The Camelot Shadow is a historical novel by Sean Gibson. Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam, an authority on Anglo-Saxon history, receives an unusual request to assist James Nigel in searching for King Arthur’s scabbard that held his sword, Excalibur. He doubts that Camelot really existed, but agrees to help after learning of the scabbard’s healing powers that could save his dying wife. Although the mission is top secret, Lord Alfred confides in his best friend, Will Upton, a rare book dealer who decides to accompany him on the mission. Will has his own hidden motives for joining the search team, but so does the detached Brendan Quinn, who works for James Nigel. His job is to watch and report the activities of the team, and eventually eliminate all witnesses who learn of the scabbard’s existence.

The Camelot Shadow by Sean Gibson is an intriguing historical novel that absorbed my attention. It is well-written, and the author’s spin on the legend of King Arthur is terrific. This is a story with great visuals, enabling readers to see and feel every bit of the action and emotions of these interesting “love me or hate me” characters. I like Lord Alfred, a strong, fair-minded man who has difficult decisions to make regarding the scabbard and his wife. The dialogue is sharp and expressive, with sufficient mirth from some characters. I think the twists are very good, and I gained knowledge of druids and their practices as Sean Gibson elaborated on this through his writing.

The Camelot Shadow follows renowned scholar Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam and his best friend and book dealer, William Upton, on a strange, mysterious quest involving the mythical King Arthur and Merlin. Alfred meets Brendan Quinn at a party and is handed a letter written by Henry Milner, requesting an audience with him to help the Queen and the British government on some type of top secret quest. Alfred is intrigued and decides to go, which sparks a series of events and adventures that lead to Alfred and Will searching for a historical artifact reputed to help stop mankind's suffering and illnesses. There are different factions at odds here and secret societies that are competing to dominate, each with their own separate agendas.

Author Sean Gibson writes his novel with convincing dialogue and likeable characters that may seem stodgy at first, but with their intellectual musings they become heroes on a quest for a mythical artifact. In fact, this novel is more of an intellectual thriller than one where the heroes or hero is young, gorgeous, masculine, etc. This book brings forth the new type of hero - the older, intellectual, academic hero that solves the mystery and saves the day through sheer brains and not might. Alfred and Will may be unlikely heroes, but they are refreshing heroes that the reader ends up rooting for and admiring. I highly recommend this book for readers who like a mystery that is solved with intelligence and diligence.