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The Once and Future King #2
The Witch in the Wood
The Queen of Air and Darkness, is the second book in his epic work, The Once and Future King. It continues the story of the newly-crowned King Arthur, his tutelage by the wise Merlyn, his war against King Lot, and also introduces the Orkney clan, a group of characters who would cause the eventual downfall of the king.
The original second book in the series was The Witch in the Wood, published in 1939. It has the same general outline as the replacement work, but is substantially longer and most of the text is different.
The original second book in the series was The Witch in the Wood, published in 1939. It has the same general outline as the replacement work, but is substantially longer and most of the text is different.
269 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1939
78 people are currently reading
3692 people want to read
About the author
T.H. White
108 books1,478 followersBorn in Bombay to English parents, Terence Hanbury White was educated at Cambridge and taught for some time at Stowe before deciding to write full-time. White moved to Ireland in 1939 as a conscientious objector to WWII, and lived out his years there. White is best known for his sequence of Arthurian novels, The Once and Future King, first published together in 1958.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews
April 21, 2025
This book is the story of young King Arthur’s Coming of Cynical Age. This is the point at which I abandoned White’s lugubriously surreal Tetralogy. I would from henceforth damn it with very faint praise indeed!
When I was about ten or eleven, my Mom the librarian would try to push The Once and Future King into my hands. But I was just too antsy and all over the map to read adult books. They were too boring.
I tried The Sword in the Stone eventually, of course - it is wonderful - but to me the vanished mystical magic of the Arthurian spirit, captured so well by Mark Twain in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court, was conspicuous by its total absence in White.
And then, of course, Disney purged all hope of reading White sanely.
So what was a kid to do? Fantasy Land was my favourite of the Disney worlds! I was sucked into the wrong dream. Took me sixty years to shake it...
So now, at 71, I read Queen of Air and Darkness, and a lightbulb went on in the empty caverns of my brain. Dumb me! Young King Arthur was every bit as antsy, but noble-hearted, as I was.
My Mom was saying, grow up! Get out of your little brain and see the world responsibly and resignedly! See Yourself in Others.
As an old German once said in broken English: ve grow too soon Alt - und too late Schmart...
Yikes. No fool like an Old Fool.
Well, needless to say, I enjoyed this book, with a discount of a star for the cold cynical water it threw on my face! And I saw that all my life I had been reality-averse. I think it started in Cub Camp (well, maybe before, with all my trips to that Disney Fantasy Land)...
Our camp for Baden Powell's second brainchild, the Wolf Cubs, was down at Ontario's Christie Lake Boy Scout camp. Everything was open-air. And the summertime scheduling my parents chose was Prime Time for the Heat AND mosquitoes. ALL our sports events were next to a swamp.
We called the place Mosquito Alley! There was NO indoor plumbing, either. You did your business in what Scoutmasters taught us was the KYBO - Keep your Bowels Open. Along with a gadzillion Black Flies and Mosquitoes.
And of course a dreamer like me learned reality aversity fairly easily.
But now - now in my been-there done-that depleted Golden Years, I prefer ordinary reality.
And guess what?
I was boosted in my reading of this wonderful, magical though kitchen sink practical novel, by White's own similarity to the mix that is my older self.
But the clincher is:
He sees King Arthur as my dear Mom saw me -
Get this -
As a kid who NEVER GREW UP, because that was too BORING...
But now, 60 years later, Boring for me is the New BEAUTIFUL.
When I was about ten or eleven, my Mom the librarian would try to push The Once and Future King into my hands. But I was just too antsy and all over the map to read adult books. They were too boring.
I tried The Sword in the Stone eventually, of course - it is wonderful - but to me the vanished mystical magic of the Arthurian spirit, captured so well by Mark Twain in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court, was conspicuous by its total absence in White.
And then, of course, Disney purged all hope of reading White sanely.
So what was a kid to do? Fantasy Land was my favourite of the Disney worlds! I was sucked into the wrong dream. Took me sixty years to shake it...
So now, at 71, I read Queen of Air and Darkness, and a lightbulb went on in the empty caverns of my brain. Dumb me! Young King Arthur was every bit as antsy, but noble-hearted, as I was.
My Mom was saying, grow up! Get out of your little brain and see the world responsibly and resignedly! See Yourself in Others.
As an old German once said in broken English: ve grow too soon Alt - und too late Schmart...
Yikes. No fool like an Old Fool.
Well, needless to say, I enjoyed this book, with a discount of a star for the cold cynical water it threw on my face! And I saw that all my life I had been reality-averse. I think it started in Cub Camp (well, maybe before, with all my trips to that Disney Fantasy Land)...
Our camp for Baden Powell's second brainchild, the Wolf Cubs, was down at Ontario's Christie Lake Boy Scout camp. Everything was open-air. And the summertime scheduling my parents chose was Prime Time for the Heat AND mosquitoes. ALL our sports events were next to a swamp.
We called the place Mosquito Alley! There was NO indoor plumbing, either. You did your business in what Scoutmasters taught us was the KYBO - Keep your Bowels Open. Along with a gadzillion Black Flies and Mosquitoes.
And of course a dreamer like me learned reality aversity fairly easily.
But now - now in my been-there done-that depleted Golden Years, I prefer ordinary reality.
And guess what?
I was boosted in my reading of this wonderful, magical though kitchen sink practical novel, by White's own similarity to the mix that is my older self.
But the clincher is:
He sees King Arthur as my dear Mom saw me -
Get this -
As a kid who NEVER GREW UP, because that was too BORING...
But now, 60 years later, Boring for me is the New BEAUTIFUL.
