The Once and Future King is a collection of fantasy novels by T. H. White about the legend of King Arthur. Most of books take place in Gramarye, the name that White gives to Britain, and chronicles the youth and education of King Arthur, his rule as a king, and the romance between Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere. Arthur is portrayed as an Anglo-Norman and White refers to monarchs of that period as "mythical". The collection contains four books:
"The Sword in the Stone" details the youth of Arthur. Arthur's childhood was a time when he was tutored by Merlyn to prepare him for the use of power and royal life. Merlyn magically turns Arthur into various animals at times, and they also go through many other adventures, leading to him becoming the king.
"The Queen of Air and Darkness" continues the story of the newly crowned King Arthur. It deals with his tutelage by the wise Merlyn, his war against King Lot, and also introduces the Orkney clan, a group of characters who would cause the eventual downfall of the king.
"The Ill-Made Knight" takes place mainly in Camelot and tells of the adventures, perils and mistakes of Sir Lancelot. Despite being the bravest of the knights, Lancelot is ugly and ape-like, and calls himself the Chevalier mal fet, "The Ill-Made Knight".
"The Candle in the Wind" deals with the last weeks of Arthur's reign, his dealings with his son Mordred's revolts, Guinevere and Lancelot's demise, and his perception of right and wrong.
