Corbenic

by Catherine Fisher

It starts when Cal gets off the train at the wrong stop in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere. He's stranded. Following a muddy path leads him to a castle that appears to be deserted. But inside is Corbenic, a magnificent hotel filled with rich people preparing for a banquet and Cal is their guest of honor. During the meal, he experiences a disturbing vision, but when he is asked to talk about what he has seen, he denies it. What if he's becoming crazy, like his mother? When Cal wakes the next morning, the elegant castle turns out to be nothing more than an abandoned ruin. But something inside him has changed he now knows he needs to right the wrongs in his life. It will be a difficult journey, and if Cal achieves his goal, it will not be without cost. The first step he must return to Corbenic.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Arthurian, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Teen, Mythology

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 4, 2002

About the author

Catherine Fisher was born in Newport, Wales. She graduated from the University of Wales with a degree in English and a fascination for myth and history. She has worked in education and archaeology and as a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glamorgan. She is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy.

Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.

Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.

Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.

The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.

Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think there are many books that rework the Grail story into a modern setting. At least, I don't remember reading any. Fisher's take simply moves the action to the present day, leaving many aspects of the Grail legend intact. The largest part of the book revolves around main character Cal denying the call to the Grail quest, and to his alcoholic mother. Here's the thing: I really disliked Cal from the first chapter onwards. He's shallow, self-absorbed, tactless, and cold. I get why he's written that way. The sort of person who would turn away from the Grail isn't going to have a warm personality. And his background could logically lead to a person like he's become. But that doesn't make him any more likeable. It's to Fisher's credit that I actually finished the book, instead of ditching it after a few chapters of Cal.

I think this is the first thing that I've ever read by Fisher. She's definitely a talented writer. It looks like she knows the legends she's drawing on quite well, and understands them. Her characters are, if not likeable, at least fully developed and realistic. She isn't afraid to introduce ambiguity into her narrative. But I just couldn't get attached enough to Cal to really care what happens to him. This is one of those books that's written well enough, but simply isn't for me.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catherine Fisher has a catalogue of fantasy fiction that explores Greek, Egyptian, Norse and Celtic mythology in just the half dozen or so volumes I've read, so it comes as no surprise to find that Corbenic turns out to be her contribution to Arthurian fantasy. The Grail Quest is tackled in a way reminiscent of The Owl Service's approach to the story of Blodauwedd: A teenager escaping from a life of poverty and early responsibility, looking after her alcoholic and possibly psychotic mother, finds himself getting off the train to freedom at the wrong station, Corbenic.
The next day, after a night of visions, he returns to his familiar Wales, but finds it impossible to just ignore his time in a place he cannot find on a map - and is drawn reluctantly into a quest to heal himself and the Waste Land.
Another high quality work from Fisher, though not perhaps at her absolute best, has added resonance for me as it is set in Wales, with a brief interlude in Bath - places I love and know well. The train journey from Bangor to Newport is also familiar to me and I can assure the less familiar reader that there is no Corbenic Station on the line.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book completely swept me away. I was very moved by it. It's the third book I've read by Catherine Fisher, after "Darkhenge" and "Incarceron" and I think it might just be my favorite. Fisher deftly retells the Grail legend in a contemporary setting and the results are incredible and unforgettable. I love how she uses mythology in such an ambiguous, startlingly original way through symbolism and dream-like apparitions throughout the story. I know I'll have to check out all of her other books now. Highly, highly recommended.

[Alliebear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreamlike and surreal, this is a novel about the dark tragedy of life and a young man's struggle to overcome it. It is a modern day search for the legendary Grail, but as we all know, that Grail can be nearly anything we want it to be... or don't want it to be. Cal is a very likable main character, one that I fell in love with when I first read it a few years ago. I remember this as a journey for the reader as much as the character, and read it several times since out of pure enjoyment and entrancement. There is much mystery to behold here.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely entering the Favorite Books Pantheon, oh my God. I feel like I can't even really talk about it; it's just such a lovingly crafted homage to Arthurian legend by someone who clearly knows a LOT about it. It does for Arthurian legend what I feel If We Were Villains did for Shakespearean tragedy, what The Song of Achilles did for The Iliad. Even as a total newbie on the Arthurian scene, Fisher's passion comes through so strong and this story is so gripping that you come out of it like "I have to learn everything about this right now." Just a total thrill to read.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read this for a while. I did start it, and then I stopped, and didn't get back to it until today. But it's a quick read, really: I think it took me less than an hour, altogether. It's a reworking of the story of Percival, in a modern setting, where you're never quite sure whether it's all delusion or reality -- or some weird mix of the two. It poses more questions than it answers, and I'm not entirely sure I liked it. But I definitely found it interesting.

