Avalon
A New Knights Novel
A man. A king. A legend. Oh, and some martinis.
An explosion rips through Manchester.
Yet the man responsible is never found.
After mild-mannered teacher, Artie Abrams, loses his chance to reunite with his estranged father, his feelings are… complicated to say the least. While Manchester at large mourns the man of the people, Artie remembers him as the bigot who condemned his sexuality and kicked him out. Which makes his inheritance – a small emerald pendant – feel gaudy at best.
On a cold, blood-soaked battlefield a millennium away, King Arthur draws his final breath, victorious yet fading. But instead of the underworld, he awakens in a world of horseless carriages and lamps of static flame — a world he cannot comprehend.
Two men, bonded by blood across a millennium, are drawn into a modern battle with medieval monsters. Dragons, vicious and smouldering, have descended upon the city – determined to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
With tribal tattoos.
And automatic weapons.
As Artie and Arthur uncover the legacy that unites them — the mantle of Avalon — they’re thrust into a journey of new legends. Their unlikely allies include a one-night-stand turned reluctant rescuer, a drunken lush with dangerous secrets, and a detective who really should be in anger management.
Avalon is a wickedly funny and deeply human tale of lineage, love, and Linda — a story of finding connection in the strangest places and facing the most mythical of monsters together. Exploring both the aftermath of grief and the absurdity of surviving it, one thing is certain: this is only the beginning.
Buy the eBook
Buy the Paperback
Review on GoodReads
The Soundtrack
Lineage and legacy are key themes throughout this novel, so the soundtrack had to reflect that. Generations, the passage of time and the legacy of love, intertwined with the feeling of slipping into modern life. Sorrow and grief had to sit hand in hand with pop and circumstance. So the soundtrack is something to listen to when you want that nostalgic mix of haunting renditions of rocky classics, alongside modern folk that reminds you of yesteryear.
A soundtrack to enjoy if you want to read and feel the novel as you go, or just to sit and chill on an afternoon, reminding yourself of the days which passed by and determining that maybe there’s still plenty of stories left to tell.
What You’ll Find in This Book
- A modern twist on Arthurian legend, where a Manchester teacher inherits the spirit of King Arthur — and all the trouble that comes with him.
- Explosive urban‑fantasy action as mythical threats crash into city life, from tattooed invaders to dragons that don’t stay in the history books.
- Heart, humour, and a very human hero, balancing ancient destiny with lesson planning, awkward reunions, and wildly inconvenient magick.
- Authentic LGBTQ+ representation, including a central queer romance, chosen family dynamics, and themes of identity, acceptance, and self‑worth.
- A cast of chaotic allies — from a one‑night‑stand‑turned-rescuer to a detective with zero patience and even fewer boundaries.
- A world where grief meets myth, blending emotional depth with absurd, laugh‑out‑loud moments as Avalon is reborn in the unlikeliest of places.
A Short Excerpt
Click Here for a Snippet
The only movement came from behind her – Mr Abrams came out of his office drawn by the commotion. She didn’t turn. He stepped up beside her, took in the scene. She felt his shoulders slump in resignation. She didn’t look. He slipped one hand into hers and squeezed. She didn’t move.
The man’s flesh sizzled with heat. The once black tattoos glowed the colour of smouldering embers and sombre twilight. A salty tear may have slipped down her young face, she couldn’t be sure. The ability to feel was gone and that was a blessing.
From the outside, it seemed an explosion ripped through the building and shattered the mid-morning day. To Mindy, one breath, one heartbeat and she was gone.
Behind the Story
So, you’re on a gay author’s webpage. This next bit can’t be a surprise. Avalon arose out of a very simple idea – when you’re gay and coming to terms with what that means for your relationship to the world, you’re two people. You’re the version of you which you present to the world, the straight man, head down, getting through family dinner. And the true you, the one who is authentically queer and is scared of the truth of it. No surprise where my fascination with duality comes from, right?
From there the ideas flowed. A British hero that wasn’t Bond – heck, good ol’ King Arthur instead. A body share. A drunken, fur-wearing lush with a love of martinis and more secrets than an episode of the Traitors. A hot bear magick user who is definitely easy on the eye. And, of course, dragons. Only, how do you do dragons differently? How do you make a villain that can slip into the modern world? How do you do a villain for gay (and whatever Linda is) protagonists?
Hyper-toxic-masculinised, tribal-tattooed, slick guys… of course. And thus, Avalon was born – and the ride was damn wild.
Rick Rawes 