Wise Woman's Telling (Daughter of Tintagel, Book 1) [Paperback]

Fay Sampson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747232636
• ISBN-13: 978-0747232636
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,233,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mists of Avalon was Better, but will reserve judgement . . ., August 11, 2001

By 

Diana F. Von Behren "reneofc" (Kenner, LA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wise Woman's Telling (Daughter of Tintagel, Book 1) (Paperback)

Wise Woman's Telling is the first book in the Daughter of Tintagel Series about Morgan Le Fey. As I have only read this first book, I will reserve judgement on the entire series as I do not know the outcome.
This particular book tells the story of Uther, Merlin, Gorlois, Ygrene and the begetting of the baby, Arthur, in the voice of Ygrene's childhood nurse, Gwennol, a wise woman of the old religion. As in the "Mists of Avalon", Fay Sampson faces off the old religion's spells and magic , utilized by Ygrene and her daughters, Elaine, and Morgawse, with the stifling foothold that Christianity gained in Britain during that time period.
Only 9 year old Morgan is not schooled in the old religion's art as Gwennol senses something powerful and dangerous in Morgan and thinks it wise not to teach her things she will only use in a destructive way. The child Morgan craves attention from her soldier father; unlike her sisters, she wishes to be a man, and ride off into battle. Most of the time, the egotistial Gorlois throws off her wild embraces, paying more attention to the begetting of his beautiful wife with a male heir. The author does a fine job of relaying the underlying tension that drives Morgan; she of all the characters remains loyal to her father, Gorlois, after his death. Although she is, for the most part, a silent participant in the story's drama, the reader senses the child's need for vengenance without constantly being reminded of it.
Ygrene is portrayed as a vain woman with the goal of queenship uppermost in her mind; a goal in which she uses witchcraft to obtain. Morgawse is an over-sexed adolescent which the narrator feels should be married immediately. Uther is a robust king with more joy in him than his predecessor Gorlois.
Most fasinating of all, is Sampson's portrayal of Merlin. From the start our 'wise woman' senses his power and is rightfully afraid of it. When they finally come face to face, Gwennol's wish is that she is a few years younger so that she and the druid could go off together.
This story has its moments, but for the most part it does not contain the magic of the Marion Zimmer Bradley story. However, as I obtain and read the succeeding books of "Daughter of Tintagel", I will comment further on the story as a whole.