The Forgotten Kingdom - (Lost Queen) by Signe Pike (Paperback)

About the Book

"The year is AD 573. Languoreth is imprisoned in her home, awaiting news of a battle. Her husband and son have ridden off to war against her twin brother and the men her son admires most: Uther Pendragon's Dragon Warriors. Her nine-year-old daughter, in training to become a Wisdom Keeper, is lost in the chaos. Who has lived, and who has died? As the winds of battle scatter Languoreth's loved ones across the mountainout and mist-shrouded wilds of Scotland, they must face danger, deceit, and unspeakable loss, even as they encounter mystical lands and powerful ancient kingdoms. Meanwhile, Languoreth takes the throne as queen, stepping into a climactic battle that will determine the fate of both her family and her people. Bitter rivalries are ignited, lost loves are found, new loves are born, and old enemies come face-to-face with their reckoning in this intensely absorbing, relentlessly compelling new look at one of the most endurin legends of all time."--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

From the author of The Lost Queen, hailed as "Outlander meets Camelot" (Kirsty Logan, the author of The Gloaming) and "The Mists of Avalon for a new generation" (Linnea Hartsuyker, the author of The Golden Wolf), a "rich, immersive" (Kirkus Reviews) new novel in which a forgotten queen of 6th-century Scotland claims her throne as war looms and her family is scattered to the winds.

AD 573. Imprisoned in her chamber, Languoreth awaits news in torment. Her husband and son have ridden off to war against her brother, Lailoken. She doesn't yet know that her young daughter, Angharad, who was training with Lailoken to become a Wisdom Keeper, has been lost in the chaos. As one of the bloodiest battles of early medieval Scottish history abandons its survivors to the wilds of Scotland, Lailoken and his men must flee to exile in the mountains of the Lowlands, while nine-year-old Angharad must summon all Lailoken has taught her to follow her own destiny through the mysterious, mystical land of the Picts.

In the aftermath of the battle, old political alliances unravel, opening the way for the ambitious adherents of the new religion: Christianity. Lailoken is half-mad with battle sickness, and Languoreth must hide her allegiance to the Old Way to survive her marriage to the next Christian king of Strathclyde. Worst yet, the new King of the Angles is bent on expanding his kingdom at any cost. Now the exiled Lailoken, with the help of a young warrior named Artur, may be the only man who can bring the warring groups together to defeat the encroaching Angles. But to do so, he must claim the role that will forever transform him. He must become the man known to history as "Myrddin."

"Intrigue, rivalry, and magic among the mists of old Britain--The Forgotten Kingdom is an enchantment of a read" (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network).

Review Quotes

"Her prose is quick on its feet, begging you to keep reading, joining the characters on their journeys to learn about themselves and the changing world where they live. There are passionate lovers, evil enemies and quite a few powerful women. And, like so many novels set in medieval times, The Forgotten Kingdom is anchored in the rhetoric of glorious battles, both lost and won."-- "Charleston City Paper"

"Signe Pike pens a haunting, poetic origin story to the Arthurian legend, following the twisting paths of a young seer in training, a courageous queen stranded on both sides of a vicious war, and her battle-haunted brother who will someday don the mantle of Merlin. Intrigue, rivalry, and magic among the mists of old Britain--The Forgotten Kingdom is an enchantment of a read!"--Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

"[A] work of epic fantasy with ties to the Arthurian legends."-- "Bustle (The Books Everyone Will Be Talking About All September Long)"

"A rich, immersive narrative founded on impeccable scholarship."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Engrossing."-- "PopSugar"

"Gripping."-- "Charleston Magazine"

"Impressive historical fiction. Highly recommended."-- "The Historical Novel Society, Editor's Choice"

"In The Forgotten Kingdom, a dramatic and feverishly paced continuation of her Lost Queen trilogy, Signe Pike brings medieval Scottish history compellingly to life. As the narrative follows Languoreth through grueling captivity, loss of security, violent separations from loved ones and pervasive fears that shake her to the core, we learn much about loyalty, devotion, endurance and personal courage. Pike's fans will be thrilled and captivated." --Paula Mclain, author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin

"In the second book of her epic trilogy of sixth-century Scotland, Pike adeptly balances brutal power struggles and Celtic mysticism... readers will relish the escape into Pike's fully developed milieu while seeing its connections to Arthurian legend grow more prominent as, among other aspects, Lailoken serves as a historical model for Merlin."-- "Booklist"

About the Author

Signe Pike is the author of The Lost Queen series, recently optioned for television, and the travel memoir Faery Tale. She has researched and written about Celtic history and folklore for over a decade. Visit her at SignePike.com.