November 23, 2021
The Witch in the Wood is the original version of this book. Later it was almost completely re-written as the Queen of Air and Darkness to be part 2 of "The Once and Future King". Many of the reviews here don't seem to realize that they are very, very different books. Wikipedia says "most of the text is different." Not "some", but "most".
The original is twice as long, and is very, very silly. I'm talking Monty Python level silly. Abbot and Costello type silly. Even "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" is less silly than "The Witch in the Wood".
The revised version is darker in tone, while keeping only some of the humor. Example, the revised version starts with Morgause boiling a living cat in order to make a magic potion. That wasn't in the original at all. In both versions, Morgause tries and fails to catch a unicorn, then her children catch and kill one. In the revised version, she punishes the children for succeeding where she failed. In the original, she didn't even notice they had tried.
In the original, she does try magic and potions to preserve the beauty that she thinks she has. But it is stuff like wearing a box over her head based on an article she read in "Vague" magazine.
Since reviews had led me to expect something darker than book 1, I was surprised and disappointed by the silliness that I found. However, after a while I rather enjoyed it.
As with book 1, keep a dictionary handy!
The original is twice as long, and is very, very silly. I'm talking Monty Python level silly. Abbot and Costello type silly. Even "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" is less silly than "The Witch in the Wood".
The revised version is darker in tone, while keeping only some of the humor. Example, the revised version starts with Morgause boiling a living cat in order to make a magic potion. That wasn't in the original at all. In both versions, Morgause tries and fails to catch a unicorn, then her children catch and kill one. In the revised version, she punishes the children for succeeding where she failed. In the original, she didn't even notice they had tried.
In the original, she does try magic and potions to preserve the beauty that she thinks she has. But it is stuff like wearing a box over her head based on an article she read in "Vague" magazine.
Since reviews had led me to expect something darker than book 1, I was surprised and disappointed by the silliness that I found. However, after a while I rather enjoyed it.
As with book 1, keep a dictionary handy!
March 2, 2019
Long before Harry Potter and the License to Print Money appeared in bookshops, there was another fantasy series following the development of a boy through to manhood, where he learns that with great power comes great responsibility.
Book two of The Once and Future King matures in tone and style from the first. The Sword in the Stone is Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows in style (it’s a song, not a chapter), whereas this story is more Angry Scottish Teenagers Murdering a Unicorn (which is a scene in the book, not a song).
As the transitional book in the series it’s a well-balanced story, not all grim with the onset of war. T.H. White gives us plenty of playful moments as Arthur grows from boy to man to King. The scene where he fetches Merlin for a meeting is hilarious.
The fact the book is very funny in parts makes the end hit harder, as T.H. White takes us to the necessary place the story has to go, the foreshadowing of the inevitable tragedy. It sets the tone for the next part of the tale, The Ill-Made Knight, which of course deals with the heartbreaking Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere love triangle.
Reading this epic again, it seems to me that T.H. White set out to retell a story which he clearly loves and to make Malory accessible to a modern audience. It’s superb storytelling.
Book two of The Once and Future King matures in tone and style from the first. The Sword in the Stone is Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows in style (it’s a song, not a chapter), whereas this story is more Angry Scottish Teenagers Murdering a Unicorn (which is a scene in the book, not a song).
As the transitional book in the series it’s a well-balanced story, not all grim with the onset of war. T.H. White gives us plenty of playful moments as Arthur grows from boy to man to King. The scene where he fetches Merlin for a meeting is hilarious.
The fact the book is very funny in parts makes the end hit harder, as T.H. White takes us to the necessary place the story has to go, the foreshadowing of the inevitable tragedy. It sets the tone for the next part of the tale, The Ill-Made Knight, which of course deals with the heartbreaking Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere love triangle.
Reading this epic again, it seems to me that T.H. White set out to retell a story which he clearly loves and to make Malory accessible to a modern audience. It’s superb storytelling.
July 19, 2022
MORDRED MY BELOVED.
February 18, 2011
The Queen of Air and Darkness is shorter and less rich than the first book, I think. There's less of Arthur and Merlyn, and more interludes spent -- carrying most of the humour of the story -- with Pellinore and Sir Grummore, and the Questing Beast.
It does do several important jobs: introduce Gawaine and his brothers, foreshadow the birth of Mordred and the consequences of the incest, and begin to set Arthur up as a noble king, one who is doing things a little differently to the traditional ways kings are meant to behave.
Despite the relatively smaller scope, it's still an enjoyable read. Funny in places, and easy to read, and well-written, with passages of surprising beauty given the general humorous tone. It's probably better to take it in context with the other books, rather than think of it separately.
It does do several important jobs: introduce Gawaine and his brothers, foreshadow the birth of Mordred and the consequences of the incest, and begin to set Arthur up as a noble king, one who is doing things a little differently to the traditional ways kings are meant to behave.
Despite the relatively smaller scope, it's still an enjoyable read. Funny in places, and easy to read, and well-written, with passages of surprising beauty given the general humorous tone. It's probably better to take it in context with the other books, rather than think of it separately.
June 29, 2022
A departure from children’s fantasy. This second book of TH White’s classic The Once and Future King* shifts gear into darker themes with conversations about war, act of incest and the casual perpetuation of animal cruelty. Any notion of The Queen of Air and Darkness (#2) as a family-friendly continuation of the childish The Sword in the Stone (#1) should be firmly dispelled. The novella-length The Queen of Air and Darkness was originally a longer book, The Witch in the Wood, revised through numerous rewrites and editions into the version I read.
