I Am Morgan le Fay

by Nancy Springer

Morgan is a willful, mischievous girl with mismatched eyes of emerald and violet. A girl of magic, whose childhood ends when King Uther Pendragon murders her father and steals away her mother. Then Pendragon dies and, in a warring country with no one to claim the throne, there are many who want Morgan dead. But Morgan has power, and magic. She is able to change the course of history, to become other, to determine her own fate-and, thus the fate of Britain. She will become Morgan le Fay.

"Springer wields language like a sword, and both blood and flowers spring to these pages in vivid hues." (Booklist, starred review)

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Arthurian, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mythology, Retellings

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 19, 2001

About the author

BIO -- NANCY SPRINGER


Nancy Springer has passed the fifty-book milestone, having written that many novels for adults, young adults and children, in genres including mythic fantasy, contemporary fiction, magical realism, horror, and mystery -- although she did not realize she wrote mystery until she won the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America two years in succession. DARK LIE, recently released from NAL, is her first venture into mass-market psychological suspense.
Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Nancy Springer moved with her family to Gettysburg, of Civil War fame, when she was thirteen. She spent the next forty-six years in Pennsylvania, raising two children (Jonathan, now 38, and Nora, 34), writing, horseback riding, fishing, and birdwatching. In 2007 she surprised her friends and herself by moving with her second husband to an isolated area of the Florida panhandle, where the birdwatching is spectacular and where, when fishing, she occasionally catches an alligator.

Reviews

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am Morgan le Fay, and I will never die. I hover on the wind, and fate falls out of each slow beat of my wings. That is what my name means: Morgan the fate, Morgan the magical, Morgan who must be feared.

Ever since I became interested in Arthurian legends, I've been fascinated with the character of Morgan le Fay. I know that in many retellings and sources she's portrayed as a villain or bad character, the one who is involved in Arthur's doom, so I naturally steer towards stories which show her differently and that was the reason why I bought I Am Morgan le Fay by Nancy Springer. It sat on my bookshelf for quite few years, waiting until I'll be in the right mood for it, and I'm so so glad that I finally picked it up, because I absolutely loved it! I'll try to put my thoughts in some order, but I'm sorry if it will sound as too rambly.

Before I started the story, I read the information about the author on the back cover and that was already when I new that I'm going to love this book. She explained that she was always intrigued by the hidden truth and in case of Morgan (and Mordred) she wanted to unveil what hid behind their "villain"facades that so many writers like to show them as.

As the title suggests I Am Morgan le Fay focuses on the life of Morgan, the daughter of Igraine and Gorlois and her growing up from a little girl to an adult and a woman from the legends. All that happens in this book is set before the big events from Arthuriana, before Arthur became the king, before the knights and Mordred came into the whole image. Those characters are actually barely even mentioned and I loved that. Even though the book is only 228 pages long, it holds so much substance and managed to tell such a full and rich story, I was in awe after I finished.

It's told from Morgan's point of view and it was amazing to witness her growing from a little girl to a grown-up woman. It also allowed the author to develop her character fully and make her very much ambiguous. She's no longer a two-dimensional villain who only wants Arthur dead, here she's a living breathing woman, who's life events made her the way she became and we see a very well done reasoning behind her future actions and decisions.

What I also loved was how the author subtly touched upon other issues, such as the matter of beauty and the way woman and men were perceived back then. I found it that some of the truths she told can be very much vaild even today and loved the use of symbolism there (e.g. the games of chess described the reality of the importance of women compared to men). I particurarly liked these quotes:

"I did not mind that Daddy did not call me beautiful, because it took nothing to be beautiful, and I knew he liked my mischief better."

"It didn't matter now what power the queen had. The game was over when the king went down."

I really admired Morgan as a character. She wasn't perfect, had her flaws and a personality that didn't fit the current standards for girls/women but she decided not to change for other people. Her story was both amazing and heartbreaking. Another thing that surprised me in a good way was how much fantasy elements there was in the story. Usually when I read Arthuriana retellings, there were more along the lines of mythic fiction or magical realism, with mostly historical fiction, but here fantasy played a important part. There was a lot of fantastic, interesting characters in Avalon and I loved how this place and the whole system of magic was described. It was creative and different for such retelling, at least for me. Additonally, I loved the elements from Celtic mythology and the way Morgan's character became connected to The Morrigan.

