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pingu12's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
the_jun_man85's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
_elisebeth's review against another edition
4.0
This probably wasn't the best book for me to read immediately after BBC's Merlin came to an end because it was an emotional overhaul.
This book was my favourite in the trilogy because it really tied together everything that had happened in the past two books. I must say that Gawayne is my favourite in this series as M.K. Hume has a way of writing him so perfectly unperfect that I can't even think to like anyone more than him.
I'll admit some parts did drag on a little more than they should have but once you got into the battles or heat discussions or scenes that had some value and weren't just filler I found myself begging for even more detail of every line on ever characters face so I could picture it perfectly in my mind.
The ending, of course, made me sad but I also had to cringe in fear/disgust at the manner in which Modred was killed; that's not an insult, that's a compliment! I believe she wrote it that way on purpose to get a reaction from her audience.
I'm so glad I finally got around to finishing this series because it's taken a long time for me to do so.
ianbanks's review against another edition
4.0
(This review first appeared on the sadly defunct website The Specusphere in 2010)
The first two volumes of M. K. Hume’s Arthurian trilogy were released last year to critical acclaim. This concluding volume ties up the story into the climax that we all know is coming, but still manages to offer some surprises along the way.
It begins some twenty years after the second volume and we witness Artor (Arthur) in decline. The glory days are far behind him and while he has the respect of many minor kings and lords, there are some who are merely waiting for his grasp on power to slip from his hands. And, of course, there is the ever-present Saxon threat looming overhead. We have the heirless Artor, his venal wife Wenhaver (Hume’s interpretation of Guinevere), the scheming lordling Modred and the astonishing supporting cast of familiar and new characters. The intrigues and battles are exciting and dramatic, the history leaps off the page and the sense that this is what should have happened is palpable.
All the way through this book you get the sense of a kingdom in decline, despite the best efforts of the powerful to save it. There are the younger generations coming up through the ranks to carry on the traditions but they are betrayed and slain, leaving Artor in increasing despair as to the fate of his realm becoming increasingly prey to men with lower aims than his. The joys that Artor feels as he sees his plans begin to show that they may live on beyond him is keenly balanced by the heartbreak as they go awry. This makes it so much more different to so many other Arthurian stories which sometimes come across as a checklist of appropriate themes and characters signposting the author’s point. This is especially provocative in this volumes’ use of the Grail legend.
This is an amazing conclusion. The story – retold, retooled and ripped-off as it has been over the years – is instantly recognisable and it is hard for any author to come up with new things to say about it. Hume not only manages to give us an historically realistic Arthur, but also manages to twist the established legends into new forms, making us think about their meaning anew.
2016 reread thoughts: the author seems to trust the reader a lot more in this volume as there is far less signposting of events and a greater depth to the characters in this volume. However, this is countered by a an awful lot of contrivance and shoehorning in of established legend to fit a story that readers might be expecting, which is a real shame because the differences that this story takes from what we might expect from a story about Arthur are really interesting. I also never really felt that Modred was built up as a worthy foe: his motives and behaviour are too stereotyped and cliched - I could accept a vain Modred, a dissembling and plotting Modred, a child-molesting Modred, or a rebellious Modred, but to put all four on the page feels like overkill.
There are some great moments: Percivale and Bedwyr dealing with Galahad is a highlight of the series, the final battle is tremendous, but they are overshadowed by the poor motivation of the characters, some clumsy plotting and the rushed conclusion.
Definitely worth checking out if you're into Arthuriana, though.
ohjo's review against another edition
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Gore, Death of parent, Death, and Cancer