Arthurian Books

Arthurian Romances (Penguin Classics)

Chrétien de Troyes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Early Arthur 5 out of 5 stars.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.

Chretien de Troyes is an early French romantic writing, who wrote the first known story about the Holy Grail. De Troyes lived in the Champagne region of France during the latter twelfth century. Peripherally attached to courts including that of the famous Eleanor of Acquitaine, de Troyes stories of the Arthurian legends provides a foundation for almost all future Arthurian stories.

Chretien's major works include four poems included in this collection: Erec and Enide, Cliges, The Knight of the Cart (Lancelot), and The Knight of the Lion (Yvain). For Grail seekers, the story of most interest will be the unfinished Perceval: The Story of the Grail. Although the tale exists in finished form (in fact, several variations of finished forms), de Troyes in fact only wrote the first 9000 lines of the approximately 32,000 line text. (De Troyes also was embellished or supplemented by later additions to the tale of Lancelot, perhaps because de Troyes did not want to include an adulterous affair).

The story of Erec and Enide is a love story between one of Arthur's knights, Erec, who while out with Guinevere encounters a mean-spirited knight Yder; Erec's pursuit of Yder leads to his meeting Enide, and the two have a stormy relationship (by medieval romantic standards) but ultimately are able to reconcile their love and relationship with public duty.

The story of Cliges is one of tricky and forbidden relationships. Cliges, a native of Greece, falls in love with Fenice, his uncle's wife (Cliges' uncle happens to be the emperor). Their love is discovered, but with the aid of King Arthur, their relationship continues in Cliges' home country of Greece.

Lancelot's story is one of the oldest ideas from the Arthurian legends - the rescue of Guinevere when she is taken captive. This could be done in a chaste and honourable way, but the tale of Arthur has both virtuous and dark elements. Even though this story comes from much older antecedents, de Troyes telling (with the possible additions by a later writer) became the standard Lancelot-Guinevere tale, being the principal one incorporated into Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur.

The story of Yvain is one of romantic questing - Yvain is gone so long on his knightly quests that his wife refuses him to return home. However, with the aid of mystical powers (the lion is an otherworldly creature that symbolises knightly virtue - C.S. Lewis will develop similar symbolic material much later) he returns to his wife after going mad with despair at being barred from her.

Perceval's story is that of the classic search for the Grail, which is also considered now a standard part of Arthurian legend - however, it is not clear that de Troyes was working from earlier stories here.

William Kibler provides notes, an introductory essay, and an essay tracing the history of revisions and continuations to the Grail story. This is fascinating reading, and a must for anyone interested in the Arthurian legends.

Editorial Review:

Chrtien de Troyes did not invent the Arthurian legend: he gave it a sophisticated form, establishing it as a major branch of European literature. This lively edition of Chretien's romances includes "Perceval," the first Grail story, as well as his lays "Erec and Enide," "Cligs," Lancelot," and "Yvain." In these delicate, passionate works, French chivalry bounds through the centuries to greet modern readers with new words for devotion.

The Mists of Avalon

Marion Zimmer Bradley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 885 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great idea for a story but wordy and too obviously skewed to one way of thinking 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

The entire premise behind this novel is a good one. It is the legend of King Arthur, Camelot, and Avalon but told from the point of view of the women involved, particularly the priestesses of Avalon. Central to the plot is that Vivianne, Avalon's powerful high priestess, tricks Morgaine, her apprentice (and the novel's main character), into sleeping with her brother Arthur in order to produce a son that has Avalon running through his veins from both sides. Arthur himself is a product of Vivanne's goal of ensuring that Britian has a High King who will remain faithful to Avalon and keep peace between Christians and the follower's of the Goddess of Avalon. Otherwise Avalon is in danger of diasappearing into the mists forever.

When Morgain finds out it was her brother Arthur who she slept with she turns on Vivianne, leaves Avalon, and goes to live with her scheming sister Morgause in the wilds of Lothian. There she gives birth to Mordred but then falls vicitim to her sister's scheme when Morgause finds out Mordred is King Arthur's son. Morgause takes Mordred from her an does not allow Morgaine to form a bond with her son in the hopes that by raising him it is she who will be the real influence behind the throne when he is High King.

Meanwhile, Arthur has married Gwenhwyfar, a devout Christian and a woman who seems to suffer from one phobia after another. She sees her inability to give birth to a child as punishment from God for Arthur's divided allegiance to both the followers of Avalon's Goddess and the Christian God. She uses Arthur's love for her to convince him to turn his back on Avalon and make Britian an entirely Christian nation. This, Mordred waiting in the wings, and the fallable nature of human being's sets the stage up for conflict and destruction that will destroy all of the orignal plans for peace and unity between Christian's and Avalon. And Morgaine, after years of living outside of Avalon yet longing to return, discovers that leaving Avalon was easy but finding her way back is anything but.

While all these factors seem to be the ingredients for an amazing read, this reader was dissapointd with several aspects of the novel. To start with, the author's pro-Pagan anti-Christian views come shining through each page of this novel. I think it's wonderful that a novel was published with such a different point of view. No matter what your religious orientation, it's always good to question and see things from another vantage point. The problem I had was that after several hundred pages of this it began to grate on my nerves. Eventually it was like, "OK, I get it already!!!" It was just too much and the entire novel would've benefitted from a much more subtle approach.

Then there was the extreme long-windedness of the author. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good long novel but not when it seems to just go on and on and on and on about what, IMO, were not major plot points in the novel. Some serious editing needed to be done here. This novel could've shaved off a couple hundred pages and not suffered a thing.

I also thought the portrayal of Gwenhwyfar as a whiney, wimpy, 'fraidy cat was too over the top. I get that the author was trying to portray the difference and the conflict between her and Morgaine, which represented the heart of the conflict between Avalon and Christians, but she just has no reedeming qualities whatsoever. In what is supposed to be an novel told from the women's viewpoint, the author seemed to do the same thing she accuses Christians of doing, laying the blame for the sins and downfall of the world at the feet of a woman. It seemed that she Gwenhwyfar was the author's scape goat here. I wouldn't have minded the less than flattering portrayal of Gwenhwyfar if would've at least attempted to be somewhat fair and at least allowed the reader to discover some reedeming quality about her.

OK so I know I've waxed verbose about what I didn't like about the novel but there were some things that I thought were great. In fact, overall I didn't hate this novel it's just that the above gripes keep it from getting too great of a score. As a heroine, I absolutely loved Morgaine. She was flawed yet sincere, very human, and yet somehow very spiritual and divine. She was not the typical beauty but yet she radiated with an inner beauty. She made mistakes over and over again and suffered for those mistakes as did others.

I also enjoyed the humanity of so many of the characters. They were so recognizably human, flawed, caring, violent, and yet they yearned for peace. They made mistakes and suffered the consquences. That was painfully depicted here in a way I haven't seen in many other novels. It was very atmospheric and, when I wasn't pulled out of the story by the above irritants, I was swept away into ancient Britian and the world the author created.


I enjoyed reading about the conflict of cultures as Christianity began to spread across Britian. Just the fact that there is a novel with such a different point of view than we are used to, female and Pagan, is a very good thing. I would love to try and read more about the ancient religions. I just wish that, as a whole, this particular novel had been written better. But this is one I'm going to hang on to and reread in a few years and compare my reactions.

Overall I do recommend this novel because of it's very different premise, I love the heroine, and you may not have the same issues I did with the presentation of the story. 3 1/2 stars.

ETA: I don't get the complaint from so many reviewers that this is a "feminist" novel. It's told from the viewpoint of the women involved, does that make it feminist? Even if it was "feminist" what's so wrong with the idea that men and women should be equals? Since when is that a bad thing?

It's the "good Pagans, bad Christians" theme repeated ad nauseum that causes this novel to suffer, not the fact that it's told from a female perspective. And I'm agnostic so I don't claim one religion over another, I just don't like it when an author's personal POV overtakes what otherwise could be a good story.

