The Knight of the Sacred Lake (Guenevere Novels) [Paperback]

Rosalind Miles (Author)

Book Description

Series: Guenevere Novels | Publication Date: June 12, 2001

Last in a line of proud queens elected to rule the fertile lands of the West, true owner of the legendary Round Table, guardian of the Great Goddess herself . . . a woman whose story has never been told--until now.

As High King and Queen, Arthur and Guenevere reign supreme across the many kingdoms of Great Britain. Still, Guenevere secretly mourns the loss of her beloved Lancelot, who has returned to the Sacred Lake of his boyhood, hoping to restore his faith in chivalry in the place where he learned to be a knight. In a glittering Pentecost ceremony, new knights are sworn to the Round Table, including Arthur's nephews, Agravain and Gawain. After many years of strife, peace is restored to Guenevere's realm.

But betrayal, jealousy, and ancient blood feuds fester unseen. Morgan Le Fay, now the mother of Arthur's only son, Mordred, has become the focus of Merlin's age-old quest to ensure the survival of the house of Pendragon. From the east comes the shattering news that Guenevere may have a rival for Lancelot's love. A bleak shadow falls again across Camelot--and across the sacred isle of Avalon, where Roman priests threaten the life of the Lady herself. At the center of the storm is Guenevere, torn between her love for her husband, her people, and Sir Lancelot of the Lake.

With rare and intuitive magic, Rosalind Miles brings to life a legendary woman's bravery and passion, and all the pageantry, heartbreak, violence, and beauty of an age gone by.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The cast is so familiar, from Guenevere to Arthur to Morgan Le Fay, that the question is: how to make a retelling of the deathless saga of Camelot new and vital? In this second volume in her Guenevere trilogy (after Guenevere: Queen of The Summer Country), the popular and prolific Miles injects the familiar tale with poesy and some hoke. Purists will balk at the novel's new age, goddess-worshipping bent, but Miles produces an engrossing if unorthodox read. Her Guenevere is portrayed as a queen born to rule, taught from the cradle that woman is the giver of life, but she falls apart like any serving wench when her knight is in danger. Lancelot here is something of a cipher, but he is given more credit than any of the other men in this epic. Arthur tries his best but doesn't seem the master of himself or his kingdom. Merlin is a fey old man, and he fumbles through his quest, the search for Arthur and Morgan Le Fay's son Mordred. Christianity, in the form of Catholic priests who threaten the sacred isle of Avalon, plays a negative role; the church is challenged by a goddess cult centered around the Lady of the Lake and upheld by Guenevere. Though the religious background is farfetched, the adventures of the knights of the Round Table, the machinations of Morgan Le Fay, and Guenevere's struggle to remain faithful to Arthur, love Lancelot and keep peace in Camelot are engaging. No doubt Miles's fans will be pleased with this lush, feminist take on the English epic. 50,000 first printing; major ad/promo; rights sold in Germany, Holland, Portugal, Spain and the U.K. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Once again, British author Miles takes her readers to the well-traveled realms of Arthurian legend. In this sequel to Queen of the Summer Country (LJ 1/99), Guenevere appears to lose some of the strength she exhibited in the earlier book as a warrior queen. Her ill-fated love for Lancelot does irreparable damage to her marriage and her commitment to her people and her realm. The plot lags somewhat as the author concentrates on exploring the queen's inner turmoil. Miles is at her best in her treatment of Morgan le Fay, half-sister to Arthur and mother of Mordred, Arthur's bastard son. After being immured in a convent where she was starved and beaten for much of her youth, Morgan is determined to avenge herself on all who have wronged her. The scene of the convent's slow but inevitable destruction is superb, and Mordred is the perfect tool to use against Arthur and Guenevere. As the story ends, Mordred is discovered by Merlin, who has spent years searching Britain for the boy, and returned to CamelotDopening the door to a third novel in this saga. Although not a memorable addition to the ranks of Arthurian legend, this is an entertaining tale that tells an old story from a new perspective.
-DJane Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs., AK
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (June 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609808028
• ISBN-13: 978-0609808023
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #804,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Arthurian

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars You'll hate the characters!, October 27, 2004

By 

M. Tucker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Knight of the Sacred Lake (Guenevere Novels) (Paperback)

This book did not live up to its hype. It tries to do for Guenevere what Mists of Avalon did for Morgan le Fey, but it fails sorely because the title character is an embittered shrew. The plot repeats itself endlessly over the course of three novels. Guenevere loves Arthur, she hates Arthur, she forgives Arthur, she loves Arthur again, no wait, she hates him.... Arthur, by the way, is a weak, feeble-minded, doddering simpleton. This is not the great king of Arthurian legend at all. Lancelot is still a tasty dish, but there is no apparent reason why he would love a bitter, jealous, middle-aged woman who repeatedly casts him away. Morgan le Fey starts out as a promising character, but becomes a demonic harpy-type creature. And the tone is excessively anti-Christian. I'm not a religious person at all, but even I was offended by the way Christians are depicted in this novel. It's just not a pleasant read. If you want a great trilogy told from Guenevere's point of view, read Persia Woolley's Guenevere trilogy or Nancy McKenzie's Queen of Camelot. They're well worth the time and effort.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great read, July 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Knight of the Sacred Lake (Guenevere Novels) (Hardcover)

THIS SECOND NOVEL IS A WONDERFUL CONTINUATION OF "THE QUEEN OF THE SUMMER COUNTRY". IT WAS A FAST AND EASY READ , EACH PAGE TOOK YOU TO WANTING MORE.THE STYLE SHE USED KEPT U FLIPPING AROUND EACH OF THE CHARACTERS,WHICH MADE IT SUSPENSFUL AND INVITING, I CANT WAIT TO READ THE NEXT ONE.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a Bad Mid-series Work, June 19, 2005

By 

Kelly Houser (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Knight of the Sacred Lake (Guenevere Novels) (Paperback)

"The Knight of the Sacred Lake" is the second novel in Rosalind Miles' Guenevere Trilogy. Miles paints a beautiful and enrapturing portrait of the love triangle between Guenevere, Lancelot and Arthur. By the beginning of this novel, Arthur has had his incestuous relationship with his sister, Morgan Le Fay, and produced their son, Mordred. Guenevere, heartbroken, turned to Lancelot for comfort. "The Knight of the Sacred Lake" covers Lancelot's return to Camelot, Merlin's obsessive quest to further the line of Pendragon rule by finding Mordred, and the Christian monks attempts to further erode the worship of the Mother and destroy Avalon.

Miles' Guenevere Trilogy is quite an interesting take on the Arthurian legends. The story is told through many viewpoints, through primarily through Guenevere's. Miles does an excellent job of painting Guenevere as a strong woman and follower of the Goddess, as opposed to the more popular literary Guenevere of "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, who is weak-willed and simpering. The reader connects to Guenevere and her pain in a deep way. Miles has created a moving and deep portrait of the famous Queen and her consorts.