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The Book of Mordred
Dark forces are taking hold in the kingdom of King Arthur struggles to keep his knights in line as they steadily divide themselves into factions; the great Merlin has vanished at the hands of his lover and pupil, Nimue; wizards all over the countryside battle for whatever measures of power they can find. At the center of the maelstrom stands Keira, an innocent girl who possesses the ability to foretell the fate of her world. When Keira is kidnapped from her village home, her mother, Alayna, flees to Camelot and finds Mordred, an enigmatic knight who will ultimately become Keira’s greatest champion, Alayna’s greatest love, and King Arthur’s greatest enemy.
In the long tradition of Arthurian legend, Mordred has been characterized as a buffoon, a false knight, and a bloodthirsty traitor. The Book of Mordred reveals a mysterious man through the eyes of three women who love him.
In the long tradition of Arthurian legend, Mordred has been characterized as a buffoon, a false knight, and a bloodthirsty traitor. The Book of Mordred reveals a mysterious man through the eyes of three women who love him.
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2005
33 people are currently reading
2057 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Vande Velde
51 books994 followersVivian Vande Velde (born 1951, currently residing in Rochester, New York) is an American author who writes books primarily aimed at young adults.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
April 10, 2008
Before Mordred challenged Arthur for the leadership, he was a knight of the Round Table, headstrong and sarcastic, but also courageous and skilled in battle.
We see Mordred from three women viewpoint’s: Alayna, whose daughter Kiera is kidnapped for her visions, the sorceress Nimue, and Kiera herself. In the last segment, Mordred and his brothers invade Guinevere’s chambers to reveal what everyone already knows – the Queen and Lancelot are lovers. Guinevere is sentenced to death, Lancelot rescues her, and in fighting over how to handle Lancelot, two armies form. In a final battle, Mordred goes up against Arthur, in a vision of smoke and fog that has haunted the girl Kiera her whole life.
The story is told with great humor and skill, and as told from the women’s viewpoints, Mordred is humanized, but not demystified. Mordred is seen as a knight who wants the best for the kingdom, but who is used by evil forces to precipitate the fall of Camelot. This is a compassionate look at a complex character from Arthurian legend.
We see Mordred from three women viewpoint’s: Alayna, whose daughter Kiera is kidnapped for her visions, the sorceress Nimue, and Kiera herself. In the last segment, Mordred and his brothers invade Guinevere’s chambers to reveal what everyone already knows – the Queen and Lancelot are lovers. Guinevere is sentenced to death, Lancelot rescues her, and in fighting over how to handle Lancelot, two armies form. In a final battle, Mordred goes up against Arthur, in a vision of smoke and fog that has haunted the girl Kiera her whole life.
The story is told with great humor and skill, and as told from the women’s viewpoints, Mordred is humanized, but not demystified. Mordred is seen as a knight who wants the best for the kingdom, but who is used by evil forces to precipitate the fall of Camelot. This is a compassionate look at a complex character from Arthurian legend.
November 1, 2009
I'd rate this one a 7 out of 10.
It was simplistic and even though I know it's targeted for young adults, many teen readers could handle more complexity and more thorough character development....heck, I loved Mists of Avalon when I was 15.
That said, I've always found Mordred interesting and felt he
got a bum rap. It wasn't his fault how he was conceived or how he
was treated as a child....I mean we are talking serious unhealed trauma,
adolescent angst, and major Daddy and Mommy issues here!!
Anyway, I liked the idea of Nimue being wracked with ethical questions, and it was nice to read a book that allows Mordred a bit of happiness in the end.
I also have a copy of I am Mordred by Nancy Springer, which I've been meaning to get to. It will be interesting to see if Springer develops the characters better.
It was simplistic and even though I know it's targeted for young adults, many teen readers could handle more complexity and more thorough character development....heck, I loved Mists of Avalon when I was 15.
