Firelord
#5843.97 adjusted 3.96 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Unfinished 1980–1985 Reading commitment Medium Parke Godwin Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
Firelord is a series by Parke Godwin, begun in 1980. Firelord retells the Arthurian legend as a memoir dictated by a dying Arthur in fifth-century Britain as Roman rule ends, with the small Prydn people (the Faerie folk of legend), Merlin, Morgana and Guenevere in the story. Beloved Exile (1984) follows Guenevere after Arthur's death as Britain breaks apart under rival claimants and Saxon pressure. The Last Rainbow (1985) follows a young priest among the Prydn. The books are published as a series of three novels. Godwin died in 2013 and nothing further was announced.
Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Firelord Parke Godwin
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Firelord | 1980 | 1 | core | 3.99 (1,296 ratings) |
 | Beloved Exile | 1984 | 2 | core | 3.98 (387 ratings) |
 | The Last Rainbow; Set earlier than Firelord, among the Prydn, with a young St. Patrick as the main figure. | 1985 | 3 | core | 3.84 (186 ratings) |
Arthurian historical fantasy in post-Roman Britain, with the Prydn faerie folk.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Firelord? Firelord's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Firelord? Publication order, starting with Firelord. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Firelord finished? Unfinished (1980–1985).
- How much reading does Firelord take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Firelord ranked? #584 in this site's official ranking, based on 1,869 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #584?
Ranked #584 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.97 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (1,869 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #583, Greenhollow Duology (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 3 books · Unfinished · 2k ratings · Ranks #584 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length historical fantasy universe.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Firelord (1980)
- Beloved Exile (1984)
- The Last Rainbow (1985)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.97 across 1,869 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 28 universes; 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Firelord Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Parke Godwin Tier 2
- Rising Shadow Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = Firelord (1980), Beloved Exile (1984) and The Last Rainbow (1985). Excludes the 1999 Trystan and Yseult novel and the 1988 short story.