Excalibur
#7893.49 adjusted 3.89 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1973 Reading commitment Low Sanders Anne Laubenthal Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Excalibur is a standalone Arthurian fantasy novel by Sanders Anne Laubenthal, published by Ballantine Books in August 1973 as volume 60 of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. It is set in modern times and ties the legend of King Arthur to the story of Prince Madoc, the Welsh prince said to have colonised Mobile, Alabama, in the 12th century. The central figure is the modern Pendragon, Arthur's secret successor, who must recover Arthur's sword, Excalibur. The author was born in Mobile and wrote much about the city. She published no other fantasy novel and the book has no sequels.
Mythic fantasy, Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Excalibur Sanders Anne Laubenthal
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Excalibur; Published by Ballantine Books in August 1973 as volume 60 of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. | 1973 | 1 | core | 3.49 (126 ratings) |
A standalone modern-day Arthurian fantasy set partly in Mobile, Alabama.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Excalibur? Excalibur's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Excalibur finished? Complete (1973).
- How much reading does Excalibur take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is Excalibur ranked? #789 in this site's official ranking, based on 126 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #789?
Ranked #789 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.49 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (126 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.35 behind #788, The Vandarei Trilogy.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 126 ratings · Ranks #789 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award, 1974: nominated: Excalibur
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.49 across 126 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 22 universes, among them The Ordered and Reflections of Eterna; four candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Excalibur (novel) Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Sanders Anne Laubenthal Tier 2
- Worlds Without End Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = the standalone novel Excalibur (1973).