I wouldn't say that you should read it for amazing characters -- I found most of them bland -- or for stunning drama or whatever, but if you're interested in reworkings of Arthurian stories, and especially of grail stories, then this is worth picking up.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new look at the classic story of the grail! Very good, different from what I remember it being though. Inside the classic story of Perceval searching and finding the Holy Grail is the story of a boy who doesn't want to have to forced back to the place of hurt he managed to escape from.
But in the end, it took longer and much more agony than needed to complete the quest than it should have. Running away made his journey eat him inside out, before claiming every available ounce of life from him. In the end, we are all running from our own quests.

[Elentarri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have yet to find a Fisher King mythology retelling that I like. This one is not particularly appealing to me either. I kept wishing for the snotty kid main character to do something fatal.

[Aelvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cal is running away. Away from his drunk mother, away from the responsibility of caring for her, away from the dead-end life that's all she can offer. Then he finds the castle. And one night of mystery and mistakes will leave him uncertain where to draw the boundary between what's real and what's not. Is he going crazy like his mother? Or is there perhaps something more?

This is a layered book with a lot of facets. On one side, it's a very good look at an ordinary young man who desperately wants to make it in the real world, and keeps falling headlong into surreal experiences that force him to question what "real world" he's expecting to inhabit. Or from another angle, it's a young man bitter and angry at his mother who wrestles his way through what her alcoholism has done to him and his relationship with her as a result.

I liked the way the magical stuff was always just enough out there that it's easy to see why Cal wonders if he's just going insane. But he can't stop his involvement, and the hints of his destiny come in both the quotes heading up each chapter and the story itself. I also liked how Cal's struggles were generally shown and not explained, like his obsession with keeping things neat and in order. He's had to be so responsible for everything thanks to his mom that it bleeds out even in his rebellion.

The literary angle made what happens with his mom a bit predictable, although I was happy the book as a whole went for an uplifting ending. And that it didn't cheap out on the magic being real. It's still not provable in a way that would cause anyone to believe, but it's there.

The only thing I didn't care for as much was more a personal peeve. The story isn't too hard on his mom, who has understandable reasons for drinking, though it certainly doesn't shy away from showing the disastrous effects of her behavior. But she never takes responsibility for the bad, just apologizes for it. So yes, I do think she's at fault for a lot of this, and she gets out of having to actually deal with that. So that was frustrating.

Overall this was a good read. The story works on a couple of levels, from a retelling of Percival's quest to a modern kid struggling to get free of his mom's horrible choices. I rate this book Recommended.

See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I keep reading Catherine Fisher. I can't understand any of her books. This is such a confusing story - Is Cal crazy, is he not? What was special about him? Why does he have to go on this quest again? Why was his mother that way? Who exactly are the Company? What happens to Trevor and Therese or Shadow? Too many questions, not enough answers.
I finished the book and literally went, "Huh?"

[Rachel W · Rating 1 out of 5]

WTF was wrong with this book? I mean, really. I could not understand what the hell was going on. Cal was either psychotic or high or dreaming the majority of the time and you couldn't tell what was real and what was in his head. It was so freaking confusing and I didn't get the plot or the characters. Epic fail.

[Petra Be · Rating 4 out of 5]

The old Holy Grail story set in the present. A young man, Cal,is trying to figure out who he is, what he wants and most importantly to find his peace of mind after a hard childhood with a mother who drank too much to silence the voices in her head.

[Atlantisli · Rating 4 out of 5]

neee erken 2000'lerde yazılmış fantastik kitap mı? Bir günde YEDİM hem de hapur hupurr.

Bu kitap hayatıma bi 10 yıl kattı, o kadar nostaljik hissettirdi ki bana sanki 2007'miş ve ben harry potter okumaya yeni başlamışım, sanki D&R'dan kitap sipariş etmeyi yeni öğrenmişim, sanki fantastik edebiyatı yeni keşfetmişim de okumak için açlık çekiyormuşum.. Bunları açmadan önce yazar Catherine Fisher ile bir anımdan bahsetmek istiyorum, kitap yorumunu okumak isteyen direkt 3. paragrafa atlayabilir.

