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Mordred and the King
It is the sixth century. The classical world is dying, rapidly being replaced by the world of the Christians.
Prince Mordred is the son of Morgan le Fay, the witch-queen devotee of the Great Goddess, who rules Wales. Morgan and her fellow cultists have for years nurtured a plan to regain control of England, the Christian country ruled by Morgan’s brother, King Arthur, and to destroy everything Arthur has built. And Mordred is key to their scheme. But he has plans of his own.
On a hunting trip to the border of Wales, Arthur and his party lose their way and end up in Morgan’s realm. Visiting her castle, Arthur is glimpsed by young Mordred, who falls instantly, hopelessly in love with him. In no time Mordred begins to plan to escape from his mother and join Arthur in England.
But before he can act, his mother carries him off on an odyssey that crosses the breadth of Europe. Everywhere they witness signs of their dying civilization. Finally they arrive at ancient Colchis, center of the Goddess’ cult, where Mordred encounters a mystical age-old evil that changes him forever.
Newly empowered by his experience, Mordred escapes from his mother and makes his way across the continent, to England and Arthur. Arthur welcomes him warmly to Camelot, and a tender, loving relationship soon blossoms between them. But there is opposition to their love. Mordred is Morgan le Fay’s son, after all, which raises suspicions that he is a spy or an assassin in waiting.
Arthur is compelled to go to war against his estranged wife Guinevere, who is in France with her lover Lancelot. While he is off making war, Morgan appears at Camelot to make one last bid to recruit Mordred back to her side, urging him to kill Arthur and seize the throne of England. But Mordred rebuffs her still again.
So Morgan musters her forces and prepares for all-out war against Arthur and his Christian knights. And its final outcome is anyone’s guess.
Rich in historical detail and epic in its chronicle of the worlds of Arthur, including those of his romantic and sexual desires, Mordred and the King is a sweeping journey through a retelling of the ancient legend.
Prince Mordred is the son of Morgan le Fay, the witch-queen devotee of the Great Goddess, who rules Wales. Morgan and her fellow cultists have for years nurtured a plan to regain control of England, the Christian country ruled by Morgan’s brother, King Arthur, and to destroy everything Arthur has built. And Mordred is key to their scheme. But he has plans of his own.
On a hunting trip to the border of Wales, Arthur and his party lose their way and end up in Morgan’s realm. Visiting her castle, Arthur is glimpsed by young Mordred, who falls instantly, hopelessly in love with him. In no time Mordred begins to plan to escape from his mother and join Arthur in England.
But before he can act, his mother carries him off on an odyssey that crosses the breadth of Europe. Everywhere they witness signs of their dying civilization. Finally they arrive at ancient Colchis, center of the Goddess’ cult, where Mordred encounters a mystical age-old evil that changes him forever.
Newly empowered by his experience, Mordred escapes from his mother and makes his way across the continent, to England and Arthur. Arthur welcomes him warmly to Camelot, and a tender, loving relationship soon blossoms between them. But there is opposition to their love. Mordred is Morgan le Fay’s son, after all, which raises suspicions that he is a spy or an assassin in waiting.
Arthur is compelled to go to war against his estranged wife Guinevere, who is in France with her lover Lancelot. While he is off making war, Morgan appears at Camelot to make one last bid to recruit Mordred back to her side, urging him to kill Arthur and seize the throne of England. But Mordred rebuffs her still again.
So Morgan musters her forces and prepares for all-out war against Arthur and his Christian knights. And its final outcome is anyone’s guess.
Rich in historical detail and epic in its chronicle of the worlds of Arthur, including those of his romantic and sexual desires, Mordred and the King is a sweeping journey through a retelling of the ancient legend.
370 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2013
454 people want to read
About the author
John Michael Curlovich
7 books22 followersAlso writes under pseudonyms: Michael Paine and J.M.C. Blair.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 2, 2014
As someone who loves Arthurian legend, requesting this book from Netgalley was a no-brainer. After reading, I had to mull over this review for a while, because I wasn't quite sure how to rate this or how to put my thoughts into words.
The author did his research, that much was clear. The Arthurian legends are alive and well in this book, as far as the important characters are concerned. Arthur, Morgan le Fay, how Mordred came to be, the widening gulf between the old faith and the Christians, the landscapes - all of it was the way I remembered it from my previous reads of books based on Arthurian legends.
And this author included additional information, such as the travels Morgan undertakes while dragging Mordred with her, and the education he receives at the hands of Geoffrey, his tutor.
I'd have to do more research of my own to verify if India was known to the people in England and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean during the ending of the 5th century A.D., because that seemed a little far-fetched (wasn't it Marco Polo who first traveled that far East?), and if the travels undertaken by Morgan would have been possible for a female, even if the boat hugged the coast lines. There is no mention being made of other wars going on during this time, and they don't seem to encounter any other warring armies. Again, possibly a little historically inaccurate, as Rome had already fallen at that point, and the Vandals, Goths and Franks (and others) were warring with each other, if my history lessons don't fail me.
I liked the inclusion of the legend of the Hydra, and the effects of the bites. The author also did a great job delving into the suspicious mindsets of the bishop and his underlings, and the gradual but unstoppable spread of Christianity which wipes out most, if not all, of the old religions and casts Arthur as a tragic hero caught between what he promised to do to gain the throne and what he must do to keep it.
Mordred, from whose POV the entire book is told, comes across as a whiny, naive and foolish boy, who hates his mother and wants nothing more than to escape her clutches. There is very little growth for him in this book, and very little initiative to change his situation. It's almost as if he allows these things to happen to him, instead of growing into manhood and taking charge of his own destiny. He sounds like pathetic a lot of the time, not like a man who during that age would have been trained to fight and expected to perform and act like a man. This is possibly due to his upbringing at Morgan's court, and could thus be excused. Still, I felt nothing for him, nothing at all, because he let everything happen to him. He just took it. There are instances of defiance, but they are short and fleeting, and it's only because of Geoffrey that Mordred eventually escapes his mother's clutches, if only for a time.
If you are familiar with Arthurian legend, a lot of the happenings in this book will come as no surprise, though I was pleased to see that the author has chosen to interpret them slightly different on most occasions.
The sexual encounters are somewhat glossed over, and there is no explicit language used for any of the encounters.
It was an interesting read, definitely, albeit one that seemed to drag on occasion. The inclusion of the old religion's mysteries was nice, and I appreciated that the author chose to cast Mordred in a very different role than the one he's usually given. Even though the sexual relationship between an uncle and his nephew is perhaps a little squicky for some readers, especially considering what we find out later (again, no surprise to me), it allowed the story to unfold in a different way, even if it met the same tragic ending.
The writing style suited the story extremely well. It was sweepingly descriptive, and on many occasions I felt as if I was right there in the thick of things.
This is the author's debut novel. At the time of review, this appeared to be the only book listed for this author.
I look forward to more from him.
I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return.
The author did his research, that much was clear. The Arthurian legends are alive and well in this book, as far as the important characters are concerned. Arthur, Morgan le Fay, how Mordred came to be, the widening gulf between the old faith and the Christians, the landscapes - all of it was the way I remembered it from my previous reads of books based on Arthurian legends.
And this author included additional information, such as the travels Morgan undertakes while dragging Mordred with her, and the education he receives at the hands of Geoffrey, his tutor.
I'd have to do more research of my own to verify if India was known to the people in England and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean during the ending of the 5th century A.D., because that seemed a little far-fetched (wasn't it Marco Polo who first traveled that far East?), and if the travels undertaken by Morgan would have been possible for a female, even if the boat hugged the coast lines. There is no mention being made of other wars going on during this time, and they don't seem to encounter any other warring armies. Again, possibly a little historically inaccurate, as Rome had already fallen at that point, and the Vandals, Goths and Franks (and others) were warring with each other, if my history lessons don't fail me.
I liked the inclusion of the legend of the Hydra, and the effects of the bites. The author also did a great job delving into the suspicious mindsets of the bishop and his underlings, and the gradual but unstoppable spread of Christianity which wipes out most, if not all, of the old religions and casts Arthur as a tragic hero caught between what he promised to do to gain the throne and what he must do to keep it.
Mordred, from whose POV the entire book is told, comes across as a whiny, naive and foolish boy, who hates his mother and wants nothing more than to escape her clutches. There is very little growth for him in this book, and very little initiative to change his situation. It's almost as if he allows these things to happen to him, instead of growing into manhood and taking charge of his own destiny. He sounds like pathetic a lot of the time, not like a man who during that age would have been trained to fight and expected to perform and act like a man. This is possibly due to his upbringing at Morgan's court, and could thus be excused. Still, I felt nothing for him, nothing at all, because he let everything happen to him. He just took it. There are instances of defiance, but they are short and fleeting, and it's only because of Geoffrey that Mordred eventually escapes his mother's clutches, if only for a time.
If you are familiar with Arthurian legend, a lot of the happenings in this book will come as no surprise, though I was pleased to see that the author has chosen to interpret them slightly different on most occasions.
The sexual encounters are somewhat glossed over, and there is no explicit language used for any of the encounters.
It was an interesting read, definitely, albeit one that seemed to drag on occasion. The inclusion of the old religion's mysteries was nice, and I appreciated that the author chose to cast Mordred in a very different role than the one he's usually given. Even though the sexual relationship between an uncle and his nephew is perhaps a little squicky for some readers, especially considering what we find out later (again, no surprise to me), it allowed the story to unfold in a different way, even if it met the same tragic ending.
The writing style suited the story extremely well. It was sweepingly descriptive, and on many occasions I felt as if I was right there in the thick of things.
I look forward to more from him.
I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return.
August 3, 2013
I encountered John Michael Curlovich while I was in college. My library had his books The Blood of Kings and Blood Prophet, and I devoured them, went out and bought them, and devoured them again. I bought them for friends as gifts. Those books made me obsessed with uncovering every hidden LGBT person in history. But sadly, aside from a small anthology in which one of his stories is published, I could not find any more from this author.
Until now.
