Please join me in welcoming Alyssa Roat back to the blog today! She’s here to talk about her new YA Fantasy novel, Castelon and the legend on which the series is based!
CASTELON by Alyssa Roat
SERIES: The Wraithwood Trilogy #3
GENRE: Inspirational Young Adult Fantasy
PUBLISHER: Mountain Brook Ink
RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2023
PAGES: 468
Other Books in This Series
What if I told you Arthurian legend was real?
by Alyssa Roat, author of Castelon
What if I told you Arthurian legend was real?
This may sound like the premise of a fantasy book (and it is—that’s what The Wraithwood Trilogy is based on) but in this case, I’m talking about real life.
No, there was no historic Camelot, and the concept of knights wouldn’t emerge for centuries to come. Disney’s The Sword in the Stone isn’t anywhere close to historically accurate for…well, any time period, really. And most Arthurian tales you’ve heard probably are completely fantastical, based on works written centuries after the fact (like the 15th-century Le Morte d’Arthur, a source text on the legend for many later adaptations, but a nightmare of blatant historical inaccuracy).
The medieval tales show Arthur romanticized into an ode to the fantasy of chivalry that bloomed in the 12th century, when the church began attempting to wrangle the wanton violence and destructive tendencies of the martial elite into something codified. (Don’t worry, heathens and peasants were still fair game for oppression and atrocities under the codes of chivalry.) Considering most warriors fought on foot at the time of Arthur, the concept of an elite cavalry of knights is anachronistic anyway.
But legends start somewhere. And in this case, I think the real thing is just as exciting as the stories.
No Camelot, no knights, no chivalry, certainly no jousting or plate armor—what’s left?
The fascinating world of 5th century post-Roman Britain.
Before the Romans arrived, early Celtic society was composed of loose tribes. In A.D 43, the invasion of Britain began when four Roman legions occupied the southern part of England. Most of England and Wales had been conquered by the 70s, beginning the process of Romanization. The main government was centered in Londinium, now London, where the vicarius, or emperor’s representative, had his palace, while provincial governors handled administration within their own provinces. Latin spread so that even the common people spoke the language. The Romanization continued until, by A.D. 300, Britain had roughly equal levels of public amenities, infrastructure, government, and cosmopolitan society as any Roman city.
But in the fourth century, Roman legions were called elsewhere in the empire, and the invasions began. In 367, Britain suffered a threefold invasion from the Picts, Saxons, and Irish. In 410, the Roman army effectively left Britain for good to defend a crumbling Rome, leaving Britain wide open to the invading Anglo-Saxons.
In this, the chaotic aftermath of the fall of Rome, we find a society in crisis. Aqueducts, roads, sewers, and fortresses fell into disrepair. History here enters a Dark Age, where our view of the time is essentially dark, with very few historical records.
And that’s where the tale of the historical Arthur, the Romano-British warrior leader defending Britain against Anglo-Saxon invaders, begins.
The Wraithwood Trilogy features a world predicated on the existence of this historical Arthur. Of course, I took many liberties—like adding magic. But part of the fun of writing this series was weaving together my (perhaps excessive) research about an obscure time period with what could have happened—if magic was real, and wizards really were living among us.
I hope readers enjoy this final installment in The Wraithwood Trilogy. They’ll learn shocking new secrets about Myrddin (the historical Merlin), Artorius, and even the blade Caledbwlch (hint hint wink wink). But whether you’re a history nerd or not, hang on tight—I think this book has the most twists and turns yet.
Alyssa Roat lives in the cornfields of Indiana, but she hopes to soon discover a portal to a fantasy world where she will run a bookshop for magical creatures. For now, she is a multi-published, award-winning author and has worked in a wide variety of roles within the publishing industry as an agent, editor, writer, and publicist. She has two black cats who allegedly have never been fed in their lives and occasionally help her write by walking across the keyboard. Her name is a pun, which means you can learn more about her at www.alyssawrote.com or on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as @alyssawrote.
Other Featured Books by Alyssa Roat
Alyssa Roat is offering a print copy of each book in The Wraithwood Trilogy OR a $25 Amazon gift card to one of my readers! (US only for print copies. Ebooks available for winners outside the US. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
What about you? What makes you want to read Castelon & the rest of The Wraithwood Trilogy by Alyssa Roat?
Sounds like a great story.
This looks like a good book
Sounds like a page-turning adventure!
Sounds like it is a great read full of history, magic, and romance. All elements I enjoy 😊
New author for me. Exciting.
I LOVE fantasy!😍 This trilogy sounds AWESOME!
I love YA Fantasy and I’m looking forward to reading The Wraithwood Trilogy! Thank you
I have not really read a YA fantasy yet.
Sounds interesting!
I have always liked Arthurian themed literature.
The Wraithwood Trilogy sounds so awesome. I am a huge fan of this type of book.
The excerpt sounds amazing and makes me want to read it.
Sounds awesome! I’ve spent several years researching the middle ages, and especially the legends of king Arthur.
This book sounds very interesting to read. I enjoy the mythical nature of it.
I am a History buff, wanted to get my History Degree, but unable to finish college. I would love to read the book.
This historical and fantasy sounds captivating, intriguing and fascinating.
This sounds exciting
I love the sound of this. King Arthur, and magic and you have me hooked.
This sounds like a great book and series. I’m excited to learn about them.
I’m looking forward to reading this book.
Oh, this sounds so intriguing! It includes some of my favorite elements such as history, a magic system, and a powerful heroine. I wonder if there’s even some romance involved too? 🙂 I love books that draw inspiration from Arthurian legends. Thank you so much for the opportunity to win this incredible trilogy!
The cover art is gorgeous! It really caught my eye!
Looks like a good fantasy read
I like the blurb and would like to read it.
I want to read because I am a fan of Ancient Magic
The plot sounds really good. Thanks for the giveaway!
Sounds really good
I am a history nerd and it sounds right up my alley!
The book sounds riveting and fantastical!
It sounds like an interesting take on the Arthurian legend.
Squeee! An epic adventure awaits!
I’m a big believer that myths have to start from somewhere, that there is a kernel of truth to them.
looks like a fun one
It sounds like an exciting read!
Sounds like a really interesting read.
This sounds like a great book for my granddaughter.
great!
Because it’s a Fantasy book about King Arthur and knights.
can’t go wrong there!
New author for me. Sounds like it might be a good series to read.
i agree!
This trilogy sounds amazing!
I want to read it because it sounds amazing! the cover looks great too!
I like that this is an inspirational read.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
I’m a fan of fantasy books.
This historical and fantasy aspects of the book sounds fascinating to me.
I am unfamiliar with this author, so this will be a new experience for me- I love the haunting covers!
It looks like the types of books I read.
sounds and looks amazing
I like the haunting cover. Thank you
Sounds like a great read.
During my freshman year, English third quarter was titled. Arthurian Tradition. We read many works from the period and experienced other forms the genre. We even finished the quarter out by watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail, then writing a final paper making the argument that with all of the media that we had been experienced, that Monty Python was the best representation of the Arthurian thought process, for instance coconut hooves to make horse sounds (MP) versus contemplating for hours how many angels fit on a pin head (writers/theologians of the time). It was fascinating
Reading the first two.
Sounds like a great series!