Catherine Fisher ortaokulda okumayı çok sevdiğim bir yazardı, o zamanlar Pegasus sadece Incarceron ve Kahin serisini çevirdiği için yazarın diğer kitaplarını okuyamamıştım ve kendisine mail atıp bana kitap yollayabilir mi diye rica etmiştim, sağolsun aşırı kötü ingilizceyle yazılmış emailime cevap verip bana imzalı kitap yollamıştı T-T Ama benim o zaman ingilizcem pek iyi olmadığı için o kitabı, Snow walker, hiç okuyamadım... Geçen gün bu olay üstüne düşünürken, yine içime Catherine Fisher okuma isteği zuhur etti ve bu kitabı buldum.

Corbenic, Kral Artur ve Kutsal Kase (Holy Grail) efsanesinin yeniden anlatımı (re-telling) bir kitap. Ben bunu bilmeden başlamıştım sonra isimlerden anladım, Merlin ve Arthur, yoksa ne bu efsaneden ne de genel olarak Camelot/Kral Arthur mitolojisi hakkında bilgim var. Bence bu kitaptan aldığım zevki daha çok arttırdı çünkü ne olacağı hakkında hiçbir fikrim yoktu.

Kitap tam bir yolculuk kitabı; baş karakter Cal'in yolculuğunu okuyorsunuz. Cal'in evden uzakta olmak istediği için çektiği suçluluk o kadar iyi yansıtılmış ki böyle ne annesine ne cal'e kızabiliyorsunuz :'(( çok üzüldüm, Cal'e sarılmak ve sırtına pat pat etmek istiyorum.. Bence kitap çocuk kitabı kategorisi için şaşırtıcı şekilde ağır temalar içeriyor (sarhoş anne, i*tihara teşebbüs, self-harm vs) bunların da çok iyi kotarıldığını düşünüyorum. Kitap ilk sayfadan çekiyor sizi zaten, sürükleyici ve tempo hiç düşmüyor. Çok keyifli bir okuma oldu benim için. Hem Kral Arthur/Kutsal Kase efsanesiyle tanıştım hem de yağmurlu havada cozy bir kitap okumuş oldum.

Bi de kitap 2002'de yazıldığı için atmosfer olarak beni çok tatmin etti; karakter telefon bulmak için saatlerce yürüyor, kütüphaneye gidip harita print ediyor, walkmani için CD alıyor, espresso'nun 1.30 pound olmasını pahalı buluyor :''')) bunları çok nostaljik buldum. Bayadır fanstastik kitap okumamıştım, yeni yazılan fantastik kitaplar aşırı KURGU hissettiriyor, alın friends to enemies, alın şu konu bu konu diye baya tematik hissettiriyor ama bu kitap zorlamalardan uzak, çok doğal bir şekilde yazılmış, bana okuma alışkanlığını kazandıran early-mid 2000'ler fantastik kitaplarından biriydi. Bu hissi çok özlemişim.

Bence vaktiniz varsa ve çocukluğumuzdaki fantastik kitap havasını özlediyseniz kesinlikle şans verin :)

[Frodo Baggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book and read up to the point where Cal had entered Corbenic and woke the next day. Then I put the book aside because my library app had another book I’d been waiting for and was hot to read. I had liked Corbenic up to this point and finally got back to it. From then on the book gradually went down hill. Cal was really a very unlikeable anti-hero. But I read on sympathizing that he had his reasons. Other characters were introduced but none that I really cared about. The role playing re-enactment players went on and on and didn’t really go anywhere. Finally determined to journey back to Corbenic, I couldn’t tell if Cal was dreaming, hallucinating or if really entering a magical realm. I can’t say I hated this book, it did have some concepts and characters that I almost warmed up to. Some peeps loved it and some hated it. It had just enough in it for me to finish and be glad I was done.

[Kes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the way the relationship between son and mother is dealt with - the son's completely reasonable fear that the mother will relapse, the mother's efforts to try. It rings true to me. And the mother's death towards the end - that unfulfilled grief... That conversation with his mother:

"Did you think it was an accident?" she said quietly.

