The Hawk's Grey Feather

Kennealy's vivid interpretation of the Arthurian legends begins a trilogy set in the Celtic worlds earlier encountered in such works as The Copper Throne . Events chronicled here take place 1500 years before those in the previous series. Here, Keltia is suffering under the theocratic tyranny of the Archdruid Edeyrn. Although travel between the stars has been barred and the standard of living reduced to a primitive level, a Counterinsurgency made up of the remnants of the royal family, loyal nobility, Druids and the old Fianna officer class carries on a sporadic guerrilla war for liberation. Arthur, first seen as the son of a minor noble but later revealed as royalty, and his foster brother, Taliesin, the narrator, are educated by the Druid Merlynn; then Arthur is sent to learn warfare while Taliesin strengthens his bardic skills. Arthur gathers followers, particularly those known as Companions, to begin the campaign to destroy the tyrant. But his turbulent, jealous relationship with the other heir to the throne, his cousin Gweniver, leads him into an unwise marriage that will precipitate later tragedy. Kennealy's world is a rich and strange blend of the modern and the ancient. There is complete equality between the sexes--several of Arthur's commanders and many of his troops are women--while magic provides a strong underpinning to daily life and technology. ( May )