Phyllis Ann Karr

Stand-alone novels:

The Idylls of the Queen: A Tale of Queen Guenevere — (1982) Publisher: The arrangements for the dinner party were overseen by Queen Guenever herself. She selected the apples with her own hands. And before the evening ended, a young knight lay dead... and Arthur's beloved, unfaithful queen stood branded as a murderess and condemned to death! Phyllis Ann Karr has taken Celtic legendry and given it a fresh new twist in this magical murder mystery of knights and sorcery, romantic entanglements and courtly intrigues. This is a tale that explores the passions and motivations of the men and women who stride through the pages of Mallory's romance: Sir Kay, the sharp-tongued seneschal; Nimue, the elusive Lady of the Lake; Morgon le Fay, Merlin's complex nemesis; the tormented sons of Lot and Morgawse; and Mordred, Arthur's own bitter, terrified son.

The Idylls of the Queen

Phyllis Ann Karr’s The Idylls of the Queen is so much more than a good murder mystery. It is a good murder mystery, but unlike an ordinary mystery, you can reread it (even knowing whodunit) without any of the fun being spoiled. The murder is one that actually appears in the legends, so some readers may recognize the bones of the story, but again, it’s enjoyable even if you know the murderer’s identity. The mystery is sort of a backdrop to the real show: an original take on the personalities of Arthurian legend, and a different look at chivalric ideals.

The narrator is the oft-maligned Sir Kay, the grouchy but well-meaning seneschal of Arthur's court. He's not a bad guy. He is a sarcastic curmudgeon, having seen countless self-serving buffoons win glory and adulation while his own hard work goes unnoticed. He is also secretly in love with the Queen.

Kay shares an uneasy friendship with a wonderfully written, morbid, fatalistic, and sympathetic Sir Mordred. Together they set out to clear Guenevere's name of a murder charge, meeting fascinating characters right and left. Morgan and Iblis are especially engaging, and Karr uses them to voice some cutting insights on chivalry and religion. Morgan defends her mixture of Christian and pagan ways, and Iblis observes that justice is different for women than for men according to the moral code of the period. Also worth mentioning are the subtle taste of magic provided by the Lady of the Lake and the touching platonic relationship between Kay and his Queen.

If you're an Arthurian buff, definitely look up a copy of The Idylls of the Queen. It's a quick read, and a great way to spend a lazy afternoon or two. —Kelly Lasiter

Wildraith's Last Battle — (1982) 

At Amberleaf Fair — (1986) Publisher: At the last fair of the season, the toymaker Torin proposes to the beautiful sorceress Sharys, and watches his world shatter. Sharys refuses his marriage token because she has just accepted the proposal of his best friend, the adventurer Valdart. Torin's brother falls suddenly and mysteriously ill, and hovers at the brink of death. Valdart's valuable marriage token is turned into a citron fruit, and he accuses Torin, an ex-magician, of enchanting the necklace to stop his marriage to Torin's beloved. And Torin, who may have created magic in his dreams, doesn't know whether or not he changed Valdart's gift in his sleep.

The Follies of Sir Harald — (2001) Publisher: Pity poor Sir Harald! It isn't easy being a villain in King Arthur's Britain, particularly when the opposition is so formidable and even the furniture in your castle is dead set against you. After six long years of struggle, the Quillerstone Couch still turns into a ravening lion whenever Sir Harald tries to sit on it. And that's the least of Harald's problems. To Sir Kay he owes both horse and armor, yet the mysterious knight who owes him the same has vanished. The field of romance is no less perilous for Sir Harald, populated as it is by: the Aloof Fair One, for whom he turns renegade; brave Deborah, for whom he could wish himself a Jew; Maid Procne, who has, alas, already recorded the story of Harald's shame; and the puckish Joiselette, who somehow becomes his guardian elf... From Phyllis Ann Karr, author of the classics Idylls of the Queen and The Arthurian Companion, The Follies of Sir Harald is a wonderfully whimsical tale of love and adventure set against the colorful backdrop of Camelot.