In this, one of the three plot lines is rubbish. It is the least appealing, this slapstick of knights on a silly quest for a unicorn which might be a comedic offering for those who have enjoyed Arthur’s fantastical adventures in the first book. The second plot line introduces the Orkney scions, Gawaine, Gareth, Gaheris, and Agravaine, with their presumptive birthright and who would play significant roles in future events. More importantly, we meet their callous mother, Morgause, whose earliest chapter had her boiling a cat alive and her final one in this book, precipitating Arthur’s downfall. Only the third plot line on young Arthur’s dialogues with Merlin, Kay and Sir Ector about war and chivalry was truly necessary to lay the groundwork for Arthur’s legend. As he did in The Sword in the Stone, with the occasional anachronistic hindsight from the modern world, Merlin gently steers Arthur’s arguments about the hurtfulness of war, while letting his royal ward figure out the repercussions and morality of every action.
Here’s a reflective Arthur, at the cusp of battle, laying the foundational thoughts for his legacy: (Excerpts, not spoiler)
Do you see the idea?”.
This idea, the idea, of Arthur is irresistible. It’s idealistic, romantic, tragic. I dare say many times in childhood and a few more in adulthood, we have heard of the folklore of Arthur, Merlin and the knights of the round table, and like Arthur, be able to discern basic wrongs from basic rights, plain innocence from plain evil. Over time, as our worldview allows, the black and white blends, the nuances become starker. In that, we can perhaps empathize with young Arthur’s revelations, almost a surprise to himself as he hesitantly formulates and then cements those thoughts talking out loud, seeking affirmation, setting in motion, what will become his life's story immortalized as enduring tales.
Every author puts their own stamp on Arthurian myth. It was no different for White in his highly-acclaimed spin based off on a well-known 15th century work, Le Morte d'Arthur. Clearly, I didn’t love The Queen of Air and Darkness, with its loosely connected tri-story format and an overabundance of whimsy, but it was a necessary bridge in the series if only to see the king growing up, and in the final chapter, the child becoming a man.
[* The Once and Future King tetralogy:
The Sword in the Stone (#1, 1938) - 3 stars
The Queen of Air and Darkness (#2, 1939) - 3 stars
To read,
The Ill-Made Knight (#3, 1940)
The Candle in the Wind (#4, year?)
Plus,
Separately published, The Book of Merlin (#5, 1941)]
In this, one of the three plot lines is rubbish. It is the least appealing, this slapstick of knights on a silly quest for a unicorn which might be a comedic offering for those who have enjoyed Arthur’s fantastical adventures in the first book. The second plot line introduces the Orkney scions, Gawaine, Gareth, Gaheris, and Agravaine, with their presumptive birthright and who would play significant roles in future events. More importantly, we meet their callous mother, Morgause, whose earliest chapter had her boiling a cat alive and her final one in this book, precipitating Arthur’s downfall. Only the third plot line on young Arthur’s dialogues with Merlin, Kay and Sir Ector about war and chivalry was truly necessary to lay the groundwork for Arthur’s legend. As he did in The Sword in the Stone, with the occasional anachronistic hindsight from the modern world, Merlin gently steers Arthur’s arguments about the hurtfulness of war, while letting his royal ward figure out the repercussions and morality of every action.
Here’s a reflective Arthur, at the cusp of battle, laying the foundational thoughts for his legacy: (Excerpts, not spoiler)
Do you see the idea?”.
This idea, the idea, of Arthur is irresistible. It’s idealistic, romantic, tragic. I dare say many times in childhood and a few more in adulthood, we have heard of the folklore of Arthur, Merlin and the knights of the round table, and like Arthur, be able to discern basic wrongs from basic rights, plain innocence from plain evil. Over time, as our worldview allows, the black and white blends, the nuances become starker. In that, we can perhaps empathize with young Arthur’s revelations, almost a surprise to himself as he hesitantly formulates and then cements those thoughts talking out loud, seeking affirmation, setting in motion, what will become his life's story immortalized as enduring tales.
Every author puts their own stamp on Arthurian myth. It was no different for White in his highly-acclaimed spin based off on a well-known 15th century work, Le Morte d'Arthur. Clearly, I didn’t love The Queen of Air and Darkness, with its loosely connected tri-story format and an overabundance of whimsy, but it was a necessary bridge in the series if only to see the king growing up, and in the final chapter, the child becoming a man.
[* The Once and Future King tetralogy:
The Sword in the Stone (#1, 1938) - 3 stars
The Queen of Air and Darkness (#2, 1939) - 3 stars
To read,
The Ill-Made Knight (#3, 1940)
The Candle in the Wind (#4, year?)
Plus,
Separately published, The Book of Merlin (#5, 1941)]
April 17, 2015
3.5 stars
“Indeed, they did love her. Perhaps we all give the best of our hearts uncritically—to those who hardly think about us in return.”
This book is where Arthur’s story starts to take a darker turn, and plays on the ideas that the sins of the father revisit the son. This book follows Arthur as he begins to think of ways to unite the people, which brings about a lot of philosophical debate tinged with humor about war between Arthur, Kay, and Merlyn. This is the story that introduces us to Arthur’s round table and his reasoning for deciding to make it round (to foster camaraderie between his knights by making them all appear equal at a round table rather than at a traditional table where a knight might feel his seat is further away from the head and therefore an insinuation that he wasn’t as good as those before him).
