Customer Reviews

Gawain (Knights of the Round Table)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

King Arthur is in trouble. He has to answer one question or he will die, and the only one willing to give him the answer is the old crone, Dame Ragnelle. The only reward she asks for is to marry Gawain, King Arthur's nephew and one of his beloved knights. Little does either Gawain or King Arthur know but this hideous crone is actually Aislyn, a woman who once deeply loved Gawain and now seeks to get a bit of petty revenge on the man she believes scorned her. Unfortunately for Aislyn, her magical disguise as the Dame Ragnelle soon becomes truth. Will Gawain rescue this lady in distress? And will Gawain and Aislyn rediscover the love they once shared?

What a complex and enchanting tale! Gwen Rowley captures the beauty and soul of Camelot and weaves a tale that is beautiful beyond words. There is a mysterious aura that surrounds Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table and Gwen Rowley perfectly demonstrates this in her spellbinding tale, KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE: GAWAIN.

And what better knight than Gawain to read about? Gawain is so heroic, so generous and just flat out noble. He's not perfect, no, but he embodies the traits of a true hero. More than once did I shed a tear, as Gawain is not the only dignified person in this tale. Ahh... but to reveal more would be a spoiler. Suffice to say, KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE: GAWAIN has a whole host of memorable characters, both righteous and villainous, that will leave their mark on the reader.

I couldn't put this one down, as I read anxiously, hoping against hope that all would be resolved. Don't make the same mistake I made... read this one soon as possible! Gwen Rowley puts her own unique twist on the legends of Gawain and King Arthur in this extraordinary and deeply emotional tale. Highly recommended!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Ah chivalry. Knights in armor, pretty ladies in gorgeous gowns, and a touch of magic here and there. The legends of Britain's King Arthur have managed to survive through the centuries, and now have spawned hundreds of novels and the legends have been pretty much picked to the bone. Some of the novels are good, but most land on the awful side of the equation.

And to be honest, that's what I was expecting when I started in on Gwen Rowley's third book in her _Knights of the Round Table_ series. The previous two had been decent reads, and mildly entertaining, but when I saw that the third book was to be about Gawain, inside I was cringing -- oh no, not _another_ rendition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight! But happily, Rowley takes another tack with her story, and turns out the best of the three.

King Arthur has been sent on a quest to answer a seemingly simple riddle -- _what do women want?_ For a year now he has travelled his kingdom, along with his nephew and heir, Sir Gawain, asking questions and writing down all of the answers in a book. It may sound frivolous, but Arthur is a king who believes in keeping his word, and an opponent called the Lord of the Summer Country will kill the king if he can't come up with the right answer.

On the way to the rendezvous, they encounter an old woman. A _really_ old and ugly woman, with tusks for teeth, grey hair, and a body twisted enough for nightmares. Dame Ragnelle promises that she indeed has the answer to the question and will give it to him if he will grant her request, but doesn't say exactly what it is. Arthur, good king that he is, assures her that he will give her whatever she asks for and goes off to do battle. But everyone is surprised when Dame Ragnelle doesn't ask for wealth or a castle or land -- what she wants is a husband.

And that husband is to be none other than Sir Gawain himself. Everyone is horrified, including Gawain, but being just as honorable as his uncle, he agrees to marry the old woman, and so begins a marriage made it seems in hell. For there is much more going on in this story than what appears to the eye.

For Dame Ragnelle is really Aislyn, a young enchantress who has known Gawain since he was in the court of his mother -- Queen Morgause of Orkney. Aislyn has studied magick so that she can have the same power as Morgause, but great intelligence doesn't always bring wisdom. And unlike Morgause, Aislyn does have some scruples, especially when Morgause gives her a binding spell to use on Gawain with disastrous consequences for both of the young people. And whatever affection Gawain may have had is quickly gone once he realizes that someone is trying to control him through magic.

Now Gawain and Aislyn are together again -- but this time Aislyn is determined to control her fate, and isn't about to let Gawain in on her ghastly disguise. The plan goes awry when the King's sister appears, the formidable Morgana, and she makes Aislyn's transformation to Ragnelle complete, with a promise that the only way back to her normal self is to get Gawain to love her...

Other traditional characters appear in this as well, but Rowley is wise enough to give them a twist or two. Lancelot is a swaggering, selfish braggart; Arthur is mostly concerned with his kingdom and getting the Saxons to a peace treaty; Guenevere is truly a woman that is more stupid than beautiful, and Queen Morgause really earns her title of the Queen of Air and Darkness in this one. On the fictional side of things, there is Launfal, Aislyn's rather simpleminded brother, who ends up in some entanglements that are truly awful to bear.

