The Idylls of the Queen: A Tale of Queen Guenevere [Paperback]

Phyllis Ann Karr (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In The Idylls of the Queen, Phyllis Ann Karr takes an incident (the murder of Sir Patrise) from Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur and creates an intelligent, complex, and fascinating mystery novel perfect for fans of historical mysteries, of British legends, and of fantasy.

Queen Guenevere is giving a dinner to honor King Arthur's knights when one guest, Sir Patrise, falls dead of poison. The dead man's cousin accuses the Queen of murder, and she is taken away, to be held until her trial by combat. If her knight-champion wins, Guenevere will be declared innocent and freed; if he loses, she will be burned to death as a murderer. She is unlikely to survive the trial. Most of Britain's mightiest knights were at the dinner, and therefore cannot fight for the Queen. Her champion and secret lover, the invincible Lancelot, has vanished. And, as Sir Kay realizes, trial by combat determines only is who is the better fighter, not who is guilty. Kay knows the Queen is innocent and an unsuspected murderer is loose in feud-filled Camelot--a murderer who intended to kill a person or persons other than the obscure knight Patrise, and who is poised to kill again. With the trial only days away, Kay joins with the great knights Gawaine and Gareth and their half-brother, King Arthur's bastard son Mordred, in two quests: to find the missing Lancelot, and to uncover the true murderer.

The Idylls of the Queen is set in Malory's medieval world, where magic works, but the author plays fair; she doesn't use magic to solve the mystery. Also, The Idylls of the Queen is written in clear, crisp, timeless English, and not in Malory's difficult and archaic dialect. --Cynthia Ward

Product Details

• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: Borgo Press (December 1, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587150123
• ISBN-13: 978-1587150128
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,873,887 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE IDYLLS OF THE QUEEN, July 1, 2002

By 

K. Jump (Corbin, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Idylls of the Queen: A Tale of Queen Guenevere (Paperback)

Phyllis Ann Karr has done all Arthurian fans a big favor by writing this book. "The Idylls of the Queen" is basically a murder mystery set in Camelot, with all the familiar knights and ladies as suspects when Sir Patrise is inexplicably murdered at a small dinner hosted by Queen Guenevere. Sir Mador accuses the Queen of the murder, and a race against time ensues to discover the truth. The usual knightly quest becomes a hunt for the killer--whoever that may be. Along the way Karr treats us to some very unique interpretations of the Arthurian cast, including Sir Gareth, Sir Bors, Sir Gawaine (more like the title character of "Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight") Morgan le Fay, and Sir Lancelot himself. Told in the first person by Sir Kay, King Arthur's foster brother and seneschal, usually noted by other writers solely for his comedic boorishness or ignored entirely, the novel clearly demonstrates that there is a lot more to Kay than he's usually given credit for--as was the case in the earliest Arthurain legends, where the sarcastic boor of later years is replaced by a loyal, courtly knight. Karr's version of Kay is still a fountainhead of caustic wit, but even so he's likeable and clearly indispensible to the well-being of Camelot.

A fast, suspenseful novel that should stand up to multiple readings, "The Idylls of the Queen" is an ingenious work that should please all fans of Arthurian literature.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Grab a comfy chair and enjoy this., August 5, 2001

By 

Kelly (Fantasy Literature) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Idylls of the Queen: A Tale of Queen Guenevere (Paperback)

*Idylls of the Queen* is so much more than a good murder mystery. It is a good murder mystery, but unlike an ordinary mystery, you can reread it, even knowing whodunit, without any of the fun being spoiled. The mystery is sort of a backdrop to the real show--which is yet another new take on the personalities of Arthurian legend, and a different look at chivalric ideals.

The narrator is the oft-maligned Sir Kay, the grouchy but well-meaning seneschal of Arthur's court. He's not a bad guy. He *is* a sarcastic curmudgeon, but that's because he's seen so many self-serving buffoons win glory and adulation while his own hard work goes unnoticed. He is also secretly in love with the Queen. Kay shares an uneasy friendship with a wonderfully written, morbid, fatalistic, and somehow sympathetic Sir Mordred. Together they set out to clear Guenevere's name of the murder charges, meeting fascinating characters right and left. Morgan and Iblis are especially engaging, and Karr puts some deep words into their mouths. Morgan's defense of her mixed Christian and pagan ways cuts right to the heart of things, and Iblis's observation that justice is different for women than for men, is shocking just because it is so true of the times.

If you're an Arthurian buff, read this book. It's a quick read, and a great way to spend a lazy afternoon or two.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED THIS BOOK!, December 15, 2000

By 

Amber B Shields (St Paul, MN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Idylls of the Queen: A Tale of Queen Guenevere (Paperback)

I absolutely could not put it down! And extended story of Guenevere's dinner party where Sir Patrise dies of poison, it is written in the style of a murder mystery narrated by Sir Kay, in which he and Mordred are the primary characters. Throughout the entire book they try to find out who the real murderer is in order to get Gwen off the hook, and as they do this they retell traditional legendary events, looking for "motive" within them. It's great--very creative and suspensful. I read it twice, and the second time I couldn't remember who the murderer was, and I was still guessing at the very end! Also, I love the way Karr presents Mordred.