Arthurian Books - Page 3

Grail: Library Edition

Steve Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The legend of King Arthur has been told many times--but never with the strength and resonance, passion and richness granted it in Stephen R. Lawhead's masterful

PENDRAGON CYCLE

Drought, plague, and war have left the Isle of the Mighty battered and its heart, the beloved Arthur, grievously injured--until a secret relic is brought before the dying KIng; a Holy Grail that heals his wounds and restores his vigor.

But soon evil enters the royal court in the guise of a beautiful maiden; a soulless, malevolent force capable of seducing the King's loyal champion, confounding the sage whom some call Merlin, and carrying the sacred Grail--and Arthur's adored Queen--off into the dark unknown. And now Arthur faces the greatest challenge of his sovererignty: a quest of recovery that must lead the noble liege through realms of magic and the undead, on a trail that winds inexorably toward a grim confrontation with his most foul nemesis . . . and his destiny.

Drought, plague and war have left the Isle of Mighty battered and its heart, the beloved Arthur, grievously injured. But, astonishingly, the High King lives--his wounds healed and vigor restored by a sacred and secret relic: the Holy Grail.At Ynys Avallach, a dying Arthur was miraculously renewed. And now, in this time of rampant disease and death, the great king wants to share the Grail's curative powers with all who require it. A shrine will be built to house the holy treasure--and Arthur's fabled Kingdom of Summer will at long last come to be.But evil has entered the royal court in the guise of a beautiful maiden. Unbeknownst to Arthur, to his devoted warriors, to his adored Gwenhwyvar. . .even to the bard Myrddrin, the sage Emrys whom some have called "Merlin," malevolent forces, soulless and cunning, seduce the King's most loyal champion. And in an unthinkable unguarded moment, the Grail is carried off, vanishing somewhere into the dark unknown.Now Arthur faces the greatest challenge of his sovereig

The Fort at River's Bend (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 5)

Jack Whyte

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

This is only the first half 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

It's worth knowing that this is only the first half of the novel called The Sorcerer as it was written by Jack Whyte. It was split into two parts (this one and Metamorphosis) and renamed by marketers. So, if the book doesn't seem to have a satisfying resolution for some, that should explain it. I got this information from an FAQ on the author's website.

Editorial Review:

Merlyn Britannicus, leader of the colony known as Camulod, is faced with the task of educating his young charge, Arthur, future King of the Britons. Fearing for the life of his nephew when an assassination attempt is thwarted, Merlyn takes Arthur and his boyhood companions Gwin, Ghilleadh, and Bedwyr, to the ruins of a long-abandoned Roman fort far from Camulod. Once there, Merlyn realizes it's time for Arthur to become worthy of the sword he is destined to wield later in his life-the mighty Excalibur.

But beyond their idyllic hiding place, forces threaten the tenuous peace of Camulod. In Cambria, the death of Arthur's father Uther has left his people leaderless, and in Cornwall, Merlyn's enemy Peter Ironhair is gathering forces to destroy all Merlyn holds dear.

And Merlyn himself is struggling, because in order to make his dream of a united Britain real, he must put the person he loves most in the world in mortal danger-he and Arthur must return to Camulod.

The Wicked Day

Mary Stewart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Enjoyable Read 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

A sad ending to Mary Stuart's tales of Arthur and Camelot. This book back-tracks a bit from where the trilogy ends, starting with Mordred as a young boy first being introduced into Morgause's palace and web of intrigue.

A very pleasant book to read, the author has a very nice way of setting a scene and bringing the reader into it. I would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't so recently read another tale on Arthur, Queen of Camelot. I came across many instances where the books were telling the same story and found myself skipping through those sections.

Arthur and Mordred 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Mary Stewarts The Wicked Day offers an alternative version to the much heard Arthur, Mordred relationship. An excellent follow up to the Merlin/Arthurian trilogy. Readers who have read the first three books will not be disappointed by the fourth.

Editorial Review:

Born of an incestuous relationship between King Arthur and his half sister, the evil sorceress Morgause, the bastard Mordred is reared in secrecy. Called to Camelot by events he cannot deny, Mordred becomes Arthur’s most trusted counselor -- a fateful act that leads to the "wicked day of destiny" when father and son must face each other in battle.

