Black Horses for the King [B0666]

1996 HCDJ in nice clean condition. Historical fantasy--the story of King Arthur as it has never been told before--and the beginnings of the British cavalry, as recounted by a boy growing up in exciting and perilous times.

Lord Artos, later to rule as the legendary King Arthur, knew he could defeat the Saxon invaders only if he could find a race of horses swift and strong enough to carry armed warriors, in full regalia, fast and far against the Saxon invaders. And so he set out for the Continent, in search of the famed horses of the desert. The key to Lord Artos' plan was the young runaway Galwyn Varianus, the son of a bankrupted and dishonored aristocrat, who gets a chance to redeem his father's honor and make a name for himself. Galwyn had always had an ear for languages, as an interpreter, and his gift for horse-trading was second only to his skill with horses. What no one expected was how crucial Galwyn would be to the upcoming battles, as he mastered the secrets of the iron shoes that would protect the desert horses' delicate hooves . . .

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "LOVED THIS BOOK. One of the best Arthurian inspired stories I've ever read. Definitely will read this as a family."; "Wow, I really loved this book. Combining Arthurian legend with horse story: a win-win for me!"; "This one is, at the edges, a King Arthur story, but it is so much more. It's a story of a boy growing into a good man with the tutelage and support of other hardworking, good men, and of his foil who is cast out of that supportive environment and is then so consumed by bitterness and a desire for revenge that he seeks to destroy what he once loved. And mostly it is a story about horses and specifically their hooves; no hoof, no horse!"