This book is told from Mordred's point of view. After a chance encounter with King Arthur, he becomes obsessed with him. His mother, Morgan le Fay, wants him to betray the king and become the champion for the old ways, which are dying. After a journey that takes him through half of the world and helps him discover who he is, Mordred finally finds himself by Arthur's side.
I've read a lot of books on King Arthur, his Knights, Merlin, the round table, Mordred, etc. I've seen movies about all of those things. Mordred is perhaps one of my favorite characters and I enjoyed this fresh perspective with him. While Guinevere (however you choose to spell it) is often portrayed sympathetically, and other times as a woman caught between her passions, in this book the author doesn't play around with the innocent, torn woman. No. Here she schemes and is just as ruthless as Morgan le Fay.
I loved it. I loved the female knight, Britomart, and I loved Mordred's tutor Geoffrey. He was such a great companion to Mordred, helping him learn through books and experience. Their travels through Asia Minor were fascinating, too, because so often when reading Arthurian legend, the lands are strictly the United Kingdom. However so many other places and legends are mentioned. The Greek play a huge role, and Mordred even stands on the ancient land of Troy and mourns Achilles and Patroclus.
This is yet another brilliant book by John Michael Curlovich. I just hope his next one doesn't take another ten years to be released!
As a side note, I must say there are a lot of errors in editing in this book, which was frustrating. I found this common in his other books as well, and though distracting and irritating, the story was good enough to get the full five stars from me.
Until now.
This book is told from Mordred's point of view. After a chance encounter with King Arthur, he becomes obsessed with him. His mother, Morgan le Fay, wants him to betray the king and become the champion for the old ways, which are dying. After a journey that takes him through half of the world and helps him discover who he is, Mordred finally finds himself by Arthur's side.
I've read a lot of books on King Arthur, his Knights, Merlin, the round table, Mordred, etc. I've seen movies about all of those things. Mordred is perhaps one of my favorite characters and I enjoyed this fresh perspective with him. While Guinevere (however you choose to spell it) is often portrayed sympathetically, and other times as a woman caught between her passions, in this book the author doesn't play around with the innocent, torn woman. No. Here she schemes and is just as ruthless as Morgan le Fay.
I loved it. I loved the female knight, Britomart, and I loved Mordred's tutor Geoffrey. He was such a great companion to Mordred, helping him learn through books and experience. Their travels through Asia Minor were fascinating, too, because so often when reading Arthurian legend, the lands are strictly the United Kingdom. However so many other places and legends are mentioned. The Greek play a huge role, and Mordred even stands on the ancient land of Troy and mourns Achilles and Patroclus.
This is yet another brilliant book by John Michael Curlovich. I just hope his next one doesn't take another ten years to be released!
As a side note, I must say there are a lot of errors in editing in this book, which was frustrating. I found this common in his other books as well, and though distracting and irritating, the story was good enough to get the full five stars from me.
May 27, 2018
This is a novel about Mordred, the son of the powerful Morgana, sister of King Arthur, and his love for Arthur himself. Morgana tries to keep him away from this forbidden love, also because she has plans for him, but of course, she can't stop Arthur and Mordred from loving each others even if they are nephew and uncle.
This is an okay book, but I did have a lot of problems with it and I will divide them in these subcategories. Part 2 and 3 will be under spoilers:
1- Dialogue;
2- The plot;
3- The final twist.
1- The dialogue. My main issue with this book is how the dialogue is written. The dialogues goes on and on without progressing the plot, with characters asking questions that are never answered and have no consequence. The characters all speak like they are pretending to be so mystical and mysterious, but, in reality, they have nothing to say.
This results in Mordred seeming both absolutely passive and confused, which, honestly, if everyone talks to him this way I understand why he is confused.
About what I did like, I enjoyed Brit and the fact that there is a woman as a knight in the story. I enjoyed how Mordred tries to use classic writings to justify and defend his love, I enjoyed Gildas (as he is not usually in arthurian books) and I generally enjoyed the ending and I really loved Guinevere even if she was too little in this book.
This is an okay book, but I did have a lot of problems with it and I will divide them in these subcategories. Part 2 and 3 will be under spoilers:
1- Dialogue;
2- The plot;
3- The final twist.
1- The dialogue. My main issue with this book is how the dialogue is written. The dialogues goes on and on without progressing the plot, with characters asking questions that are never answered and have no consequence. The characters all speak like they are pretending to be so mystical and mysterious, but, in reality, they have nothing to say.
This results in Mordred seeming both absolutely passive and confused, which, honestly, if everyone talks to him this way I understand why he is confused.
About what I did like, I enjoyed Brit and the fact that there is a woman as a knight in the story. I enjoyed how Mordred tries to use classic writings to justify and defend his love, I enjoyed Gildas (as he is not usually in arthurian books) and I generally enjoyed the ending and I really loved Guinevere even if she was too little in this book.
May 6, 2014
Curlovich always writes well, and this is no exception. The magical realm of Arthur and his knights comes alive, and Mordred has never been so appealing. Yet there is a darkness here. A deep darkness that you must explore along with the characters.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews