Favs: Mallory, Tennyson's "Idylls of the King", MZB "Mists of Avalon"

Not a fan of "The Crimson Chalice" by Victor Canning.

Jennifer wrote: "Robin wrote: "Have finished Lackey's "Gwenhwyfar." Not a bad read though the take on Arthur's queen here is quite different from the one most people are familiar with."

In a good way or bad?"

It wasn't bad...it was just very different from what people are familiar with. In her author's notes (I think) she said she used some different sources for references in her writing.

Robin wrote: "Have finished Lackey's "Gwenhwyfar." Not a bad read though the take on Arthur's queen here is quite different from the one most people are familiar with."

In a good way or bad?

Have finished Lackey's "Gwenhwyfar." Not a bad read though the take on Arthur's queen here is quite different from the one most people are familiar with.

Tisha, I hope you enjoy The Mists of Avalon! It's a fantastic book, one of my all time favorites :)

I've also read The Winter King A Novel of Arthur by Bernard Cornwell. I thought it was pretty good. It was real heavy on the war details and strategies and whatnot, and my attention would drift during those parts. But then there were some great scenes and dialogue between the characters that would pull me back into the story. This is the first of a trilogy, and I have the other two that I need to read at some point.

There have been some really awesome sounding books mentioned here! I think I probably added about 5 of them to my TBR. I can't wait to check them out!

Robin - I love Mercedes Lackey as a fantasy author. I will have to try this one.

I checked out Gwenhwyfar The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey today. Its another telling of Arthur's story from Gwen's eyes. By the short bit on the inside flap, the author seems to have taken a different twist on who Gwen really was and where she came from.

I can't wait!

I agree with Robin. I've read Mists probably 3 times and LOVED it everytime. It's a beautiful book and I also haven't read much else on Arthur although I'm pretty familiar with the story. I believe it is a totally different take on the myth but a good one :)

Mists of Avalon is fantastic!! You don't need to read anything else before hand...it starts from the beginning. The female perspective is used throughout and is wonderful. You get the story from Arthur's mother, his sisters, Gwyn...its beautiful. :)

Jennifer wrote: "My favorite without a doubt is The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I've talked to a few people on here who have either read it or plan to at some point. Future group read ma..."

I just bought this book based on your recommendation! :) I read the other reviews and people RAVE about it. I'm not familiar with Arthur. Do I need to read a couple other books first or can I start with Mists of Avalon? I heard this is a different perspective from the female point of view.

I have not read Miles' novels about Guenevere, though I enjoyed her novel about Elizabeth I - I, Elizabeth A Novel.

I have Guenevere and checked the other two out of the library, but it has been several years since I read them. I don't remember hating them though.

I do recall thinking Guenevere came across as a spoiled brat who expected everyone to fall right in with her wishes.

Jennifer - I had not read those posts yet, so I edited my post above, but the short answer is no. It was sort of like reading about Frances in the Jane Grey books.

Lyn, were you as annoyed by Guenevere as Tanzanite was?

Wen wrote: "Hannahr wrote: "Robin wrote: "I love Mists of Avalon. I also really love Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy...he presents the story in a very believable way. I am hoping to get started on Helen Hol..."

I read the first two of this trilogy:

Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country
The Knight of the Sacred Lake.

I liked them both. I gave the first one 4 stars, the second 3 stars. I still need to read the third one.

I agree that Guenevere was a selfish person who was used to getting her own way, but that didn't make me not like the books. I guess I was just expecting that since it played such a big role in the whole Camelot story. I also didn't think the writing was the best, but definitely not the worst I had read either. In fact, I am still planning to read the third.

Sawyer wrote: "I am seconding Hannahr's mention of "Idylls of the King", by Tennyson. That was my intro to Arthur, along with the movie "Camelot." I have always meant to read Stewart's trilogy, could that be con..."

I have Le Morte de Arthur on my TBR.

Thanks Tanzanite. I have yet to find a novel in which I like Guenevere but she sounds really bad in those ones!

Here is part of what I wrote in my review:

Guenevere is a whiny, selfish child and she annoyed the hell out of me. I wanted to slap her several times. Since she comes from a female dominated society, she is used to having her own way and she thinks all of the men are in love with her. She is intolerant of the Chrisitian religion that is making its way across Europe and into England. Apart from Guenevere's personality, the actual story line is pretty good, but I found her too annoying to enjoy it.

I don't think I'd mind the romancey part of it but if the writing is bad there's not much to be done for it...

