The Road to Avalon [Hardcover]

Joan Wolf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 1988

The pageantry and passionate intrigues of King Arthur’s court are expertly re-created in this historical novel—the only Arthurian novel in which all of the central characters are portrayed as intrinsically good people. This realistic retelling of the legend shows Arthur severing the bonds of bastardy, vanquishing the Saxons, and loving one woman. As the daring teenage warrior prepares for the throne, he discovers true love with Morgan of Avalon, the youngest of Merlin’s daughters, but fate cruelly thwarts their hopes for a future together. Never before has a telling of the Arthur story made the breathtaking drama of this charismatic king more real or moving.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Making old material new marks a master storyteller and with this fresh look at the legend of King Arthur, romance writer Wolf reaffirms her preeminence in those ranks. Although the Romans have already left Britain, Uther Pendragon is a Roman king, married to the Celtic princess Igraine, daughter of Merlin. Their son Arthur, conceived before Igraine's divorce from her first husband, has been raised in secret with Merlin's younger daughter Morgan, wherein lies the emotional heart of this tale. Arthur and Morgan, his half-aunt, share a love that cannot be acknowledged. When, as king, he must marry, Arthur weds the Celtic princess Gwenhwyfar, but he and Morgan remain lovers, while Gwenhwyfar, with Arthur's blessing, finds love with Bedwyr, the king's closest friend and ally. With the strength of his leadership and personality, Arthur unifies the British tribes, repells the Saxon threat and, adapting Roman ideas of government, establishes peace in the kingdom. But when Mordred, a young Celtic prince with an uncanny likeness to Arthur, comes to Camelot, jealousy and ambition threaten Arthur's dream. Portraying characters with crisp and memorable originality, Wolf capturesand enrichesthe tragic sweep of romance and idealism inherent in the Arthurian tale. Imaginative and moving, this narrative by the author of The Rebel and the Rose is historical fiction at its finest.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As books by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Mary Stewart, Parke Godwin, and others attest, the legend of King Arthur continues to fascinate. Wolfe, setting her version in a post-Roman Britain battling the encroaching Saxons, has created a pleasing romance. When the young Arthur is suddenly revealed as King Uther's heir, he discovers that Morgan, the beautiful girl he has grown up with and loves passionately, is his aunt and is forbidden to marry him. He is forced to marry Gwenhyfar for dynastic reasons, but his enduring love for Morgan sows the seeds of disaster. A strongly original viewpoint is missing, as is the highly developed detail found in other works, but this novel uses the elements of the legend effectively. Recommended for popular fiction collections. Beth Ann Mills, New Rochelle P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 358 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition first Printing edition (August 24, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0453006078
• ISBN-13: 978-0453006071
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #850,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the most romantic version yet, August 4, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: The Road to Avalon (Onyx) (Paperback)

Stop the presses! I've finally found an Arthurian novel in which Morgan, Gwenhwyfar, and Morgause are all sympathetic! Not to mention one with no religious bickering! (At one point in the book, a pagan knight criticizes a grouchy monk. Arthur responds, "If we judged all religions by their human representatives, they would all be found lacking." That's the extent of religious debate in this book, and if someone had said it in _Mists of Avalon_, maybe everyone would have wised up a little.)

Arthur, hidden away in an obscure village, falls into the hands of an abusive farmer. One day, his life changes when Merlin, a Roman-type noble of the old school, comes to carry him off to the villa of Avalon, to be raised and taught by Merlin and Ector--and to be trained as the prince he never knew he was. Though his life is more comfortable now, he is still scarred and withdrawn. Only Merlin's daughter Morgan, sweet and shy but with remarkable intelligence and emotional courage, can break through his shell and become his friend. And when they grow up, he falls in love with her, never knowing she is his aunt. Arthur ascends the throne, planning to make Morgan his queen, but Merlin forbids the match and tells him why. Arthur is heartbroken. He wants to defy Merlin, or failing that, to kill himself, but Morgan convinces him to be strong for his kingdom.

So Arthur marries the Welsh princess Gwenhwyfar instead. Gwenhwyfar is the most celebrated beauty in her homeland, accustomed to men's adoration, and so it is especially hurtful that Arthur--still in love with Morgan--sees Gwen mostly as a friend. The final insult comes when she takes up with the captain of his cavalry--and Arthur doesn't even care. Gwen loves her husband, and hopes that someday he will come to love her. So you can imagine the turmoil that goes through her mind when a mysterious young man appears at court in the company of Morgause of Orkney--a young man who looks just like Arthur, but gazes at Gwen with the passion her husband denies her. The young man is, of course, Mordred, son of Arthur and Morgan, and is accepted as Arthur's heir. He's a nice guy in this book, so everything seems just peachy for a while, but when Arthur goes to fight a battle in Gaul, a villain whom I won't name, acting out of thwarted passion, unleashes treachery, and the Battle of Camlann is fated.

Though _The Road to Avalon_ ends sadly, there is something comfortable and comforting about this retelling of the legend. Why? I think it's because it never makes you take sides. It doesn't feel the need to make one of the women sympathetic and the others evil. It doesn't preach any creed or bash any philosophy. It's just a love story about real people, with good and bad qualities, all of whom we can understand. This may not be my favorite Arthurian novel in terms of prose style, but I recommend it. It is beautiful in a simple way, like Morgan in her garden.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fresh Perspective On King Arthur Without Lancelot!, May 9, 2005

By 

Kimberly Gelderman (Spring Lake, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Road to Avalon (Onyx) (Paperback)

An incredible version of King Arthur sans Lancelot. This is the story of Arthur, and his more than humble beginnings, until Merlin tells him years after he "adopted" him that he is the heir to the British throne after Uther. He is Uther and Igraine's legitimate son. While Merlin is preparing him to be a leader whilst living in Avalon with his daughter Morgan, the two children develop a lasting friendship that turns into love. He doesn't know for years that Uther is his father, Igraine his mother, Merlin his grandfather and Morgan his aunt until he is to be king. By then it is too late to stop the love between Morgan and Arthur.

He becomes king but he still wants to marry Morgan. Merlin & Morgan warn him that the threat of incest will impede his reign and tell him it's impossible to marry her. He does eventually marry Gwenhwyfar in a loveless marriage to produce an heir while continuing his relationship with Morgan. Meanwhile, Gwenhwyfar finds comfort with Bedwyr with Arthur's knowledge and unspoken permission. Morgan has been keeping a secret from Arthur for 15 years that also comes out.

Read this book! It's a refreshing storyline that I haven't encountered before. Bedwyr is Gwenhwyfar's lover and there is no Lancelot to fuddle things up as usual. Mordred is portrayed as a very unwordly teen and unsure of himself and others. Agravaine is as obnoxious and cunning as he usually is in other novels. Gwenhwyfar is in love with two men. Finally, the relationship between Arthur and Morgan is not a simple one but a lasting one.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An different view of Arthur, March 10, 2000

By 

Scott (State College, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Road to Avalon (Hardcover)

The Road to Avalon shows us a non fantasy version of the life of Arthur, showing us a more realistic portrayal of this mythical king. It is easy to see the author's knowledge of the legend, with the inclusions of people such as the monk Gildas and Culwch and Olwen. It gives us a completely different portrayal of Morgan and Mordred, and shows Arthur's unending love towards his friends. A great read! I fully recommend it. :-)