Hollow Hills

Mary Stewart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Legendary trilogy about a legendary king 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

It's not uncommon for the middle volume of a trilogy -- the "bridge" -- to be the weakest of the three, but that's certainly not the case here. The story picks up less than an hour after the end of the first volume, The Crystal Cave, with Merlin having ensured Uther's night of lust with Queen Ygraine of Cornwall and the conception of Arthur, the once and future king (i.e., the "new Ambrosius"). Much of the narrative is taken up with Merlin waiting. First, waiting for the child's birth (while being on the outs with Uther), then waiting for the beginning of his guardianship (when Uther becomes more realistic), then waiting while Arthur spends his infancy in Brittany (during which Merlin hits the road to the ancient lands of the Near East), then a long period of waiting while the boy grows up in the care of Count Ector (and he himself becomes the hermit of the Chapel in the Green). Along the way, he acquires the sword of the Emperor Maximus and tucks it away on a sacred island in a lake, knowing Arthur will recover it himself in good time. And, of course, the waiting ends with Arthur being hailed as High King at age fourteen, minutes after his presentation to the lesser kings and his father's sudden death at a victory dinner. The pacing is a bit slower, but there's a strong sense of inevitability, both for Merlin and for the reader. Stewart's amazingly sensitive and evocative descriptive powers are strong as ever. One of my favorite lines, on why you should never take the favor of the gods for granted: "The gods like the taste of salt; the sweat of human effort is the savour of their sacrifices." Marvelous stuff.

Editorial Review:

Keeping watch over the young Arthur Pendragon, the prince and prophet Merlin Ambrosius is haunted by dreams of the magical sword Caliburn, which has been hidden for centuries. When Uther Pendragon is killed in battle, the time of destiny is at hand, and Arthur must claim the fabled sword to become the true High King of Britain.

Priestess of Avalon

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Diana L. Paxson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 64 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Not since The Mists of Avalon has there been such a powerful and mesmerizing portrait of goddess-powered womanhood and women's spirituality. In Priestess of Avalon, the legendary Marion Zimmer Bradley once again reaches back in time to create a magnificent prequel to her undying classic of Camelot.

Priestess of Avalon tells the timeless story of Eilan-known to the Romans as Helena-a British princess raised on the holy isle of Avalon as she grows from maiden to mother to wise woman. It is Helena's destiny-at a crucial turning point in Western history-to bridge the pagan world of the goddess and the new Christian empire founded by her own son, Constantine. When Helena embarks on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land she will find the intrinsic truth that transcends both the old religion and the new.

The legions of fans who cherish The Mists of Avalon will find its promise brought to rich fulfillment in Priestess of Avalon. For those new to the series, undreamed-of enchantment awaits.

Abridged. Four Cassettes, six hours

Sword at Sunset

Rosemary Sutcliff

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This brilliant Arthurian epic cuts through the mists of pagan, early Christian, and medieval splendors that have gathered about the subject and tells the authentic story of the man who may well have been the real King Arthur—Artos the Bear, the mighty warrior-king who saved the last lights of Western civilization when the barbarian darkness descended in the fifth century. Presenting early Britain as it was after the departure of the Romans—no Round Table, no many-towered Camelot—the setting is a hard, savage land, half-civilized, half-pagan, where a few men struggled to forge a nation and hold back the Saxon scourge. Richly detailed, the story chronicles the formation of a great army, the hardships of winter quarters, the primitive wedding feasts, the pagan fertility rites, the agonies of surgery after battle, the thrilling stag hunts, and the glorious processions of the era. Stripped of the chivalric embellishments that the French applied to British history centuries ago, the Arthurian age here emerges as a time when men stood at the precipice of history—a time of transition and changing values and imminent national peril.

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.

The Greatest Knight

Elizabeth Chadwick

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Enjoyable 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed reading this book. I've been interested in Marshal For quite some time and the history books are fairly lame to read most of the time, historians in general cannot tell a story very well because they just make statements about facts. Chadwick does a great job writing dialog and describing her scenes. But the book does kind of jump around from year to year after each chapter, so it seems like your moving through time to interesting moments in his life, which can annoy some people. I enjoyed it because I'm interested in the time period and him.

