The Dragon and the Unicorn (Mass Market Paperback)

by A. A. Attanasio (Author) "There is only one Dragon..." (more)
Key Phrases: supreme druid, dusk apples, nailed god, Fire Lords, Dun Mane, Wray Vitki (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The demon Lailoken, as old as time, is tricked by Fire-lords and trapped in a human body. He becomes Merlinus, a wandering wise man expert in magic, destined to work for good among humans, opposed by the Furor (Woden). An encounter with the unicorn--a spirit similarly earthbound--brings him to Ygrane, queen of the Celts, and she sets him a task to find her king, a man seen in vision and fated to be her love-match. Merlinus-Lailoken seeks and finds him: Theodosius, a stable worker. But Ygrane has commanded the demon-wizard to bring her a king, so Merlinus sets to work making one.

This is an entrancing fantasy, drawing on everything from Norse myths to feng shui to build a magical, liminal Arthurian Britain.

From Publishers Weekly
Overuse of Arthurian materials in current genre fantasy would pose a challenge for any novelist, but Attanasio develops a noteworthy, unique cosmology. Known for science fiction (Radix) as well as for the Arthurian (Kingdom of the Grail), he combines the Round Table and black holes, gods and alternate time lines, to produce a world full of both mythology and history, reworking familiar elements in new ways. Rich thematically as well, the story presents inevitable cycles of pain, death, learning and redemption as Ygrane, Uther, Morgeu the Fey and Merlinus, joined by various pagans and Christians, fight for the soul of their land. Unfortunately, the complexities often require too much explanation, slowing the narrative, especially in the beginning. Even the peculiar spelling of Arthor's name requires some elucidation (Aquila Regalis Thor). Still, sophisticated commentary on Arthurian history and legend and religious and philosophical speculation, make this sometimes difficult read rewarding.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Eos (April 24, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061057797
• ISBN-13: 978-0061057793
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #206,731 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, with challanges, May 10, 2000

By	J. Angus Macdonald "bibliovore" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The tales of King Arthur have seen many incarnations, from simple warlord to the ornately intertwined tales of Camelot. Conversely, tales of the Norse gods have been curtailed into (usually) simple retellings of the Elder and Prose Edda. In this book, the tales of Camelot, of the Norse, of the Celts, of history, mythology, cosmology and haigiography coexist and push each other around, each trying to achieve dominance.

This is not an easy book to read. I don't mean "Finnegan's Wake" level of difficulty, but rather there is a lot of presumed knowledge -- you know many tales of Uther, Ygraine, Odin, Niggdur, and at least a passing acquaintance with figures of Irish/Celtic folklore. In addition, you are presumed to be literate and that you enjoy obscure words. If you can get past these hurdles, however, you will find an enjoyable and enriching tale.

This is not a simple retelling of old tales. The tales are woven together, often clashing, sometimes melding. A few of the characters are what you would expect, but many of them have altered, strongly or subtley -- Merlin is, indeed, half-demon, born of a virgin, but the tale is not as simple as that; Furor is Odin, but with a different take on the invasion of Britain by the Anglo-Saxons. The Romans, Christians, and other historical groups and personalities have their roles, but it is often difficult to distinguish the history from the mythology. This is something I enjoy, but may bother others.

I believe that a challanging read is a good thing. To merely find what you expect in a book can be tedious. Often this works pushes you to the limits, but keep a dictionary nearby and several books of basic mythology -- with these tools you will not become lost.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an enchanted tale of epic scope, January 3, 2003

By	Crystal C. Loh (London, ON Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although this book is a at first little hard to get into simply because of its poetic and lyrical style, once you are acquainted with Attanasio's descriptive and unique story-telling, you'll find yourself swept up in a tale of such breath-taking imagery that you'll feel as though earth no longer is a place of mundane routine and solely human reign, but really is the home to mystical beings whose power and actions drive the inner fires of its heart. With a spell-binding finale, this book, written in the present tense, is a journey written by a literary master, who weaves the traditional Arthurian saga into a powerful tale that keeps you captivated until the end.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new cosmology and a great read, April 5, 2002

By	Robert T. Nicholson (Sunnyvale, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've read at least a dozen tellings of the story of Merlin and Arthur, but this is by far the most original. Attanasio weaves together Norse and Celtic beliefs with elements of Christianity to create a rich and fascinating cosmic struggle. This new mythology, starting at the beginning of time, provides a backdrop for the "birth" and development of Merlin.

The writing is exceptional... fluid and magical. The characters are engaging and complex.

This book is a great read by itself, as well as a wonderful introduction for Attanasio's later books.