The Hedge of Mist

The Tales of Arthur #3

by Patricia Kennealy-Morrison

The conclusion of the Arthurian trilogy recounts the a sister's betrayal of a king, the fight of a knight for the queen he once loved, an epic Graal quest, and the journey of Arthur and his companions to the hidden refuge where they will sleep until their prophesied return. Reprint.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Arthurian, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Romance

562 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 25, 1996

About the author

Patricia Kennealy-Morrison was an American author and journalist. Her published works include rock criticism, a memoir, and two series of science fiction/fantasy and murder mystery novels. Most of her books are part of her series, The Keltiad

Reviews

[Abra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. So Patricia Kennealy (when I first read her books, that was her name) is obsessed with Jim Morrison, whom she claims to have "married in a handfast ceremony". She started her writing career interestingly enough, with a trilogy called The Keltiad, basically pre-Christian "Celts in Space", mixing elements of all the different Celtic folklores (Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx, and Breton... I think that's it) with spaceflight and technology. The books are all sort of high fantasy with very one-dimensional Heroic! or Villainous! characters, whatever she tries to imply about the Light needing the Dark, blah blah hippie blah blah New Age pagan blah blah. But they're enjoyable -- The Copper Crown, The Throne of Scone, and the prequel one, The Silver Branch. Even the first one of the second planned trilogy, The Hawk's Gray Feather, which is her reworking of the Arthur legend and the Welsh bard Taliesin, is good. But after that... she goes downhill drastically, and swiftly. She writes one whole book which is just her fictional Keltic version of the great star-crossed love affair she claims with Morrison, and that's just grossly self-indulgent. And she misserves the opening of the whole imagined chronicle -- St. Brendan's exodus from Ireland as the Christians (and St. Patrick) arrive -- by writing it as flatly and Heroically! versus Villainously! as possible. Ugh. I can't even bring myself to reread those two, Blackmantle and The Deer's Cry. She had intended a third trilogy to cap the original Keltiad "Tales of Aeron" -- to be about Aeron's companion, Gwydion. But she hasn't done it. She's been more involved in writing a biography of her love affair with Morrison, and in trying to become heir to his estate, or something like that. Frankly, I don't remember whether she sued the estate or was just blocked from publishing love letters, or what. But it's sort of creepy to see. I wish she hadn't gone down that road.

[Michael D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this book 18 years ago and got sidetracked. I finally finished it this week. The ending dragged after Arthur and most of the crew of the Prydwen die on the planet of the Salamandri.

[Coleen Dailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic series. I am only sorry she did not finish the other books she had planned. Arthur and Gweniver, Taliesin and Morgan, the Graal and the Sidhe, all familiar if you read Irish and English legends but with a twist that this happens in space on a planetary group called Keltia. If you can find these books, and enjoy legengs retold, then you should read these.

[Katrina Arndt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this series years ago and recently came across my paperbacks and reread it - it was not as good as I remembered, but still engaging. The writing was also not as a strong as I remembered - it needs an editor - but I like the series and enjoyed visiting these characters again.

[Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Struggled to finish this trilogy.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the other two (a touch too mystical for me in parts, though that's par for the course with Grail quests), but still good.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final book in the "Arthur" trilogy. I admit that I try to read any version of the Arthurian legends that comes across my path, but I think that this is one of the better ones. Keneally-Morrison describes it in her afterword as a consolidation and lists out the impressive number and range of books she has referenced in writing it. It is as original as it can be, the original Earth based stories becoming prophecies of a far future. This third book ties up the loose ends and brings us a thrilling grail quest, a moving death of Arthur and the setting up of the "once and future king" with lots of magic, spaceships and bardery. The characters are always interesting, and there are lots of them and the writing is good. The story is very moving in places and it held my interest throughout. If you are an Arthur buff then I recommend this very highly.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters are good, the language is interesting, but the plot is limited because Morrison is following the Arthur legend. So it seems that things happen for no reason, The first-person narration by the bard Taliesin, also seems too limiting. Though I do truly like him, I wanted to know the other characters as well, and not just be told about them. Nonetheless, these books will stay in my library, because I do like to visit Keltia every now and then...