First-novelist Thomson gives the legend of King Arthur a plausible historical setting in sixth-century Britain, but strips it of chivalry, magic, and romance. Four voices tell interrelated stories: Nimue, wife of the bard Myrddin, watches her husband cast away love, family, and honor to bring about his vision of a king who will unite the feuding chieftains against the marauding Saxons. Morgan, who witnesses her father’s murder and her mother’s rape by the thuggish Uther Pendragon, suppresses her lust for revenge to contract an incestuous marriage, until her bitterness proves stronger than her love. Luned, sharp-tongued handmaid to the emotionally fragile Lady Elen, pragmatically shepherds her mistress through two disastrous marriages. Finally, Medraud, Arthur’s nephew/son, raised incapable of affection or trust, destroys the kingdom to fill his own emptiness. Arthur himself is barely glimpsed as the golden sun around whom the others revolve, his warmth eclipsed by the foreboding atmosphere. Thomson paints a convincing portrayal of a grim, brutal age, and lays bare each character’s secrets with piercing clarity. But it’s hard to imagine who would enjoy visiting a Camelot so devoid of wonder, charm, and beauty, where every wedding leads to betrayal, all parents fail their children, and any hopes, ideals, or good intentions bear only poisoned fruit. Though Arthurian aficionados will derive satisfaction from spotting classic characters, those new to the stories will remain puzzled by their allure. So tainted is this Arthur’s reign that it’s a relief when he crumples bleeding to his doom. Vivid, sophisticated, but deeply, needlessly depressing. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-531-30333-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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