"I don't know. Was it?"

She didn't answer. Then she said, "All our lives, minute by minute, lead to what we are." She looked around and laughed, that rare silvery laugh he had not heard for years. "I used to be scared of the dark. But this isn't so bad. Not with a few decent curtains."

I didn't really get the mythological bits, to be honest, but I enjoyed the characters - how messed up Cal and Trevor are. They have depth.

[P.A. Pursley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I truly am unsure where or why I purchased this book. After I started reading it I realized why...it has a tie into King Arthur...but it didn't go where I expected it to go. The story had great potential but I feel that it fell short of my expectations.

This is the story of Cal who gets off at the wrong stop from the bus and ends up finding Corbenic, a place that is difficult to find unless you really want to find it. He denies his find but realizes his mistake possibly too late. Cal will spend unknown amounts of time trying to find his way back to Corbenic to right what he has wronged.

If you enjoy stories of King Arthur, sword fighting, family struggles, and forgiveness...this book is for you.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) Cal is on his way to a job, courtesy of his uncle. He has to leave behind his mother, who has a mental illness and struggles with life. On his way by train, he accidentally gets off at the wrong stop, and finds himself stuck for the evening. He finds his way to a lone hotel, and is stunned by the people there, preparing for a banquet. There, he turns down the offer that his made to him, disappointing those attending, and in the morning awakes in a ruin. Cal returns to his life, but is haunted by his choices and the sword given to him. He falls in wit a group of medieval reenactors and begins to wonder what is real and what is imagined and if he can redeem himself. This is a compelling and at times, dark retelling of the Grail myth.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

As one who has written on the Grail legend, I enjoyed the way Catherine Fisher (the Fisher Queen?) worked with its many strands: the castle, the curse, Percival and Kai, Shadow, Hawk and so much more. The magical realism was, well, magical. However, along with other readers, I found Cal unsympathetic. In the legend, Percival kills his mother out of thoughtless enthusiasm; here, Cal kills his mother with contempt. He lies too often and not well. I would have preferred a Cal more like his original. Also, I realize that this is a secular age, but for the greatest of Christian myths, the religious symbolism felt pretty thin.

Still, the book is a quick, colorful read, and I recommend it.

[J.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, quick read that can be read multiple ways. Some of it felt bland and other times clunky, but I enjoyed the writing most of the time and I thought it was an interesting take on the Grail legend.

My wife told me to read the book, as it is one of her favorites, and so read it I did. It’s not really my cup of tea, but I was still able to enjoy my experience of reading it.

I wish there was more about the Grail here, the book assumes you are overtly familiar with the legend. And the character motivations are a bit vague, however the relationship between Cal and his mother was a major emotional strength for the story, mostly due to the fact that it was the only one.

[Eric Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Corbenic and would have liked if it was a little longer. I'm not really familiar with the legend it's based on, beyond a passing knowledge, so all I can say, is I like how the story is told. Only, if you do decide to read it, I personally found there are some uncomfortable topics to deal with in the story. It felt like there were some elements of emotional blackmail, survivors guilt and a weird sort of blame that flipped the guilt awkwardly, a forced acceptance than a forgiveness, although that is just my interpretation here. Worth reading otherwise. Would recommend it.

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit difficult to follow; the main character’s mind is all over the place, but it fits the struggles he’s facing. About forgiving, both yourself and others, and about deciding what kind of person you want to be. This isn’t my normal genre, but it had some sharp emotional scenes that made me cry, so I give it 4 stars instead of 3.

[Maz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shaped me as a teenager, I've read it hundreds of times. As a young person with a difficult relationship to a parent, it tells that in a super sympathetic way. Anyone with a hard past understands the dream of being pulled into another world. I love this book and am so grateful for it.

[Debby Kean · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's absolutely wonderful! I know very little about the Grail legends, but this book doesn't require that I do. Utterly superb!

