Customer Reviews

Hawk of May

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am disappointed that this novel is currently out of print, as it is one of the better written of the Arthurian novels. The first Gillian Bradshaw novel I have read, this will not the be last.

The Hawk of May is Gwalchmai, son of Lot (possibly) and Morgawse, sister of Arthur and daughter of recently deceased High King Uther. At the beginning of the novel, Gwalchmai has met neither of his more famous relatives, but he knows that both are greatly hated by his parents. Gwalchmai, more familiar to students of Arthurian romances as Gawain, is here the middle son, between his older brother Agravain, and his younger brother (and definitely not the son of Lot) Medraut. Gaheris, normally Agravain's twin, and Gareth are noticeably absent in this rendition. Unlike Agravain, Gwalchmai is not good at the manly arts of war. He is a gifted bard and horseman, but the Celts have not yet adopted battle on horseback yet. Gwalchmai is disappointed in himself and he knows that Lot and Agravain despise him. Finally deciding that he will never be man enough to be a warrior, Gwalchmai agrees to study the black arts from his mother, and discovers that he has a talent for them. He hates his choice, and desperately tries to protect his beloved younger brother, Medraut from them. Medraut, unlike Gwalchmai, has demonstrated that he will be an excellent warrior. When Gwalchmai realizes he failed in preventing Medraut from taking up the black arts, Gwalchmai flees his father's palace, and after a meeting with the forces of the Light, Gwalchmai decides to become one of Arthur's followers.

Until this point, the book is fascinating and can't be put down. Gwalchmai's meeting with his ancestor, Lugh, is one of the best written set ups for the Celtic Otherworld I have read in a while. Gwalchmai is likeable and the conflicts he describes growing up in his dysfunctional family are well written and presented. However, once he catches up to Arthur, the story takes on some false elements that cannot be remedied easily. Arthur treats Gwalchmai shabbily, even when Gwalchmai, suddenly turned into a formidable warrior by virtue of the gift of Lugh, the sword Caledvwlch (with which, for the first time, Gwalchmai is able to beat his brother Agravain), proves his capabilities and loyalties to Arthur. Arthur can't allow himself to accept Gwalchmai is truly out of his mother's control, until the very last, in an unconvincing ending. It is hard to believe that first Arthur, the good Celtic lord, would treat a man so rudely and inhospitably, and that second, Arthur's warriors would want to follow a man of such ignoble actions. Arthur's behavior is very un-Celtic like; so is the behavior of his soldiers.

However, most of these are the same liberties taken by the writers before and after Bradshaw. I eagerly look forward to finding her other, unfortunately out-of-print Arthurian novels.

This book was a double winner for me. I bought it used on Amazon.com for about $1 and it was GREAT! I liked the new perspective on the sons of King Lot. If you are familiar with the basics of Arthurian legend, you know King Lot's sons have played key roles in the legends in one form or the other. They go by different names, the quantity of sons differs occassionally, as does the name of their mother. In this case, there are 3 boys mothered by Morgawse and fathered by...???...well, raised by King Lot. Hawk of May focuses on the second son...Gwalchamai or "Hawk of May". In perhaps typical middle child uncertainty, he doubts his ability to follow his elder brothers warrior prowess and seeks his own identity by bonding with his beautiful yet frightening mother. However, the author takes us to the brink of darkness and sorcery only to deliver Gwalchamai to a more divine destiny. The journey is not nearly that simple, however.

The book is an enticing and enjoyable read. The author provides a beneficial note on the pronounciation of the Welsh spellings used and I found them to be not the least bit daunting. In fact, I liked the change to an otherwise very familiar legend. I found that the name and location variances kept me from "assuming" I knew where the story was headed. I like the author's descriptions of key characters and was excited that Guenevere received barely a nod in this book with no sign of Lancelot yet. Too many authors put too much into the love triangle and miss the mark when describing Arthur. Bradshaw has done a marvelous job...I found myself torn between disliking Arthur and sharing in the feeling of awe that he inspired amongst his men and his people. There is a trace of magic introduced, but none of the Merlin shape changing and time travel that bogs down too many Arthurian attempts. The lore and myth seems more believable - as if the door really stood open at that time in history and we, today, have simply drifted too far away from it. At any rate, the book is excellent. I see many copies on Amazon for a bargain - GET ONE!!!

Much of the book adheres to a style of historical realism I find compelling. At times, unfortunately, it clashes with the overuse of magical elements -- I would have preferred a Gwalchmai who didn't need a magical sword, a magical horse and magical guidance to become a hero. And, oddly, this Arthurian story is packed with sorcery and yet has no Merlin -- I suppose Bradshaw thought we'd be content with Taliesin, chief bard to Arthur and a member of the Sidhe -- nor does Morgan le Fey make an appearance.

The book's only other failing is a tendency to be a little too "talky" at times, wandering far afield as Gwalchmai wrestles with his internal darkness and ponders the nature of Light and religion. But the action, when it occurs, is well handled.

Gillian Bradshaw is a spellbinding, brilliant author who is far too little known. I first read Hawk of May about 9-10 years ago, when my little hole-in-the-wall bookstore with treasures galore turned up a first-edition hardcover. I've been captivated ever since with this woman's talent, and distressed that she's relatively unknown.

Go buy her books, if you enjoy intelligent (but not "serious", non-bodice-ripping historical fiction. And if you're looking for a book that's got a gripping plot, great characters, which ALSO explores the deepest issues of the human heart, you've found the right author! Only Mary Stewart compares, when it comes to Arthur, and yes, I prefer Gillian Bradshaw (and folks, that's saying something!).