However, largely this book follows Arthur’s Gaelic half-sister–the queen of Orkney, sister to Morgan Le Fay, and a witch herself, Morgeuse–and her sons (eventual knights of the round table), Gawain, Gaheris, Gareth, and Agravain. Morguese’s husband, King Lot, wages a failed campaign against the young Arthur. Morguese and her sons play a large role in the eventual downfall of Arthur. This book gives a glimpse of the people the young boys will become in time and the dark machinations of their mother whose attention they clamor desperately for. Arthur isn’t aware of who his mother is, even if he’s now aware that his father is the deceased king Uther Pendragon. When he meets Morguese and her sons, he doesn’t know that they share a mother, and well, she is a really beautiful woman. I have such a soft spot for books where characters have so many psychological issues with the loved ones in their lives that shaped them, so my rating of this part is largely due to the Orkney clan.
“Indeed, they did love her. Perhaps we all give the best of our hearts uncritically—to those who hardly think about us in return.”
This book is where Arthur’s story starts to take a darker turn, and plays on the ideas that the sins of the father revisit the son. This book follows Arthur as he begins to think of ways to unite the people, which brings about a lot of philosophical debate tinged with humor about war between Arthur, Kay, and Merlyn. This is the story that introduces us to Arthur’s round table and his reasoning for deciding to make it round (to foster camaraderie between his knights by making them all appear equal at a round table rather than at a traditional table where a knight might feel his seat is further away from the head and therefore an insinuation that he wasn’t as good as those before him).
However, largely this book follows Arthur’s Gaelic half-sister–the queen of Orkney, sister to Morgan Le Fay, and a witch herself, Morgeuse–and her sons (eventual knights of the round table), Gawain, Gaheris, Gareth, and Agravain. Morguese’s husband, King Lot, wages a failed campaign against the young Arthur. Morguese and her sons play a large role in the eventual downfall of Arthur. This book gives a glimpse of the people the young boys will become in time and the dark machinations of their mother whose attention they clamor desperately for. Arthur isn’t aware of who his mother is, even if he’s now aware that his father is the deceased king Uther Pendragon. When he meets Morguese and her sons, he doesn’t know that they share a mother, and well, she is a really beautiful woman. I have such a soft spot for books where characters have so many psychological issues with the loved ones in their lives that shaped them, so my rating of this part is largely due to the Orkney clan.
January 9, 2022
MERLIN I WANNA TALK
August 16, 2023
trzeci (3) w tym miesiącu martwy jednorożec. żartujecie sb ze mnie ?
August 21, 2012
I have to stand by my old review of this almost to the letter. It's shorter than The Sword in the Stone, and the humour is less evenly distributed -- there's a sort of humour about Morgause and her sons, I suppose, but it's not the same warm kind that Pellinore and Palimedes carry in this book, or that attended just about everyone in the first book. Again, some parts are surprisingly beautiful given the overall tone of the book, and it introduces a lot of characters and begins to develop Arthur into a king rather than just a boy.
Of course, now I'm trying to remember the publishing history of this -- it was once longer, maybe? It got totally revised as some point, I know that much. That might be part of what makes it less appealing.
Of course, now I'm trying to remember the publishing history of this -- it was once longer, maybe? It got totally revised as some point, I know that much. That might be part of what makes it less appealing.
September 14, 2019
„Веднъж и завинаги крал - том 1” (изд. „Изток-Запад”) събира под една корица първите два романа от едноименния цикъл за крал Артур от Т. Х. Уайт. Сред любимите четива на автори като Нийл Геймън и Урсула ле Гуин и послужила като вдъхновение за прекрасната анимация на Дисни, днес фентъзи класиката „Мечът в камъка“ достигат и до българския читател в комплект със своето продължение „Кралицата на вятъра и мрака“, а преводът е във вещите ръце на Елена Павлова. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
October 25, 2017
If this is a children's book, it is one of such timeless quality that adults can expect to have their eyes opened through it. Arthur and Merlin's tutoring sessions are ones in which people of every age and in every age could sit and benefit. In fact, one may want to wait until adulthood. Some of the scenes, such as the one early in the book in which witches are boiling a cat and over which the author chooses to dwell at some length, would be pretty intense for children.
The biggest thing I took away from the book, other than finding the language pleasing and applied exciting, is a chance to consider the nature of power and the quality of mercy. Might-makes-right is the persistent tutor and goad of each age, and Merlin's challenge to reconsider is one that must be dealt with by anyone who exercises any degree of influence for his or her own benefit. Some, says Merlin, is necessary consolidation to effectively use future influence. Beyond that is the exercise of power for a person's own gratification, and this is the evil Arthur matured to fight against.
I am eager to move with him into the rest of this sweet and yet tragic story that has prompted so many retellings.
The biggest thing I took away from the book, other than finding the language pleasing and applied exciting, is a chance to consider the nature of power and the quality of mercy. Might-makes-right is the persistent tutor and goad of each age, and Merlin's challenge to reconsider is one that must be dealt with by anyone who exercises any degree of influence for his or her own benefit. Some, says Merlin, is necessary consolidation to effectively use future influence. Beyond that is the exercise of power for a person's own gratification, and this is the evil Arthur matured to fight against.
I am eager to move with him into the rest of this sweet and yet tragic story that has prompted so many retellings.
February 9, 2021
Tedious in places.
Lots of places.
Lots of places.
April 4, 2013
This is a very strange book. (Book 2 of T.H. White's The Once and Future King)
It seems like five random and unconnected plots which all begin but never finish or join together. Granted - I have not yet read the sequels so I don't know if these plots will make sense later, but for now it was just weird. (It was also later retitled "The Queen of Air and Darkness)
It's a collection of short stories. Some are silly: like the tale of the questing beast. Some are gruesomely disturbing: like the take of Gawaine and his brothers killing the Unicorn.
