The King's Peace is a fantasy novel written by Jo Walton

Jo Walton

Jo Walton is a Welsh-Canadian fantasy and science fiction writer and poet. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2002 and the World Fantasy award for her novel Tooth and Claw in 2004. Her novel Ha'penny was a co-winner of the 2008 Prometheus Award...

 and published by Tor Books

Tor Books

Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...

 in October 2000. The first of Walton's published novels, it is also the first of three "Sulien" novels. It was followed in 2001 by a sequel, The King's Name

The King's Name (novel)

The King's Name is a fantasy novel written by Jo Walton and published by Tor Books in October 2001. It was Walton's second novel and a sequel to her first, The King's Peace...

, and in 2002 by a prequel, The Prize in the Game. The novels are a reinterpretation of the story of King Arthur

King Arthur

King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...

.

Plot summary

Sulien ap Gwien, a woman warrior and daughter of the King of a small part of the island of Tir Tanagiri, is brutally raped by six invading Jarnsmen and her brother is murdered. While travelling to the capital to request help from Urdo, the High King, she happens upon a battle between some more Jarnsmen and some of the King's soldiers. Sulien proves her skill in battle and, drawn in part by the young King's leadership and charisma, she enlists in the cavalry. The novel follows her journey up the ranks, the battles against the invading Jarnsmen and Isarnagans, and Urdo's efforts to unite the many kingdoms of Tir Tanagiri and restore peace and law to the land.

Publication history

• 2000, USA, Tor Books ISBN 0312872291, Pub date 1 October 2000, Hardback
• 2002, USA, Tor Fantasy ISBN 0765343274, Pub date 19 August 2002, Mass Market Paperback

Official sites

• Tor-Forge Books - The King's Peace
• The King's Peace Page Index Walton's site via the Wayback Machine
  Wayback Machine
  The Wayback Machine is a digital time capsule created by the Internet Archive non-profit organization, based in San Francisco, California. It is maintained with content from Alexa Internet. The service enables users to see archived versions of web pages across time, which the Archive calls a "three...