Editorial Review:

Even readers who don't normally enjoy Arthurian legends will love this version, a retelling from the point of view of the women behind the throne. Morgaine (more commonly known as Morgan Le Fay) and Gwenhwyfar (a Welsh spelling of Guinevere) struggle for power, using Arthur as a way to score points and promote their respective worldviews. The Mists of Avalon's Camelot politics and intrigue take place at a time when Christianity is taking over the island-nation of Britain; Christianity vs. Faery, and God vs. Goddess are dominant themes.

Young and old alike will enjoy this magical Arthurian reinvention by science fiction and fantasy veteran Marion Zimmer Bradley. --Bonnie Bouman

The Winter King (The Arthur Books #1)

Bernard Cornwell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 155 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Camelot this is NOT. VERY different from other Arthur tales. 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I finished this book late last night after a very quick, very intense tear through the novel; I could not put it down. I will be starting book 2, Enemy of God, of this trilogy today.
This is definitely not your typical Arthur. Oddly enough, there is little proof that Arthur existed in the great way he is now known in legend to have been. Obviously, the magic, Excalibur, Camelot, the Round Table and the 'Holy Grail' type additions were very well used literary tools to create a legend bigger than itself in many tales. What Cornwell has accomplished in this novel is to bring the story back down to earth in a very real and incredible way; this is an Arthur who lived in a real world, with superstitions and gods of many religions, but no magic to speak of, rather just man's overwhelming ability to allow fear and misunderstanding to create belief in magic, spells, wizardry and monsters. To be fair, that may disappoint Arthurian legend lovers of the mystical tale. This is not the stylized Arthur that we read about in most literary works or, in more recent years, we see on film.
The tale is told by an elderly monk who, before becoming a Christian, was an orphan raised by Merlin (not a Wizard in this tale, rather a Druid leader of Britain). He, our storyteller, was Derfel Cadarn, Derfel 'the mighty', and he was a fierce and feared warrior, a Lord of war, a leader of men, a sworn man of Arthur, and a mighty killer. He is also an excellent storyteller who weaves a tale of 5th century Britain, a land at war with itself whilst also being invaded by the Saxons (who the author Cornwell also writes about in his excellent Saxon Chronicles which I highly recommend). This was an island of many nations and many kings, before it was England, just after the departure of the Romans and just as the island was at its lowest point in history, the beginning of the dark ages.
The fact that not much is known about the people that became so legendary in myth and tales of magic, allows Cornwell to weave a book of fiction that represents the period very well and freed him to create a tale that he did not have to meld in to history. In other words, Cornwell was able to create an entire story, using famous names that have no story, thus allowing us to experience a completely different version of the tale.
I avoided this trilogy for a while because the Arthur tales are a little too fantasized for me; I prefer more historically based fiction. Thankfully, I came to my senses and read this book. It was excellent. I read a review below that stated that someone struggled with this book because of all the characters, a claim I don't understand. Cornwell kindly provides a list of ALL the characters and a short summary of who they were, at the beginning of the book so you can always flip to the front if you don't remember a name. A detailed map is provided in the back to give you an understanding of where the many characters are from and where they go.
I definitely recommend this book. Although our storyteller does tell Arthur's tale, the book does tend to be more Derfel's tale and how he experienced life as a sworn man of Arthur. It follows Derfel to Amorica (Britanny, France) where he spends years fighting in Arthur's place for the kindom of Benoic (which reminded me of Jonathan Swift's kingdom of Laputa, the floating island where everyone was more interested in learning and beauty, where, in this tale the king spent all his money on knowledge all his money on knowledge and allowed the kingdom to crumble around him). This is Derfel's tale of Arthur and it is a wonderful story.
Enjoy!!!

Editorial Review:

Essentially this is a modern political thriller, told in flat American diction. Narrated by Derfel, an ordinary, likable man who rises through the ranks to become Arthur's friend and advisor in peace and war, the story doesn't follow the traditional patterns. Mordred is Uther's infant grandson, the legitimate king; Arthur is one of Mordred's guardians, sworn to hold the kingdom against the Saxon warlords until Mordred comes of age. Warfare is incessant. Arthur's dream of peace and unity seems unattainable. Derfel's own story--his strange origin, his love for Nimue, his worries and his triumphs--parallels Arthur's as he fights for and beside him.