Interesting History 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Elizabeth Chadwick's 'The Greatest Knight' chronicles the life of William Marshall, the Medieval soldier and statesman who was described as "the greatest knight that ever lived".

Chadwick takes us from Marshall's boyhood through his service to three kings; King Henry II, Henry the Young King and King Richard. Marshall is loyal and true to those he pledges his fealty even in the face of near certain peril.

I found the history interesting but Chadwick failed to bring these characters to life for me. I admired William Marshall but I felt like he was somewhat flat and one dimensional, he was always good and true and nearly perfect. I enjoyed the characterization of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her faithful friendship with Marshall. Chadwick portrays Marshall best engaged in relationships with the women in his life. The beginning of this story seems rather dull until he meets his wife (which isn't until page 328). But she too seemed just a little too perfect to be real.

I thought Marshall's brother John was the more interesting character. He had flaws, shortcomings and regrets, which made him much more realistic. I also thought their relationship was interesting and could have been examined more closely and threaded throughout the story to give it greater tension.

Avalon:: The Return of King Arthur

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 60 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

It has been fortold: In the hour of Britain's greatest need, King Arthur will return to rescue his people.

In Portugal, the reprobate King Edward the Ninth has died by his own hand.

In England, a dark scenario conceived by the power-hungry Prime Minister, Thomas Waring, is about to be realized: the total destruction of the British monarchy in the twenty-first century.

And in the Scottish Highlands, a mystical emissary named Mr. Embries--better known as "Merlin"--informs a young captain that he is next in line to occupy the throne. For James Arthur Stuart is not the commoner he has always believed himself to be--he is Arthur, the legendary King of Summer, reborn. But the road to England's salvation is rocky and dangerous, with powerful waiting to ambush: Waring and his ruthless political machine...and the agents of an ancient, far more potent evil. For Arthur is not the only one who has returned from the mists of legend. And Merlin's magic is not the only sorcery that has survived the centuries.

The Raven Warrior: The Tales of Guinevere

Alice Borchardt

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Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

With the knowing eye and fiery voice of an accomplished storyteller, Alice Borchardt takes us back to the amazing world of a re-envisioned Camelot in the continuing Tales of Guinevere. Remarkably strong, magically talented, a match for friend and foe alike, Guinevere has come into womanhood—and faces a new relationship with Lancelot that will lead to the sharp-edged triangle of legend. . . .

Born of the Highlands, along Pictish shores washed by the icy North Sea, Guinevere, Queen of the Dragon People, has become a woman. She has taken the power offered to her by the Dragon Throne. Now there is no turning back. In order to protect her beloved homeland from the obscene greed of the Saxon raiders, Guinevere knows she must launch an attack. The sub-chiefs refuse to fall in line with her plans (because what does this young thing, barely a woman, know of warfare?) and give her an army of the useless, the outcast, the weakest of their young boys and girls. But the war party must proceed. If it fails, the command of both land and sea will fall to the enemy.

Facing her first battle against the pirates on foreign shores, and backed only by a meager band of ill-equipped fighters, Guinevere calls upon the spirits of the dead to aid her in the attack. Diving into the dark, morbid depths, Guinevere suddenly understands more of hate, love, anger, and revenge than she has ever wanted to. But the power the dead provide comes at a severe price. If she makes it through the raid, she will be a changed woman, in more ways than she can possibly imagine.

Further south, Black Leg, her childhood companion, sets out on his own. It is a quest to become a man—a man, he hopes, who will be worthy of the newly crowned Guinevere. A shapeshifter and the son of Guinevere’s adoptive man-wolf father, Black Leg (soon to be Lancelot) feels he has much to learn—and even more to prove. He discovers both his inner strength and an unmitigated passion when he meets the Lady of the Lake. But the trials of his journey— both mental and physical—turn out to be more perilous with each step. And when Lancelot and Guinevere are finally reunited, the consequences of both their ordeals will unleash a torrent of anguish and desire.

With familiar names brilliantly repositioned for a new generation of Arthurian fans—evil Merlin, conniving Igrane, complex Lancelot, tainted Arthur, and of course, warrior Guinevere—Alice Borchardt’s creation stands as a testament to the power of imagination.


From the Hardcover edition.