from the book jacket:
Will the sword make the king?
The newly crowned King Arthur is unsure of himself; worse, the people are unsure of him.
Too many want the throne, and treachery is everywhere. Something must be done before the king is betrayed, or murdered, or--perhaps worst of all--marries the wrong person. So Merlinnus magically places a sword into a slab of rock, lets it be known that whosoever removes the blade will rule all of England, and invites any who would dare, to try to pull out the sword.
The plan is simple: After a bit of showmanship, Arthur will draw the blade (with a little magical help, of course), and the people will rally around the young king.
Except someone else pulls the sword out first. . . .
In this thrilling tale of magic and intrigue, one of fantasy literature's grand masters boldy reimagines the early days of King Arthur's court, taking figures of myth and making them real, and flawed, and genuinely heroic.
