The fourth book in The Halls of the Shadow King series is now available on Amazon Kindle. It’s called Britannia Calls, and is a Christian retelling of Celtic mythology (and possibly an Arthurian origin story!). Set twenty-something years after the adventures of Amal in the first three books in “The Halls of the Shadow King”. My intent is that the reader has the option to treat this as either the fourth book or as a standalone introduction to the series. Here’s the overview:
Highlights of the Action
What are the highlights? Third-century Roman Britain. A red dragon sleeping under a Welsh mountain. A Christian awakening spreading through the island that the dragon finds deeply inconvenient. And a team sent from Antioch—led by Amal, the Shadow King—to do something about it.
They’re joined by Finn McCool and they briefly meet Taliesin. Yes, those two. One is an immortal Celtic warrior who has been fighting supernatural evil longer than most civilizations have existed. The other is a blind former druid who serves a different master now and carries scars from the last time he tried to face the dragon alone.
The early Christians in this story didn’t survive Roman persecution by being cautious people. They survived by being stubborn, brave, and entirely convinced that the darkness was going to lose eventually. A primordial dragon will test conviction in a cavern deep beneath Mount Snowdonia.
Mythical Celtic Setting
Britannia Calls is historical fiction rooted in the third century AD—a few years before the reign of Emperor Constantine. The narrative swims in early Celtic Christianity, and the pre-Roman mythological traditions of Ireland and Wales. The supernatural elements—dragons, Pattern-sight, binding rituals drawn from Hebrew and druidic traditions—are built on that historical and literary foundation, not cartoons layered on top of it.
If you’ve read The Apprentice or Into Deeper Waters, you already know Amal. If this is your first encounter with the series, Britannia Calls works as an entry point. The format keeps it focused—one mission, one mountain, one ancient enemy.
What’s Next?
I’m already thinking about the next project. Another Old Testament prophet, most likely. Different era, different landscape, same fundamental conflict: someone who has been given a gift they didn’t ask for and a task they’d prefer to refuse. He won’t know what hit him.
HOW TO PURCHASE THE BOOK!
Find Britannia Calls on Amazon (Kindle only): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0GS3PDF8R
Paperback is available exclusively on my web store here at todnewman.com!
Other LINKS about this Novel
Reviews of the First Book in this Series