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
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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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