Name: The Princess of Selgovae and the High King
Rating: 4 (2 reviews)

Bryce D. Gibby

The Princess of Selgovae and the High King

Shelby Goodwin

Thanks so very much to the author for sending me a copy of the book! All thoughts expressed in my review below are entirely my own!!

When I was earning my undergraduate degree in English Literature, I designed my own concentration in Medieval and Renaissance studies by choosing literally all of the courses in this category that FSU had to offer. My favorite among these was my Middle English Romance course. I even named my child Saxon for crying out loud...Needless to say, the scholar in me felt SO very at home in this brilliant historical fiction novel! 

This rich, historical narrative is very reminiscent of other greats in the Arthurian tradition, especially Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory, one of my all time favorite literary works. While listening to this epic story on audiobook, I appreciated so much the author’s inclusion of tropes from the classic romance genre, such as religious turmoil betwixt Christians and Pagans, as well as the chivalric codes. I was super excited to meet several familiar faces of Arthurian tales, such as Morgana le Fey, who happens to be my personal favorite.

The Princess of Selgovae and the High King is extremely well researched and well written, with a style that reminded me of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, in that it was apparent throughout just how studied the author is on his craft and subject matter. The best part about this first installment in this Tetralogy of Tales is that the story imagines and explores a multifaceted storyline and character arc for the Princess of Selgovae whose story has been marginalized for millennia. I’m absolutely interested in continuing this series!

Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, mythology retellings, and epic romances.

Bryce Gibby

From Gaul, through Old Britannia, to the far shores of Iceland, an empire was established by the light and strength of primitive Christianity, opposed by malevolent forces. For half of a millennium the British Isles were ruled by Rome, until the Sixth Legion was recalled to the mainland. Without a united defense, the ancient Britons suffered unimaginable carnage as wave after wave of Picts, Angles, Saxons, and Frisians pillaged and conquered their land, ushering in an era of paganism. However, in the midst of this darkness there was one season of light, an interlude of peace. The Age of the Princess of Selgovae is not known by her name, but by the name of the High King who loved her. Arthurian legends are the supreme sagas of all time, surviving the maze of centuries-inspiring nobility and hope for a future utopia of like grandeur. In them are found examples of exceptional goodness and abysmal wickedness. Chivalry and love abound, as do the contrasts of barbarism and seduction. There are tales of courageous faith, rousing us to gallantry-and stories of the occult, fearfully warning of depths to which men and angels fall. There is distinctive style to the symbols and types of this era-kings and queens, immortals and demigods, wizards and witches, dragons and lions. Outside of Holy Writ, ancient histories are sparse and interwoven with myth. However, by carefully examining the worn cloth of ages we discover golden strands of hidden truth. In A Tetralogy of Tales are amazing stories, untold for centuries.

Tatiana Alvarez 

Thank you so much to the author for collaborating and sending me a free copy of his book!

The Princess of Selgovae is a beautifully written knight story that includes a plethora of tropes that would appeal to many readers. For example, the story includes war, romance, adventure, history, witchcraft, and other topics. Witchcraft and love sold it for me, honestly!

I absolutely adore tales of kings, knights, princesses, and royal love. I don't care how many books are out there that fit this description, I will continue to read them. However, The Princess of Selgovae is quite different from the books in this genre. 

What I am most impressed about this book is how much research Gibby had to do for this book (or at least I think he had to do!) This book talks myths, Rome, the British Isles, and hardships. I'm not well versed on these topics, so they were interesting to read about, even if this book is a work of fiction. Gibby's writing kept me intrigued, even as I was taking in all this information about the world at this time and the wars happening.

And of course there is a love story woven in there because what good knight/king book doesn't have? I loved reading about the princess and the high king over the span of 12 chapters.

Overall, this book was extremely entertaining and something I would recommend to readers who enjoy these sorts of retellings. I cannot wait to read more!

The Princess of Selgovae and the High King

Reviews

Highlights