[Kristin Lundgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a modern re-telling of The Fisher King, and Parsifal. Cal, running away from his drunken schizophrenic mother, is on his way to his uncle's house where his uncle has grudgingly offered him a trial job in his accountancy firm, and he gets to take a course at the university one day a week, as well as a place to stay. But he gets off the train at the wrong stop, in the dark and fog, and finds himself at Corbenic, but there is nothing there. He decides to wait for a later train, but realizes that one may not be coming until morning and it's cold and drizzling. So he makes his way up and overgrown path, brushing his way past brambles, until he hears voices and sees a light. It is two fishermen on a river, one of whom directs him to a hotel up the road, and tells him to say that he sent him. So Cal forces his way up the path, and finds a broken down sign for the inn/castle, and goes inside. Inside, there is light, warmth, and it's beautiful to him. Someone greets him, and leads him upstairs to a wonderful bedchamber, and tells him there is no charge, since he is their guest. Cautious, but low on funds, he decides to stay. The bell rings for supper, and from out of the rooms around him come men and women dressed in fabulous evening clothes, on their way to a banquet. Once there, he is told that the Fisher King wants him to sit at the head table. Feeling decidedly out of place in his cheap new clothes, he goes to the table, where he finds "Bron," the Fisher King, is one of the fishermen he met earlier in the boat. He eats course after course of delicious food, and as the banquet progresses, suddenly the others fade out, and from a door behind the table he is seated at, comes a procession: a boy carrying a spear that bleeds from the tip, then two more boys carrying candlesticks, and finally, as a cold wind blows through him, and pain comes agonizingly, just as his mother has described her visions, comes a blonde girl in a green gown, carrying a large jeweled, but dented old cup. A light shines from the Grail cup, and then the procession moves on into a doorway that wasn't there before, and afterwards disappears. The Fisher King asks him to say what he saw, to ask him what it means, but Cal, afraid that he is becoming a victim to the same mental disease of his mother, and scared by what he has seen, says he saw nothing. The Fisher King bows from pain, and Cal, unsure of himself now, quickly leaves for bed, with the Fisher King saying it will be a long journey. When he awakens the next morning, the castle is not the same. It is an old ruin, and gone are the people, the beautiful wall hangings, etc. It is an open ruin, with leaves, and mold and vegetation creeping in. Stuck into the moldy pillow is a beautiful sword, with a note that tells him it will serve Cal as he has served the Fisher King. He stumbles out of the castle, and hacks his way through the clinging vines and finds himself not far from a village, where he finds his way to his uncle, and tries to forget about Corbenic. But he can't forget, and he falls in with a group of motley re-enactors, who call themselves Arthur's men, but speak as if they really are them. He decides, after trying to rid himself of the sword several times, to try and learn how to use it. But he is torn between the nice, upscale life he has wanted, and the desire to set things right. And the legend plays out. Once again, Ms. Fisher outdoes herself in the telling of a legend. She is masterful at imagery and at feelings, delineating characters with swift loving strokes of words, and by their actions, shows them to be who they truly are. No one is perfect - all have flaws that they must work to overcome. But Cal must follow his path, until he figures out what Corbenic means, and come to pace with his past.

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corbenic è un retelling YA del mito arturiano ambientato nel mondo moderno, un sottogenere che - a prima vista - colpisce per l'età più che per l'originalità: è stato pubblicato nel 2002, quando ancora i retelling YA non ci avevano invasi.
Ad uno sguardo più attento, Corbenic si distingue per un altro motivo: è un retelling della cerca del Grail, ossia uno dei punti del ciclo arturiano dove l'attenzione dei lettori più giovani rischia di andare perduta: è complessa, religiosa per ovvi motivi, un sacco di cavalieri ci muoiono male e non va troppo bene neanche a quelli che la portano a compimento.
E poi non è neanche un libro su chi ha effettivamente trovato il Grail: questo è un libro su Parsifal. Che il Grail l'ha trovato, ma non l'ha riconosciuto: quasi un successo, che vuol dire aver fallito più di altri.
Traslare una storia di questo tipo in un contesto moderno è complesso, la tentazione di lanciarsi nella cultura pop e fare battute su Indiana Jones, se non proprio sul ciclo arturiano, deve essere stata forte. Per questo ammiro la Fisher, che invece ha portato avanti la sua rivisitazione senza mai cercare di sdrammatizzare giocando con l'auto-consapevolezza, e non perché si sia presa troppo sul serio: Catherine Fisher ha reso la ricerca del Grail una missione profondamente intima, personale.
Cal, il nostro novello Parsifal, è un ragazzo tormentato: ha una madre con problemi psichiatrici e di dipendenza dall'alcool, che ha segnato la sua infanzia. Farsi ospitare dallo zio, ottenere un lavoro, avere la possibilità di frequentare qualche corso al college dovrebbe essere l'opportunità della vita, eppure noi tutto questo lo vediamo fermamente inquadrato come una fuga: dal passato, dai propri demoni. Sentirsi egoisti perché cercare una vita migliore significa abbandonare qualcuno che ha un disperato bisogno di te, ma restare vuol dire andare a fondo.
Cal è combattuto, e non sa come combattere, non sa come fare la cosa giusta, non sa come occuparsi di sé stesso e di sua madre insieme.
E così, Cal trova Corbenic, trova il Re Pescatore, vede le ferite e la terra che non può guarire. Vede il Grail, ma non è forte abbastanza per riconoscerlo ed accettare le verità che, inesorabilmente, verrebbero svelate.