This is almost the tale of Sir Gawain, almost of Sir Gareth, and almost something out of Narnia. Ms. Bradshaw has created a series of delightful characters, fully realized, and wonderfully alive. This is a tale of loss, redemption, and adventure that may be read with profit by anyone, young or old. It is a sheer joy to read! Bravo!

I am a great fan of books dealing with Arthurian myths and legends. This is due in large part to "Hawk of May" by Gillain Bradshaw. It's a wonderful story dealing with the classis good vs. evil and light vs. darkness themes. Even though the main character, Gwalchmai, receives a noble mission, a sword, and a horse no one can tame, he still has to earn the trust of King Arthur. What finally wins Arthur is not Gwalchmai's brave deeds in battle, but a small act of kindness. I rarely read a book more than once, but I've already read "Hawk of May" three times, and I am sure I will read it again. I wish I could make a movie based on the book. It's a story everyone should experience

Gillian Bradshaw's Down the Long Wind trilogy (Hawk of May is book 1), is undoubtedly one of my favourite retellings.

Hawk of May is literally a joy to read - the whole book sings, especially at the end, with Gwalchmai's gladness at being able to fulfill his dreams.

The first person narrative (told by Gwalchmai), is brilliantly executed. Bradshaw manages to bring across the sweetness and gallantry - the sheer ideal of chivalry - inherent in Gwalchmai's character without ever once falling into the 'goody-two-shoes' cloyingness that accompanies the 'warrior-knight' archetype.

And she does this by letting you see through his eyes. She keeps him human, doubts and fears plague him - yet writes in such a way that there's no feeling of "Oh, there goes the protagonist sinking into self-pity again," but rather, she allows you to see how he faces and masters his uncertainties.

Many authors fall into the trap of simply TELLING the reader over and over how good/amazing/wonderful their hero is, and this is something Bradshaw never does. Even when Gwalchmai is praised (in songs, by Arthur's warband, etc), he takes it lightly, and with a grain of salt. Indeed, one of the things that is never mentioned in the book, yet shines through so clearly, is Gwalchmai's inherent humility.

I have re-read this book many, many times over the past 10 years, and Bradshaw's Gwalchmai remains, for me, one of the best realisations of the archetype of the Good and True Knight. One with a human face, and not the gaggingly sweet norm that has you rooting for the villain!

And it's not just at Gwalchmai's characterisation that Bradshaw excels - there are no two dimensional characters in this trilogy, everyone comes across as a rounded person with his or her own reasons for being. There are no characters that seem to exist solely to further the plot.

If you like Arthurian retellings, this book (and this series) is a must-read.

Hawk of May is the story of Gwlachmai (Gawain), son of Arthur's sister Morgawse and King Lot. Growing up, he had no skill at the arts of war he was expected to learn. Instead, he was an excellent horseman and bard. His father didn't appreciate these arts, though, and thought Gwlachmai useless, giving him none of his time and all of his temper. So Gwlachmai was led down the path to the Darkness by his sorceress mother, trying to use magic and evil to gain power. It was only after one particular episode in which Morgawse went too far that Gwachmai was able to pull away from her influence and escape the Darkness that wished to consume him. His escape and his quest after that to join King Arthur's family make up the majority of this story.

In Gillian Bradshaw's retelling, there is no Merlin (a great disappointment to me). She bases her story on the original Welsh stories and draws in Irish mythology, too. It's interesting to see the way she approaches the religious clash as well. Morgawse symbolizes the Darkness and it seems that all sorcerers practice evil. Arthur himself is portrayed as a (fairly) devout Christian. Gwlachmai is not Christian but he is a warrior for the Light, which is a complex combination of Christian belief and his Irish ancestry. I didn't love this interpretation mainly because I always thought it was Guinevere who was very religious and Arthur who was much more pragmatic. However, I did like how open Bradshaw was to the Otherworld and the Sidhe and all those other beings that populate Celtic mythology. I loved that she brought those elements in and made a place for them in her story. There were some very high-level spiritual conversations in this story that I wasn't expecting to come across and tended to scan over, but if you are in the mood for religious debate, then you will probably enjoy them more than me!

I enjoyed this book. I loved being immersed in post-Roman Britain once more and seeing the battle between the old ways and the new, fought so clearly in massive battles. I also really enjoyed Gwlachmai as a narrator. He's just a really good person. It was wonderful to get to know him better, particularly as he is one of the most famous knights of the Round Table and has a significant amount of mythology relating to him. (He also shows up for a cameo in Silverlock.) He is a very engaging narrator, and seeing him through his personal struggles is a very absorbing way to spend an evening. I am very glad I finally picked this book up off my shelf, and I look forward to reading the next two in the series, too (Kingdom of Summer and In Winter's Shadow). Highly recommended for fans of Arthurian fiction!

I managed to snag the Hawk of May during one of the many Border's closings in the Chicago region. The book is told in first person and the author has a solid voice that keeps the pages turning. The changing of some of the names to reflect the 'old age' or origins of the time period allow the author to throw a few neat tricks and changes into the themes of the Arthurian history and the book is well told and well worth a read.

This is the first book of a trilogy. I guess it's time to renew the copyright, so it's being reissued. I'm glad Gillian has been able to create a legacy for her grandchildren. The worst book by Gillian Bradshaw is better then the best book by most authors! I've been collecting her books for over 20 years. She is a wonderfully good writer. In just a couple of pages, I am out of my world, and into hers. All of her books can be reread any number of times. I buy most books by Kindle these days, but for Bradshaw books, I want the real thing. When the price comes down, I buy them as gifts. I can't recommend her books highly enough, and this is one of the best. (By the way, she never uses crude or filthy language. What a relief!)