Customer Reviews

Beloved Exile

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
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More historical fiction than fantasy, you will not find any magic swords or sorcery in this gritty and realistic story of Guenevere and Britian after the death of Arthur. When the story begins, Guenevere is already middle aged, and Britian is on the brink of chaos. As the story progresses we learn of the maturing of Guenevere as a person and as a queen.

The novel starts off fast and furious with battles and betrayals. Then it settles down into a serious character study as it builds towards a strong and satisfying climax. Sometimes slow, but always interesting, this was worthwhile reading.

This is a worthy sequel to the exciting "Firelord." It tells the story of the rest of Guinevere's life after Arthur's death, and she is even more of a vivid and strong personality than she was in that enthralling novel. Godwin's account of her captivity as a Saxon slave, and her adaptation to that way of life, is purely imaginative, but who could mind? It relates a sensitive and entertaining account of how this proud queen grows to maturity in her adjustment to a jarring change in her fortunes. Guinevere has never seemed more real, alive and captivating than in these pages.You can well believe that a woman this remarkable has captured popular imagination for 1500 years. Someone, please--put this book back into print! It deserves it.

Traditional versions of the Arthur myth focus mainly on the men. Other versions like Mists of Avalon, which I enjoy immensely, focus women characters and not much, really, on the weepy, very Christian Guinevere.

Beloved Exile is a smashing alternate view of the possibilities, given the times. Guinevere in this version is not construed as a saint, a hystrionic weeper, nor is she totally lovable, but is very human. She is a strong, unforgettable character.

Highly recommended!

A few months ago, I read a novel called Queen of Camelot by Nancy Mckenzie, a recreation of the King Arthur story that centers on Guinevere. I thought that the retelling was very interesting and showed Guinevere as a flesh and blood, three-dimensional, kind woman and not the treacherous, adulteress that is shown in the original story. Beloved Exile, however, shows quite a different take on Guinevere, one of an ambitious, treacherous woman that would do anything for survival and to rule as queen with results as interesting as the one in Queen of Camelot. Guinevere is the Medieval/fantasy Scarlett O'Hara in this retelling. After King Arthur dies, Guinevere, along with Lancelot and Gareth, tries to bring Camelot to its previous glory, but things don't turn out that way, to say the least. Instead, she becomes a Saxon slave, and her struggles has just begun. But Guinevere is an intelligent, scheming woman, and she will do just about anything to reign again. There are various twists throughout the novel.

Beloved Exile takes quite a departure from the original King Arthur tale and the results are incredible. Parke Godwin gives Guinevere the sort of depth and layers that is absent in King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. And the anti-heroine here is also a departure from Queen of Camelot. Both of these novels show a very interesting portrayal of Queen Guinevere in very different ways and I cannot decide which one is the best one of the two. In this adaptation, Guinevere is an unsympathetic protagonist, but has enough complexity to make her compelling at the same time. That is why I compare her to Scarlett O'Hara, for she made me feel the same way when I read Gone with the Wind. This Guinevere is very interesting indeed. I just loved the complexity and many dimensions of this character. Mr. Godwin has created a wonderful and unique portrayal of this classic character. And he added gothic undertones to boot! I cannot recommend this gem enough!

This is my favorite depiction of Guinevere. Godwin portrays her as a powerful woman whose strengths (as is often the case) are also her weaknesses--and her undoing. Godwin's Guinevere is frequently hard to sympathize with, but she isn't hard to understand. I'm impressed with how dramatically (but believably) her character changes and grows between Firelord and this book. Note: Read this book carefully, and you'll notice that a character from Firelord, so minor that she had neither name or dialogue, is crucial to the events and attitudes in Beloved Exile.

I have read most of Mr.Godwin's books and as usual this book is completely entertaining and educational. Godwin has a wonderful way of taking history and myth and bringing out loved characters into real life(at least what it may have been for them). I have a very hard time putting down any of his stories. I have even turned several friends on to his writing and they to are hooked on all of his books. Anyone who cares for old myths and history will love this authors creativity and style.

While my favorite version of the Arthurian Legend has been "The Mists of Avalon", this version of Guinevere is a distinctly unique take and imagines an entirely different kind of heroine.
After Arthur's death, Guinevere must fend for herself in the power vacuum it creates. Goodwin takes us on a surprising and unexpected journey with her as she survives through the years that follow. A powerful figure who must come to terms with the twists and turns of her destiny, she is sometimes frustrating, but always admirable. A must read for those who are captivated by the Legend.