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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A failed attempt at a new Arthurian "legend", June 17, 2004
I love the story of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, but I'm always on the lookout for new angles on it. Finding Sarah Zettel's book on the shelf of my local bookstore, I bought it, eager to read about the story from a different point of view.I was, however, very disappointed by Zettel's attempt at a new take on the old tale. From the beginning, when the evil sorcerer Euberacon vows to save Risa's father's wife, in exchange for her firstborn child (Risa), the book seems less about semi-historical fiction, and more about fantasy. I call the time period "semi-historical fiction," because although magic does play a large part, it is rarely the sort of flashy magic I associate with fantasy. Not so much here, but later on, Euberacon's brand of sorcery steps outside what could have worked with the historical time period, into something utterly fantastical and bizarre, that I would not associate with King Arthur. Zettel's attempts to create a believable female heroine in the time period fall flat. She gives Risa so many virtues and so few vices, Guinevere seems a boring and tedious housewife in comparison - not that I have anything good to say about Risa. She attempts to make Risa and Gawain's love semi-parallel to Arthur's and Guinevere's (without the whole Lancelot angle, of course, since Risa and Gawain will be together forever), in that tragedy seems to mar their perfect romance. I can appreciate writing that models the old writing, where ladies and their knights were without flaw, and love was pure, but every time I think this is what Zettel did intentionally, she has Risa or Gawain crack an inane joke, and they both start laughing. Her attempts to make Risa and Gawain more "human" fail, in my opinion. To me they seem like unbelievable characters, although more often than not, they annoyed me, simply because they seemed too perfect. If Risa couldn't help Gawain on the battlefield? It was not becuase she was too scared, it was because she had to save the destitute refugees. Gawain gave into temptation once before, yes, but after realizing his love for Risa he easily pushes it away, gaining the information he needs to save his lady love. The last third of the book was even worse for me than the first two thirds combined. Here, Risa is captured by Euberacon, undergoing her own angst-filled "torture" so bizarre it seems laughable. To rescure Risa, Gawain has to go on his own "Green Knight" quest, which is barely recognizable, since Zettel puts in so many of her own, made-up characters the whole intent of Gawain's journey is mutilated. I won't spoil the ending, but it too disappointed me. Once again, too fantastical for my historical tastes. There are some positive parts to the book. Kerra, Morgan's servant (and the only semi-believable character of Zettel's creation), is the only reason I did not give this book one star, along with some of Zettel's descriptions of the Saxon camps. Kerra has a background that makes her present, ambitious personality believable, and in the Saxon camps, their hesitation is revealed. Go against Arthur, or keep what little peace they have, and the heads of their sons who are in Arthur's care? The chief is under Kerra's sorcery, which seems the only magic in the whole book that fits with the Arthurian style of sorcery. Overall, this book had a few good features, but I found the two main characters incredibly overdone and annoying, and the general writing style mediocre at best. The idea of a different take on the Arthurian legend is a good one, but one that Zettel fails to carry out with any sort of believability.
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by Sarah Zettel
by Sarah Zettel
by Sarah Zettel
by Sarah Zettel
