The Dragon Ring (Guinevere Book 1)

TIME TRAVEL: Guinevere Fry’s father was a historian obsessively devoted to the study of King Arthur. His last wish was to have his ashes scattered at Glastonbury Tor, the modern-day site that once was Avalon. In the middle of her final tribute, Gwen hears a haunting music that leads her to find a half-buried golden dragon ring. When she touches it, everything changes. Initially disbelieving that she has been transported back in time to the Dark Ages, her fears are confirmed when she meets her Fancy-Dress-Man, who had visited her twice before. He confirms that he is Merlin, calling himself “unimportant”, aside from that fact that he has brought Gwen to his own time, in the service of his lord, Prince Arthur.

Fil Reid is a brilliant storyteller who distinguishes herself in the early pages of “The Dragon Ring” by delivering a time travel fantasy that is more astute and intelligent than a mere bait and switch plotline. Gwen’s dismay at being trapped in the past is tinged with the interest and amazement of an amateur historian cataloguing the legendary sights, places, and people that embodied her father’s life’s work. What elevates this Arthurian fantasy above expectations is its depth in both world and character building. Gwen is immersed in a Dark Age Britain that surprises her. As she plots to return to her own time, she adapts to her surroundings, and comes to love the newly established King Arthur, not as a myth but as a real man. This modern Guinevere and inspirational Arthur are so enchanting that their cliff-hanger ending feels like taking a sword to the core, making the next volume compulsory healing!

Joan Lai