The Camelot Papers

by Peter David

A powerful ruler who's considered by many to be simple-minded and vacuous and has serious father issues. A no-nonsense, polarizing woman who favors pants suits and pursues dubious agendas involving social needs. A remarkably magnetic leader of men with a reputation as a skirt-chaser. A scheming, manipulative advisor who is constantly trying to control public perceptions. A man seen as the next, great hope for the people, except there are disputes over his background and many contend he's not what he appears to be. George W? Hillary and Bill? Karl Rove? Obama?Try Arthur Pendragon, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, and Galahad.Whatever you think of the state of today's politics, The Camelot Papers shows you just how little matters have changed in the past thousand years or so. The Camelot Papers presents a fresh perspective on Arthurian legend by using modern day sensibility and combining it with a classic tale to bring a new insight into iconic characters.The story is told from a unique that of Viviana (a.k.a. the seductress Vivian in other tales), here revealed to be a bright, knowledgeable young woman who was sold into slavery and winds up behind the scenes in Castle Camelot. Just like many incendiary political tell-alls of modern day, no one is better positioned to comment on the foibles of those on high than someone who is far below. Learn here, for the first time, the down-and-dirty royal secrets that plagued Camelot as told by someone who was actually there, and adapted by acclaimed New York Times bestseller Peter David. Full of sensationalism, startling secrets and astounding revelations, The Camelot Papers is to the realm of Arthur what the Pentagon Papers is to the something that all those concerned would rather you didn't see... but you can see it now.

Genres: Fantasy, Ebooks, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Arthurian, Historical

458 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 5, 2011

About the author

aka David Peters

Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.

Reviews

[Sweth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This is an amazingly frustrating book; it has so much potential, and for the most part wastes it.

Problem 1 is the genre itself; this is yet another "fractured fairy tale" a la Wicked, in this case doing the alternate take thing on Camelot (in the form of a journal from a slave girl who happens to get caught up in the palace intrigue). Now I'm admittedly not a huge fan of that gimmick, but books like this are the reason why--half the time, it seems to think that the entire point of an exercise like this is just to flip every character and plot point around and then wait for you to fall over laughing at how clever it is. Arthur is bumbling and feckless, Lancelot is a drunken womanizer, Guinevere is a ball busting tomboy, and Merlin is just a clever non-magician who understands people; therefore, we should be entertained because IT'S TAKING A FAMOUS STORY AND TELLING US THE OPPOSITE. Hah! Comedy gold, people, especially when it is so clumsy that you feel like you are constantly being reminded that you are reading a story, rather than being allowed to immerse yourself in it.

(Problem 1.5: it also falls prey to the genre trap of trying to "cleverly" work in details from the original in ways that have no relevance to the story other than to show us how clever the author is. Eg Excalibur didn't come from the Lady in the Lake; it came from Lancelot (du Lac)'s wife, the lady du Lac. Again, hah! This is high comedy.)

Problem 2 (and the largest part of why it is so frustrating) is that the other half of the time, it actually tries to break free of that framework, occasionally giving characters some depth and complexity--only to take it away again whenever an actual three-dimensional character would get in the way of the gimmick. For example, Lancelot, we learn, is angry that Arthur ends up with Excalibur, which was supposed to go to him when he married his wife--but for reasons that are never fully explained, he suddenly becomes Arthur's right hand right when him being a pain is no longer convenient. There are tons of moments and characterizations that, if the author had just written a book about a slave girl's journal about palace intrigue, would actually have led to a really enjoyable book. But every time there's a threat that the tale might get interesting, he has to reign everything in for the gimmick--and once again, the reader is pulled out of what should be a good tale.