The only parts I really enjoyed we're the conversations with Arthur, Kay, and Merlyn.
Arthur learns much about the nature of war in this book. Merlyn is constantly teaching him, helping him, and giving him examples. He teaches Arthur that his problem is that he doens't care about the serfs, the foot soldiers. Arthur and his knights have fun in war, and earn huge ransoms, while the people are murdered, raped, pillaged, etc...
Here are my two favorite lessons from Merlyn:
1. Merlyn tells Arthur there is never a reason to go to war, unless the other man starts it.
Arthur points out "If one side was starving the other by some means or other - some peaceful, economic means which were not actually warlike - then the starving side might have to fight it's way out."
Merlyn answers: “There is no excuse for war, none whatever, and whatever the wrong which your nation might be doing to mine–short of war–my nation would be in the wrong if it started a war so as to redress it. A murderer, for instance, is not allowed to plead that his victim was rich and oppressing him–so why should a nation be allowed to? Wrongs have to be redressed by reason, not by force.”
2. Later Kay tells Merlyn he has thought of a good reason to go to war.
"There might be a king who had discovered a new way of life for human beings — you know, something which would be good for them. It might even be the only way from saving them from destruction. Well, if the human beings were too wicked or too stupid to accept his way, he might have to force it on them, in their own interests by the sword."
The magician clenched his fists, twisted his gown into screws, and began to shake all over.
"Very interesting," he said in a trembling voice. "Very interesting. There was just such a man when I was young — an Austrian who invented a new way of life and convinced himself that he was the chap to make it work. He tried to impose his reformation by the sword, and plunged the civilized world into misery and chaos. But the thing which this fellow had overlooked, my friend, was that he had had a predecessor in the reformation business, called Jesus Christ. Perhaps we may assume that Jesus knew as much as the Austrian did about saving people. But the odd thing is that Jesus did not turn the disciples into storm troopers, burn down the Temple at Jerusalem, and fix the blame on Pontius Pilate. On the contrary, he made it clear that the business of the philosopher was to make ideas available, and not to impose them on people."
This is part of the joy of having a character like Merlyn in the book. He can draw examples from any era, and use any example he wants. He mentions both Jesus and Hitler in this example (which is impressive since the book was published in 1939, before the majority of Hitler's horrors had occured)
It seems like five random and unconnected plots which all begin but never finish or join together. Granted - I have not yet read the sequels so I don't know if these plots will make sense later, but for now it was just weird. (It was also later retitled "The Queen of Air and Darkness)
It's a collection of short stories. Some are silly: like the tale of the questing beast. Some are gruesomely disturbing: like the take of Gawaine and his brothers killing the Unicorn.
The only parts I really enjoyed we're the conversations with Arthur, Kay, and Merlyn.
Arthur learns much about the nature of war in this book. Merlyn is constantly teaching him, helping him, and giving him examples. He teaches Arthur that his problem is that he doens't care about the serfs, the foot soldiers. Arthur and his knights have fun in war, and earn huge ransoms, while the people are murdered, raped, pillaged, etc...
Here are my two favorite lessons from Merlyn:
1. Merlyn tells Arthur there is never a reason to go to war, unless the other man starts it.
Arthur points out "If one side was starving the other by some means or other - some peaceful, economic means which were not actually warlike - then the starving side might have to fight it's way out."
Merlyn answers: “There is no excuse for war, none whatever, and whatever the wrong which your nation might be doing to mine–short of war–my nation would be in the wrong if it started a war so as to redress it. A murderer, for instance, is not allowed to plead that his victim was rich and oppressing him–so why should a nation be allowed to? Wrongs have to be redressed by reason, not by force.”
2. Later Kay tells Merlyn he has thought of a good reason to go to war.
"There might be a king who had discovered a new way of life for human beings — you know, something which would be good for them. It might even be the only way from saving them from destruction. Well, if the human beings were too wicked or too stupid to accept his way, he might have to force it on them, in their own interests by the sword."
The magician clenched his fists, twisted his gown into screws, and began to shake all over.
"Very interesting," he said in a trembling voice. "Very interesting. There was just such a man when I was young — an Austrian who invented a new way of life and convinced himself that he was the chap to make it work. He tried to impose his reformation by the sword, and plunged the civilized world into misery and chaos. But the thing which this fellow had overlooked, my friend, was that he had had a predecessor in the reformation business, called Jesus Christ. Perhaps we may assume that Jesus knew as much as the Austrian did about saving people. But the odd thing is that Jesus did not turn the disciples into storm troopers, burn down the Temple at Jerusalem, and fix the blame on Pontius Pilate. On the contrary, he made it clear that the business of the philosopher was to make ideas available, and not to impose them on people."
This is part of the joy of having a character like Merlyn in the book. He can draw examples from any era, and use any example he wants. He mentions both Jesus and Hitler in this example (which is impressive since the book was published in 1939, before the majority of Hitler's horrors had occured)
September 23, 2014
Technically, I've sorta read this. I mean, I've read 'The Queen of Air and Darkness' which is a more abridged, slightly darker, version of the same story. I think T.H. White cut this book down to the nubs a little to make 'The Once and Future King' more managable and probably more marketable. So, while I write that I've read, and while the 'Witch in the Wood' is often used interchangably with 'the Queen of Air and Darkness', they aren't identical twins or even dopplegangers. It is like they are kissing cousins, or perhaps they share the same mother.