Jennifer wrote: "What about it didn't you both like?"

The writing, and it was a little too romancey for me.

What about it didn't you both like?

Tanzanite wrote: "I read the first book in Miles Guenevere trilogy and didn't care for it at all so I haven't read any more."

I tried reading it as well and didn't finish it. I wasn't impressed personally.

I read the first book in Miles Guenevere trilogy and didn't care for it at all so I haven't read any more.

I have one of hers at home Wen The Knight of the Sacred Lake but it is the second book of the Guenevere trilogy and I have yet to find the other two so I haven't read them yet.

Hannahr wrote: "Robin wrote: "I love Mists of Avalon. I also really love Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy...he presents the story in a very believable way. I am hoping to get started on Helen Hollick's series sh..."

The only King Arthur books I have read are the Mary Stuart ones and I read those many years ago. They were really good though.

I do have a couple sitting on the shelf to read all by Rosalind Miles. Anyone read any of hers?

Sawyer, I'll copy and paste your post into the group reads thread so I remember to add it to the voting poll for the January Group Read :)

I recall reading the Morte d'Arthur as a teenager and enjoying it.

I am seconding Hannahr's mention of "Idylls of the King", by Tennyson. That was my intro to Arthur, along with the movie "Camelot." I have always meant to read Stewart's trilogy, could that be considered for a group read? Does anyone have an opinion about Mallory's Le Morte de Arthur? Not sure about the spelling, but its been one that I've felt that I "should" read.

I reread Mary's Merlin trilogy a couple of years ago and enjoyed it a lot (boo to the publishers for not fixing all the typos on the new edition). I liked the Wicked Day, but it came so close on the heels of Queen of Camelot I was getting a lot of story cross over and been there done that feeling.

I really like the Mary Stewart Merlin trilogy too, especially the first two. The third one, The Last Enchantment, seems to me to be starting to creak a bit to fit in all the various legends. I like The Wicked Day, too, partly because I enjoyed seeing Mordred's perspective for a change.

Lyn wrote: "My sister, who is an Arthur fanatic, says the Mary Stewart trilogy is really good. "

I think so. I like how it's told from Merlin's perspective. It's been a while since my last re-read, and I'm looking forward to it. I think Stewart wrote a 4th one called "The Wicked Day" which was about Mordred. Didn't care much for that one.

My sister, who is an Arthur fanatic, says the Mary Stewart trilogy is really good.

Robin wrote: "I love Mists of Avalon. I also really love Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy...he presents the story in a very believable way. I am hoping to get started on Helen Hollick's series shortly."

I also loved Mists of Avalon. I'd also add Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy as a favorite.

For poetry, it's hard to beat Tennyson's Idylls of the King.

I love Mists of Avalon. I also really love Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy...he presents the story in a very believable way. I am hoping to get started on Helen Hollick's series shortly.

Ok Carla - I can see you are going to be very detrimental to my TBR list. The non-fiction about Arthur sounds fascinating. I will have to add it. And I will have to check out the Hollick trilogy

Carla wrote: "My favourite King Arthur in fiction is a hard call between Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff and The Once and Future King by TH White. I like Helen Hollick's trilogy too, though I thought it dr..."

I felt the same way, about Hollick's trilogy, about halfway through book three I was dropping off. It was still a solid four star read but just not as compelling as the first two.

My favourite King Arthur in fiction is a hard call between Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff and The Once and Future King by TH White. I like Helen Hollick's trilogy too, though I thought it dragged a bit towards the end (anyone else think that, or am I alone?).

Favourite non-fiction King Arthur book is probably The Reign of Arthur: From History to Legend, by Christopher Gidlow, which is a level-headed summing of the evidence (such as it is) for a historical King Arthur. Not just because he came to much the same conclusions as I did :-)

I am ashamed to say I haven't read any of the books you've all talked about but will definitely add them to my list!

Lyn, I do have ACYIKAC and have been feeling a certain pull towards it lately. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

I am on for a future group read on Mists of Avalon, as that is one of the ones that I have not gotten to yet. Arthurian legend and folklore is one of my faves. The Once and Future King by T.H. White is one of my top 10 books of all time. I also love A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court as Twain is one of my top 5 favorite writers.

It would depend on what I'm in the mood for. If I want a romantic take on it I'd say The Road to Avalon or Queen of Camelot.

If I want a grittier read I would chose Hollick's trilogy,

The Sword in the Stone.

My favorite without a doubt is The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I've talked to a few people on here who have either read it or plan to at some point. Future group read maybe?