Geoffrey Monmouth

1716. A brother and sister set out to find her husband who went missing in battle in 1709, while they continue to rob their father's creditors to pay his debts and get him released from gaol. Their quest is complicated by the need to find a friend's killer. As well as holding up coaches, they carry out an elaborate scam. Travelling from Cardiff to London to Cardigan and to the Hague, helped and hindered by the beautiful aristocratic widow, Helen, and her feisty rival, the common whore, Megan, they encounter a Jacobite spy plotting to overthrow the Government, have their eyes opened about the slave trade, and discover the meaning of The King's Justice. Here is a murder mystery, a swashbuckling adventure and a romance set against a genuine historical background.

A brother and sister from the Rhondda Valley in Wales turn to crime to pay their father's debts and release him from prison. They encounter a beautiful but infuriating widow who persuades them to help recover some stolen letters. This leads them into a murder investigation. The trail lead from Cardiff to Scotland via London and Lancashire. This is a tale of mystery, danger, injustice and romance set against the background of the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.

"Jack the Giant Killer" is a Cornish/British fairy tale and legends about a plucky lad who slays a number of giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklore, Breton mythology and Welsh Bardic lore. Some parallels to elements and incidents in Norse mythology have been detected in the tale, and the trappings of Jack's last adventure with the giant Galigantus suggest parallels with French and Breton fairy tales such as Bluebeard. Jack's belt is similar to the belt in "The Valiant Little Tailor", and his magical sword, shoes, cap, and cloak are similar to those owned by Tom Thumb or those found in Welsh and Norse mythology.

For the first time in English, Mark Walker presents a verse translation of the twelfth-century epic poem by Geoffrey of Monmouth, the originator of many of the Arthurian legends familiar to us today. Here is the original Merlin - a mysterious and mad character inspired by ancient Welsh legends. But he is also a king, a prophet, and a modern Renaissance man. This brand-new translation casts Geoffrey's Latin into accessible English hexameter verse, giving readers a feel for the rhythms of the original. The extensive introduction sets the poem in the context of Geoffrey's life and writings, while each chapter opens with helpful background material. Turn back the pages of time and discover the mythical, magical world of the original Merlin.