That said, I've always found Mordred interesting and felt he
got a bum rap. It wasn't his fault how he was conceived or how he
was treated as a child....I mean we are talking serious unhealed trauma,
adolescent angst, and major Daddy and Mommy issues here!!
Anyway, I liked the idea of Nimue being wracked with ethical questions, and it was nice to read a book that allows Mordred a bit of happiness in the end.
I also have a copy of I am Mordred by Nancy Springer, which I've been meaning to get to. It will be interesting to see if Springer develops the characters better.
September 25, 2014
I checked this out because I often like Vande Velde's books, and I hoped she could come up with a new twist on this tale--you know, make it readable and everything. Nope, no such luck. If anything, her version is even more depressing than the Mort d'Arthur, which is saying something. Give it a miss. If you want to feel depressed after a violent book, read War and Peace. The writing is better.
February 8, 2012
Hooray another book about Mordred... or so you'd think. Let's get right to it, shall we?
The main monster in this book is the lack of character development on Mordred's part. You'd think the gals would get into some intimate relationship with him, but then, there's nothing. You've fallen into a pit trap. His descriptions are mainly based on what the girls say about him. His actions are basically those of the average, introverted man. He's just a girl's fantasy. Actually, three girls' fantasy.
All three books in the...book have similar plots. Except near the end, where he degrades into a weak sausage, he's pretty much a golden, gallant, socially inept man, fighting Halbert--man, what a funny guy that wizard is. Believe me, you'll start with Mordred in mind and then leave thinking about Halbert. He will be everywhere. In the future you will pick up a book with "Mordred" scrawled on the cover and then as you open it, you'll see "Halbert".
Aside from Halbert, I find it fairly disturbing that Alayna, one of the lower class, received such a warm welcome at Camelot, which consists mainly of the upper class. England was very classist. If Arthur welcomed peasants as much as he did in the story, they'd all be swarming around his castle, breaking pots and tearing apart contracts and eating all his fish sticks and custard. But no, Alayna got special treatment... major flaw.
This is a very dramatic story--I could picture the drama version in my head, along with a theme song and ending credits. It's good for hormonal teenagers. Well, that is the intended audience. It's an easy read that can be finished in less than three hours. Maybe that's why some of the descriptions seem skimpy. I would've liked it more if the characters were more fleshed out.
Anyway, does the cover remind anyone of the Lord of the Rings? That is Aragorn in the cover, end of story.
The main monster in this book is the lack of character development on Mordred's part. You'd think the gals would get into some intimate relationship with him, but then, there's nothing. You've fallen into a pit trap. His descriptions are mainly based on what the girls say about him. His actions are basically those of the average, introverted man. He's just a girl's fantasy. Actually, three girls' fantasy.
All three books in the...book have similar plots. Except near the end, where he degrades into a weak sausage, he's pretty much a golden, gallant, socially inept man, fighting Halbert--man, what a funny guy that wizard is. Believe me, you'll start with Mordred in mind and then leave thinking about Halbert. He will be everywhere. In the future you will pick up a book with "Mordred" scrawled on the cover and then as you open it, you'll see "Halbert".
Aside from Halbert, I find it fairly disturbing that Alayna, one of the lower class, received such a warm welcome at Camelot, which consists mainly of the upper class. England was very classist. If Arthur welcomed peasants as much as he did in the story, they'd all be swarming around his castle, breaking pots and tearing apart contracts and eating all his fish sticks and custard. But no, Alayna got special treatment... major flaw.
This is a very dramatic story--I could picture the drama version in my head, along with a theme song and ending credits. It's good for hormonal teenagers. Well, that is the intended audience. It's an easy read that can be finished in less than three hours. Maybe that's why some of the descriptions seem skimpy. I would've liked it more if the characters were more fleshed out.
Anyway, does the cover remind anyone of the Lord of the Rings? That is Aragorn in the cover, end of story.
