The Wolf and the Crown [Paperback]

A. A. Attanasio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 1998

The Warrior King

Arthor, Eagle of Thor, must lead his people not only against their own ancient sorceries, but against the worldly empire that would make Britain's destiny a footnote to its own. Already rolling on the roads from Tintagel to Camelot is the great wheel that will become the Round Table.

But the perilous order promised by Arthor's victory is threatened by forces beyond human ken. For Merlin has descended into Hell, to fend with the Fire Lords who give the Universe its shimmering form. And for the young king himself, there is a sacred Grail, and an Earthly love, to seek....

The Wolf and the Crown

A. A. Attanasio's epic and lyrical retelling of humankind's most beloved legend weaves into one magnificent literary tapestry the hallowed warp of Arthurian lore, the shaggy woof of Druidic myth, and the shimmering strands of quantum science.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A.A. Attanasio presents a flamboyant recounting of the myths of Camelot in The Wolf and the Crown, which continues the story of The Dragon and the Unicorn and The Eagle and the Sword. This particular Camelot features a demonic Merlin, Hollow Hills full of tiny faeries "in nightgowns of fog and sticky halos," and a callow High King whose devout prayers to Mary close each of his viewpoint chapters. Attanasio loves the surface flash of words, and The Wolf and the Crown is as dazzling as a jeweled necklace, with occasional flaws, such as references to Brownian motion or "Bunsen blue," that intrude into the concoction of fantasy, mythology, and Arthurian lore. The myths of Camelot, dear to fantasy readers, provide Attanasio with the perfect setting for his intricate lapidary. --Blaise Selby

From Library Journal

Though he possesses the legendary sword Excalibur, the boy-king "Arthor" discovers that he must earn the respect of the warring lords of Britain before he can truly claim his place at their head. The third volume in Attanasio's epic re-creation of the Arthurian cycle follows young "Arthor" through his first difficult year of kingship. Drawing liberally from both Norse and Celtic mythologies, the author adds his own cosmic embellishments to a story that spans not only the island of Britain but the lands of faerie, the Otherworld, and the spaces between the stars as well. Along with the other series titles, The Dragon and the Unicorn (HarperCollins, 1996) and The Eagle and the Sword (LJ 6/15/97), this mythic fantasy belongs in most libraries.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Eos (April 8, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061053708
• ISBN-13: 978-0061053702
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,719,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I love fantasy fiction. I love the courage of the human spirit to invest with real emotion experiences we know are entirely imaginary. And I love all of what 'fantasy' means to poetic thinkers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, not-to-be-missed!, November 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wolf and the Crown (Paperback)

The third book in AA Attanasio's fabulous telling of the King Arthor myths, the Wolf and the Crown follows the young king through the first year of his reign. He must prove to his subjects that he is a worthy king, and must prove to himself that he is a good man even though he fell prey to his witchy half sister's seductions. This book, as all of Attanasio's, is very different from its predecessors. The chapters are short, perfect two-page cliff hangers that whirl the reader between the various characters and situations. In some ways, this book is much more horrific than the ones that came before, but it is leavened with great humor. It focuses on Arthor's humanity, but has the elements of the strange and magical we've come to expect from Mr. Attanasio. Gods old and new, ghosts, witches, demons, angels, vampires, dwarves, a monkey, elves, stolen and misplaced souls, the hell that is our present day, the fabulous world tree that is the magnetic field surrounding the earth, the hollow hills above the dragon at the heart of the earth, heroic adventure, and selfless sacrifice, it is all there weaving a tapestry of magic and realism. Attanasio is not bound by any of the old tellings of this myth, he takes the characters and elements and makes them uniquely believable, uniquely his own. As in many of Attanasio's books, such as his fantastic first novel Radix and the rare The Moon's Wife, the heros are flawed by their own humanity and must take on painful journeys of self-discovery and change. Don't miss this book, I can't wait for the next ones. I hope he follows the King to Avalon and on, to that far future day of need that is predicted for the King's return.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A terrible disappointment., April 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wolf and the Crown (Mass Market Paperback)

Attanasio is one of my favorite writers - constantly innovative, frequently lyrical, and until this book he hadn't disappointed me. It's not a bad story, but it falls far below the standard of work that I've come to expect from this man. The first two books in this series are delightful, and as good as anything Attanasio's ever done. I finished this one, however, only to keep up with the series. Rerad this book if you've been drawn into the series, but by no means let it be your introduction to the work of this talented author.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 'Wolf...' interesting but falls short, August 26, 1999

By 

Fosky Bob "human" (Vacaville, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wolf and the Crown (Mass Market Paperback)

Attansio's interpretation of teh Arthurian legend is fascinating and well-written, but it took this reader nearly 100 pages to become acclimated to the author's bizarre shortened chapters. Attanasio abbeviates his scenes so that they last no longer than 1 1/2 pages at the most.

Interestingly, it doesn't appear that his work suffers because of it...yet it was still disconcerting. This was the first Attanasio book I've read. Despite what others have written, it is possible to use this as a jumping-off point into his novels.