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- Robert Farwell / Edward Jones library / Mesa, AZ 2014
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- Robert Farwell / Edward Jones library / Mesa, AZ 2014
February 17, 2018
Second book in The Once and Future King. Comparatively short. Introduces the characters of the Orkney clan, Gawain, Agravaine, Gaheris, Gareth, and their witch mother Morgause. This time around I found the subplot with Pellinore, Grummore, and Palomides simply irritating, but it does a lot to lighten the mood of this book, which concludes with Morgause's rape/seduction of her half-brother Arthur.
There isn't a lot of narrative content here, this is where the story picks up philosophically. Arthur's plan to redirect "might" to work for "right," a new order of chivalry and the Knights of the Round Table, begins here. He abandons a tradition of battle in which the nobles, encased in armor, have a jolly good (and indeed safe) time fighting each other for fun while their peasants are the ones getting slaughtered.
While also introduces into the story the concept of personal sin and its consequences, which is the major theme of the next book (if I remember correctly). This is what makes this novel so interesting, how seriously White treats the Catholic ideas of merit, virtue, grace, and sin.
Again I am listening to this on Audible. Here this book is titled The Witch in the Wood rather than The Queen of Air and Darkness. Wikipedia says:
However, from what I remember, this Audible version of The Witch in the Wood is the same as the Queen of Air and Darkness book I read in high school.
There isn't a lot of narrative content here, this is where the story picks up philosophically. Arthur's plan to redirect "might" to work for "right," a new order of chivalry and the Knights of the Round Table, begins here. He abandons a tradition of battle in which the nobles, encased in armor, have a jolly good (and indeed safe) time fighting each other for fun while their peasants are the ones getting slaughtered.
While also introduces into the story the concept of personal sin and its consequences, which is the major theme of the next book (if I remember correctly). This is what makes this novel so interesting, how seriously White treats the Catholic ideas of merit, virtue, grace, and sin.
Again I am listening to this on Audible. Here this book is titled The Witch in the Wood rather than The Queen of Air and Darkness. Wikipedia says:
The original second book in the series was The Witch in the Wood, published in 1939. It has the same general outline as the replacement work, but is substantially longer and most of the text is different. ... The Queen of Air and Darkness is a substantially different book from The Witch in the Wood, and less than half its length. The general outline is similar, but the tone is darker and more violent and many of the details are different; Sir Palomides is the tutor to the boys, for example, and the satire of Queen Morgause is longer and less comical.
However, from what I remember, this Audible version of The Witch in the Wood is the same as the Queen of Air and Darkness book I read in high school.
December 13, 2019
This book was a great read and I would definitely reccommend it to others, especially if you read the first book. It was intriguing how Arthur, Kay, and Merlyn acted compared to the first book. I think this book displayed quite different personality traits of Arthur than the first book did. I truly enjoyed watching Arthur grow from a curious and charismatic child into a powerful, war-hungry leader. I think that from reading the second book of this series you saw the teachings from Merlyn Arthur took to heart, as well as ones he didn't pay any mind to. Arthur described the wars he has fought in as "fun" but later was taught by an exasperated Merlyn that there were greater consequences to what Arthur and Kay had deemed as "fun". Kays personality shifted quite a lot too, for he was more compatible with the king and spent time listening to Merlyns teachings without being too cocky. You could tell throughout the book that Merlyn was becoming confused about how Arthur could be this confident and arrogant as well as being very adamant about how war needs to be calmed and peace needs to be found. He brought up many good points to Arthur teaching him that wars were agitated by one and that aggravation towards each other would bring violence while when one stands down, there is less of a risk. While in the first book Merlyn gives Arthur thoughts and experiences, in this book Merlyn promotes Arthur to think on his own with little help from him. Overall, I think that this book gives a resolution to the questions I had while reading The Sword and the Stone and brought new questions about the king and his future ruling in this novel.
Read
March 26, 2012The Queen of Air and Darkness is a relatively bland continuation of The Sword in the Stone. It has a mellow plotline that follows foreshadowing to the letter. Many aspects of the story are foretold, and therefore the story could basically be explained without reading any of the actual text. The story stays right on the line of ridiculousness, occasionally crossing over at random intervals. In many pieces of the book, the reader feels that White simply did not feel like talking about something anymore, and moved on, midthought. In other places White could not stop talking about a single point, droning for pages and pages. The plotline of this story is purely linear, with no writing skills or techniques that persuade the reader to continue. Other than the occasional tangential rave, it might as well be a blow by blow bulleted presentation. The story is dragged over a well worn path in circles, taking breaks very infrequently to show any reason behind the continued publication of the book. The emotional journeys of the characters is barely felt at all, with the intellectual message getting buried beneath chaotic dialogue and destructive word choice. Whenever any beneficial or entertaining element peeks out, almost to be seen, it is crushed by a random outburst or flurry of imagined words. In conclusion, The plotline is clear but bland, the characters defined but weak, and the language barely understandable.
September 8, 2020
Hic iacet Arthurus Rex quondam Rexque futurus.
Król, który był i będzie.
Jestem rozczulona wątkiem Bestii Dyżurnej, serio. To jedna z najbardziej uroczych bestii, z jakimi spotkałam się na kartach literatury. W drugiej części historia się trochę rozkręca, ale nie na tyle, żebym teraz przetrząsała antykwariaty w poszukiwaniu dalszych części. Może kiedyś wrócę do tej serii, o ile gdzieś wpadnie mi w oko. Na chwilę obecną kończę swoją przygodę z Królem Arturem, Merlinem i resztą ferajny. Buziaki Bestyjko!
6/10
Król, który był i będzie.
