"The tale of King Arthur has been told by so many authors, and in so many ways, that it might seem difficult to do anything new with it. Yet Debra Kemp has succeeded. She confronts a question that isn't often considered. Why is so little said about Arthur's children? In The House of Pendragon we meet one that we haven't met before-his daughter, Lin. We follow her strange career from slavery to possible succession as Arthur's heir. This well-told and very original story adds a fascinating newcomer to the legend's immortal company."—Geoffrey Ashe
"Throughout the year I get asked on many occasions to revue either film scripts or forthcoming books that deal with the subject of King Arthur and The Holy Grail, some are good, many are dire, few are excellent. When I started reading The House Of Pendragon I felt that perhaps this was going to fit into the latter category, I was not disappointed. Ms. Kemp deals with the subject of Arthurian Britain in a style normally adopted for modern issues, it is refreshing to read what I can only describe as a 'Warts and all' account of life in the period we call The Dark Ages. This book does not give us the heavily romanced tales that many do, thank heavens, instead it gives us a gritty and definitely adult view of the struggles in Britain at the time of Arthur, 'The Bear.' Only too often we are served with over-sentimental offerings that scarcely hide plagiarism from Thomas Mallory or 'New Age' books that borrow heavily from the superb work of Marion Bradley. Here at last we have a fresh approach, a glimpse of struggles and realism so often denied us and yet, still written with a modern audience in mind. Highly readable, highly enjoyable and highly recommended."—Prof. Dr. Roland Rotherham
"Debra Kemp has created a lively, compelling expansion to the tales of King Arthur and Camelot in her debut novel, The House of Pendragon I: The Firebrand. Here she introduces the spirited and stubborn Lin, an unknown daughter of Arthur's. Ignorant of her birthright, Lin becomes an unwitting link in the vengeful plotting of her father's enemies, Queen Morgause and her son Modred. Though only wishing to maintain simple dignity amidst hatred, injustice and cruelty, Lin proves that her remarkable heritage is truly a part of her. With finely crafted characters and originality, Kemp skillfully blends history, legend and fiction in a story that illuminates one of the darkest corners of the Arthurian legend."—Kathleen Cunningham Guler, author of In the Shadow of Dragons
"Debra Kemp has wonderfully presented the courage and strength of Lin, the daughter of the Pendragon. The reader will never feel that this is a book of fiction, as Debra Kemp vividly detailed every scene to perfection. Her research and love of the Arthurian legends made The Firebrand a book I would not want to live without."—Josie de Dios, Round Table Reviews
Ever since seeing the movie Camelot in the mid-70s, Debra A. Kemp has wanted to write her own version of the Arthurian legends. She could hardly disobey when King Arthur himself commanded: "Don't let it be forgot…" The idea of her main character was conceived that very night. She just wishes she could remember the specific date of that important moment in her life. But what started as an innocent evening at the cinema turned into Debra's obsession. She read everything she could find on the topic, slowly building her now-extensive Arthurian library and quirky collection of artwork, movies, toys and figurines.
In the long-anticipated second novel of her original House of Pendragon series, Debra A. Kemp continues the extraordinary story of King Arthur's estranged daughter, Lin.
Adjusting from her life as an orphaned and abused slave to that of Arthur, the Pendragon's daughter does not prove an easy task for young Lin. She struggles to adapt and find her place within the sumptuous palace walls of Camelot. Her mother, Queen Gwenhwyfar, expects Lin to conform to the life of royalty and the duties of a princess, including an arranged marriage. But having survived the cruelty of life as Modred's slave, Lin wants more than a tedious life of weaving and gossip within the world of women. Rejected by her cold, unloving mother, Lin seeks the role of training to become a soldier.
Her fighting spirit meets resistance at every turn. Can Lin prevail as a recruit in the Pendragon's army? Or will her past return to haunt her?
Despite the collar marking her as a slave of Dunn na Carraice, young Lin is fiercely determined to retain her pride and keep her family intact. That dignity bears a price, for Lin has drawn the wrath of Modred, the youngest prince of Orkney. His single-minded quest to break strong-willed Lin—by any means necessary—nearly succeeds. Although Lin is accustomed to the death, disease, rape and famine that runs rampant in the slave hovel she calls home, it is when her beloved brother Dafydd is placed on the auction block that her warrior spirit becomes apparent to all who challenge her, and the shocking secret of her lineage is finally revealed.
