Wise Woman's Telling

Morgan Le Fay #1

by Fay Sampson

Morgan le Fay is the neglected daughter of the Duke of Cornwall and his beautiful wife Ygerne. Her childhood is tragically altered when King Uther Pendragon sets eyes on her mother. He kills her adored father. By Merlyn's magic, he enters the convent of Tintagel and tricks Ygerne into giving him a child. Morgan's upbringing, and that of her sisters, is in the hands of their nurse. Gwennol is a wise woman, who teaches them her craft. But she soon realises that Morgan will become far more powerful in magic than herself. How will Morgan react when the baby Arthur is born?

Genres: Arthurian, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Fay Sampson graduated in Mathematics, and trained as a teacher. Combining teaching with writing, Fay's children's books were frequently featured in 'Children's Books of the Year'. When she became a full-time writer, she turned to writing novels for adults, based on history and legend. She now lives with her husband in a Tudor cottage in mid-Devon.

Reviews

[Elin Nilsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for school. Tbh I wasn’t a big fan of the narration, but it’s going to be interesting discussing it in class at least.

[Evilynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've got a softspot a mile wide for anything Arthurian, especially if it's told from the perspective of the women around him, but this wasn't exactly the best written book I've come across. It seemed like there was a waily waily we should've known right then declaration in every chapter, and I've never been fond of an overly recollecting style of narrative. I'm not sure if I'll bother to hunt down the other 4 books in the series. Mostly I just feel like rereading The Mists of Avalon.

[Elise · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was the worst thing we ever did when we forgot Morgan.

This book had so many promises, so many. I thought it would be an epic tale about Morgan and Arthur as children, instead it was a long winded story about Uther and Ygerne and Arthur's birth (which happens in the last three/four chapters). It's rather boring and didn't keep me very interested.

I don't plan on continuing this series.

[Tracey Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy and quick read.

[Thalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty good rendering of the legend so far although a bit slow. The writing is quality although it doesn't stray to far from what you'd expect. I was admittedly a little annoyed by the constant refrain of "but no one remembered Morgan" and that they would pay for that mistake. I shall seek out the next volume though at a later date to see if it can improve...

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique look at an intriguing character. I love Morgan and I love stories that portray her in a light different than what was shown in Le Morte d'Arthur . This one seems to be following in that direction but the storytelling is vastly different. I am interested to see where this story is headed.

[Alyssa Greatbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading stories about Morgan le Fay, and I really enjoyed this book. It really goes in depth into the characters more than others I have read, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting, quick read... loved the character of gwennol and i wanted to strangle Uther, no sympathy for him

good book, couldn't see myself reading it again though