King Arthur book.

[lissener]

Firelord.

Man, I loved that book: probly read it 5 times in the eighties.

[Khadaji]

@Grey

I think you’re thinking of The Skystone : The dream of eagles Vol 1 by Jack Whyte. I liked the first few books but they lost my interest later on.

I dunno. The Skystone fits the description up to the point where the OP stated it was published in the mid-80s. Jack Whyte’s first was published mid to late 90’s wasn’t it?

[Kilt-wearin_man]

@Khadaji

I dunno. The Skystone fits the description up to the point where the OP stated it was published in the mid-80s. Jack Whyte’s first was published mid to late 90’s wasn’t it?

It also doesn’t work in that the OP stated that it was “a book” and “this novel” - The Skystone is the first in a series, and Arthur isn’t even born by the end of the book, much less King.

[kaylasdad99]

@Lamia

Oh, I thught Parke Godwin was a man, but now that I think again I couldn’t swear to it. A quick Google isn’t turning up the answer. I read one other novel by him/her years ago, Waiting for the Galactic Bus, which is a pretty funny science fiction book about heaven and hell, the surprising origins of mankind, and preventing the conception of a kid who’ll probably be worse than Hitler. Featuring the ghost of John Wilkes Booth!

And the sequel, The Snake Oil Wars features the ghost of Abe Lincoln, not exactly bearing a grudge (incognito, which is why I’m putting it into a spoiler box).

Parke Godwin is (or was, I read those books in the late 80’s) a man. Parke is short for Parker.

[Miller]

There’s a sequel to Waiting for the Galactic Bus?!

Quickly, Robin. To Amazon! <zoom!>

[Johnny_L.A]

Firelord is it! I knew there was “fire” in the title somewhere.

Thanks!

[Polycarp]

I second the recommendation of Jack Whyte’s series, BTW: excellent job of conforming the Arthurian legends to the end-of-Roman-times Britain that they actually were set in. The series includes:
[ul][li]The Skystone[/li][li]The Singing Sword[/li][li]The Eagles’ Brood[/li][li]The Saxon Shore[/li][li]The Fort at River’s Bend[/li][li]The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis[/ul][/li]They are, I believe, all Tor paperbacks.

[Grey]

@Kilt-wearin' man

It also doesn’t work in that the OP stated that it was “a book” and “this novel” - The Skystone is the first in a series, and Arthur isn’t even born by the end of the book, much less King.

Very true folks. I skimmed the OP and missed, 80s, woman, fire…ok so I missed the OP except for historical and Arthurian.

Mind you any series that makes you buy a book on Pelagius can’t be half bad.

[Baldwin]

Amazing, isn’t it, how flexible the Arthurian legends are? You can work almost endless variations on them – high fantasy, realistic historical fiction, gushy romantic stuff. There’s such a strong thread in the center of it all.

Just sayin’.

[Kilt-wearin_man]

@Polycarp

I second the recommendation of Jack Whyte’s series, BTW: excellent job of conforming the Arthurian legends to the end-of-Roman-times Britain that they actually were set in. The series includes:
[ul][li]The Skystone[/li][li]The Singing Sword[/li][li]The Eagles’ Brood[/li][li]The Saxon Shore[/li][li]The Fort at River’s Bend[/li][li]The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis[/ul][/li]They are, I believe, all Tor paperbacks.

There are also the two standalone sequels - at least one of which I have held in my hand (but was broke, so I had to put it back…) Uther (not really a sequel, more of a “what Uther was doing off-screen while we were following Merlin elsewhere” and Arthur, a sequel to the series that apparently gets more deeply into his career a King.

[WordMan]

@Kilt-wearin' man

There are also the two standalone sequels - at least one of which I have held in my hand (but was broke, so I had to put it back…) Uther (not really a sequel, more of a “what Uther was doing off-screen while we were following Merlin elsewhere” and Arthur, a sequel to the series that apparently gets more deeply into his career a King.

Hmmm, didn’t know about Arthur - is it worth it? I tend to agree with Grey that the series flagged as it went on, so am not clamoring for it, but would be interested in folks’ thoughts of thumbs up vs. thumbs down…

[Kilt-wearin_man]

@WordMan

Hmmm, didn’t know about Arthur - is it worth it? I tend to agree with Grey that the series flagged as it went on, so am not clamoring for it, but would be interested in folks’ thoughts of thumbs up vs. thumbs down…

I can’t guarantee that Arthur has been released - I haven’t personally laid eyes on it. I do know it is at least in the works if it’s not already out.

[mbh]

I liked Firelord. It had an interesting angle on Morgause and Mordred.

Parke Godwin also wrote a sequel called Beloved Exile, in which the widowed Guinevere becomes a prisoner of the Saxons, and eventually escapes.

And since everyone else is posting about non-Firelord books, let me recommend the graphic novel Uther, the Half-Dead King, by Bo Hampton and Dan Abnett.