A press release from Rosanne Romanello of Ace and Roc:
Ace and Roc have re-published two beloved fantasy classics in new trade paperback editions: The Once and Future King by T.H. White and The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.
Neither the books nor the authors need any introduction and you’ve probably read them many times. But that is the beauty of these novels. They are timeless and meant to be shared between generations of readers. A perfect gift whether you are introducing a new fan to the books or upgrading a well-worn previous edition.
The Once and Future King has been called White’s masterpiece and has served as the basis for several other forms of popular entertainment like Disney’s The Sword in the Stone animated film and the Broadway stage production of Camelot. It is a retelling of the saga of King Arthur starting with his training at the hands of Merlin, through his reign and the creation of the legendary Knights of the Round Table—with Lancelot and Guinevere at his side—and concluding with his death during a brutal war. It is a poignant story of adventure, romance and magic that has enchanted readers since its debut in 1958.
T.H. White was born in Bombay, India in 1906. He began to write after graduating with distinction from Queen’s College, Cambridge. In 1938, he published The Sword in the Stone, the first volume in what would become his epic retelling of Arthurian legends, The Once and Future King. White died in 1964.
The Last Unicorn has been a fan favorite among Beagle’s novels since it was first published in 1968. It was made into an animated film (Beagle wrote the screenplay) of the same name in 1982 which was recently reissued for the 25th anniversary. In 2010, IDW Publishing launched a series of comic books based on the novel which was recently collected into graphic novel format. The Last Unicorn is the story of a unicorn who, alone in her wood, comes to fear that she is the last of her kind and sets out on an adventure to learn the truth. Along the way she meets several people—a magician, a traveler, an evil King—who each help her in their own ways.
Peter S. Beagle is acknowledged as one of America’s greatest living fantasy authors, thanks to classic works such as A Fine and Private Place, The Last Unicorn, Tamsin, Giant Bones and The Innkeeper’s Song.