The Void Place: Uther, Igraine and the birth of King Arthur (The Swithen #3)

Merlin destroyed two lives to create one. But that one—is King Arthur. The classic legend is now a nail-biting psychological thriller, as the main character of our series is finally born.

“Makes the Arthurian legend readable and relatable for us.” —Alex S., Amazon Review

A striking modern take on the original legend, this novel remains faithful to the shocking events that begin the Arthurian legend with a cannon shot, while also offering a strikingly modern recontextualization that confronts the gender and power issues inherent in the story. Far from any kind of pleasant fable of noble kings and lovely ladies, this is a nail-biting psychological thriller and a juicy, twisted love story rife with vicious hatreds, unforgiveable crimes and unexpected tenderness, set against a backdrop filled with magic and court intrigue.

“The Swithen series is an exciting new addition to modern Arthurian fiction. Too often, Arthurian characters become stick figures in modern retellings, but that is far from the case here.”
—Tyler Tichelaar, author; “Children of Arthur”

Merlin has taken over King Uther Pendragon’s life, leaving the king struggling to find his own voice—or if he has any control over his life at all. After an attempt at making his own decision fails spectacularly, Uther falls into obsession over the lovely (and married) Igraine, believing that only her love can fill the gaping hole in his life. What neither of them realize is that they are both falling right into Merlin’s devious plan, a plan that will leave both of their lives devastated, tear the young country apart—and give Merlin what he wants: a child born of nobility that he can mold into the future King Arthur.

The Swithen series is committed to remaining faithful to the actual Arthurian legend from 800 years ago, so you will know that as you read, you are learning the real stories of King Arthur and not some made-up tale. What the series does is add in the psychology of the characters and critically re-examine the morality of the time—in this case, issues of male dominance, women’s rights and sexual assault—in a way that illuminates the issues for the present day.

“Between the [first] two books we can start to see how the author is tilting the story even as he remains faithful to the legends, and what he’s doing is creating credible—and very shaded and sometimes dark—psychologies for each of these people that bring them to life and make them relatable, while also supplying all the majesty and grand sweep we expect from King Arthur stories.” —Judy J., Amazon Review

You do not need to read books 1 and 2 in order to jump right into the shocking story of Arthur’s birth. This novel sets up the conflicts that will resonate throughout the rest of the Arthurian legend (and this series) and adds a surprising layer of suspense to events we thought we knew. You will meet future sorceress Morgan Le Fay at ten years old and her sister Margause, and find out why they vow to avenge their mother by destroying King Arthur in the decades to come. You will meet a young King Lot and see why he will make war on Arthur 15 years from now. And you will learn the heartbreaking tale of Ulfius, loyal friend to the ailing Uther, and future mentor to his son, the young Arthur.

Finally, you will experience a shocking tale of lust, power, war and passion as we witness the fall of a king and the destruction of a lady, victims of Merlin’s single-minded focus on creating a man that will bend the country to his will—and become the greatest king Britain will ever know.