Problem 3 is the framing devices, of which there are many and none of which really work. First we get the cover, which has nothing to do with the book--where the former makes it seem like The Camelot Papers refers to some tabloid paper of the era, instead, as noted above, it's actually just a journal. But rather than just present the journal, there's a completely jarring "academic" preface about the recent discovery of this journal, which in no way affects the story or how it is read, and only serves to remind the reader of the artifice of what is going on. Then the journal itself begins--but rather than do a more traditional epistolary style, the author starts each chapter in the first-person present, as if the narrator were in fact writing in a journal in real time, and then slides into regular first-person past narration, and then occasionally breaks back to first-person present, all again to no effect other than to pull the reader out of the story.

And Problem 4: the author tries to set up a mystery or two native to this tale alone, but then in many cases leaves such glaring clues that there is no mystery, and in the other cases, throws out deliberate and unaddressed red herrings that, once you realize that they were just there to mislead you and that they will never be addressed, again pull the reader out of the story. (e.g. If you want to have a scene where someone is poisoned and the narrator notices someone smiling as it happens, have the narrator notice lots of details, of which that is one, rather than just throwing out the sole observation that person X smirked as person Y downed his drink and fell over dead--but if you ARE going to just throw that one observation out as a red herring (because person X had nothing to do with the murder), you also have to at some point explain why person X smirked, or you're just jerking the reader around.)

This was far more than a piece of fluff like this deserved, but it was so close to actually being worth reading...

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Peter David's previous variations on the Arthurian cycle (Knight Life, One Knight Only), I found myself drawn to this book. Having the cover look like the cover of a tabloid magazine certainly helped my decision to purchase it, as I knew something amusing was within.

On the surface, you have Viviana, a slave, writing about the goings on in Camelot, and all the behind the scenes goings on. And on that level, this is an amusing story.

It's also a satire of how modern popular and political opinion is manufactured, spun, folded, and presented neatly for public consumption. One could make the case that David's Arthur is a certain former President, and Merlin his media strategist, and would probably be correct. In today's world, there are many Arthurs that are guided by Merlins who shape how their boss is presented to the world.

All in all, I really liked the book. Once again, Peter David has written very strong female characters, which I think is his greatest strength as a writer. There are some interesting twists and reworkings of parts of the Arthurian mythos. I don't think these take anything away from the story.

The ending did not go where I expected. Normally, when an author pulls a plot rabbit out of their hat, it's to the story's detriment. Not so here. It actually strengthens the point that facts can be manipulated; winners write the histories, and truths get buried because they aren't convenient.

Read the book, you'll like it.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, does this have a deceptive cover.

The tabloid parody cover image combined with the author, who often indulges in madcap humor and bad puns, led me to expect a comic romp. This is...not that. Deeply cynical, this has more in common with David's bitter Sir Apropos of Nothing, minus the puns. It's pretty much devoid of humor, in fact.

It's a clever enough retread of the rather worn Arthurian legend, though. I particularly liked the complicated relationship between Morgan and Guinevere. Other characters, such as Rowena the cook, are flat into ridiculousness, though. The dialogue see-saws between being too flowery and too modern, and there's some ridiculous anachronisms ranging from attitudes to Arthurian Britain being full of obsessive tea drinkers. And some plot points are never explained, especially the mute's muteness.

But it's entertaining and rolls along well. And turns out to not be quite as cynical as it leads you to believe.

Edited to add: By the way--you should be aware that this is pretty much modern political satire. David's clearly in favor of a certain amount of welfare and against the war in Afghanistan, and this comes through in really anachronistic ways. You've been warned.

[Shiromi Arserio · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Camelot Papers follows Viviana, a young woman sold into slavery and brought to Camelot. As a servant who can read and write, Viviana (at least initially) goes unnoticed by those of rank in the castle, and is thus able to record the “true” events of Arthur Pendragon's rise to power. For those that are familiar with his Knight Life series, this book is not in any way related to that earlier series.

