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Morgan of Sea and Storm
Good King Arthur, the Savior of Britain, is a monster. Only his sister Morgan knows the truth. Only Guinevere believes her, and together the young women vow to overthrow the tyrant and grind his kingdom into myth.
**trigger warnings: gaslighting and implied rape**
Arthur, Morgan, and Guinevere were people of color. If they ever existed, they would have been of Roman and Ancient Briton heritage, battling Saxons in the Dark Ages. No anachronisms in shining armor ride through this Arthurian tale. No wizards or faeries, only druids and nature spirits like the water horse.
**trigger warnings: gaslighting and implied rape**
Arthur, Morgan, and Guinevere were people of color. If they ever existed, they would have been of Roman and Ancient Briton heritage, battling Saxons in the Dark Ages. No anachronisms in shining armor ride through this Arthurian tale. No wizards or faeries, only druids and nature spirits like the water horse.
- GenresFantasy
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2021
2 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
A.E. Marling
13 books306 followersA.E. Marling writes on pages, cards, and buildings. A member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, A.E. has published several novels and written names and flavor text for Magic: the Gathering. In the past he also shone words in light on buildings as a projection activist (@AEMarling).
Pronouns: he/them
Pronouns: he/them
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 16, 2024
This reminded me a of Lancelot in that it is a darker take on the Arthur/Merlin legend from a secondary character, with great prose. Though this one is magic-heavy whereas Kristian's book had essentially no magic in it. Both capture a post-Roman Britain struggling with saxon migration/invasion, and show a really rather grotty "dark ages" country where even kings live in squallor.
The writing is very strong - it's prose that leans into the strength of language, and some readers of "regular" fantasy who've not been exposed to more literary forms may not take to it.
It's written from the point of view of Arthur's older sister Morgan, and her magics mean that this written in an often mythical/mystical style since she can occupy both storms and sea as hinted at in the title.
This will be (if anyone reads it - it's several years old and has 3 ratings!) a book that divides opinions purely because the main focus of the story is seeking revenge for a rape, and it's from the point of view of the victim, and it's written by a man.
Moreover this a nuanced take. NOTE - "nuanced" does not mean fair or correct, it just indicates that the subject is looked at in detail from several angles. And nuance in this area can be a lightning rod for people who want every line of every page from every character to condemn the act.
On top of all this we're in a time/society with very different views from our own. And since the social politics of the time are not (as far as I know) well known, this adds yet another layer of controversy - this time around historical accuracy etc.
So, there are many opportunities for this tale to strike a reader the wrong way. Whether it should or will, I don't know.
What I do know is that it was a very interesting, somewhat perplexing, rather clever story.
We're deep in Morgan's head, sharing her thoughts, living inside her magic. So much of the detail of Arthurian-time living is glossed over because Morgan's not that interested in such detail and her magics mean she doesn't depend on it. But you still get a strong sense of place and time.
I did get irked by quite how often a louse dropped off someone :)
I don't know how much other readers will enjoy this story. I liked it because it felt like something new and interesting, even though it dealt with a very old story/myth.
It's GRIMDARK with fairly low levels of violence. Nasty stuff happens and most of the people seem pretty brutal and self-interested. But there's no focus on the detail of the nasty stuff.
I'm struggling with how to rate it, but I think I will give it 5*s because the writing was strong, the imagination was strong, and I'll remember it longer than many other books I've read.
I'll be interested to see what other readers think. I've really no idea how other people will react, and the current 3 ratings / reviews seem too few to really get a clear idea.
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The writing is very strong - it's prose that leans into the strength of language, and some readers of "regular" fantasy who've not been exposed to more literary forms may not take to it.
It's written from the point of view of Arthur's older sister Morgan, and her magics mean that this written in an often mythical/mystical style since she can occupy both storms and sea as hinted at in the title.
This will be (if anyone reads it - it's several years old and has 3 ratings!) a book that divides opinions purely because the main focus of the story is seeking revenge for a rape, and it's from the point of view of the victim, and it's written by a man.
