A swift, almost frantic, second volume in the Tales of King Arthur series, covering Arthur's battles with rebellious nobles, the meeting with Guinevere as she tends wounded upon Bedegraine's battlefield, the vanquishing of King Ryence, marriage to Guinevere, and dedication of the Round Table. It's quite a bite for a picture book, and a spirited production at that, with armies riding on horseback, swarming festivities, the wizard Merlin conjuring a fire-breathing dragon from the Round Table, plus an intense romance, all brought alive by Talbott's dramatic, cinematic watercolors. The story is rushed, a saga hitched to a rocket, hurling readers from battle to love story, back to battle, to a pining Arthur, back to battle, and then to Camelot, all without pause or chance to appreciate the lore, themes, and events in their entirety. Younger children will find it too hurried to take in, and older ones may move on, instead, to novel-size retellings. (Picture book/folklore. 8-10)
