Before I go on, I should say that I will try not to spoil the story. I don’t want to give away too much, or you might not end up reading it at all. And believe me, you want to read this book. With that said, when I first picked up this book (which was a little over 2 years ago) I glanced over it, read a few pages, and gave up on it. I scold myself every time I see this book in my bookshelf for having done that. It must have been because I wasn’t mature enough 2 years ago. Maybe. But it sure does attest to the fact that this book is clearly aimed at experienced readers and adults.

The story starts off with a little boy, around maybe seven (or was it 10?) years of age. The boy is indeed Clothar, and he learns a truth that makes the reader automatically like him. He learns it fairly early too. The king, his father, tells him that he is actually not his father, and that he is his uncle instead. His real father and mother are dead. They died shortly after Clothar was brought into the world. The person that killed them was Clodas who sits on his father’s throne even now. Choking back on the tears and recognizing the situation enough, Clothar, still a young boy, vows to kill Clodas with the help of his uncle and rightfully become king – some day. For now, his uncle, Ban of Benwick, sends him off with Bishop Germanus to a school for young boys.

The real story starts here, I guess. One thing you will notice while reading is that this isn’t your typical story. It doesn’t have the rising action – climax – falling action template that everyone is taught in elementary school. It just kind of goes on. That’s the best way I can describe it. It just goes on. Try to imagine yourself sitting by a camp fire listening to a storyteller. It’s kind of like that.

The most memorable thing from this book (and keeping in mind that I read it almost 3 months ago) is that Clothar is so damn real. He isn’t just a character. He is right there with you while he tells you his story. It’s really quite amazing. All the characters are pretty colourful, and realistic. They are all historically plausible, and the history major in you will squeal with joy at the minor characters in Clothar The Frank that lived once long ago. All in all, if you like Arthurian legends, historic Gaul, the Franks, and just history in general, this book is for you.

This book is a testament that history isn’t boring!