Moreover this a nuanced take. NOTE - "nuanced" does not mean fair or correct, it just indicates that the subject is looked at in detail from several angles. And nuance in this area can be a lightning rod for people who want every line of every page from every character to condemn the act.
On top of all this we're in a time/society with very different views from our own. And since the social politics of the time are not (as far as I know) well known, this adds yet another layer of controversy - this time around historical accuracy etc.
So, there are many opportunities for this tale to strike a reader the wrong way. Whether it should or will, I don't know.
What I do know is that it was a very interesting, somewhat perplexing, rather clever story.
We're deep in Morgan's head, sharing her thoughts, living inside her magic. So much of the detail of Arthurian-time living is glossed over because Morgan's not that interested in such detail and her magics mean she doesn't depend on it. But you still get a strong sense of place and time.
I did get irked by quite how often a louse dropped off someone :)
I don't know how much other readers will enjoy this story. I liked it because it felt like something new and interesting, even though it dealt with a very old story/myth.
It's GRIMDARK with fairly low levels of violence. Nasty stuff happens and most of the people seem pretty brutal and self-interested. But there's no focus on the detail of the nasty stuff.
I'm struggling with how to rate it, but I think I will give it 5*s because the writing was strong, the imagination was strong, and I'll remember it longer than many other books I've read.
I'll be interested to see what other readers think. I've really no idea how other people will react, and the current 3 ratings / reviews seem too few to really get a clear idea.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
.
March 22, 2021
I had a hard time with this book. Alan Marling is one hell of a compelling writer, so I gave it my all as a reader out of respect. In fact, I really didn't enjoy reading this at all, but I'm giving it two stars because of his obvious gift and the lovely sentences, despite my revulsion of the storyline.
This book was tough! It is a reimagining of the Arthur mythology through the lens of the indigenous (ancient Celtic) and feminine. "Good King" Arthur is immediately and strongly cast as a gaslighting rapist. Morgan/Morgause, his half sister, as well as Guinevere his wife the queen, are victims. Morgan gives up the resulting newborn to a golem(?) in Atlantis in order to have power over water that she may destroy Arthur and his legacy.
I'm struggling. I'm gaslit, myself, as a reader. Is Morgan overreacting? Should she stifle her rage at being abused for the greater good of Britain? Is feminine dignity more important than national peace? (My feminist insides cry out that the division of the two originates in toxic patriarchy.)
This is a story about that confusion, I think. About feeling victimized and tearing oneself apart over how much blame to internalize for one's own trauma.
Still, there was no foundation. As a reader, I had nothing to cling to, and felt little satisfaction at the end. It was a bit like a Greek tragedy -- exploring the limits of humanity and what's preordained versus chosen by individual will.
The writing itself is gorgeous and the imagery evocative. I just didn't care for the story!
This book was tough! It is a reimagining of the Arthur mythology through the lens of the indigenous (ancient Celtic) and feminine. "Good King" Arthur is immediately and strongly cast as a gaslighting rapist. Morgan/Morgause, his half sister, as well as Guinevere his wife the queen, are victims. Morgan gives up the resulting newborn to a golem(?) in Atlantis in order to have power over water that she may destroy Arthur and his legacy.
I'm struggling. I'm gaslit, myself, as a reader. Is Morgan overreacting? Should she stifle her rage at being abused for the greater good of Britain? Is feminine dignity more important than national peace? (My feminist insides cry out that the division of the two originates in toxic patriarchy.)
This is a story about that confusion, I think. About feeling victimized and tearing oneself apart over how much blame to internalize for one's own trauma.
Still, there was no foundation. As a reader, I had nothing to cling to, and felt little satisfaction at the end. It was a bit like a Greek tragedy -- exploring the limits of humanity and what's preordained versus chosen by individual will.
The writing itself is gorgeous and the imagery evocative. I just didn't care for the story!
March 17, 2021
It was a strange book and I loved parts of it, but Morgan was definitely an unlikeable protagonist and idk the violence was a lot
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews