The Lion Hunters Series by Elizabeth Wein

The story of Medraut - strong, skilled, daring, and never to be king...Medraut is the eldest son of Artos, high king of Britain; and, but for an accident of birth, would-be heir to the throne. Instead, his younger half-brother, Lleu, is chosen to be prince of Britain. Lleu is fragile, often ill, unskilled in weaponry and statesmanship, and childishly afraid of the dark. Even Lleu's twin sister, Goewin, seems more suited to rule the kingdom... moreThe story of Medraut - strong, skilled, daring, and never to be king...Medraut is the eldest son of Artos, high king of Britain; and, but for an accident of birth, would-be heir to the throne. Instead, his younger half-brother, Lleu, is chosen to be prince of Britain. Lleu is fragile, often ill, unskilled in weaponry and statesmanship, and childishly afraid of the dark. Even Lleu's twin sister, Goewin, seems more suited to rule the kingdom.Medraut cannot bear to be commanded and contradicted by this weakling brother who he feels has usurped his birthright and his father's favor. Torn and bitter, haunted by jealousy, self-doubt, and thwarted ambition, he joins Morgause, the high king's treacherous sister, in a plot to force Artos to forfeit his power and kingdom in exchange for Lleu's life. But this plot soon proves to be much more - a battlefield on which Medraut is forced to decide, for good or evil, where his own allegiance truly lies... less

After the death of virtually all of her family in the battle of Camlan, Goewin, Princess of Britain, daughter of the High King Artos, makes a desperate journey to African Aksum, to meet with Constantine, the British ambassador and her fiance. But Aksum is undergoing political turmoil, and Goewin's relationship with its ambassador to Britain makes her position more than precarious... moreAfter the death of virtually all of her family in the battle of Camlan, Goewin, Princess of Britain, daughter of the High King Artos, makes a desperate journey to African Aksum, to meet with Constantine, the British ambassador and her fiance. But Aksum is undergoing political turmoil, and Goewin's relationship with its ambassador to Britain makes her position more than precarious. Caught between two countries, with the power to transform or end lives, Goewin fights to find and claim her place in a world that has suddenly, irrevocably changed. . . . less

Eleven-year-old Telemakos is the grandson of two royal men: one African, from the kingdom of Aksum; the other Artos, the fallen High King of Britain. He is also a remarkable listener and tracker. Now his country needs his skill. Even though there is a quarantine, plague is spreading through Aksum, leaving disease and death in its wake. Telemakos is recruited as the emperor’s spy... moreEleven-year-old Telemakos is the grandson of two royal men: one African, from the kingdom of Aksum; the other Artos, the fallen High King of Britain. He is also a remarkable listener and tracker. Now his country needs his skill. Even though there is a quarantine, plague is spreading through Aksum, leaving disease and death in its wake. Telemakos is recruited as the emperor’s spy. He must travel through the brutal desert to the salt mines of Afar; there, he needs to discover who has been traitor to the crown. This challenge will take all of Telemakos’s skill and strength and his ability to stay silent—for if he is discovered, there will be no mercy. less

It is the sixth century in Aksum, Africa. Young Telemakos, King Arthur's half-Ethiopian grandson, is still recovering from his ordeal as a government spy in the far desert, trying to learn who was breaking the Emperor?s plague quarantine. Before he is fully himself again, tragedy and menace strike, and he finds himself sent, with his baby sister, Athena, to live with Abreha, the ruler of Himyar, a longtime enemy of the Aksumites, now perhaps a friend... moreIt is the sixth century in Aksum, Africa. Young Telemakos, King Arthur's half-Ethiopian grandson, is still recovering from his ordeal as a government spy in the far desert, trying to learn who was breaking the Emperor?s plague quarantine. Before he is fully himself again, tragedy and menace strike, and he finds himself sent, with his baby sister, Athena, to live with Abreha, the ruler of Himyar, a longtime enemy of the Aksumites, now perhaps a friend. His aunt Goewin, Arthur's daughter, warns him that Abreha is a man to be wary of, someone to watch carefully. Telemakos promises he will be mindful, but he does not realize that Goewin's warnings are not enough to protect him. The Sunbird (?Intense, absorbing, and luminously written, Kirkus Reviews, starred review) was the first book about Telemakos. The Lion Hunter continues his story, to be quickly followed by The Empty Kingdom?a two-book sequence called The Mark of Solomon. less

In The Lion Hunter, Telemakos, the half-British, half-Aksumite grandson of King Arthur, was sent for his safety to stay with one of Aksum's former enemies. When Abreha, ruler of Himyar, allegedly the boy's protector, catches him in the midst of what appears to be treachery, he sentences him to a fate seemingly worse than death... moreIn The Lion Hunter, Telemakos, the half-British, half-Aksumite grandson of King Arthur, was sent for his safety to stay with one of Aksum's former enemies. When Abreha, ruler of Himyar, allegedly the boy's protector, catches him in the midst of what appears to be treachery, he sentences him to a fate seemingly worse than death. Not only is Telemakos forbidden to see his beloved younger sister, Athena, but he is also commanded to reproduce the maps that Abreha plans to use in order to invade Aksumite territory. Countries away from his family, lacking any way to tell them what has happened, Telemakos must bring all of his subtle talents to bear in order to regain his freedom. The Empty Kingdom is a stunning conclusion to the Mark of Solomon duology, a triumph of historic suspense. less