The Hawk's Gray Feather (Keltiad) [Hardcover]

Patricia Kennealy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1990

1990 1st Ed. ROC

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kennealy's vivid interpretation of the Arthurian legends begins a trilogy set in the Celtic worlds earlier encountered in such works as The Copper Throne . Events chronicled here take place 1500 years before those in the previous series. Here, Keltia is suffering under the theocratic tyranny of the Archdruid Edeyrn. Although travel between the stars has been barred and the standard of living reduced to a primitive level, a Counterinsurgency made up of the remnants of the royal family, loyal nobility, Druids and the old Fianna officer class carries on a sporadic guerrilla war for liberation. Arthur, first seen as the son of a minor noble but later revealed as royalty, and his foster brother, Taliesin, the narrator, are educated by the Druid Merlynn; then Arthur is sent to learn warfare while Taliesin strengthens his bardic skills. Arthur gathers followers, particularly those known as Companions, to begin the campaign to destroy the tyrant. But his turbulent, jealous relationship with the other heir to the throne, his cousin Gweniver, leads him into an unwise marriage that will precipitate later tragedy. Kennealy's world is a rich and strange blend of the modern and the ancient. There is complete equality between the sexes--several of Arthur's commanders and many of his troops are women--while magic provides a strong underpinning to daily life and technology.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Although Archdruid Ederyn's Druid Theocracy rules the planet of Keltia through fear and magic, a valiant resistance movement plants the seeds of the tyrant's undoing in the hearts of three young Keltians: Arthur Pandraic, his cousin Gweniver, and the young bard Taliesin ap Gwyddno. Continuing her Keltiad series with a retelling--and relocation--of the Arthurian legend, Kennealy ( The Silver Branch, LJ 12/1/88; The Copper Crown, LJ 12/84; The Throne of Scone, LJ 6/15/86) demonstrates her knowledge of Celtic lore as well as her ability to successfully blend magic and myth in a fantasy novel that is highly recommended. The novel is being published under a new NAL imprint for science fiction and fantasy titles.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Roc; 1st edition (May 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451450051
• ISBN-13: 978-0451450050
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful new spin..., April 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Hawk's Gray Feather (Keltiad) (Hardcover)

The Athurian legend has been done and redone so many times that no one quite knows what's historical or not any more. Ms. Kennealy has built a mythical universe in which the Athurian legend is told with new flavor and color. She mixes traditional elements with aspects of a deeply spiritual nature. I found myself thoroughly engrossed the entire time. It is a mark of her talent, that even though I had foreknowledge of how the story went (it's written as a journal account), I found myself moved to tears in certain points. Her characters are vivid, three dimentional beings and as they move about her universe I feel for them. While I do not think this is quite as good as her Tales of Aeron (there isn't much that is), The Hawk's Grey Feather is a solid beginning to a completely enjoyable trilogy. I highly recomend it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King Arthur with Style, November 11, 2002

By 

Sarah A. Kain-Porter (Idaho Falls, ID United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hawk's Gray Feather (Keltiad) (Hardcover)

The Hawk's Gray Feather is the opening of an unusual and masterful retelling of the Arthurian legends by Ms. Kennealy-Morrison. Her graceful prose style has always reminded me of having my own Celtic bard retelling an ancient Celtic legend. Her use of connections are amazing and completely orginal. Of the 26 different versions of the Arthurian legends I own, this is my all time favorite.

4 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What?, November 29, 1998

By 

J. Angus Macdonald "bibliovore" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hawk's Gray Feather (Keltiad) (Hardcover)

I love tales of King Arthur and I generally like science-fiction. Ms. Kennealy combines the two poorly. The Celts come from outer space. they have psychic powers and faster-than-light-travel. They fight with swords and spears. This probably explains why the Romans beat them... These tales are a wonderous amalgamation of a bit of reading of the poorer end of Arthuriana, New Age literature, a liberal dose of odd drugs, and a sense of light fantasy. The characters are, at times, interesting, but for the most part incomprehensible. Again, this may explain why the Romans drove them off earth...