Bernard Cornwell downplays the magic that enlivens the traditional stories, depicting it more as a combination of superstition and shrewd wits. I recommend this with reservations; though it's absorbing to read, the emphasis on battles and politics means that this will greatly appeal to some fantasy readers, but disappoint others.

Enemy of God (The Arthur Books #2)

Bernard Cornwell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 56 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Cornwell furnishes a provocative look at the Arthurian legends in Enemy of God, the second book in the Warlords Chronicle. This version of the tale takes place during the Dark Ages, when even the lords of the land lived in thatched huts. Arthur, still defending Britain for his younger half-brother Mordred, faces religious uprisings, Saxon invasions, and disloyalty at the heart of the kingdom. His uncompromising belief in oaths and his optimistic blindness to human betrayal isolate him from even his closest friends. At the same time, Merlin's quest for the Cauldron (read Holy Grail) also becomes entangled in treachery.

Cornwell's writing skills have continued to evolve since his journeyman Sharpe series, and Enemy of God combines intriguing descriptions of Druidical magic with the war-ravaged landscape of Dark Ages Britain, without holding back on the brutality of vengeance and war. The Matter of Britain always commands interest, and Cornwell invests the usual splendor and tragedy with the human squalor of the times. --Blaise Selby

Excalibur (The Arthur Books #3)

Bernard Cornwell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 74 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The third novel in the Warlords Chronicle, Excalibur: A Novel of Arthur immerses the reader in the Britain of the Dark Ages. Merlin, the greatest of the Druids, believes that the ancient gods are deserting Britain, and that the invading Saxons can't be defeated without the gods' help. Mordred reigns with a brutal hand, and Arthur sees his dreams of peace evaporate. The author provides exciting descriptions of swordplay and battles, interspersed with somewhat gruesome depictions of ordinary life in those days--greasy, waist-length beards serving as napkins, lambs bloodily sacrificed before festivals, and rampant lice.

But at the heart of Excalibur--what makes the Arthurian legends eternally fascinating--is the larger-than-life company of heroes, from Sagramor the warrior to Taliesin the bard, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arturus Rex himself. Cornwell treats them all with warmth and dignity, revealing their human qualities without unnecessarily reinventing them. This three-part saga of magic and bloodshed will grip readers from the first page of The Winter King, through Enemy of God, to the last page of Excalibur. --Blaise Selby

Le Morte D'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table (Signet Classics)

Sir Thomas Malory

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 69 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Signet translation much better than others 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I bought this Signet translation by Keith Baines after a frustrating attempt to read the Modern Library translation by William Caxton. Caxton's dry, stilted rendition left me hungry for a cleaner, more modern version.

Here's a prime example from page 1:

Caxton: "It befell in the days of Uther Pendragon, when he was king of all England, and so reigned, that there was a mighty duke in Cornwall that held war against him long time. And the duke was called the Duke of Tintagil. And so by means King Uther sent for this duke, charging him to bring his wife with him, for she was called a fair lady, and a passing wise, and her name was called Igraine."

Baines: "King Uther Pendragon, ruler of all Britain, had been at war for many years with the Duke of Tintagil in Cornwall when he was told of the beauty of Lady Igraine, the duke's wife."

If Caxton was my high school English teacher demanding that I diagram his sentences, I might forthwith set myself through with mine dagger most deadly.

Anyway, if you just want to enjoy the Arthurian tales in their cleanest English version, buy Signet's paperback. It's also half the price of other translations.

Happy reading!

Editorial Review:

From the incredible wizardry of Merlin to the undeniable passion of Sir Launcelot, these tales of Arthur and his knights offer epic adventures with the supernatural-as well as timeless battles with our own humanity.

The Eagle (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 9)

Jack Whyte

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Beginning with The Skystone, the first in his riveting Camulod Chronicles, Jack Whyte has embarked on an ambitious and remarkable re-telling of the Arthurian cycle, giving us a fresh and compelling take on a story that has been beloved for centuries.