May 6, 2023
This was for some reason to me really emotional…
May 14, 2024
It probably doesn't deserve four stars, but this book sent me right back to my childhood. It is a decidedly eccentric take on the material, but it reminded me of why I love Arthuriana. Plus, an unexpected portrayal of my headcanon ship, Nimue/Mordred!
February 19, 2016
First of all, let me declare that I will read (and probably enjoy) almost anything related to the Arthurian legend.
We learn about Mordred through the eyes of 3 women, Alayna, Nimue, and Kiera, and the story is told in three parts over time, each focusing on one of the women. Only Nimue was familiar to me from the tradition Camelot story. Alayna, a young widow, is befriended by Mordred while rescuing her daughter, Kiera. They supposedly have a deep and lasting love between them, although the story never shows us that. Later, Nimue encounters Mordred in another rescue and again, they develop a relationship. The final story involves Kiera, now a young woman, and her relationship with Mordred, Alayna, and Nimue.
Each story was well-told and well-paced. But, especially in Kiera's story, characters and plot lines are introduced with little explanation or backstory--not just the bones of the Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere triangle, but other plots as well. And in the final sections, Morgana (Morgan la Fay) suddenly shows up and plays a major role in the outcome.
This book is considered YA. Characters were not explored in as much depth as I would have liked. And, most bothersome to me, the key character is still somewhat of a mystery, even at the end. Was he acting on his own or under Morgana's control? What influence, if any, did Nimue have? Too many unanswered questions for me to rate this book higher. I felt like it was a "surface" story without much depth.
We learn about Mordred through the eyes of 3 women, Alayna, Nimue, and Kiera, and the story is told in three parts over time, each focusing on one of the women. Only Nimue was familiar to me from the tradition Camelot story. Alayna, a young widow, is befriended by Mordred while rescuing her daughter, Kiera. They supposedly have a deep and lasting love between them, although the story never shows us that. Later, Nimue encounters Mordred in another rescue and again, they develop a relationship. The final story involves Kiera, now a young woman, and her relationship with Mordred, Alayna, and Nimue.
Each story was well-told and well-paced. But, especially in Kiera's story, characters and plot lines are introduced with little explanation or backstory--not just the bones of the Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere triangle, but other plots as well. And in the final sections, Morgana (Morgan la Fay) suddenly shows up and plays a major role in the outcome.
This book is considered YA. Characters were not explored in as much depth as I would have liked. And, most bothersome to me, the key character is still somewhat of a mystery, even at the end. Was he acting on his own or under Morgana's control? What influence, if any, did Nimue have? Too many unanswered questions for me to rate this book higher. I felt like it was a "surface" story without much depth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2022
This book promised spaghetti, made some pretty decent pasta, but then failed to deliver the sauce.
May 9, 2014
I finished "The Book of Mordred" by Vivian Valde and now I have all these conflicting feelings. If I should give it a vote I would give it 4/5 or 3.8/5 just for the ending because even if I liked most of it I didn't like the very ending.
And now, spoilers.
And now, spoilers.
August 26, 2011
*spoilers*
I usually really enjoy Velde's books, and I love Arthurian legend, so I thought I'd like this one. It is supposed to uncover the background story of Mordred, which was never revealed by Sir Thomas Malory in his book Le Morte D'Arthur. The book is split into three parts, one told by Merlin's lover Nimue and the other two by the random characters Alayna and her daughter Kiera, the latter of whom has inherited magical ability from her late father. The first section started out promisingly, introducing Mordred and Alayna nicely and setting things up for an interesting tale. However, after part two of the book, which was seen through Nimue's eyes, I started to get bored. I didn't like the character of Kiera as I read part three, and Alayna, who was interesting enough in her section of the book, became very annoying by the end--constantly chasing Kiera around and trying to control her life. Though I was intrigued by the enigmatic character of Mordred, I feel that we never get a true understanding of what's going on in his head. I also thought it was strange that Velde kept him alive in the end when the legend clearly states that he and Arthur killed each other. Furthermore, it didn't even seem like Alayna and Kiera meshed into the story organically or that they belonged in Camelot. Both Arthur and Mordred treated them almost like family and allowed the two women to be right at the battle's front, yet they are not really involved in any of the major events at the end of the book, only serving to narrate them and be annoyingly in the way. Kiera gets all these hazy visions of the future that she tries to warn Arthur and Mordred about, but to no avail. So you wonder why she even needs to be in the story, except that Velde wanted to put a female presence into the thick of things. I was pretty confused throughout some of it, and was hoping Mordred would have a love interest (perhaps Kiera) because he at least was a cool character. But you only find out that he does at the end and it's not satisfying because it can't go anywhere at that point, and because I don't like the character it was. What can you do?
