Lynda C. (Readnmachine) reviewed on 8/12/2009 + 1477 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 5

First of the Guenevere Trilogy. Well-written, with a different take on many of the characters -- Merlin is a malevolent madman; Arthur an emotionally needy youth who is decisive on the battlefield but floundering and uncertain as a ruler. Morgan LeFey is initially shown as a damaged child sent off to a nunnery by Uther, but eventually reveals herself as the essence of evil. The Christian/Pagan conflict often forms a subplot in the Arthurian Cycle, and it is present here as well. The twist is that Guenevere is most often shown as Christian, Merlin as Pagan, and Arthur torn between the two. In this retelling, Merlin is using the power of the Church to increase Arthur's stature, while Guenevere -- the Queen of the Summer Country -- is firmly entrenched in The Old Ways. The most emotionally affecting section of the book is Lancelot's farewell to Guenevere, which may be the most wildly romantic thing I've ever read!

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