Finally, I want to say that Nancy Springer's writing was very beautiful and almost lyrical at times. She was able to create a good and believable voice of a child, young girl and grown woman. All her characters were well developed and I loved the beautiful descriptions of the setting.

This was my very first book by Nancy Springer, and I'm pretty sure that it won't be my last, as I particularly want to read I Am Mordred, which is a companion novel to I Am Morgan le Fay. I'm truly happy that I finally picked this book up and found a gem that I'm sure I will re-read many times in the years to come, and I would definitely recommend it to all of you that like these genres!

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Re-read in January 2021 and I still stand by my review from 2017! :)

- Read for the Medievalathon, prompt "First book to a series". Seamstress level 2: Weaver. Rank gained: Queen

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Springer's humble little duology (this one + its predecessor, I Am Mordred) was strangely formative for my young mind.

These are books aimed at much older teens (at the earliest). The content is highly mature. I don't mean steamy medieval romance mature. I mean, rape-your-sister-then-try-to-murder-the-resulting-baby mature. Think Game of Thrones, for teenagers.

I read this around the tender age of 9 or 10. (My parents never paid attention to what I was reading; their perspective was pretty much "well, if she's bothered by it, she'll put it down") and it definitely made an impression on me. Arguably, it re-coloured my view of adults entirely. It was one of the first times I really recognized that adults are just kids who got older. Their identity doesn't shed like a snake's skin when they turn 18. Also, some adults are fucked up. Those are all probably good things for a kid to learn. I probably re-read the duology a dozen times and every time, a different scene made a permanent impression on me.

The mythology is great. It's not like the BBC series Merlin-- it's pretty faithful to the myths (well, the myths all contradict each other, but it's faithful to some of them at least). It's wildly atmospheric, a fever dream of a mystical, violent Camelot, with angry, lonely children who grow up to be savage, powerful, angry, lonely adults: each fighting for their way in the world, fighting fate, and fighting to carve out some small happy space-time despite their destinies.

That's a common theme to both of them: a hidden, precious place where, at least for a moment, they can be happy. For Mordred, it was his time in the meadows with Lynette before she knew who he was. For Morgan, it was on her isolated homestead with Thomas. A moment where--if fate were not the insurmountable force it is in the world of Camelot--their future could have pivoted and gone the opposite direction. Where, if just that one thing had happened, if they hadn't made just that one choice, their doom could be averted.

But, of course, they do make that choice, and they are lost, one way or another. These are grim myths and these books don't sweeten them. They aren't cheerful endings.

The duology gets a total endorsement from me. Excellent, atmospheric read for children and adults--I actually think adults will get a lot more out of these than children will.

*edited* to say: and damn, just look at those covers. A perfect example of early 2000s eerie graphic art.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Am Morgan Le Fay is a young adult novel which tries to give Morgan Le Fay more of a reason for her actions and more psychological depth. It’s reasonably successful in that, though it’s not one of my favourite Arthurian stories I’ve ever read — it seems a bit slight, and Morgan’s behaviour and the outcome was entirely obvious. The mythology is a bit of a hotchpotch, but I didn’t mind that too much because it was so lightly touched on. Cernunnos is a character, but it doesn’t really go into the significance of magic and how that’s linked to divinity in their world.

I kind of think I might be able to judge this better once I’ve read I Am Mordred as well, to see how Springer handles Mordred. Mary Stewart manages to excuse Mordred everything while throwing the blame on Morgan, and there’s always blame to go around in Arthurian stories, so I’d kind of like to see where it shifts in this case. Presumably not to Mordred, but to whom?

Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.

[Althea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice addition to the body of works featuring a female-centric, pagan-influenced take on the Arthurian mythos.
It's not as complex as 'The Mists of Avalon' (which it is clearly influenced by), but it shares some of the same themes.

Here, we see events from Morgan's point of view, as she grows up in tune with old magics, and discovers a stone that enhances her powers. Hurt by the traumatic events that shake her family, she is often blind to her own faults - but she is also not unsympathetic.

The events told here largely deal with Morgan le Fay's youth, her growing up, her first love, and the forces that formed her character and led her to, later, do the things her legend tells of.