Jestem rozczulona wątkiem Bestii Dyżurnej, serio. To jedna z najbardziej uroczych bestii, z jakimi spotkałam się na kartach literatury. W drugiej części historia się trochę rozkręca, ale nie na tyle, żebym teraz przetrząsała antykwariaty w poszukiwaniu dalszych części. Może kiedyś wrócę do tej serii, o ile gdzieś wpadnie mi w oko. Na chwilę obecną kończę swoją przygodę z Królem Arturem, Merlinem i resztą ferajny. Buziaki Bestyjko!
6/10
November 7, 2019
This second book is less humorous than The Once and Future King, and far more to the point, less thematically consistent and solid. I don't think too much of its material has to be known for the rest of the saga to work out. But I still appreciate some good prose and greatly enjoyed reading it.
The bit about the unicorn was brutal.
The bit about the unicorn was brutal.
January 7, 2020
Second book in the series, and it keeps getting better. Great series, truly funny, everyone should read this
August 4, 2019
I enjoyed this one, but not as much as The Sword in the Stone. This strongly focuses of the themes of war, which I found has it's challenges and there were also some challenging moments with witches and also hunting. All were clearly showing a moral story, some I agreed with... some I did not.
My favourite storyline in here was The Questing Beast and I really enjoyed King Pellinore, he could be my favourite character in this book save for Merlin (of course!).
Overall it was enjoyable and I might even want to re-read/skim it again before heading into the next book so I can get more grounded in the characters. There were lots introduced here, and many they came back to again but I don't remember all of them.
The version in the book I'm reading lists it as The Queen of Air and Darkness: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Because they are listed as separate books in a series, I am logging both the individual titles as I complete them as also updated the bind up I'm reading them in: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
My favourite storyline in here was The Questing Beast and I really enjoyed King Pellinore, he could be my favourite character in this book save for Merlin (of course!).
Overall it was enjoyable and I might even want to re-read/skim it again before heading into the next book so I can get more grounded in the characters. There were lots introduced here, and many they came back to again but I don't remember all of them.
The version in the book I'm reading lists it as The Queen of Air and Darkness: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Because they are listed as separate books in a series, I am logging both the individual titles as I complete them as also updated the bind up I'm reading them in: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
January 1, 2025
In the shortest book of the series, T.H. White manages to set stage for the many future developments that will shape the life (and death) of Arthur as a Once and Future King.
Trademark humour occasionally turning into satire, here with a touch of political philosophy, remains an unfailing advantage of White's writing.
Relying on his knowledge of both future and past, albeit occasionally confused, grumbling Merlin continues his mentorship – even though the nature of the lessons he gives is now different. However, the second instalment is notably darker than The Sword in the Stone, a striking contrast.
Trademark humour occasionally turning into satire, here with a touch of political philosophy, remains an unfailing advantage of White's writing.
Relying on his knowledge of both future and past, albeit occasionally confused, grumbling Merlin continues his mentorship – even though the nature of the lessons he gives is now different. However, the second instalment is notably darker than The Sword in the Stone, a striking contrast.
May 20, 2025
I liked this one a lot more than the first. I loved seeing Arthur gain momentum as King, and I think White very artfully weaves several different storylines together. One thing I disliked was that in the first book Arthur (“Wart”) seems a very precocious and intelligent child, but as an adult is very stupid (as White really, really wants us to know)—the child Arthur and the adult Arthur just don’t seem consistent.
July 26, 2018
They're too rich to fight
King Arthur's not playing fair
pick on someone poor.
King Arthur's not playing fair
pick on someone poor.
July 15, 2025
My God Morgouse is evil! And in other news the sky is blue 😁
April 17, 2023
As with The Sword in the Stone, this book has been edited quite a bit from its original title and length (The Witch in the Wood) for publication in the 50s into the bound volume of The Once and Future King. At only around a hundred pages, this story felt disjointed (maybe because swaths of the story were removed??), and, more importantly, the tone absolutely never found any kind of rhythm, alternating (whiplash-fashion) between dark and gruesome (literally starts with a witch boiling a cat alive in fairly tedious detail), to frivolous nonsense (the entire plot involving the Questing Beast felt almost absurdly slapstick), to thoughtful and contemplative (Arthur deciding to create the Round Table and questioning the assumption that "Might is Right").
While The Sword in the Stone was lighthearted and fun, with undertones of thoughtfulness, all packaged in a story that felt appropriate for middle grade readers, The Queen of Air and Darkness is definitely a book for older readers. Besides the gruesome animal cruelty, there is casual discussion of incest and other sexual themes as well. Although not explicit, they are still a fairly important part of the story. I don't mind this for my own reading, because it's actually also a big part of the Arthurian legends, but mostly just as a warning that this book should not be handed to the same child who enjoyed The Sword in the Stone.
I can't say that I enjoyed this one, but it was an interesting direction for White to go with the story. I'm still finishing this series, but have approached The Ill-Made Knight with more caution.
While The Sword in the Stone was lighthearted and fun, with undertones of thoughtfulness, all packaged in a story that felt appropriate for middle grade readers, The Queen of Air and Darkness is definitely a book for older readers. Besides the gruesome animal cruelty, there is casual discussion of incest and other sexual themes as well. Although not explicit, they are still a fairly important part of the story. I don't mind this for my own reading, because it's actually also a big part of the Arthurian legends, but mostly just as a warning that this book should not be handed to the same child who enjoyed The Sword in the Stone.
I can't say that I enjoyed this one, but it was an interesting direction for White to go with the story. I'm still finishing this series, but have approached The Ill-Made Knight with more caution.
