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    Morning Short

    Morning Short

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    Podcast

    Enjoy a new, curated short story every episode. We hand-pick 15-25 minute short stories from a pool...

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David McK (3233 KP) rated Lancelot in Books

Jan 30, 2019  
L
Lancelot
Giles Kristian | 2018
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read Giles Kristian's Raven: Blood Eye series of books a few year back.

They were enjoyable, I felt, but not the greatest such novels I'd ever read (I enjoyed the first one the most)

I also, relatively recently, read the first in his 'Rise of Sigurd' prequel novels and felt that one, at times, to be a bit of a chore to get through.

As such, I'd never really gone out of my way to look for any other book by Giles Kristian

However, being the optimist that I (sometimes) am, with loads of adverts extolling its virtue on a popular social-media networking site and with a intriguing premise, I thought I would give this one a go.

And I'm glad I did: it's in (I felt) a completely different league that any of his previous.

This is, effectively, a semi-historical re-telling of the Arthurian myth unique, however, in that it is told from the point of view of Lancelot himself: one third of, perhaps, the most well known love-triangle in the English language but of whom has always been given short shrift, dropping in and out of the Arthurian myth.

This, however, turns that on it's head, with Arthur only appearing roughly about half-way through this book, and with Lancelot having previous history with Guinevere before she is even Arthur's wife. This work follows him right from his boyhood, through his rescue and upbringing by Lady Nimue (Arthurian myth name drop? Check), his first meetings with Merlin (another check) and with Arthur (major check), the reimagined Excalibur (check) and the Lady of the Lake ("listen, just 'cos some watery tart threw a sword at you …"), Mordred (yet another check), his love affair with Guinevere, his exile and even Mordred's betrayal of Arthur.

I have to say, I really enjoyed this: a strong contender for the best book I've read so far this year.
  
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David McK (3233 KP) rated Outlaw (The Outlaw Chronicles, #1) in Books

Jan 30, 2019  
Outlaw (The Outlaw Chronicles, #1)
Outlaw (The Outlaw Chronicles, #1)
Angus Donald | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
"Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Riding throught the Glenn

Robin Hood, Robin Hood, and his bunch of blood-thirsty murderous outlaws ..."

Doesn't have quite the same ring, does it?

"Outlaw" is the story of Robin Hood, told from the perspective of Alan Dale. Like Bernard Cornwell's series of books about King Arthur (indeed, my copy of the book even had a "As good as Bernard Cornwell or your money back" sticker on it), Outlaw is a more earthy, more 'real', telling of the famous tale. All the famous characters are here: Robin Hood, Maid Marie-Anne (Marion), Little John, Friar Tuck, Guy of Gisbourne, and (obviously) Alan Dale himself.

Forget the recent BBC adaptation, or even the '91 film starring a not-very-English Kevin Costner; this is more what Robin Hood would have been like (if he ever existed) than the over-romanticised legendary figure.

Worth a read? If you like Cornwell (or Simon Scarrow's) style of historical fiction, then my answer is a definite yes.