The flavor of the story reminded me a bit of 'King Arthur's Daughter,' by Vera Chapman.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although his many duties as the Duke of Cornwall often kept him away from home, young Morgan loved her father. And when the six-year-old witnessed a man leaving her mother's chamber, a man that looked just like her father but was nothing like him, she knew something was wrong. For her father was dead - killed by the king Uther Pendragon, who then steals Morgan's mother away. Bitter with anger and resentment, the little girl awakens something magical within her - a power that can be used for good or evil. For five years Morgan and her sister Morgause are cared for by their childhood nurse, Ongwynn, and during that time, Morgan's hatred for the king and for her half-brother Arthur steadily grows. When the king dies, Morgan dares to hope that her life will go back to the way it used to be - but instead, she and her sister are forced to flee to Ongwynn's isolated home. There, Morgan's power steadily grows - but so does her hatred. Morgan knows she has a dark fate she is doomed to fulfill - and although she fights it, her struggles are in vain.

This was a powerful retelling of a legend, as seen through the eyes of a young woman who fights to control her future, even though she knows deep inside she is doomed to failure. A sympathetic look at an often-vilified character and the events that made her the person she ultimately became.

[Rebecca L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan Le Fay. A woman of mystery, of evil, of legend. Who was she? What made her turn evil and bring down her half brother Arthur?
This book tells the why's of Morgan's life.

Ok so first off I picked this book up because I just finished watching BBC Merlin and I wanted to hear a different take on Morgana's story.

At first I couldn't really get into this book and I almost put it down several times for it was slow at the beginning.
About the fourth chapter into it though it really started grabbing my interest and I couldn't put it down until I read the last gripping paragraph.
I found myself really relating to Morgan and sympathizing with her for turning evil (I know I usually like the bad guys/girls in the stories. *Cough* Loki anyone?)
I hated Morgan's mother and sister, they where positively horrible each in their own ways and frankly I was rooting for them to die the whole book!
Thomas was icky I thought, Morgan could have done way mucho better.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who loves the Arthurian legends as I do.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had very low expectations for this book, it being a very small, very short, very cheap pocket paperback. I picked it up anyway, because I'm such a sucker for any take on Arthurian lore, especially ones that humanize and focus attention on Morgan le Fay. And, in the beginning, I very much liked it. We get a very up-close version of Uther coming to Igraine disguised as Igraine's husband from the view of a little girl who can only see her father, but knows something isn't right. And after Uther dies, Morgan, her sister Morgause and their not-quite-human nurse, quite literally run for the hills, I had such high hopes for a fantastic story of how Morgan the little girl became Morgan le Fay, powerful sorceress. *SPOILER ALERT* But, alas, all that happens while the 3 women are hiding in the hill with their piskie servants is Morgan pines for some boy while she doesn't grow in the realm of magic hardly at all. Then Morgan wonders off for a very thin and flimsy reason, and she ends up in Avalon, where you think, "Nice! Her is where she'll learn from actual faeries how to do magic!" But, no. Morgan does learn magic, but we don't see how or, really ever, find out why. We skip years ahead and suddenly she has very vague and ill-defined powers; being able to conjure entire castles of thin air, but can't seem to find any use of her magic that's worth a good goddamn. All she does is build a love nest for herself and her knight (Thomas), whom she drags to her magically made castle against his will and subsequently enslaves the piskies that live in the hill to do her bidding to make her knight happy. She behaves like a 7 year old who gets magic suddenly, except Morgan is a grown woman who got her magical skills, supposedly, from Cernunnos and Rhiannon, but you'd never know it because everything she does with it is superficial, immature and pointless. "I wanted him to love me so I trapped him here! That makes sense, right?! Oh, how could this all go wrong?" *eye roll*

It's very difficult to like a book when you don't like the main character, so even though there was some good stuff here, Morgan herself is so very vapid and useless, which made the book feel pointless and, to be honest, a little boring. And while the short length saves you from having to put up with her for very long, this book could've been better had more time been given to almost every scene. Igraine and Morgause were 2-dimensional and seemed to barely matter to Morgan, except to make Morgan jealous or annoyed, and why Thomas is so amazing we never really see, because he just rides in and out of scenes and doesn't do or say a whole hell of a lot. Morgan is callous to her sister, spiteful against her mother and then displays what are clearly crippling co-dependency issues where Thomas is concerned. In short, Morgan is emotionally stunted, co-dependent and, let's face it, an incredibly pedestrian sorceress.