February 7, 2012
I liked this.... not as much as 'Sword in the Stone'. There was a very odd mix of the extremely dark: the opening cat scene and the unicorn butchery were really awful while the silliness of King ?Pellinore? was satisfyingly stupid. Arthur is in the book, learning that maybe we shouldn't romanticize war - it is interesting to have a World War I pacifist take on chivalry and romantic knights. A bunch of blood-thirst bumbling aristos - anarchy now!!! I'm all good with that - though really White seems to have Arthur go for a decent humanism - undercutting it by spilling the beans about Arthur's fate at the end of the book (doomed!) - and names Mallory!
And did I mention child of rape and incest? The book is gonna get a lot darker.
Unfortunately White has a rep for having his women either evil or stupid and so far this seems to be the case. But that's okay we can still hate the Irish and Scottish.... (Oh, sorry, I just checked, one half of my family is Scottish so it turns out that isn't okay either.)
So to sum up, I'm looking forward to things getting nastier, darker, more misogynistic and racist towards those of the Gaelic persuasion - but written extremely well, with hopefully some nice nature scenes, before a bunny gets it. But actually I do enjoy stuff that takes the darker side of humanity - which usually means an author who shares that darker side - it is all down to the art, fellow maggots.
And did I mention child of rape and incest? The book is gonna get a lot darker.
Unfortunately White has a rep for having his women either evil or stupid and so far this seems to be the case. But that's okay we can still hate the Irish and Scottish.... (Oh, sorry, I just checked, one half of my family is Scottish so it turns out that isn't okay either.)
So to sum up, I'm looking forward to things getting nastier, darker, more misogynistic and racist towards those of the Gaelic persuasion - but written extremely well, with hopefully some nice nature scenes, before a bunny gets it. But actually I do enjoy stuff that takes the darker side of humanity - which usually means an author who shares that darker side - it is all down to the art, fellow maggots.
October 4, 2021
I can't get over how utterly unsatisfying this book was. Took a full month to read its mere 140 pages, which should say everything.
It has some brilliant shining moments, where the author's skill in writing blew me away, as it did with the first book of the series The Sword in the Stone (my review for which can be found here).
But it's too heavily marred by:
- General lack of structure and plot
- Archaic and problematic use of language
- Sexism
- Middle book syndrome (doesn't work as a standalone)
- Generally being unpleasant to read (see the content warnings below)
- A truly awful ending (my comments here - spoiler warning)
I read the revised version from the 4-in-1 tome The Once and Future King. Apparently this is much darker in tone than the original, as well as being a great deal shorter by cutting out all the fun stuff. I am stumped at why White chose to do this.
Now I need a book from the current century to cleanse my palate.
Content warning:
It has some brilliant shining moments, where the author's skill in writing blew me away, as it did with the first book of the series The Sword in the Stone (my review for which can be found here).
But it's too heavily marred by:
- General lack of structure and plot
- Archaic and problematic use of language
- Sexism
- Middle book syndrome (doesn't work as a standalone)
- Generally being unpleasant to read (see the content warnings below)
- A truly awful ending (my comments here - spoiler warning)
I read the revised version from the 4-in-1 tome The Once and Future King. Apparently this is much darker in tone than the original, as well as being a great deal shorter by cutting out all the fun stuff. I am stumped at why White chose to do this.
Now I need a book from the current century to cleanse my palate.
Content warning:
February 22, 2023
"Ciertamente que la querian. Tal vez todos nosotros entregamos sin reservas nuestro corazon a aquellos que menos se preocupan de lo que nos depara la suerte."
Este libro nos trae a la mesa un enfoque mas maduro de Arturo, nos enfocamos en la guerra a la que hay que afrentarse y principalmente las escenas de Arturo y Merlin nos trae un lado filosofico acerca del mal. Me encantaba cuando la historia se enfocaba precisamente en eso, pero obviamente hay cosas que no me gustaron, senti que la mayor parte del libro se centraba en los niños y la triada de caballeros, y no me molestaria si me importara, yo queria MAS de Arturo, disfrutaba leerlo, pero me dieron poco por la historia de esta gente que la verdad nunca me termino de interesar, ademas a pesar de que el titulo es "La reina del aire y las tinieblas" no vi mucho de ella.
Una cosa que debo destacar fue el final, me dejo un mal cuerpo, no porque estuviera mal hecho, al contrario, supo hilar bien, el final es mas oscuro, no se parece en nada al del primer libro, lo cual debo decir me impacto y si me dejo ganas de seguir leyendo esta saga, cosa que hare a pesar de que no haya sido tan bueno como su predesesor.
Este libro nos trae a la mesa un enfoque mas maduro de Arturo, nos enfocamos en la guerra a la que hay que afrentarse y principalmente las escenas de Arturo y Merlin nos trae un lado filosofico acerca del mal. Me encantaba cuando la historia se enfocaba precisamente en eso, pero obviamente hay cosas que no me gustaron, senti que la mayor parte del libro se centraba en los niños y la triada de caballeros, y no me molestaria si me importara, yo queria MAS de Arturo, disfrutaba leerlo, pero me dieron poco por la historia de esta gente que la verdad nunca me termino de interesar, ademas a pesar de que el titulo es "La reina del aire y las tinieblas" no vi mucho de ella.
Una cosa que debo destacar fue el final, me dejo un mal cuerpo, no porque estuviera mal hecho, al contrario, supo hilar bien, el final es mas oscuro, no se parece en nada al del primer libro, lo cual debo decir me impacto y si me dejo ganas de seguir leyendo esta saga, cosa que hare a pesar de que no haya sido tan bueno como su predesesor.
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