I am a self proclaimed book dork but I am not one who usually wanders down the aisles of Science Fiction and Fantasy. I have always had an unhealthy love of the legend of King Arthur and that is the section where they hide all the good stuff. The lore of magic, Merlin, King Arthur and pagan rituals has always got me going where lit is concerned so down into the foreign territory of Science fiction I went. I was rewarded for my bravery and found one of my top 5 favorite books of all times. I read "The Mists of Avalon" for the first time 15 or so years ago and every couple of years since. If you actually go to a bookstore and not download it you will see why this is not an easy feat, it's almost 1000 pages and looks about as intimidating as "Anna Karenina". It's just plain huge but worth every single hour you are curled up with it. So the housework doesn't get done or the kids don't get a bath, they'll still be dirty tomorrow cause you just have to keep reading. It really is that good.
What sets this version of King Arthur's life apart is that it's not just about him, he's a sidebar in this one for quite a while. It starts from the perspective of his mother and her first husband (not Arthur's father). The narration switches to his half sister Morgana and stays with her for the rest of the story. Most other lore portrays Morgana as evil, dark and deceitful, and the witch that ruined it all. This story does not. Don't mistake me, she is no angel but is seen in a different light. Bradley does presume some knowledge of the legend by the reader but in this day and age if you're not sure who someone is, just google it and you'll be right back into the swing of the book.
If as a kid you were amazed by the sword in the stone or Merlin you will love this grown up, well written and engaging story. My husband even liked it and we don't share any other books in common except Harry Potter!
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