The Last Companion — Patrick McCormack

Ten years after the Battle of Camlann, in which Arthur was slain, Budoc the hermit waits for death in the Sacred Wood, his world crumbling into darkness. Raiders roam the coasts of Britain in wolf packs, burning crops and slaughtering villagers. Among them is an Irish war party in search of a magical chalice, accompanied by a witch doctor. Thirty years before, after his great victory at Mount Badon, Arthur had sailed north to the mist-shrouded Western Isles, taking with him a select band of warriors. There he won possession of the chalice and was declared emperor of Albion. Now, as the flame of civilization dims and the hordes rush in on Britain from all sides, Budoc and a ragtag band consisting of two warriors, a captured Saxon boy, and a village girl must rely on the powers of the Sacred Wood and the martial arts of Arthur's companions to save themselves and Arthur's dream of Albion. In The Last Companion, author Patrick McCormack offers a uniquely compelling take on the great battle for the chalice and the secrets of Dark Age Britain.