Camelot [Hardcover]

Jane Yolen (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Ten stories by Anne McCaffrey, Nancy Springer, Terry Pratchett, Diana L. Paxson, and other masters of the fantasy genre capture the heroism, romance, and magic of Camelot, King Arthur, Merlin, and the knights of the Round Table.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ten original stories and a song draw upon the many legends of Camelot, ranging in their focus from the youth of Arthur and Guinevere to Arthur's death and beyond. As Yolen says, some "are humorous, some glamorous, some historical, and some quite tragic." Some also are better than others. Particularly striking are Anne McCaffrey's dramatic tale of a Briton warlord's quest for Libyan horses to enrich the bloodlines of his cavalry; and Nancy Springer's poignant memories of a wiser Mordred, awaiting the return of Arthur. Lynne Pledger looks at Guinevere's coming to Camelot from a feminist perspective, Mark W. Tiedemann imagines what came after the final battle, and Terry Pratchett finds humor in a scientific explanation of the sword in the stone. Some entries don't measure up, such as Greg Costikyan's strained tale of the return of not Arthur but JFK when the U.S. faces an apparently resurgent "evil empire." But the overall quality is high, and 10 color plates give the feel of a traditional gift book. Enjoyable new perspectives on a classic theme. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6?Yolen has brought together some of the best children's and YA writers for 10 original stories based on Arthurian legend. In "The Raven," Nancy Springer wonders if the cruel destiny that ruled Arthur was even more cruel to Mordred. Terry Pratchett's "Once and Future" gives readers not Merlin but Marvin, a misplaced time traveler. James D. MacDonald and Debray Doyle ask what if Gawain's headless Green Knight were really a clever costume and an attempted harmless prank. Anne McCaffrey and six others also contribute their imaginations to this provocative mix. Yolen herself has written a ballad, music provided by Adam Stemple. The women who appear in these stories tend to be stronger than in Malory's or other versions of the familiar tales. Each selection has a rich rectangular full-color pastel of the main action by Pels. Her monsters, animals (especially horses), and background are unusually dynamic, but her people are largely stiff. The overall effect is formal, satisfying, and impressive. The variety and combined creativity offer something for everyone, but especially to mavens of the fantasy genre.?Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Public Library, MI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 198 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (September 12, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399225404
• ISBN-13: 978-0399225406
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect, July 22, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Camelot (Hardcover)

Ah, Arthurian fiction! I love it!

This is a stunning collection of short stories, often reflecting the different ideas of the various authors. There are stories about Merlin and Arthur, Guinevere... and a few that are out of the ordinary. A part of the Anne McCaffrey book "Black Horses for the King", the short story that led to "I Am Mordred," the glorious alternate view of Arthur's unfortunate son. Almost every story is accompanied with illustrations that go with the story's theme-"Black Horses" has a realistic drawing, while "Mordred" is strange and dreamy. The cover art is simply stunning--Merlin, you glorious old crank!

My only problem is the last story. Does this REALLY count as Arthurian fiction? But if you ignore the last one, this is as close to perfect as you can get!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masters of fantasy rewrite Camelot, September 3, 2001

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Camelot (Hardcover)

Fans of the authors in this will want to scoop up this highly original collection, as well as any Arthuriana buffs. The authors include such greats as Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett, Debra Doyle/James McDonald, Diana Paxson, and others.

McCaffrey's story is an excerpt of "Black Horses for the King", a YA novel about a young boy named Galwyn, whose abusive uncle is shipping enormous Libyan horses for Lord Artos. Pratchett's story is the entertaining "Once and Future" about a time traveller who creates the sword in the stone. We see the roots of Nancy Springer's bittersweet "I Am Mordred" in the story "Raven," in which young Mordred's soul is imprisoned in a raven's body. Doyle/MacDonald craft a hilarious story called "Holly and Ivy" about Lancelot having a little fun with Gawain.

The writing styles range from "kooky" ("Holly," "Once and Future") to detailed ("Black Horses") to dreamy ("Raven").

As a previous reviewer stated, the only flaw with this is the last story. Honestly, we've had enough drooling in the area of the former president, haven't we? The final story isn't really Arthurian at all.

However, the final story is the sole flaw. It is, overall, a lovely collection of highly original stories about Arthur, Merlin, and Camelot. A must-read for fantasy and Arthurian fans.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, June 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Camelot (Hardcover)

This book is great i reccommend it to all of you. There is detail and adventure. the characters are great, and the fact that it is written by different authors is good, because people get a sense of the characters. Otherwise one author may have a different interpitation of a character or setting, now it would be easier to see what it was really like.