The Child Queen: The Tale of Guinevere and King Arthur [Mass Market Paperback]

Nancy McKenzie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 1994

The story of a love and a treachery that would live for all time. Guinevere and Arthur. Lancelot and Merlin and Morgan Le Fay -- all the names of myth are given flesh and blood in this Del Rey Discovery of the Year book!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First novelist McKenzie brings immediate freshness to her entertaining reworking of an often-told story by focusing on the girl destined to be queen. Two critical conflicts challenge this child queen's noble nature: the first is, of course, her love for Lancelot; the second is the jealousy of Guinevere's companion and cousin Elaine, who all her life longed to be Arthur's bride. And herein lies the book's weakness. Guinevere is unaccountably blind to Elaine's malevolence, and her characterization as a singular, strong and intuitive woman suffers accordingly. The book ends weakly, for the conflict between Elaine and Guinevere unfortunately comes to a head in a series of scenes where Guinevere behaves like nothing so much as a spoiled brat. Nevertheless, the charm of the majority of the novel succeeds in arousing interest in promised future volumes. While this Del Rey Discovery of the Year will not displace any of the classic tellings, it is a worthwhile debut.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

The story of a love and a treachery that would live for all time. Guinevere and Arthur. Lancelot and Merlin and Morgan Le Fay -- all the names of myth are given flesh and blood in this Del Rey Discovery of the Year book!

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 307 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (July 2, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345382447
• ISBN-13: 978-0345382443
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,625,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Child Queen Grows Up, June 16, 2001

By 

Cheryl Spektor (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Child Queen: The Tale of Guinevere and King Arthur (Mass Market Paperback)

I would recommend "The Child Queen" to not only lovers of Arthurian legend, but to people who like strong characters as well. McKenzie's Guinevere is a real and vivid protagonist. Guinevere is not a Barbie doll, but a true ingenue... a woman that you could believe would capture the hearts of many men and especially one that would be worthy of King Arthur. This story has a lot of depth and you feel the emotions of the characters as if they were your own - I have read this book at least three times and I am not tired of it yet! Well Done!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't be fooled, December 16, 2003

By 

J.P. "sepher51" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Child Queen: The Tale of Guinevere and King Arthur (Mass Market Paperback)

I had to read this book years ago for an English class. I begged and begged the teacher to change his mind because this book was listed as a romance novel. I am extremely thankful he said no.
The Child Queen, and its sequel, The High Queen, tells Arthur's story through Guinivere. This book, though relatively short, managed to engulf me with its settings, characters, and stories. Listing it under romance is a serious injustice to this book.
After reading both novels, i quickly got my hands on as many Arthurian novels as possible. There is no way a terrible book can cause a lifelong love.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guinevere's Point of View, July 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Child Queen: The Tale of Guinevere and King Arthur (Mass Market Paperback)

I love this book. When read with the sequel, The High Queen, a whole new view of Arthurian legend is provided. It is a wonderful book! If you like Arthurian legend, this is a beautifully woven tale full of the romance in other books. At the same time, the alternative view is a new way to look at the story.