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hollowspine 's review for:
Sword of the Rightful King
by Jane Yolen
The Sword of the Rightful King is a tale of King Arthur, but takes a more political and less magical perspective on the story. Although Arthur is an honorable and fair ruler and most of his subjects are loyal to him, there are still some holdouts to his ultimate rule of Britain. Most notable of these is the dowager Queen to the North, Morgause, a woman who was underestimated by Merlinnius and has grown strong in black magic and would that one of her sons hold Arthur's throne.
Merlinnius comes up with a scheme to make sure that Arthur's right to the throne becomes unquestioned, unifying the various groups across Britain under his just rule. He creates a sword in a stone, using magic to lock the sword in place until the right time and place.
At the same time he is coming up with this scheme a young boy shows up in Court. Young Gawen is clever, well-read and wise beyond his years. Both Merlinnus and Arthur grow immediately fond of Gawen and quickly come to rely on his clever...yet womenly answers to their issues.
What with knowledge of the King Arthur story, the cover description, and the unsubtle hinting of both Merlin and Arthur it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Gawen is Guinevere.
Although I appreciated that the story tried to introduce more strength into the women of the King Arthur myth I also thought that the characters were not recognized for their individual strengths, but rather that it would seem any woman could take their place.
All the problems Gawen solved were solved with 'weak' womanly ways. She gave Arthur a cushion to ease his seat on the hard throne. This would make him weaker of course. She pulled the sword from the stone by greasing it with hot butter, another womanly trick.
I found it implausible, and although I feel fine with women working in kitchens, raising children and knowing how to spell and read, I did find that the story was limiting in the kind of 'power' it would allow to women..
I also found it hateful that Arthur decided to marry Gawen/Gwen without even consulting her. Then she agreed anyway. And the North Queen really didn't end up putting up much of a fight, even when the type of magic she had seemed much stronger than anything that Merlinnus demonstrated throughout the book.
Merlinnius comes up with a scheme to make sure that Arthur's right to the throne becomes unquestioned, unifying the various groups across Britain under his just rule. He creates a sword in a stone, using magic to lock the sword in place until the right time and place.
At the same time he is coming up with this scheme a young boy shows up in Court. Young Gawen is clever, well-read and wise beyond his years. Both Merlinnus and Arthur grow immediately fond of Gawen and quickly come to rely on his clever...yet womenly answers to their issues.
What with knowledge of the King Arthur story, the cover description, and the unsubtle hinting of both Merlin and Arthur it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Gawen is Guinevere.
Although I appreciated that the story tried to introduce more strength into the women of the King Arthur myth I also thought that the characters were not recognized for their individual strengths, but rather that it would seem any woman could take their place.
All the problems Gawen solved were solved with 'weak' womanly ways. She gave Arthur a cushion to ease his seat on the hard throne. This would make him weaker of course. She pulled the sword from the stone by greasing it with hot butter, another womanly trick.
I found it implausible, and although I feel fine with women working in kitchens, raising children and knowing how to spell and read, I did find that the story was limiting in the kind of 'power' it would allow to women..
I also found it hateful that Arthur decided to marry Gawen/Gwen without even consulting her. Then she agreed anyway. And the North Queen really didn't end up putting up much of a fight, even when the type of magic she had seemed much stronger than anything that Merlinnus demonstrated throughout the book.