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colorcrystals's review against another edition
4.0
Where the previous three books focused on Merlin, this one focused more on Mordred. While I loved the books from Merlin's point of view, I found it interesting to see the world from Mordred. I thought this book was wonderful.
maplessence's review against another edition
4.0
4.5★
This book is only part of a series in Goodreadsland. Lady Stewart quite clearly wrote this novel as a standalone - she just revisited a legendary world she loved. So a part of this story runs parallel to [bc:The Last Enchantment|1118314|The Last Enchantment (Arthurian Saga, #3)|Mary Stewart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430792724s/1118314.jpg|1105347]. And some characters are realised slightly differently, most notably Nimuë in this reinterpretation of a well known legend.
But once you readjust your expectations, this is a cracking tale.
Morgause remains evil - people don't have to wrong her to get bumped off and her interest in her sons is, at best, capricious. The damage Morgause does to her four sons by Lot is enormous and well shown by Stewart.
When Mordred becomes part of Morgause's world his instincts help to keep him safe - for a time. Once Mordred is also part of his father's world his destiny is inevitable - although
The Mordred from the BBC TV series Merlin by coincidence looked like the Mordred in my head;
That expression of watchfulness - this is also Stewart's Mordred!
But there are a few time lapse sequences that didn't work so well for me and in spite of my great enjoyment of this book, because of this the third part of the book didn't read so well. Minor flaws and this book only misses 5★ by the narrowest of margins
This book is only part of a series in Goodreadsland. Lady Stewart quite clearly wrote this novel as a standalone - she just revisited a legendary world she loved. So a part of this story runs parallel to [bc:The Last Enchantment|1118314|The Last Enchantment (Arthurian Saga, #3)|Mary Stewart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430792724s/1118314.jpg|1105347]. And some characters are realised slightly differently, most notably Nimuë in this reinterpretation of a well known legend.
But once you readjust your expectations, this is a cracking tale.
Morgause remains evil - people don't have to wrong her to get bumped off and her interest in her sons is, at best, capricious. The damage Morgause does to her four sons by Lot is enormous and well shown by Stewart.
When Mordred becomes part of Morgause's world his instincts help to keep him safe - for a time. Once Mordred is also part of his father's world his destiny is inevitable - although
Spoiler
Nimuë does try to avert it.The Mordred from the BBC TV series Merlin by coincidence looked like the Mordred in my head;
That expression of watchfulness - this is also Stewart's Mordred!
But there are a few time lapse sequences that didn't work so well for me and in spite of my great enjoyment of this book, because of this the third part of the book didn't read so well. Minor flaws and this book only misses 5★ by the narrowest of margins
kyratt's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I wasn't sure where the story would go after the ending of part three, but it was a very logical sequel. The writing was superb and I ended up really liking Mordred as a main character.
I loved the sense the characters had. There was drama, but it was mostly due to misunderstanding, not because either Mordred or Arthur stopped thinking sensibly. Aah if only people had better/faster forms of commuication back in the day!
The Orkney brothers and the legacy their mother left in them was a great theme throughout the book, which made the story unpredictable. This part of the series might actually be my favourite so far. I found Mordred much easier to identify with than Merlin. Too bad the women in this book didn't get any other storylines than 'evil witch' or 'incredibly pure unatainable beauty'. There were some hardworking loving women, but they were deemed unimportant. Maybe this is due to the time the story plays out in, or the decade the series was written in.
Overall, a great read!
I loved the sense the characters had. There was drama, but it was mostly due to misunderstanding, not because either Mordred or Arthur stopped thinking sensibly. Aah if only people had better/faster forms of commuication back in the day!
The Orkney brothers and the legacy their mother left in them was a great theme throughout the book, which made the story unpredictable. This part of the series might actually be my favourite so far. I found Mordred much easier to identify with than Merlin. Too bad the women in this book didn't get any other storylines than 'evil witch' or 'incredibly pure unatainable beauty'. There were some hardworking loving women, but they were deemed unimportant. Maybe this is due to the time the story plays out in, or the decade the series was written in.
Overall, a great read!
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
3.0
This probably deserves a higher rating. Stewart creates an absorbing tale, but the nonsensical and bitter ending of the legends can't be denied. Why legendary Arthur would trust Mordred to run the kingdom in his absence but then distrust him; would act with wisdom but then suddenly act foolishly at the end; makes no sense. Stewart's ending is ripe with poignancy and regret for miscommunications and accidents. Worth a read, but I hate the way the story has to end.
disreputabledog's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cam_go_loud's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5
A random thing that I noticed:
"Bedwyr, still with the gentleness that Mordred would never have suspected in him, said, half to himself: 'She has a lovely face. God give her rest.'"
This reminded me of the ending of the poem "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred Tennyson:
"Lancelot mused a little space;
He said, 'She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott.'"
Not to mention, the lady in the book is named Elen while the lady from the poem is supposed to be, I think, named Elaine.
Coincidence? I think NOT!
A random thing that I noticed:
"Bedwyr, still with the gentleness that Mordred would never have suspected in him, said, half to himself: 'She has a lovely face. God give her rest.'"
This reminded me of the ending of the poem "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred Tennyson:
"Lancelot mused a little space;
He said, 'She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott.'"
Not to mention, the lady in the book is named Elen while the lady from the poem is supposed to be, I think, named Elaine.
Coincidence? I think NOT!
lgiegerich's review against another edition
5.0
these are my favorite King Arthur, and this was my favorite of the series. mostly b/c it's from Mordred's point of view, and i'm surprisingly ok with Mordred. i like how he isn't just entirely, completely evil in this series. and i probably had a little crush on him with i was 12. what of it!
jonathanfs's review against another edition
4.0
As I have mentioned in previous reviews, Stewart's telling of the Arthurian legend makes it believable, approachable, and compelling. She always impresses me with her humanization of the larger-than-life characters. This might not sound appealing to those looking for epic battles and amazing feats of sorcery, but I urge fans of these tales to give it a try. When you do, be sure to read her notes on the legend at the end.
velocitygirl14's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read this ages ago and it still stands the test of time. I think this is one of the most in depth takes of Mordred and doesn't just paint him as someone dark. He is doomed by the narrative, but it is a very good narrative. Well done.