A Land Beyond Ravens: Book 4 of the Macsen's Treasure Series

by Kathleen Cunningham Guler

No one in fifth century Britain knows more secrets than master spy Marcus ap Iorwerth, and that makes him a dangerous man. It also makes him a hunted one. For nearly three decades he has manipulated... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966037162
• ISBN13: 9780966037166
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Bardsong Press
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Life and romance in the time of Arthur and Merlin - a great read!

Fifth century master spy, Marcus ap Iorwerth, enjoyed being the go-to man for ferreting out information. He is a master of disguise and was trusted by many for thirty years. But now he knows too much about everyone and one slip of the tongue can mean his death. During this time of King Uther, Marcus constantly blends into the landscape to find answers to looming questions that give men power. Uther's teenaged son, Arthur, is next in line to the throne most people think will be available with Uther's pending death. Marcus supports Arthur moving into his rightful place, however Marcus' wife's psychic visions forecast the toughest battle and not the most pleasant outcome. Novelist Kathleen Guler presents a clear portrait of this historical time period and the people who lived it. Her combination of verifiable research and use of myths from the time period are woven together to create a story from the perspective of other characters living in the time building up to King Arthur, Merlin, and the knights of the Roundtable. Kathleen Cunningham Guler is the author of the award-winning Macsen's Treasure series that includes Into the Path of Gods, In the Shadow of Dragons, and The Anvil Stone. She studied Celtic history and Arthurian legend for almost thirty years in the U.S. and Great Britain. She has published numerous articles, essays, reviews, short stories, and poetry. A Land Beyond Ravens is a recommended read for anyone interested in Arthurian legend, mystery, spy, adventure, or romance. Reviewer: Lisa Haselton, Allbooks Reviews.

A must-read for fans of Celtic history

If you've read the first three books in Kathleen Cunningham Guler's Macsen's Treasure Series, you will not require any encouragement to pick up the fourth book in the series, A Land Beyond Ravens. No doubt you already are hooked on the action and intrigue surrounding fifth century spy Marcus ap Iorwerth. However if you haven't yet discovered the series, A Land Beyond Ravens should be on your map if you enjoy fantasy and the Celtic legendary history of King Arthur. In fact even if your book genre interests extend beyond those categories, you may still want to sink your teeth into Guler's series. For although A Land Beyond Ravens is classified as historical fiction, it gracefully incorporates other genres, such as mystery, romance, action-adventure, and fantasy. If you are a fan of Diane Gabaldon's Outlander series, then you will enjoy the same scrumptious mix of historical context, exciting escapades and tender moments in A Land Beyond Ravens. As the high king Uther's health deteriorates, cunning spy Marcus ap Iorwerth wrestles with rogue king Cadwallon over control of the kingdom. Marcus is an expert swordsman and spy with keen intelligence, plus he's a romantic who is utterly devoted to his wife Claerwen. In a phrase, Marcus ap Iorwerth is a fifth century James Bond, and he must utilize all his many skills to make sure Uther's secret son, Arthur, succeeds his father as king. Unbeknownst to Cadwallon and the others of the kingdom, Merlin the Enchanter has been grooming the boy Arthur for just this eventuality. But perhaps the young man is still too immature to hold such a weighty position while fending off others who will fight to the death to usurp his power? Add to the mix, a land battle between the Britons and the Saxon, throw in a dash of religious inquiry as the "new" Christian religion becomes introduced to the primarily Druid kingdom, and then sprinkle a generous serving of a love story about the affection, respect and honor shared between two strong people, and you have the zesty ingredients for A Land Beyond Ravens. As Marcus ponders, "So many years had passed, waiting for the moment. But it had to be the right moment. Arthur may be good - he had just proven he understood tactics well - but that could have been luck alone. Arthur was still so young...And time was running out..." As readers piece together clues, the suspense surrounding Arthur's possible ascension to the throne easily maintains interest throughout this well-paced novel. The story is chocked full of tasty morsels of period details, and the addition of the Welsh language lends historical veracity and flavor. Guler's solid descriptive writing style gives good weight to both details and plot as she integrates neat summaries of the plotlines of earlier books in the series. In a clever manner, the author creates individual books that can stand alone as well as a series. As Guler writes in the author's note, "I wished to portray a period of history through the eyes of people