Definintely a version of Camelot that you can skip

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan was born into a world where women have little power, where men make all of the decisions, where a son is valued highly above a daughter. But there is a power reserved for the women alone. It is the power of the Fay, the Faerie. When Morgan learns to harness that magical power for herself, she changes history, for she is the half sister of the legendary King Arthur. She is Morgan le Fay, and her power will bring down Camelot.

The legend of King Arthur is a timeless tale that has been explored by many different authors. Traditional tellings of the story are very focused on the male characters, and the women are often either evil or spineless. In recent years, books such as the Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and the Guinevere Trilogy by Rosalind Miles have retold the stories from the female point of view, with strong, powerful female characters. Nancy Springer chooses to focus on Morgan le Fay as a child and young adult, ending the story before she encounters King Arthur and brings down Camelot. Morgan is classically seen as a villain in the mythology, but Springer’s take on the tale is that of a good if misguided girl who lets the allure of power lead her astray.

While the Arthurian legend will often appeal to young adults of both genders, this particular telling of the story is geared toward young women. The novel is told exclusively from Morgan’s point of view, which will likely appeal to young adult readers. However, because of this perspective, and because the book ends before the major events of the Arthurian legend, a reader who is not already familiar with the story may have difficulty comprehending the plot. I recommend that this book be used in tandem with a more traditional telling of the story of Camelot so that the reader can fill in the blanks for him or herself.

Also, while Morgan’s narration of the story mostly rings true, there are passages where the language is too modern to be believable for the time period in question. However, these passages are rare; by and large the book is very well written.

Springer’s I am Morgan le Fay and its companion I am Mordred take a sympathetic look at two of the villains in the Arthurian legends. They offer an interesting counterpoint to the traditional tales, and would be an excellent addition to a unit on the legends of Camelot.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this back in 6th Grade. Loved it to pieces. And having recently found it lying in an extremely dark corner under my bed a couple of days ago, I decided to crawl into bed and re-read it. I still love it to pieces.

I'd always thought the Arthurian Legend was fascinating, but I'd never really liked the guy. Neither did I have much interest in his best friend Sir Lancelot or his lover, Guinevere. On the contrary, I liked Arthur's half sister, Morgan. And Mordred. And while I'm ranting on with the "M" names, I'll put in Merlin too.

This is written from a villian's perspective. If you didn't already know the Camelot story, you'd probably never would have believed that Morgan was truly the evil one. At least, that's how I felt the entire time I was reading it. Nancy Springer's sharp narration and re-creation of a magical tale left me breathless - but it probably had more to do with the heartbraking ending that aroused a few tears. Gah. Why did it have to conclude that way?

[Emily Mcelveen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book was amazing. I had always heard about Morgan Le Fay,since i love stories about Camelot, King Arthur, and just Arthurian legend in general, but i had never gotten this much of a look. Even though it is fiction, it almost makes you feel like the real Morgan Le Fay is telling the story, it has many of the same emotions in it that you would expect someone to have with what happens to her. My favorite part is when she is in Avalon as a little girl, and she sees the rest of the fates and then meets Merlin. Merlin ends up commenting on her druid stone, and offering her a place with him and the baby Arthur. This was an amazing story and I think anyone who likes fantasy books should read it, although it is a bit of an easy read. I recomend it to everyone who is interested at least a little in King Arthur as it shows insight into the personality of one of his biggest enemies. This book will have anyone siding with Morgan, and resenting Arthur because of all the strong emotions shown. It was an amazing book over all.

[Mena · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read this book, I was a twelve year old just becoming interested in Arthurian legend, but had never before heard of Morgan le Fay. I bought the book and read it in the span of a two or three days. Since then I've re-read it several times, and I grow more and more in love with it as I do.

Springer's writing is so vivid and detailed I sometimes re-read it just for the imagery my mind creates. Never have I read Morgan's tale in such a detailed and beautiful manner, even describing a few more gruesome details (the remains of fallen warriors, the fate of Annie the Gypsy horse) in such an elegant way I almost forget I'm reading about death. Until recently I was not aware there were other novels about Morgan (although they are few in number) and then as now, I hold this novel close to my heart as my favorite account of Morgan's life. Since I first purchased it I've since read its companion novel, I Am Mordred, and was once again amazed by Springer's way with words.