I usually really enjoy Velde's books, and I love Arthurian legend, so I thought I'd like this one. It is supposed to uncover the background story of Mordred, which was never revealed by Sir Thomas Malory in his book Le Morte D'Arthur. The book is split into three parts, one told by Merlin's lover Nimue and the other two by the random characters Alayna and her daughter Kiera, the latter of whom has inherited magical ability from her late father. The first section started out promisingly, introducing Mordred and Alayna nicely and setting things up for an interesting tale. However, after part two of the book, which was seen through Nimue's eyes, I started to get bored. I didn't like the character of Kiera as I read part three, and Alayna, who was interesting enough in her section of the book, became very annoying by the end--constantly chasing Kiera around and trying to control her life. Though I was intrigued by the enigmatic character of Mordred, I feel that we never get a true understanding of what's going on in his head. I also thought it was strange that Velde kept him alive in the end when the legend clearly states that he and Arthur killed each other. Furthermore, it didn't even seem like Alayna and Kiera meshed into the story organically or that they belonged in Camelot. Both Arthur and Mordred treated them almost like family and allowed the two women to be right at the battle's front, yet they are not really involved in any of the major events at the end of the book, only serving to narrate them and be annoyingly in the way. Kiera gets all these hazy visions of the future that she tries to warn Arthur and Mordred about, but to no avail. So you wonder why she even needs to be in the story, except that Velde wanted to put a female presence into the thick of things. I was pretty confused throughout some of it, and was hoping Mordred would have a love interest (perhaps Kiera) because he at least was a cool character. But you only find out that he does at the end and it's not satisfying because it can't go anywhere at that point, and because I don't like the character it was. What can you do?
August 21, 2015
So when I picked up this book, I was thinking that we were going to get a retelling of Mordred where he was not as evil as the original story. There was certainly an attempt at this, but I think it fell short.
The reader sees Mordred through three different women. In the first two sections, the women have just met him, and they end abruptly. Basically I found myself not really caring about Mordred because I was merely shown the same cold, calculating side of him repeatedly. Mordred is not portrayed as evil in this story, just an asshole who doesn't even understand his own means.
Several small plot lines are merely dropped, Such as the wizard Halbert. And Morgan Le Fey shows up in the last thirty pages only to be a one dimensional character. In Nimue and Alayna's chapters Mordred was merely a stranger to us, therefore we did not really become attached to him. In Kiera's chapter, she has known him most of her life, but all we see is him ignoring her and her mother.
I don't really recommend this book. Nancy Springer has two great books, "I am Mordred" and "I am Morgan Le Fey". Those are really great at showing the other side of the traditionally evil characters.
The reader sees Mordred through three different women. In the first two sections, the women have just met him, and they end abruptly. Basically I found myself not really caring about Mordred because I was merely shown the same cold, calculating side of him repeatedly. Mordred is not portrayed as evil in this story, just an asshole who doesn't even understand his own means.
Several small plot lines are merely dropped, Such as the wizard Halbert. And Morgan Le Fey shows up in the last thirty pages only to be a one dimensional character. In Nimue and Alayna's chapters Mordred was merely a stranger to us, therefore we did not really become attached to him. In Kiera's chapter, she has known him most of her life, but all we see is him ignoring her and her mother.