Final volume of "The Macsen Treasure Series" is a book to treasure

Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (8/09) Kathleen Cunningham Guler has completed the "Macsen's Treasure Series" with the publication of the fourth and final novel, "A Land Beyond Ravens." Although I am an avid enthusiast of the Arthurian legend, somehow I missed the first three volumes, but this final volume can be read completely by itself without the reader being at all lost. Guler knows how to provide just enough pertinent information from past volumes for the reader without long summaries. Instead, the reader is continually in the thoughts of the two main characters, Marcus and Claerwen, so that the story is told naturally and effectively. Marcus and Claerwen are a remarkable couple. They are completely Guler's invention and do not appear in the traditional versions of the Arthurian legend. But Guler has provided herself with a powerful step into the legend without another retelling of it by focusing on characters somewhat on the fringes of the main storyline to bring alive what life was like in fifth-century Britain. Uther, Arthur, Morgaine, and Merlin are on the fringes of Guler's novel, appearing briefly when necessary, but Marcus and Claerwen are the central characters. Marcus is a spy working for King Uther in various functions while his wife Claerwen is gifted with "fire in the head"--the ability to see the future, although not always clearly. Claerwen has also been involved in taking Uther's daughter Morgaine to Avalon as a child to protect her, and she is significant, as is Marcus, in the future quest for the Grail. The story takes place over the course of just a couple of years as King Uther Pendragon grows older, and as Arthur, who has been hidden away all these years, is about to become acknowledged as Uther's son and take over the throne. During this time, Marcus is involved in several intrigues that range from dealing with the difficult minor king Cadwallon to the Christian Church's increasing power in Britain. When Claerwen's sister, Drysi, and a monk, Gwion, show up at Marcus' home, additional complications will ensue for the main couple. As a lover of the Arthurian legend, I was impressed that Guler does not settle for sword and sorcery, thrills, and a simple retelling of the legend. She has striven to be very historically accurate--as much as possible considering fifth-century Britain remains shrouded in mystery as to what really happened. She is faithful to the Welsh and Celtic names, customs, and beliefs of the time as much as possible, and although the items of Macsen's Treasure are her own invention, the idea hearkens back to the Welsh tradition of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain. The atmosphere of the novel is somewhat dark, but also extremely realistic and authentic. The characters are real, their motivations reasonable, and nowhere were there bizarre or unbelievable plot twists. "A Land Beyond Ravens" is one of the most historically realistic Arthurian novels ever written, a thoroughly mature work t

A Land Beyond Ravens

This is not just another Arthurian Tale. The main characters in the story are Marcus and his wife Claerwen. Marcus is a master spy working for the high king, among others, while his wife Claerwen's haunted by troubled dreams of young prince Arthur's future. Marcus and Claerwen must both work hard to help keep Britain safe from the Saxons. It's not an easy task with all the plots of those who would seize the high king's power. The story's well written and engrossing giving one a glimpse into fifth century Britain. It's an enjoyable read.

Another Step in the Fulfillment of a Prophecy!

In 5th Century Britain, King Uther is physically failing! A ruler who never took hostages has now become suspicious of his trusted spy, Marcus ap Iorwerth, who has held pivotal secrets protecting the realm and now is being treated like a foreign enemy! Into this mix arises the presence of Uther's son, Arthur, who appears to have a design to defeat the encroaching Saxons, a plan that Uther has been slow to accept in spite of failure and in spite of the fact that the lords under Uther are divided in their support and rejection of his ruthless ways. Add to that mixture the rising influence of the Catholic Church, whose loyalty and power appear to sway with whoever is victorious, a changing tide from day to day! Marcus and his wife, Claerwen are determined to do all in their power to work for freedom, loyalty and love of Britain but are heavily burdened by all of these conflicting forces working for self-gain and destroying the kingdom in the process. Marcus is haunted by the devastating loss of a dearly loved one, and the machinations of Claerwen's sister brings fear and treachery to the home of Marcus and Claerwen, a place of peace, trust and deep respect for the old Druid ways. Their deep love, however, is the force that enemies fail to calculate and one that strengthens them for the deepest of challenges. Merlin the Enchanter has prophesied that one day a phenomenal King will rule Britain and usher in a new, unprecedented age of glory and honor. He is everywhere that matters and is relying on the allegiance of Marcus and Claerwen, even after Uther tries to divide this dedicated couple by taking a cherished family member a prisoner to guarantee Marcus's obedience. Who will prevail? It isn't so obvious and the confusing battles make the reader doubt whether goodness will prevail. Kathleen Cunningham Guler possesses a particular gift of blending history, adventure, mystery and passionate love into a story so engaging that one can't stop reading and yet dreads the end of such an engaging, riveting story! Unsure whether there will be other stories to follow in this dynamic, wonderful series, this reviewer believes the end of A Land Beyond Ravens holds forth the possibility of another book to follow in this multiple-award-winning series, which is a great thought, indeed! Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on September 18, 2009