Hamilton, Sylvian - THE PENDRAGON BANNER

[LJ Roberts]

THE PENDRAGON BANNER (Historical-England-1100s) – VG Sylvian Hamilton – 2nd in series
Orion, 2001 – U.K. Hardcover

Former crusader Richard Straccan is now a merchant of holy relics, and has been ordered by King John to find and bring him the banner carried by King Arthur containing a piece of cloth which bears the blood of Christ. On his search he becomes responsible for a man accused of theft and murder but has lost his memory, the daughter of the murdered man and a leper.

Ms. Hamilton, who is currently writing the 4th book in the series but is quite ill so there is no knowing when it may be done, does a masterful job portraying the period and the conflicting roles religion and magic played in people’s lives. There is humor and suspense in a fast-moving story. This is a marvelous book in an excellent series.