What I did like about this one was that both Aislyn and Gawain are likable characters -- and they both have serious flaws. Gawain is so courteous and chivalrous that at times he's downright insulting with it, along with the idea that he can actually control Aislyn/Ragnelle. Aislyn may be smart, but she doesn't have the commonsense to always make the right choice. Both of them have a great deal of pride, and a good deal of the book is given over to their arguments, and Rowley is clever enough to make these funny, especially Aislyn's quick-fire retorts when Gawain gets up on his high horse over her appearance and manner.

It's awfully nice to read a romance novel that doesn't get too grim and serious, and I had a few good laugh-out-loud moments, something that is far too rare in this genre. While there is a bit too many subplots in here, everything is tidily resolved by the end, and _without_ the rushed feeling that keeps appearing in most romances that use magic as a plot element.

I don't know if there is going to be another book in this series or not. Out of the three that have been published so far, this one is certainly the best and most entertaining. While the same characters do appear in each novel, each book is a standalone, and there is no need to have read the previous two books to be able to follow the plot. In any case, I do hope that Rowley continues with the series, it's got a bit more to it than most Arthurian stories, and they're fun to boot.

But if she does write one about Arthur, I do hope he gets a _smart_ Guenevere...

I had not read any of the others in this series, and probably won't, as this tale did not engage my attention. I kept putting it down and finally decided to finish it. It was believable in parts, but stretched the imagination just a little too far in others. I'm a big fan of fantasy romances, but this just didn't do it for me.

KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE: GAWAIN

GWEN ROWLEY

Rating: 4 enchantments

King Arthur and Sir Gawain have spent a year searching for the answer to the supposedly simple riddle, What do women want? But instead of one answer, they have a book full. If the answer is wrong, King Arthur will die. On the way to present the answer to Lord of the Summer Country, the two men come across a hideous old woman, who assures them that she knows the right answer that will save Arthur's life.

But she won't tell Arthur for nothing. She wants a husband and Sir Gawain looks like he'd do just fine. In exchange for right answer, Sir Gawain pledges to marry the hideous crone, Dame Ragnelle. But beneath the enchanted crone exterior lies Aislyn, Gawain's childhood sweetheart and former apprentice of his mother. She's been on the run for her life and thinks hiding out in Camelot should buy her some more time to plan her next move.

At first Aislyn merely wants to get back at Gawain and use Camelot to hide, but slowly, her old feelings for Gawain return, especially when she finds out why he never came back for her in the first place. But when she's turned into the crone for good and his mother arrives in Camelot, is there any chance for the two to be reunited or will Aislyn disappear without ever letting Gawain know the truth?

An enjoyable read by Gwen Rowley, especially for fans of the Arthurian times. I really liked how she showed Gawain's growing acceptance of Dame Ragnelle. Filled with a few plot twists I didn't see coming and some wonderfully funny scenes, "Knights of the Round Table: Gawain" is a great read for anyone looking for a nice fantasy romance.

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

November 2007

Wish I could give this book 6,7,8... stars!! This book is on my keeper shelf for life. I love everything about this book. The heroine was spunky and funny. There hero was noble and HOT. Both characters struggled and were meant for each other. There were lots of plot twists. It was a adult fariy tale come to life. I cried. I laughed. This book left me emotionaly spent, it felt so good. Immediately after reading it I went back and re-read it, it was that wonderful. Haven't seen anything new from her, please write more?!

In my opinion, a very satisfying book. The characters are enjoyable and interesting to read about -- more human and less stereotypical than can be found in some romance novels. The story is filled with humor, romance, a worthy villain or two, and even some thought-provoking moments. This book, a nice blankie, and a box of chocolates make for a truly pleasant afternoon or evening! Enjoy!

The tale of Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady is fleshed out and given new life as it is presented here to modern readers. Once, Aislyn and Gawain were in love, but a deception lay at the root of their affair; she was his mother's disciple, ordered to seduce him and enchant him so that he would betray Arthur. However, Aislyn could not go through with the plan and left him out of love. Now, years later, she has a chance to be with him again. Knowing that Gawain and the King are seeking the answer to a riddle, "what do all women want?," she transforms herself into a crone and offers Arthur the solution for the price of a husband. As Arthur's most trusted and loyal knight, Gawain offers himself. Against all good sense and protests from the king, he goes through with the bargain. Aislyn continues to maintain her ruse because she is hiding from Gawain's mother, Morgause, the king's sister. However, she can change back into her true form at will until Morgana, the king's other sister, visits and makes her crone like state permanent, unless she can win the kiss of true love from Gawain. Then, she might have a partial reprieve. How can Aislyn hope for such a thing when her face is hideous and her lies even uglier?

**** This has always been one of my favorite legends of the Round Table. Seeing it expanded into a full blown story is a joy that I hope many readers will share. Multiple flashbacks hamper the flow somewhat, however, in the end it comes together to make sense. ****

thank you very much, arrived late, but after speaking with seller received within a week.