, the barren Queen. Told through Morgaine’s eyes, we get the story of how Arthur rose up and ultimately crashed down.

Originally published in 1903, Howard Pyle’s illustrated narrative chronicles the intrigues and adventures of the heroes of Camelot over the course of two books, both of which are collected in this volume. Book one, “The Book of Arthur”, tracks King Arthur’s legendary rise: his encounter with the Lady of the Lake, his procuring of the magical sword Excalibur, his courtship of Guinevere, and his transformation into Britain’s hero king. The second book, “The Book of Three Worthies”, focuses on Merlin, Sir Pellias, and Sir Gawaine. Pyle was a celebrated visual artist and children’s book author, and is widely regarded as one of the 20th century’s greatest illustrators. The Story of King Arthur and his Knights is a striking reflection of the Arthurian saga.   

In the early 1930s, fantasy titan J.R.R. Tolkien set out to chronicle the last battle of King Arthur in epic verse, in the style of Beowulf. Alas, he abandoned the project by the mid-1930s, instead turning his attention to the upcoming publication of The Hobbit. Tolkien’s poetic retelling of Arthur’s doomed campaign against Modred is now presented here—and while unfinished, it bristles with power, passion, tragedy, and promise. Accompanying Tolkien’s lyrical work are three revealing essays by the author’s son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien. Christopher’s essays explore Arthurian literary traditions, the evolution of The Fall of Arthur and Tolkien’s meticulous effort in creating it, as well as the unfinished poem’s connection to The Silmarillion and the mythology of Middle Earth. 

King Arthur was once a man who inspired his country with his noble ideals. But his honorable Knights were just human, after all. And so was Arthur. As Camelot was destroyed, Arthur lost almost everything, leading him to face his illegitimate son on the battlefield in his most desperate hour. Through Merlin’s eyes, we witness Arthur’s last night, as we watch the boy who became king stripped down to become nothing but a man.

In this “richly imagined and unfailingly eloquent” work (Booklist), English author and historian T.H. White delivers a masterful adaption of the King Arthur legends. Suffused with humor, heroism, and human frailty, White presents Arthur’s journey in contemporary language while retaining its mythic sweep and splendor: from the future king’s early years under the tutelage of Merlyn to his ascent to the throne, his founding of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table, and, finally, King Arthur’s tragic downfall. 

The Once and Future King is a classic of Arthurian literature, inspiring both the Disney animated feature The Sword and the Stone and the Broadway musical Camelot. Readers interested in tracing White’s inspiration back to its source should seek out Sir Thomas Malory’s definitive 15th century chronicle of the stories of King Arthur, Le Morte d’Arthur. 

Queen Guinevere springs to life in this celebrated work by historical fiction author Nancy McKenzie. McKenzie recasts the Arthurian saga and the story of Camelot through the viewpoint of Guinevere, chronicling the future queen’s fated birth and early years in Wales, her courtship with King Arthur and their rise to power, and the crucial choices that lead to the kingdom’s downfall.  

Forget the gleaming suits of armor and high white towers of Camelot. In Sword at Sunset, Rosemary Sutcliff strips clear the chivalry and medieval make-believe, transforming King Arthur into the Dark Ages warrior king Artos the Bear. Old Britain is presented here in all its darkness and barbarity, a primitive pagan land where a few brave souls clash with Saxon hordes and fight for the future of the island realm. Powerfully written and lush with period detail, Sutcliff’s spellbinding epic “leaves you convinced that if the story of King Arthur is more history than fantasy, this must be the way events really occurred” (Green Man Review). 

British novelist Mary Stewart recounts the origins of King Arthur through the voice of sorcerer Merlin in this transfixing tale, the first in the author’s Arthurian Saga series. The Crystal Cave tells of the perilous early years of a boy named Myrdden Emrys, born the bastard son of a Welsh princess. The child struggles to fit in and understand the strange visions that beset him. As he comes of age, however, Myrdden will transform into Merlin, and use his growing powers to usher into this realm the king for once and always. Stewart followed The Crystal Cave with The Hollow Hills and The Last Enchantment. Both are narrated by Merlin, and chart Arthur’s ascent and kingship in Camelot. The Wicked Day, the fourth entry in the author’s series, focuses on the doomed battle between King Arthur and his son Modred. Stewart’s final Saga book, The Prince and the Pilgrim, is a self-contained novel set during King Arthur’s reign. Together, these fantasy narratives represent a fully realized version of the Arthurian legend, filled with adventure, magic, and romance.  

After her mother dies in an accident, the residential program at UNC for high school students seems like the perfect escape for sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews. But when she witnesses a magical attack, a mage calling himself Merlin tries to erase her memory of the demon. Except it unlocks something else: her magic. Even worse, she remembers another Merlin was there when her mom died. 

Determined to find out what actually happened that night, Bree infiltrates the secret Legendborn society, descendants of King Arthur’s knights tasked with hunting demonic creatures. But when she learns that a magical war is coming, she has to decide whether to use her power to take down the society or join them and fight.

Princess Guinevere goes to Camelot to marry a stranger. Sure, King Arthur is charismatic, but that’s not why Guinevere is there. Merlin brought her to protect the idyllic city from falling as magic threatens its borders. Because Guinevere is a changeling, and she gave up everything to protect Camelot. 

But Arthur’s court is more treacherous than it seems, with some fighting against the dream of a better way to live. And in the heart of the forests and depths of the lakes, magic waits to reclaim the land.

The Romans left Britain in conflict and chaos. That’s the world Merlin was born into. Raised as the illegitimate son of a Wales princess, he doesn’t know who his father is. But it doesn’t matter. He’s a bright child with an extraordinary gift: the Sight. 

Witnessing invasion and imprisonment, Merlin grows from a gifted child to a talented man. A man with an important role in a bright and compelling future: the future of King Arthur.