I don't really recommend this book. Nancy Springer has two great books, "I am Mordred" and "I am Morgan Le Fey". Those are really great at showing the other side of the traditionally evil characters.
April 10, 2020
For a volume called "The Book of Mordred," there is remarkably little Mordred. Just three women, two of whom are original to this author, and all we hear about is their forebodings and desperation...of which we feel none, because I, at least, was already asleep. As an Arthur and Mordred fan, I was deeply disappointed.
October 2, 2014
The book of mordred is a great book there are three main characters there a bunch of action its about a girl named alayna and while she is making bread three knights bust into her house and take her daughter Alayna travels through the woods all the way to camlot she talks to the king so she can
November 8, 2017
This book wasn't great. It was fine, but it wasn't that intriguing to me, and I don't think it was written very well. There were a few typos throughout, and the dialogue and descriptions were not very compelling to me. But, I picked it up because it was $0.50 to buy from the library, and I enjoyed watching the BBC show "Merlin" and wanted to see how the character of Mordred differed between the two. It was interesting because although both stories are rooted in Arthurian legend, they had some crucial differences. For example, in the BBC show, Mordred is from a magical community, and he is kind of adopted by King Arthur's half-sister, Morgana. In the book, Mordred is rumored to be the illegitimate child of Arthur himself, and his mother was some sort of sorceress. In the "Merlin" universe, magic has been shunned, in "The Book of Mordred", magic is totally acceptable. In both stories though, Merlin knew that Mordred would bring about the destruction of King Arthur, and Camelot.
The book is broken up into three parts, each with a heroic Mordred saving the day. The three parts connected with each other in that there was the same bad guy behind the events, but they didn't flow very easily. Partially because they were set 5 years apart from the story before, and partially because they are narrated by different characters. Between the first and second stories the transition is the weirdest because the bad guy (a wizard named Tolban) is the only character besides Mordred who appears in both stories. Mordred himself is really more of an accessory in both stories. He gets more of a plot line in the third story when he kills King Arthur, and then he dies too. Again, I was just comparing it to "Merlin" and I thought it was interesting that they both died, like they did in the TV show, but the ages were so much different. In the TV show, the king is maybe 25, and Mordred is probably not any older than 20. In the book, Arthur is graying, and Mordred is young enough to possibly be his son.
Over all, it was pretty good, but not great. I don't regret reading it, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone else either.
The book is broken up into three parts, each with a heroic Mordred saving the day. The three parts connected with each other in that there was the same bad guy behind the events, but they didn't flow very easily. Partially because they were set 5 years apart from the story before, and partially because they are narrated by different characters. Between the first and second stories the transition is the weirdest because the bad guy (a wizard named Tolban) is the only character besides Mordred who appears in both stories. Mordred himself is really more of an accessory in both stories. He gets more of a plot line in the third story when he kills King Arthur, and then he dies too. Again, I was just comparing it to "Merlin" and I thought it was interesting that they both died, like they did in the TV show, but the ages were so much different. In the TV show, the king is maybe 25, and Mordred is probably not any older than 20. In the book, Arthur is graying, and Mordred is young enough to possibly be his son.
Over all, it was pretty good, but not great. I don't regret reading it, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone else either.