I am a huge fan of Peter David's work from way back when, so I was pretty excited when I learned that he was working on a King Arthur book. Overall, it's an enjoyable read. It still has plenty of the author's trademark humour but I have to say that there was a lot that gave me pause. For one thing, the cover art by JK Woodward was pretty misleading. Yes, there was plenty of humour in the book, and the tongue-in-cheek, National Enquirer-style cover was certainly eyecatching, but it didn't mesh with the tone of the book. It felt as though the artist hadn't actually read the same book that I had read. If anything, the book was far less humourous than David's previous work, and far more political. But I'll get to that in a moment.

Another thing that bothered me a lot was the voice of Viviana. The book is written like a diary, from her point of view. Except, it wasn't until near the end of the book, that I actually began to like her character, and that's not such a great thing when she's your eyes into this world. Part of it is that she's supposed to be a slave. When someone like Arthur addresses her, she's supposed to stay bland and agreeable. And I understand that, I really do. As a slave, her fate is in other people's hands so she doesn't give much thought to anything outside of her own circumstances. But through most of the story, it was as though other characters were seeing things in Viviana that truly I was not. Yes, she could read. Yes, she was occasionally blunt and honest. But it still didn't explain to me why she became so trusted, not just by Arthur but Guinevere and even Merlin.

As I mentioned earlier, this book is far more political than David's previous work. This last complaint is perhaps more my fault than the authors. I had purchased the book with almost no knowledge of it, save that it was about King Arthur. This meant that I missed the part where it said it was political satire. And not just vague ideas, but a good chunk of the book is devoted to political satire. You have Galahad, the mysterious knight who the people of Camelot believe can do no wrong. You have Arthur and his knights going off to fight a war that has no end in site because they can't tell who is a follower of the evil Malegeant and who is not. You have stories of torture. You even have Guinevere proposing that the wealthy are taxed to ease the suffering of the poor. You get the picture. I think a few of these ideas would've made me chuckle. But I found myself feeling a little short changed. I guess, in the end, I wanted a humourous book about King Arthur, and not one that reminds me that no one in Washington seems to know what they're doing.

Not that the book wasn't a fun read. I liked seeing how David handled all of the pieces of the King Arthur legend to create his own story. You could see how some of it was factual, according to Viviana, and how some of it would be warped into legend. He created some interesting characters (with the exception of Viviana) and if this becomes a series, I would certainly pick up more books. Personally, I really want to see more from the trouser-wearing Guinevere and the not-really-a-wizard Merlin.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, after the rather mediocre experience of my last book, I went for what I hoped would be a good literary palette-cleanser, and got it with this fun book that was a heck of a lot more fun than the last book I read by the same author, the Oliver Twist-spinoff Artful.

But first, a note on the cover. I have no idea who designed it, but the implication of the book as some sort of medieval-set tell-all tabloid book, with direct references to a certain Monty Python movie, is inaccurate. This book is not a laugh-out-loud farce. It does contain humor, but much of it more in the way of political satire. If anything, it reminds me of a very light version of Marion Zimmer Bradley's magnum opus The Mists of Avalon, only nowhere near the quality of that book, since this book is meant to be far less serious a discussion of powerful women vying for control of the future of King Arthur's court and the nature of spirituality. Instead, we get a woman narrator, Viviana, a slave for most of the narrative, and her rise from newly-purchased by the court to a free woman in the end of the book. An opening introduction "explains" how a famous (but fictional) historian worked with author Peter David to make some recent discoveries of Viviana's journals easy-to-read by the general public while omitting the less interesting parts. I suspect there's room for a sequel here, especially since the best known story of the Arthurian saga (Guinevere's and Lancelot's unfaithfulness) is no where to be seen. Since I think that particular story has been done to death, I am actually rather glad of this.

As for the book itself, David paints Arthur as a well-meaning, easily directed figure, who I thought was no where near as dumb as everyone around him thought (Arthur would be a fine man today if he can just keep names straight). The real power is held by political advisor (reputed to be a wizard) Merlin, and Arthur's arranged marriage wife Guinevere, a woman who prefers pants to skirts and whose husband suffers politically for her perceived manliness. There's drunken letch Frenchman Lancelot, Guinevere's sister Morgan, their creepy cousin Mordred (if you know the backstory of these last two, don't worry, that stuff is still there), and the promised warrior Galahad.

