Tabetha's Reviews > The Camelot Shadow

Rating: 4 stars "Tears pricked the corner of Alfred's eyes as he leaned forward in his chair and grasped her hand tightly, squeezing it as hard as he could, as though, in so doing, he might drive the sickness from her.
"Alfred," she whispered, a ghostly rasp that he sensed more than heard.
"I am here." He squeezed her hand again, unsure whether she could feel the pressure. "I am always here."

"The Camelot Shadow" contains many exciting elements throughout, including mystery, intrigue, search for treasure, secret organizations, fantasy, battles, evil villains, and more that I can not mention, as it would definitely spoil the story...but it is very exciting! It is a historical novel that takes place in Britain in the Victorian era. Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam is becoming desperate, as his wife is fast slipping away from him. When he is asked to assist in the search for a rare artifact, used by King Arthur in his last battle, Alfred realizes he has no choice. This may be the key to saving his beloved wife, and it may, in fact, be the key to saving the entire world!

The first thing that struck me is the beautiful writing, contrasted with the comic relief written into the scenes. The detailed descriptions were a bit long in the beginning, and I wanted to jump right into the action, but the tone changed quickly and kept my attention. I cared about the fate of the characters early on, and was not just a casual observer, but a part of the story. The quest to find the sacred artifact is exciting, as I was able to travel to London, Scotland, and Lucca, Italy.

A standout character is "Viviane Lytelle" because her charisma jumps off the page. Will Upton, Alfred's dear friend and rare bookseller describes his fascination with her: "The heady mixture of strong emotion, too much brandy, too little food, and the tantalizingly close scent of Viviane made his head swim, and he found himself grasping the arms of the chair tightly, fingers digging into the leather, as he fought to keep from fainting."

"The Camelot Shadow" continues to build, and I found myself looking forward to the evenings when I could read more. I am hoping for a sequel because I did become very involved with the characters. But if there is no sequel in store for the future, I am still hoping for another unique story by Sean Gibson!