This is not so much a continuation of Stewart's Merlin and Mordred books, but a side quest, happening in the margins while Arthur and his knights are This is not so much a continuation of Stewart's Merlin and Mordred books, but a side quest, happening in the margins while Arthur and his knights are going about their business.
Alexander's father was unjustly killed when he was just a baby. When Alexander comes of age, he goes off to seek both his knighthood at Camelot but also his revenge on his murderous uncle.
Alice, meanwhile, is the daughter of a knight who repented after a feckless youth, and now they make devout pilgrimages to Jerusalem and other places almost every year. She knows her time will soon come to be married, and she and her father are on their last pilgrimage when they are caught up in a war.
I liked Alice very much and Alexander not so much but at least he is affable - she is clever and thoughtful, and he is a sweet handsome fool with not a single thought in his head. He almost immediately gets ensnared by Morgan le Fay while Alice is off helping deposed princes and the like. Their two storylines are actually very separate until quite near the end and tbh it's not the most satisfying of conclusions!
The end notes make it make more sense to me. Mary Stewart retells the original Arthurian legend this was based on - in that story, Alexander's story is melancholy but in this retelling, she makes it an upwards arc which I thought was so interesting and typical of her Merlin series. That kind of "retelling in a different tone" is not so successful here (the story does feel like it's missing a big climactic scene and the romance is SO abrupt) but it's still interesting....more
This retelling of the legend of Gawain and the Green Knight places it in World War II England, with the knights of the round table as daring RAF pilotThis retelling of the legend of Gawain and the Green Knight places it in World War II England, with the knights of the round table as daring RAF pilots. Gawain must fulfil his oath to the Green Knight and is on his way to the Green Chapel when he is taken in as a guest of the Bertilaks. The Bertilaks tease him, with Lady Bertilak giving him kisses that Gawain then willingly forfeits to Lord Bertilak, but is it just a game to them or something more?
I love the story of the Green Knight and this is such a charming retelling. Though mostly faithful to the beats of the legend, this story creates its own atmosphere and sense of time and place, the magic of the old world intersecting with WWII and its rationing and potential spy intrigue. Most importantly it gives a really satisfying ending for Gawain's romance with the Bertilaks, who I always thought should've ended up together anyway. ...more
Third in the Merlin trilogy sees Arthur securely on the throne, Mordred's birth and supposed death, the marriage of Arthur to Guinevere, and the fadinThird in the Merlin trilogy sees Arthur securely on the throne, Mordred's birth and supposed death, the marriage of Arthur to Guinevere, and the fading of Merlin's powers. At one point Merlin is lost in madness for months, on another occasion left for dead. Is Morgause going to win against him at last, or is it the mysterious Nimue?
The birth and hiding away of Mordred is a dark mirror to Arthur's own birth and upbringing, and a fainter echo still of Merlin's own wanderings in the wilderness before being acknowledged as a prince. Stewart really loves these echoes and redoublings, and there are repetitions throughout the book with two Gwens, two Ninians - two deaths for Merlin! Etc etc.
It's so interesting seeing what Stewarts picks and chooses from Arthurian legend and how she puts her own, often very convincing spin on it. So with the May Day babies, the slaughter of all the newborn children by Arthur, she places the work at Lot's door. Nimue comes into the story and although the narrative opens the door to reading her as an enchantress who drains Merlin to death and then abandons him, Stewart gives her a kinder arc, painting her as a real successor to Merlin's powers.
The book ends on a peaceful note. She did go on to write the fourth book about Mordred - so that's all still coming! But in this trilogy, she found a happier stopping point that feels satisfying. I really enjoyed this whole trilogy, it's so well written and such a good take on the Arthurian legends....more
Arthur is born and hidden away from the world, and Merlin goes on his travels before returning to oversee Arthur's upbringing.
For a good half of the bArthur is born and hidden away from the world, and Merlin goes on his travels before returning to oversee Arthur's upbringing.
For a good half of the book we do not see Arthur except as a tiny baby, and then just at the right time - after we have been on sufficient adventures with Merlin in the east - Stewart swoops us back in and catches Arthur as an eager youth who's already showing himself as a leader of men.
More and more players from Arthurian lore take the stage here. Sir Ector and Cei (Kay), Morgause and Morgian, King Lot. I am enjoying these books so much, despite the inevitable dread of all the sad things to come, because the writing is just SO good and most of the characters are so interesting and shaded (not Morgause though lol)....more
A retelling of Merlin's life, from his childhood as the bastard son of a princess, then a youthful and curious king's man, who grows a reputation as aA retelling of Merlin's life, from his childhood as the bastard son of a princess, then a youthful and curious king's man, who grows a reputation as a wizard until Uther calls on him to help pull the strings that will lead to the conception of Arthur.
Stewart's angle is to take a more 'realistic' approach to Merlin's life - he's not the spawn of the devil but rather the result of a brief, illicit affair about which his mother refuses to speak. The two dragons under the mountain are symbolic, represented by a fallen flag and a meteor. Merlin moves the Dancing Giants to Stonehenge not through magic but well-applied mathematics.
But there's a streak of magic in this too. Despite being a first person narrator, Merlin is at times still an opaque and uncanny presence, especially when the gods choose to speak through him and guide him towards some unknown fate.
I have actually read this series before but I was very young at the time and I have almost no memory aside from thinking I didn't like them much (as opposed to The Once and Future King, which I read several times). Reading this again now, I can see why it didn't appeal to a younger me and why it does appeal to me now. It's quite dark and dour at times, but it's also wonderfully crafted and really put me through the emotional wringer....more
When a youth called Loholt shows up at court claiming to be King Arthur's illegitimate son, Arthur is delighted, but his trusty grumpy seneschal Kay iWhen a youth called Loholt shows up at court claiming to be King Arthur's illegitimate son, Arthur is delighted, but his trusty grumpy seneschal Kay is more cautious. When Loholt falls into danger, Kay takes the blame and is sent into exile. Wretched Kay must clear his name, defeat an evil witch and a power-hungry lord, and tidy several castles.
Arthur and the knights of the round table have been written about so very many times, you have to find a new angle on the whole saga and Baldry does it by centring it on Kay, simply the world's greatest administrator. He can organise a feast day, he can clean up a village, he can administrate his way out of any problem! "Join me," whispers the villain, "and you could have your heart's desire - tidying up my ENTIRE kingdom!"
Throughout there is a feeling of "my god, poor noble innocent Kay, how unjustly he is treated!" especially from Gawain and Gareth, his defenders against heartless Arthur's accusations. Look, it's an angle and damn if this book is not gonna defend it.
So I admire the, like, the WORK, you know. And taking GOOD ADMINISTRATION as his special skill is a real way to get on my good side. Without his quiet work behind the scenes, Camelot would fall to ruins! And Baldry can write. This is a very easy, entertaining read. Especially if you're a hardcore Kay stan with elaborate woobie headcanon....more
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