I've known David's personal politics since he wrote a very pro-choice issue of the Marvel comic The Incredible Hulk, so readers should be aware he doesn't seem to be a fan of a certain relatively recent war in Iraq (other reviewers say Afghanistan, but I think Iraq was the reference point here). Timeliness counts for a lot with satire, so this book may have been better off coming out about five years or so ago, given the way things play out. Otherwise, this book was a good bit of fun.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of King Arthur and Camelot are so well known that another mere retelling seems completely superfluous. Fortunately, Peter David seems to agree, and instead gives us the "true" story, as told through the diaries of Viviana, Guinevere's slave/handmaid. Through her point of view, we see a Camelot that is very different than the traditional version, and yet one that feels very plausible.

In the end, the story is a commentary on how public perception, historical perspective, and the media put their own respective spins on the truth. This makes it, despite its classic roots, a piece very much of our time, when politics and politicians rely as much on how the media presents their actions as much as those actions themselves. And it makes perfect sense to use the story of Camelot as a vehicle for commenting on the events of today, because all the great stories are told and retold in ways that fit the purposes of the storytellers retelling them, and the times in which they are retold.

Peter David has long been one of my favorite authors. He's perhaps best known for his media tie-in work, but I prefer his own, original creations. As the economic forces of the print marketplace seem to be driving publishers to rely on big-name authors and endless duplications of successful formulas, it's great to see him dodging that system altogether and starting his own publishing company with his friends. We might not have seen this book at all if it had to come through a traditional publisher. Fortunately, the growing success of ebook publishing allows us to read something like this, something a little harder to pigeonhole.

To be fair, the cover does seem a bit more outright humorous than the actual book (which is less humorous than some of David's other work). And while the story does come to a conclusion, it definitely feels more like a momentary pause than an ending. However, it's still an entertaining novel, and more thought-provoking that it appears on the surface.

[Phil Giunta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivianna is certainly a rare commodity in the days of Camelot--a literate woman. More, a literate woman sold into slavery by her father. Upon her arrival at Camelot, however, her life as mere chattel begins to take some amazing, compelling, and at times disturbing twists that allow her to rise to the status of the the queen's handmaiden.

Of course, the very fact that she can read and write immediately places her under suspicion from the other slaves, making her pariah even among the lowest class in society. She is quickly isolated and left very much alone, even accused of witchcraft. Along come a young prince and a sagacious apothecary who set Vivianna on a course that will broaden her world and elevate her station in life more than she ever thought possible. All the while, Vivianna chronicles her observations and wild encounters in her journal, revealing the "true" origins of the characters of Arthurian legend from Lancelot to Galahad, from Morgan the Fey and Modred, to Arthur and Guinevere, and of course the wizard himself, Merlin.

To summarize Camelot Papers is to reveal too many spoilers. Peter David presents a truly clever and inspired twist on the legend that we merely think we know so well. Oh, won't you be surprised! Although Camelot Papers is billed as satire, there is no lack of truly dramatic, suspenseful, and moving moments in Vivianna's experiences with the denizens of Camelot, be they servant or nobility. Every rumor is born from the slightest kernel of truth, and some rumors become legend. Peter David takes holds of this concept with the absolute authority and perspicacity of a master storyteller.

[Sylvia Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up Peter David’s The Camelot Papers, I expected a short and humorous tabloid-like book. Imagine my surprise when I realised that it was a journalised narrative of life at Camelot told by the most unexpected character. David provides a believable and enjoyable view of many well-known characters that will keep Arthurian fans hooked. While reading this book, I giggled, laughed out loud, and almost choked on my drink at least twice, so I definitely regretted that it ended.

