Herself

Morgan Le Fay #5

by Fay Sampson

'I am Morgan the Fay. The wicked witch, the embodiment of evil. And yet. I am the queen who takes Arthur in my arms for healing. Some editing of the story will clearly be necessary.' Morgan stands by Dozmary Pool after the Battle of Camlann, pleading with the dying Arthur to trust her. Only she can heal him. Is her price too high? As she retraces the bitterness and misunderstanding between them, she throws new light on the tales which the first four narrators have told. But that's not all. There have been countless other versions of her story, from prehistoric myths to contemporary novels. With scornful irony Morgan show us how their authors have changed her from a wise and healing ruler to a malignant sorceress and derided temptress. Can Arthur see the truth in time?

Genres: Arthurian, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

292 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 1992

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

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A majestic and profoundly human reclamation of myth. Fay Sampson’s Morgan Le Fay series is not merely a retelling, but a long overdue restoration. Through five exquisite volumes, Sampson masterfully weaves a tapestry of voices, nuns, smiths, bards around the luminous, complex heart of Morgan herself. This is the story of a healer, a queen, and a wise woman systematically re cast as a villain by history’s victors. The prose is hauntingly beautiful, the psychological depth immense, and the culmination in Herself is nothing short of a literary triumph. For anyone who has ever questioned the stories we’ve been told, this series is essential, transformative reading. A masterpiece of historical fantasy.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has been a mixed bag. As the first two books are something of a slog, I'd hesitate to recommend the series as a whole if it weren't for how this last book does something really interesting. It's made up of alternating chapters, a retelling of the 4 previous stories from Morgan's perspective interspersed with short analyses of the origin of the character of Morgan in myth and fiction - also written in the voice of Morgan.

So, for aficionados of Arthurian fiction - it's probably worth a go. Be aware though that throughout there are a lot of sexual themes including in this last book some quite sensual discussion of incest.

[Jordan West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading for an english course, and enjoyed far more than was expecting; a poetic, poignant, perceptively self-referential revision of the Arthurian saga, and an excellent counterpoint to the likes of Mallory.