The Eagle brings us at last to the heart of the tale, the creation of fabled Camelot and the love story that enshrined its glory. Whyte takes us into the minds and lives of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot, three astonishing but fallible people who were bound together by honor, loyalty, and love. Three who created the glory that was Britain’s shining dream…and, some say, caused its downfall.

The Gaulish nobleman Clothar—known in our time as Lancelot—is drawn to the young High King’s court by tales of honor and nobility, where he meets a man whose love of law matches his own. More, he finds in Arthur a life-long friend whose dream of uniting the people of Britain in peace Clothar embraces. And Clothar meets Arthur’s queen, a wondrous beauty whose passion and ideals match those of her husband. Together they work to bring Arthur’s dream to life.

But dark forces rise in opposition to Arthur’s plans for creating this noble island nation and it is hard to tell friend from foe in the swirling chaos that ensues. Many tales have been told of the dream that shined and died. This one will astonish even the most jaded.

Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy

Mary Stewart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 76 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

EH?! Where's The Wicked Day?? 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Stewart's fabulous Merlin "trilogy" is actually four novels, the fourth one being "The Wicked Day." I can't see why a publisher would have left this one out of the compilation. This is why the review gets only 4 stars. I also feel like it would be a bit ridiculous to have this compilation on the bookshelf followed by an odd copy of The Wicked Day, so, I suggest you buy each novel individually if you like the way books look on the shelf.

This is a marvelous set of books, quite readable, and it does put you into the story!

Editorial Review:

The Merlin Trilogy is Mary Stewart's take on the Arthurian legend in three books: The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment. These books have Merlin, Arthur's wizard mentor, as their focal point, and the result is a charming, engrossing tale providing a unique perspective on a familiar tale. Her history is superb and richly detailed, her characterizations are masterful, and her plotting is perfect. You'll be entranced by this magical story.

Knight of Darkness (Lords of Avalon, Book 2)

Kinley Macgregor

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

For countless centuries, I've been the assassin for the infamous Merlin, even though the woman who birthed me sits at the right hand of our enemy, Morgen le Fey. Now both my mother and Morgen have decided that it's time I take my place on their side of this conflict.

Normally, telling them no wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that the good guys I protect think that I'm an even worse demon than the ones we fight. Hmm, maybe they're right. I have to say that I do enjoy maiming anyone who gets in my way.

At least until my mother gives me a simple choice: join Morgen's Circle of the Damned or see an innocent woman die. I'm all for saving the innocent, but Merewyn isn't as innocent as she seems. And she's none too fond of the fact that her fate is in my dubious hands. Personally I'm all for taking the easy way out, but leaving her to Morgen is rough, even for me. Now the only way to save both our lives is to face the evilest forces ever known—my mother and Morgen. And two people who know nothing of trust must learn to rely on each other or die: provided we don't kill each other first.

Uther (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 7)

Jack Whyte

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Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The seventh book in Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles, Uther is a parallel novel to The Eagle's Brood. It fills in some gaps about another major character in the Arthurian legend, Uther Pendragon, who is Merlyn's cousin and King Arthur's father.

Uther tells the tale of a young man torn between his love for his adopted Camulod and for the land of his birth, Cambria. Born to be one of the seven Chiefs of the Pendragon federation of Cambria, with the possibility of becoming its king one day, Uther goes from being a carefree boy to a seasoned leader of his people who must wage war to protect his land. Along the way, Uther loses his friendship with Merlyn and falls in love with the wife of his enemy, thereby forging a union that will lead to the birth of Arthur, King of the Britons.

Once again Whyte weaves a tale of intrigue, betrayal, love, and war in a gritty and realistic tale that continues to explore the legend of Camelot. With Uther, Whyte is at his best--he takes his time telling the story and allows his main characters to be both flawed and heroic. Fans of the Camulod Chronicles will be familiar with the inevitable ending of this book, but Uther is a worthwhile addition to the series. For those new to the series, Uther can stand alone as an entry to the story, but it might be best to start with The Skystone, where Whyte's tale truly begins. --Kathie Huddleston