Customer Reviews

Merlin's Gift

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

While I confess to having enjoyed Mary Stewart's "The Wicked Day," I will readily admit that for intelligence, characterization and sheer twisted humor, these books stomp Stewart's novels into the dirt. The refusal to paint this story with the flowery romanticism of typical works in this genre is part of what makes it great. The Dark Ages were full of filth, mud and toothless, disease-ridden peasants (and nobility!), and however unpleasant that reality may be, it makes the story more believable. The voice of Mordred is wry, intelligent and often hilarious, and I thoroughly enjoyed both books. Guinevere is neither relegated to the role of a vacant-headed ornamental piece at King Arthur's side nor a shameless harlot who delights in wreaking the downfall of Camelot. I gleefully enjoyed these novels and recommend them to anyone who will listen.

But if you're not easily offended, and are interested in the brilliant sequel to the unfortunately out of print "Mordred's Curse," you should read this book. It's darkly funny, strangely sad, and a complete original.

What a wonderous spin on the Arthur legend, filled with a wonderous plot and realistic characters. I could not put the book down when I got it. Mordred's narration during the story seems so real, you'd have sworn he was right there dictating to Mr. McDowell. This book is going on my treasured shelf, along with Mordred's Curse. A spectacular read, even if you're not that familiar with Arthurian legend

I bought these books when they first came out and was delighted in the phrasing and talent of Mr. Mcdowell. Recently I re-read them and am still pleased. These books are keepers and I look forward to more writings by the author.

McDowell's narrator, Mordred, views the world as an ugly place in which people behave badly and for selfish motives. In MERLIN'S GIFT, Mordred has mellowed since his telling of the previous novel's incidents (MORDRED'S CURSE). Nevertheless, he is still cynical and foul-mouthed despite his intelligence and influence.

McDowell succeeds in narrating a possible motivation for Arthur's sojourn in France near the end of the legends. Unlike the traditions (Malory, et al.), instead of chasing Lancelot to retrieve Guinevere, Arthur goes to Gaul to drive out the Franks as he drove out the Saxons from Britain. Mordred treats this adventure as evidence of Arthur's mid-life crisis and his growing questions about his faith.

Scatology is a long tradition in literature with such famous practitioners as Rabalais and Swift. Mordred's emphasis on human excrement may offend some readers. Additionally, he treats sexuality graphically in the language of adolescent teenagers.

MERLIN'S GIFT more closely resembles other off-color treatments of the Arthurian legends like Robert Nye's MERLIN and Nicholas Seare's RUDE TALES AND GLORIOUS than it does Mary Stewart's quatrology or Stephen Lawhead's five-volume Pendragon Cycle

This is in reply to 'worst of catagory', whose review was arrogant. I feel anyone could critique the book however they want it, but to bash the reviewers is pretty low. It is almost ignorant to think your opinion is the only one shared because "Mr. Ian McDowell has had his friends do some work online to help his push his works." People do like his work, and people who are in no way affiliated w/ McDowell-like myself- do like his book(s).

McDowell's angle of the book wasn't a "lack of knowledge", it was a morbid and intriguing twist on the story. I found it great to read because it wasn't the same old predictable tale rehashed over and over again.

Ian McDowell's two Arthurian treatments, MORDRED'S CURSE and MERILIN'S GIFT are not just excellent takes on the traditional legend, but great works of stand-alone fantasy. McDowell's carefully crafted character of Mordred was one of the most human I've seen in fantasy literature. I hate protagonists who are sacharrine, and Mordred is certainly not that. And I loathe villains whose motivations and actions are uniformly dark, and none here was treated in such a manner. McDowell writes in a matter-of-fact way and his work is vivid when it needs to be, and stark when it must be. This writer knows how to balance effect, and I look forward to his next novels, whatever they may be!

Ian McDowell is one of the best writers of this time and I consider Merlin's Gift (his sequal to Mordred's Curse) to be a masterpiece in itself.

How can I describe this book to you? The writing style is ponderous, wordy, scatalogical, and that is in the best parts. Other parts are simple drudgery to read. I love this genre so I forced myself to read this book after being extremely disappointed by another book by this same author. Unfortunately, I made the same mistake twice.

This is the worst book of this genre I have ever come across. The author should be ashamed of himself. Not only is it badly planned and written but it is full of childish vulgar language. If this was a work of a high school student, I might say it shows some promise. But as a work from a professional author, it is really an embarrasment.