January 29, 2021
Everyone knows Mordred is King Arhtur's illegitimate son, destined to destroy his father's kingdom and bring the golden age of Camelot to its knees. Or is he? Several modern authors have re-examined the life of Mordred in a more sympathetic light, and the latest of these is THE BOOK OF MORDRED by Vivian Vande Velde. In Velde's work we get to know Mordred primarily through his interraction with three women named Alayna, Nimue, and Kiera. Arthurian readers will already be familiar with Nimue, though Velde's interpretation of the character is an interesting variation on the traditional one. Alayna is a wizard's widow who shares an uncertain relationship with Mordred, and Kiera is her daughter. These women share several adventures with Mordred, in which the author introduces a particularly nasty evil wizard and his accomplices. It is these characters that Velde handles best--when working with other well-known personages from Camelot, Velde's prose seems uncertain and her otherwise sure and deft descriptions falter. It's as though she doesn't know the rest of the cast very well. Sadly, this applies to Mordred himself. Velde's Mordred never really emerges from the shadows, and the reader may not feel like they know the character any better after reading this book than they did before. The conclusion is, up to a point, very rich and atmospheric, but again it's as though the author doesn't really know what to do with Mordred and so the end is something of an anti-climax. Still, this is by no means a bad book, and if Velde writes more on the subject later on I will certainly want to read it. On a basic level, THE BOOK OF MORDRED is very well-written, but it's author's apparent uncertainty with Mordred himself is a major flaw. Nonetheless, this is fun book that does go in some new directions with the familiar tale, and one I do recommend to Arthurian or fantasy fans who are looking for something a little different.
June 6, 2017
It was a good read. I enjoyed following Mordred through his 3 different quests that led up to the climax. I liked how each of the women involved in each of the quests fates were all intertwined with Mordred and the fate of Camelot.
Though it had all the qualities of a medieval that we all want in a tale of knights and the round table, I wished to have more character development from Mordred. Because it was never told from his point of view, only from the 3 ladies, we never got the insight of Mordred's thoughts. Part of his character's charm was his mysterious personality (also his sarcasm and wit). So he never revealed much of what he was feeling, but this in turn made it difficult to see this character develop. I loved the way his character was portrayed, I just wanted to see more of it.
The tale was good to make you question what is right and wrong. Are there areas of gray or should we never change from what is always thought to work. It made you question which characters are good, and see others in a different light. It also showed that sometimes the best worst mistakes are made with the best intentions. If you enjoy fantasy tales of medieval times, this book is a good book for you.
Though it had all the qualities of a medieval that we all want in a tale of knights and the round table, I wished to have more character development from Mordred. Because it was never told from his point of view, only from the 3 ladies, we never got the insight of Mordred's thoughts. Part of his character's charm was his mysterious personality (also his sarcasm and wit). So he never revealed much of what he was feeling, but this in turn made it difficult to see this character develop. I loved the way his character was portrayed, I just wanted to see more of it.
The tale was good to make you question what is right and wrong. Are there areas of gray or should we never change from what is always thought to work. It made you question which characters are good, and see others in a different light. It also showed that sometimes the best worst mistakes are made with the best intentions. If you enjoy fantasy tales of medieval times, this book is a good book for you.
October 15, 2020
This book reminds me of what I would pick up as a middle schooler in terms of writing style. Content, however, is what high school me would have stayed for. Very rarely have I ever found myself enthralled by the mythology of the round table, but Velde manages to draw me in and keep my entertained. What I enjoyed most about this book was the varying perspectives and the time spent trying to figure out Mordred's character. The author managed to make me wish I could be a lady at King Arthur's court. Additionally, having all women aid him in the end made my heart happy. However, the entirety of the novel, I felt like it was lacking detail in crucial parts. Alyna barely mentions that she found him attractive, but still managed to have more chemistry with the subject than Nimue and Mordred seemed to have. Simply put, this was a very fun read that makes me wish there was more content produced about Arthur, Mordred, and the knights of Camelot.
May 12, 2017
I read this book years ago in middle school and absolutely loved it. It's sat on my bookshelf since then and I just revisited it. It doesn't hold the same charm it held then... I would definitely still recommend it to young fans of magic and medieval, but the story didn't hold enough fullness for me. The characters weren't as rich as I remembered, the plot not nearly as well-woven. The romance was consistently hinted at, but not brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Perhaps I've just grown up too much and read enough books to raise my expectations to unrealistic levels. I think I'll be giving this book away, and hopefully some young reader can enjoy it as much as I did the first time.
