The Wicked Day, published in 1983 and by Mary Stewart, is the fourth book of the quintet series. This series depicts a twist on the original King Arthur and Merlin stories. This book tells the story of King Arthur and Mordred, who is actually a protagonist, in contrast to his depiction in the traditional Arthurian tales. This book starts from the time where Merlin shuts himself out from the rest of the world until Mordred and Arthur both die.
The most important twist on this book is that Mordred is not the "black villain," but rather a person who is power hungry and able-handed. Mordred becomes Arthur's advisor, leading to the fateful day where father and son must face each other in battle, hence the title.
Mary Stewart was born in England but has lived in Scotland for most of her life, influencing her to write this new, fresh series from the original tales.