I rarely laugh so much when reading a book, and I almost never laugh out loud. The Camelot Papers would have been a truly problematic text to read at work, because my co-workers would not have liked so much giggling. This is an intelligent book that gives much more than I initially expected, and David is funny and entertaining throughout. This novel was not only worth my time, but it kept me talking about it everywhere. I loved it.

Read the full review (Jetpack Dragons): http://www.jetpackdragons.com/2014/03...

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received The Camelot Papers in a book bundle and it took me ages to get to it. I was immediately drawn in by the original one of a kind cover but sadly the cover was misleading and nothing that was listed as a scandal was even in the story.

Viviana is a young slave girl who is sold to the castle in Camelot. Resentful of her father for selling her into slavery Viviana has learned how to survive despite the horrible conditions she has had to endure. Hoping for a slightly better life in the castle Viviana attempts to keep her head down and work hard. Through good luck and being in the right place at the right time Viviana becomes hand maiden to the Queen.

While a retelling of the Arthur Legend I did not care for the Camelot Papers, it drug and lacked the humor I hoped it would have. The writing was well done but beyond that I just did not care for the dry story line full of useless details. For me the best part was finally finishing it so I can move on to something else.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to believe my motivation in buying the book was to support the author's recovery from a stroke, but there you have it. Would that I was introduced to this masterpiece in another way, though, because I absolutely adored it. Even without understanding the political satire laced within, the story stands strong on its own as ostensibly yet another Arthurian tale. Viviana as our narrator and literate slave carries us through the day to day workings of the castle through her eyes. Normally I'm a bit suss of journal narrations, but this one is carried out quite well, I think.

My only warning is don't let the cover style lure you into thinking this is something it is not. Whilst there is satire, whilst there is humour, the tone of the narrative is not what you'd expect from the cover.

Still so good. :3

[Cristi DiGenova · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was entertaining, though the cover is definitely misleading as to the style of the book. The book consists of excerpts from the journal a slave girl in Camelot, so doesn't read like a tabloid or newspaper at all.

However, the cover does clue you in that, for whatever reason, the author decided to get into some very thinly veiled 9/11 commentary in the second half of the story. I mean maybe the first half was some other type of commentary on the civil war that I didn't get, but when an assassination attempt in the story was described as "an act of terrorism," which quickly sent the knights of the round table to war in search of "warriors of Malagant's desires," I was a bit distracted. It really destroyed the whole world building effort in an entirely unpleasant way.

So minus one star for grounding me in reality, thanks but no thanks.

[Modi123 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look into an alt-history of er.. well.. the Camelot legend. The story is told from the point of view of a slave's journal in Camelot. Her observation on 'station in life', the interactions of the knights, court intrigue, and ultimately falling up the ranks into better lot in life, but pulled into the suck for aristocratic life. There's quite a bit of allegory on modern politics, women’s rights, discussion on the nature of perception based on where in the heap you are, treatment of those below you in station, use of power, and the like.

I found chapters disheartening at times, but there were many humorous points on where legends start, how history is smoothed over by the victor, and taking charge of perception to shape a better reality.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

These 'found' papers run a bit chaotic and forced, with some coincidences that force the reader outside the world too many times to count.

Viviana is a slave who has had a really educational upbringing but her father sold her into slavery for some reason never fully explained. While she has adopted the survival mindset of a slave, she still had enough spunk to attract the attention of the royalty and ultimately find herself the handmaid of the queen.

Viviana develops nicely throughout the length of the story, but some of the plot devices seem very forced and modern compared with the era that it is depicting. The ending seems quite rushed and abrupt.

Overall, it had enough of a draw that I read it to the end, but enough mediocre bits that I had to give it just 3 stars.

[David Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lot of fun. So glad the journal of Viviana was discovered so that we can get the true version if what happened at Camelot. Writer Peter David gives us a funny and yet serious view of world of Camelot seen through the eye of the slave Viviana. All of the usual suspects are here. There are times where it gets a bit silly, particularly if you've ever read any actual medieval history. It was not meant to be a realistic portrayal. Instead it is a thinly veiled piece of political humor. For me it gets less funny the more political it gets. As I said it's a mostly fun book that is light reading.