July 20, 2017
Parts one and two were the best. In part three, motives became muddled and the main character was connected weakly to the main plot. I cared most about the characters in part one.
Throughout the whole book, Mordred would have been more likeable if less time had been spent setting him up as attractive and mysterious. That said, I liked his introduction, and his character was interesting.
The setting and atmosphere could have been stronger, but the attention given to minor characters was interesting and nice without distracting from the focus of the story.
Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to a friend, with a few comments about the author's crush on Mordred.
Throughout the whole book, Mordred would have been more likeable if less time had been spent setting him up as attractive and mysterious. That said, I liked his introduction, and his character was interesting.
The setting and atmosphere could have been stronger, but the attention given to minor characters was interesting and nice without distracting from the focus of the story.
Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to a friend, with a few comments about the author's crush on Mordred.
June 30, 2017
I loved the writing style if this! It reminded me a lot of Robin Hood. I guess they both have that same sort of care free but serious children's book. And as the story progresses it gets decidedly less carefree. I loved this other look at the Arthurian legend, this time coming from Mordred's side of things. I suppose they did this in Merlin as well. I really liked Kiera's character. She was the right mix of the timidness a young woman/girl who I think is realistic for her time and her instincance on pretectig those whom she loves.
September 29, 2017
I have read numerous versions of Camelot. Several mention the snake causing the final battle, and that Mordred wasn't truly evil. This novel focuses on Keira, a young girl with a touch of magic that spends time with the Arthur and Mordred clans.
There is an abundance of time, character, and location jumps in the novel that often left me trying to figure out what was going on where and when. It's an interesting viewpoint; I think a longer novel with more background might have been a better option.
There is an abundance of time, character, and location jumps in the novel that often left me trying to figure out what was going on where and when. It's an interesting viewpoint; I think a longer novel with more background might have been a better option.
November 1, 2025
This was an Arthurian retelling focusing on Mordred, told through the perspectives of three women who cared about him. It was okay.
You never really come to know Mordred, which I think is intentional. He's very present, but always just removed enough to maintain the veneer of legend. The general outline of the popular culture Arthurian legend is preserved, and it's as much of an incomprehensible trainwreck as usual. There was enough here to maintain my basic interest, but not enough to really grip me.
You never really come to know Mordred, which I think is intentional. He's very present, but always just removed enough to maintain the veneer of legend. The general outline of the popular culture Arthurian legend is preserved, and it's as much of an incomprehensible trainwreck as usual. There was enough here to maintain my basic interest, but not enough to really grip me.
January 29, 2020
Personally, I was excited when I picked up the book because I love Camelot stories and in that regard, it did not disappoint—it had all of the elements a King Arthur-era story could want. But I thought the writing style was difficult to understand, the story was slow, and the plot was boring. I struggled to stay interested throughout the story—not to mention the bland characters and predictability of just about every element. Not one of my favorites.
August 20, 2018
This book was interesting but the divide of having three separate books in one made this feel a little choppy to me. I had a hard time connecting to the characters which is very important for me. I also felt that since this book was about Mordred I would learn more about him. Unfortunately, I don't feel any new connection with him or that I came away with much more knowledge about him.
September 23, 2022
I'm about half way through. Enjoying so far. Interesting takes. It's a ya In an Arthurian fantasy setting. The copy I'm reading was autographed by the author who is from my hometown. It was originally in the Library of number 45 school, but I work for NorthSTAR where it was about to be removed from the library. However I think I will donate it back, our kids might like it.
August 25, 2022
This is one of my go to books. When I can't quite figure out what I want to read, this is what I pick up. The writing, the viewpoint, and the take on such a renowned character is enchanting. I recommend this book to everyone that asks.
November 23, 2018
The essay is really good.
June 16, 2019
One of two books I've ever read more than once. An interesting portrait of a character often overlooked.
December 26, 2020
More of a narrative than a story (meaning that it felt as though events were observed and transcribed, but that it didn't BUILD to something, you know?)
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