Cian of the Chariots
In the dark days after Rome's departure from Britain¸ the people of that beleaguered island find themselves torn between the hopeful promise of Christianity and the mystical traditions of the Druids¸ the desire to revive the Empire's lost splendor and the need to maintain their heathen ancestors' wild and warlike ways. No man feels this tension more strongly than Cian Gwenclan - Cian of the Chariots - a Celtic warrior who wears a badge of silver mistletoe upon his mail in reverence of the pagan mysteries¸ yet serves the young emperor Arthur¸ upon whose shield is painted an image of the Virgin Mary. But in his quest to forge an army united by faith rather than necessity¸ Arthur increasingly declares himself an enemy of Cian's beliefs¸ leaving the loyal soldier to face a terrible question: Is the emperor even more of a threat to his way of life than the Saxon marauders?
Originally published in 1898¸ Cian of the Chariots is the first American historical novel set in Arthurian Britain. It is also the most significant and compelling work of fiction by historian¸ poet¸ and novelist William Henry Babcock¸ author of Two Lost Centuries of Britain and the groundbreaking Legendary Islands of the Atlantic: A Study in Medieval Geography.