[idle · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I must admit that I don't know the legends of King Arthur and Camelot very well, so quite sure there were many details missed on me. Nevertheless the concept is entertaining enough even for people with superficial knowledge of the stories.

On the other hand, when the book presents itself as the "real" history, it would be much more impressive if it actually read as historical fiction, not just another retelling of the legend. Some of the ideas expressed by the characters are much too modern to be believable.

I enjoyed the first half of the book, then it gradually lost its attraction, but ended before getting boring.

[Peter Ravlich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased the ebook as part of a fantasy bundle, and wasn't expecting much, based on the cover art: maybe a slightly amusing parody, at best.

I opened it for a casual browse (after finishing the books I'd bought the bundle for)... and put it down a few hours later, having devoured every word.

Vivid, accessible characters, a great narrative voice and an amazingly fresh treatment of Arthurian myth, the only fault I could ascribe would be in common with all great stories: it ended far too soon.

[***Dave Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the rather garish "cover" and teaser, this is a (relatively) straightforward Camelot tale, told from the perspective of the slave Viviana, inadvertent confidant to the major players (Arthur, Guinevere, Morgan, Mordred, Merlin) of the Arthurian cycle.

Mordantly entertaining, and (with a few not-so-subtle references to modern political affairs) an entertaining and engaging view of Camelot and its denizens.

[Juli Monroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

As several reviewers have mentioned, it's not what you expect from the cover. I was expecting light parody, and it was more dark satire. That said, it was excellent. I can see the parallels to modern politics, and, while that's not ordinarily my thing, I enjoyed it here. I have read many Arthur reinterpretations, and this one was quite different, but I wasn't always sure where David was taking it, and I enjoyed the uncertainty.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short piece of fantasy. It was very balanced. Good background, character development, humor, violence, romance, plot twists, set up for more stories to come. It wasn't as epic (in terms of "goodness" or quality, not length) as some of the books that I've read, but it just felt extremely balanced and, because of that, fun to read.

[Patricia Ferreira · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of fun this book, extremely well humoured and entertaining, telling the story of King Arthur and his court from the point of view of someone who saw all that as absurd and not in the least heroic.

[Spindrift · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading this. I've always been a sucker for anything "Arthurian", and I love how this story has combined the familiarity of the legends with a new point of view and some interesting and often amusing twists on the characters.

I'll be reading more of Peter David's work :D.

[CinnamonHopes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was probably my favorite of the book-bundle.

A bit cheeky, definitely quirky, and a fun twist on the traditional Arthur tale. Who'd have thought Lancelot was afraid of blood, Galahad was a mute, or Arthur was dim-witted?

[Joshua Berman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this take on the authorial legend. Really changing up the usual perfection of the characters to make them human instead of archetypes. The style of the book to be a journal written from a slave's point of view really made the book interesting.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very tongue-in-cheek look at the story of Camelot and King Arthur as told by a slave maiden in the castle. Very funny at times and also very poignant. This exactly what I would expect from the twisted skull of Peter David. Fun read.

[Desiré · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was rather funny. It got a bit long-winded toward the end, but an ok read for leisure. Don't expect much though, it is more the author's attempt to twist everything you thought you know about the Arthurian legend on its head.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know what to expect of this book as I bought it in a Humble Bundle Truly Epic Fantasy Bundle, for the Neil Gaiman short story. But this one, was fantastic. Very different, very interesting characters, very well written. I greatly enjoyed it, and you will too.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of the cover and Peter David's typical style, this book is not a comedy. It's a unique perspective on the typical story.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover is wildly inappropriate. I don't know the Arthurian legends very well, so I'm sure I am missing a lot when reading this. It is acceptable, but uninspiring.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat diverting. A quick read.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not very interesting. I far prefer Marion Zimmer Bradley if I'm going to read alternate Arthurian legend.