[pendragon reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3,5 stars—a good read but it did not fully transport me. The second part of the book hooked me more than the first (compared to ‘I am Mordred’ which hooked me from the start).

“It was a hard thing being a woman, and unfair.”

I liked that this book showed us the different ways in which the unfairness bestowed upon women effected them. And the morbid beauty of self-fulfilling prophecies. Fate is a bitch and so Morgan became something that protected herself against it, I like that.

[Sarah Pantry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was younger and it was my absolute favorite book. I read it again for book clubs Nostalgiathon and it didn’t disappoint. I will always love this book!

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrated by Morgan, Springer's plot tells the well known legend of Arthur from a feminine perspective.
A novel with a similar theme:
Mist of Avalon

[Danielle Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably a 2.5 star read for me. Repetitive at times, it never explained why Morgan was Fay. Decapitation features prominently in the stories of two main characters. I felt bored during certain sections and had to force myself to continue. The first few descriptions of Avalon and the magic therein were pretty good.

[Madelen Rytterstam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mycket svag men kunde inte ge tvåa kände jag.

[Kaylee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Truly hated this book

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes me want to read King Arthur !!

[Emma]

I probably read this book 3-4 times a year throughout middle school, very fun to revisit it

[Arthurianmaiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel which has quickly became my favourite Morgana related novel.
I've read "I am Mordred" many years ago and I fear I don't remember it much, so I am sure this novel can be read quite indipendently from it.
"I am Morgan le Fay" is a novel that tells us the story of Morgana but all in the years before Arthur's kingdom, in fact the novel starts with Gorlois being killed and ends with Arthur taking the sword from the stone and Morgana travelling to see him for the first time since he was a baby.
What I liked about this novel is how it explains us Morgana's ambiguity. Among all the Morgana novels I've read or the novels with Morgana I have never been completely convinced by Morgana as an enemy and then as the one helping Arthur to Avalon. Instead in Nancy Springer's novel not only Morgana becoming the enemy of Arthur is convincing but it's also sensible to see a future where they can be brother and sister again.
The story of Morgana is here heartbreaking, scary even, with the theme of love, power, desire for power and how dangerous love and power can be.
I was also very touched by the story of Igraine. I don't like her much as a character, I'll admit it, but here she felt like a real person, a real character in a novel, for the first time, to me.
The same for the religious themes, which did not annoy me at all, but were very well researched (at least from what I know from the Mabinogion and the Welsh triads) and connected beautifully with Morgana's story in the novel.
I don't think there was a single thing I disliked!

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a King Arthur fan since I was a kid. I found this book, years ago, just wandering through the library and took it, since it was something new. I loved it. This book shows us everything that Morgan did to become the woman so often featured in lore, a woman whose past is never described. We know her only as the half-sister bent on the destruction of Arthur and everything he created in his name. Her past is dismissed as unimportant, leaving us to assume and interpret what happened to her. This book sheds so much light on everything Morgan felt, her desire to be as important as her younger half-brother, the fact that she could and did love someone besides herself, and the choices she followed that locked her into the path which transformed her into Morgan le Fey. I've read this book countless times over the years, picking it up every time I feel the need for an old friend or when I want something that held my attention so long to see if the attraction still holds. Five, six years later, this book holds me the same way it did the first time I picked it up. I love every minute of it.

[Victoria King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book and it was definitely a page turner that moved quickly. I enjoyed the characters but most of all I enjoyed the imagery. I felt like I was there with Morgan Le Fay living her story and seeing what she saw. This book is a children's book and I am 23 but it had many things in it that children would not fully understand. I loved the way it was written the only thing that I did not like was that the story itself was a sad one. I don't want to spoil anything but what I took from the book was that you cannot escape fate and happy endings are not always what they seem and lastly you cannot have your cake and eat it too. Morgan makes many decisions in her lifetime and some are wise and others are not and I just felt like she never really got the point of it all.

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's like The Mists of Avalon, for kids! I...don't mean that as a compliment.

Basically, it jams modern Wicca into Arthurian legend, and manages to be "feminist" by just vilifying all the male characters. (Except for Morgan's love interest, original character do not steal! And the Horned God, I guess.) I read this in middle school and already found this trend annoying.