È un retelling strano, questo qui: per ragazzi, ma probabilmente il peggiore con cui iniziare: sono pochi i rimandi chiari al mito, e oscuri. Devi conoscerlo bene ed essere bravo a fare le associazioni (qualcosina di semplice c'è, tipo Merlino e Kay), e devi accettare che qui non si parla né di Artù né di Camelot.
È un libro dall'atmosfera incredibilmente onirica, come se tutto fosse avvolto dalla nebbia, dove non sai mai se la magia c'è davvero, o se tu e Cal siete vittime di una forte suggestione, se tutto sta succedendo realmente e non puoi che chiederti quali potrebbero essere le conseguenze del rimediare a quell'errore.
Del tornare a Corbenic, e accettare il Grail.

In definitiva è un libro molto particolare, ma che non consiglierei a chi non ha familiarità con il ciclo arturiano, e con la parte dedicata al Grail in particolare.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Grail Legend is one of the most popular but least understood myths of all time. Few have even questioned its relevance in Arthurian fantasy. Indeed, the Grail Legend is of universal, quintessentially religious or spiritual, significance. Catherine Fisher explores some of the legend's interesting depth in 'Corbenic' (2002), and does succeed in shedding light upon some of the most important themes and motifs of the Grail Legend.

Maybe it is a legend best reserved for works of a more mature, poetic calibre than a book intended for young adults would allow, but Fisher, while she does manage to rework the legend in a contemporary framework, falls short of creating a masterpiece. First of all, the protagonist, Cal, is one that is not suited for the role of the immortal hero in quest of the Grail, Percival. I completely agree with the opinion of one reviewer here on Goodreads (Sesana), who has found Cal to be "shallow, self-absorbed, tactless, and cold". Maybe it was part of Fisher's plan to create an inherently flawed and unlikable character such as Cal, but there is a limit to how unlikable such a character can be. It unfortunately lacks some of the universal significance of the legend of old, which, while it featured a flawed, quasi-romantic hero, allowed for the identification of the protagonist with the everyman.

What is the Grail? It is not a cauldron from Celtic mythology, nor is it the holy chalice from Christological symbolism. The Grail was never bound by any geographical or territorial limitations. It lies beyond the confines of reality. To her credit, Fisher understands the universal significance of the Grail Myth. Cal, committing one mistake after another, ultimately learns Prudentia, the supreme rational virtue of the Christian humanist tradition. It is only then that he can heal the Wasteland and witness the wonders of the Grail. The Grail is a superior form of understanding, faith if you will. That is why the knights have found its beauty to be indescribable, its wonders secret. You cannot explain faith, but it is there. You cannot describe our soul, but its presence can be felt. You can never discover Corbenic, but it can be found...

But still, despite her commendable attempts, there is nothing truly poetic in Fisher's adaptation, and such a legend deserves nothing less than a poetic reworking. Otherwise, it would lose its meaning, its very mythological appeal. However, I do recommend 'Corbenic' as an excellent introduction to the timeless Arthurian legend of the Grail. Or maybe the Grail legend was never really Arthurian in the first place?

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started off as a mystery and kept me intrigued. I don't know too much about the King Arthur stories, so maybe it would've been more interesting had I known, but it was fun nevertheless.
The ending was.... a little meh. It was really trippy and I skimmed quite a bit.

