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Gwenhywfar: Didn’t meet expectations


November 17th, 2009  Posted by Ruth Arnell

Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit (A Novel of King Arthur) Mercedes Lackeyfantasy book review Mercedes Lackey Gwenhywfar: The White SpiritGwenhywfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey

… For an Arthurian retelling, this didn’t make me feel the magic of one of the most resilient and resonant legend cycles of all time. Arthur was a caricature, Gwenhywfar was cloying, and Lancelin was the only one I felt any sorrow for. For tragedies to be compelling, you actually have to care about the characters, and I didn’t…  Read the rest.

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´s rating: | | | Fantasy Book ReviewsCOMMENT (3)

3 Responses to “Gwenhywfar: Didn’t meet expectations”

  1. Sheila Deeth November 17th, 2009   8:33 pm  

    Pity. A very helpful review though.

  2. Kelly Lasiter November 18th, 2009   3:19 pm  

    @Sheila: I agree. There’s just sooooo much Arthur this and Arthur that out there, and it sounds like this one doesn’t add much.

  3. Kat November 18th, 2009   6:54 pm  

    Helen Hollick (whose fantasy I really panned in my review) wrote a great trilogy about Arthur — kind of rough and “gritty” — not pretty or romantic at all. Find it here.

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