I'll give it two stars because it did at least pull off its main goal: Morgan becomes a villain by the end, but is still sympathetic throughout, without any hugely OOC twist that I can remember. (I think I was a little thrown by her decision at the end, but it makes enough sense.)

[Sachi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the book that inspired me to read more. I loved it so much. Its from the point of view of Morgan Le Fay and bits of her life before she becomes the woman who is feared...not sure if that was right but anyways before the time when she becomes "evil" as a lot of literature describes her. Its an easy book, I love the way things carry on and the dynamics of the sisters. This pretty much pushed me to research about Arthurian legends. OH god it was just really good.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this book as a kid, and I can still vividly recall many scenes from it. Morgan hiding in the forest with Annie... Morgan and her sister Morgause in their nurse's dug-out home.... Morgan's mother sitting before a mirror, murmuring, "Arthur, Arthur" over and over again.

Hoping to reread this soon, maybe in the summer (2014).

[Asamet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book very much for several reasons, One of them is the setting. Medieval England is the best! simply the rich culture (and religion!) of that area captured by this book are amazing! Another reason is that Avalon was simply so enchantingly and vividly described that I could almost vividly see it in my mind’s eye! Overall this is a really good book and a must-read

[Lianne (Mama Snark Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook edition. Read by Jenny Sterlin, which is the main reason I chose this book. She's one of my favorite readers.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book, the story of the childhood and coming to maturity of Morgan, Arthur's half-sister. If you enjoy Arthurian stories, this is a good one.

[Trisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an okay time killer but I just couldn't relate or anything to the book. THe ending was kinda stupid. She didn't get the guy, i think he dies in battle or something because its his "fate". Its all about how you can't cheat fate.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people know Morgan Le Fay as an evil sorceress, but when you read her life story, you think differently. The book is so amazing! But if you don't like crying emotional books, do NOT read it. It's really four books in one. But I highly recommend it.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

I Am Morgan le Fay is an interesting reading experience. When it's good, it's incredibly good, and when it's bad, it's sort of mediocre.

It's hard for me to describe just how much I loved the first half of this book. It jettisoned me back into my childhood self, just discovering fantasy. It reminded me of reading The Dark is Rising for the first time as a 12 year old, and the sense of shivery magic that is so deeply rooted in a place that it feels like it could be real. I absolutely loved it. Nancy Springer's poetry-tinged prose is nothing short of magical.

The plot and character work are where the book falters. The plot starts off quite strong. About two thirds of the way through, it starts meandering and losing its way. Morgan as a character is mostly good. Or interesting, at least, since she isn't meant to always be good. The main gimmick of I Am Morgan le Fay should be to depict how a normal girl grew up to become an "evil" sorceress. And that is where it fails. Springer's- (excellent) earlier companion novel I Am Mordred pulled that trick off, so I know she can do it! But, here, it's all a little murky what exactly happens to Morgan at the end.

Side note: this book was published in 2000, so there are a few dated elements. Its brand of feminism, for example. Morgan is not like other girls and hates pink (which is an anachronism!) and handicrafts. Her sister, Morgause, is more stereotypically feminine, and Morgan seems to despise her for it. This part, at least, seems like an intentional character flaw to me, since Morgause is depicted as shrewder than Morgan gives her credit for. I grew up in that era of tomboy feminism, so it didn't bother me. We were all falling into that trap, but with the best of intentions. More concerning, in a baffling moment, Morgan randomly lightens magical (servant) creatures' "dirt brown" skin to "less brown, more the color of a fallow fawn" without even asking if they want it. But it's ok, because Morgan "thinks they liked it." Not sure why this bit was even included, since it really has nothing to do with anything. It bothered me. Morgan does express regret later over how she treated the creatures, but, since she wronged them in a lot of ways, it's unclear whether compulsory skin lightening was part of that regret.

Dated elements and slightly disappointing ending aside, I did very much enjoy my read. Overall, it was magical and ancient and a little strange, and I'd like to visit that atmosphere again. I'd even recommend this little duology (with the above warnings for this book, of course) to lovers of arthurian and celtic fantasy. I'd say to read this one first, though, so that you can end on a stronger note with the beautiful I Am Mordred. I sort of feel like rereading that now actually...

I will be reading more Nancy Springer in the future, without a doubt.