Summary:
Our protagonist Cal grew up in a not-so-pleasant English household with an alcoholic mother who hears voices. Cal finds himself in Corbenic after trying to take a train to meet his uncle. He sees the holy grail and bleeding spear but refuses to admit to Bron that he seen them. Upon waking the castle is gone, he's now got a sword and a message to return home. Now it's back to the real world and his uncle's home/work. He ends up meeting Shadow and Hawk (of May) who are medieval time reenactors who save him from being mugged. They see his sword and take him to train with King Arthur and the rest of the "actors". We later learn are actually the real knights of the round table. He fights King Arthur's half brother and looses but gets to go to the round table meeting on Christmas. At the round table meeting he and Shadow are being sworn in as knights when his sword snaps in half, the police (who were called by Cal to collect Shadow/Sophie) and his Aunt and Uncle show up. He's told his mother is dead and thus leads him on his quest to find Corbenic. He reconsols with Shadow, then gets to Corbenic where he reconsols with his mother. The story ends with Cal drinking from the Grail and going to live with the Knights (we assume he chooses the name Percival).

Other fun notes:
-His mother wasn't crazy, she was seeing/hearing visions of Corbenic
-Merlin reminded me of a crazier homeless version of Doc Brown from Back to the Future. Also he could really see the future. (Mother's phone number, she won't be where you expect)
- pg 132 Cal to Hawk: "Don't tell me. The knights of the Round Table gather to feast. I've been looking for that piece of furniture ever since I got here." <- Cal is so sarcastic... All his lines are gold. lol

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cal's childhood left a lot to be desired. His mother spent more time drinking to hide from the voices in her head than she did taking care of Cal. He spent years trying to do the housework and hide the truth from others. He is finally doing something for himself though. Cal is on a train to go live with his uncle and work at his accounting firm. Unfortunately he gets off at the wrong stop and finds himself in the wasteland during a rainstorm. He stumbles onto a castle in Corbenic where he meets some strange but generous people and sees a ritual involving the Grail. Cal sees this as a warning sign that he may be more like his mother than he cares to admit.

Denying that this adventure ever happened is difficult despite the fact that no one has ever heard of Corbenic before and it is not found on any map. Along with his new friends, Shadow and Hawk, Cal attempts to distract himself with the Company. They are a group of re-enactors who bring to life the time of Arthur and the round table. Despite his best efforts, Cal's time at Corbenic and his dismal past keep coming back to disturb his present.

This book would probably attract more of a male audience, especially those who are interested in medieval history. As the author of Incarceron, Catherine Fisher definitely has a flair for the slightly off kilter, historical story that clashes in unexpected ways with present day life.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cal is tired of living with his drunken mother. He is going to have a new life with his uncle and leave all the sorrow and misery behind. Unfortunately, he gets off at the wrong train stop on his way to his uncle's. He stumbles upon Corbenic and the Castle. At the Castle there is a party going on and Cal is invited. At the end of the night there is a procession of a staff and a cup. He is asked by the King what he saw and he denies seeing anything believing the wine he drank has made him like his mother. After he gets to his uncle's he settles into a more comfortable life. He meets a group of medieval reenactors and joins their company. They urge him to try and find Corbenic again. Cal is reluctant until tragedy strikes. It then becomes his mission to rediscover Corbenic and makes amends.

This was a strange little book. I am not really sure how I feel about it. It is an intriguing story but it really bored me. I found myself skimming a lot of it and forcing myself to finish it. I didn't really care about Cal or his journey and I am still a little unclear about what really happened at the end.

[Lia · Rating 2 out of 5]

First book with a great concept that bored the hell out of me since that ancient Egypt mystery novel. =/ The cover grabbed me and made me take a few steps back to get it as I almost passed it by in the library. But the story went so slow and even the magical elements were somehow so blah.

The main character was so dense and unlikeable! The only thing I got out of the book was feeling his pain... which got him some sympathy, but he took so long to fix himself, and even when he did, it was more like he was stumbling into it or doing it for selfish reasons. His utter self-centeredness was almost fascinatingly foreign to me, but made me feel icky.

I started to enjoy the wounded healer archetypal stuff, but everything bogged down somewhere and I was kind of forcing myself to finish the book.

I wanted to like it. Arthurian stuff usually rocks. Maybe if the Arthurian apsects hadn't been so superfluous to the story of Cal's healing. It could have taken place in any setting. Which is always disappointing when the setting is supposed to be a major aspect.