apaula

My daughter is interested in the legend of King Arthur thanks to having seen the movie The Mists of Avalon. She checked this book out of the library but it is proving a bit difficult for her, so we will read it together. In the meantime, I thought I would read the first chapter yesterday, and I just kept on reading and finished it last night a bit after 10pm. It is a well-written story, another tale of King Arthur. It is the second version I have read that is written from the point of view of a woman, and it is very well done. Unlike The Mists of Avalon, which presents a lot of magic in the story, this version of the Arthurian legend shows how Arthur rose to power with what seems like divine intervention, but the intervention is explained by Gwyna the Mouse. (It is she, on Merddin's orders, who dives into the pool and hands Arthur the sword Caliburn from beneath the water to make it look like he was in the favour of the lady of the lake.) This story is more Gwyna's than Arthur's and shows the king in a much less favorable light that The Mists of Avalon did, but it is a very good plot and one is not lost when seeking the familiar characters of the legend. Guinevere is there, although her name is Gwenhwyfar, but she does not disappoint in staying true to her legendary self, betraying Arthur and paying dearly for it. Merlin is also present in Merddin, who is more a story-teller than a magician, but he does work hard at his art and is mostly responsible for creating the legend that is Arthur. I highly recommend this book.

2022-11-14 17:19