The Road to Camelot: Tales of the Young Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot and More

by Sophie Masson (Editor), Maggie Hamilton, Juliet Marillier

The heroes and heroines of Arthurian legend have never ceased to fascinate us. But what were they like before they knew their destiny? How did they cope with the idea that, one day, they'd be on the road to Camelot, and immortal fame? Fourteen of Australia's best writers of fantasy have imagined what it's like to be a child of destiny with stories of the adventures and life-changing moments that help to make each of these characters the legends they become. Join Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Morgana, Gawain, Gareth, Galahad, Iseult, Elaine, Perceval, Mordred, Nimue—and even Arthur's jesting dwarf—as they set out on the road to Camelot.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Anthologies, Young Adult, Fiction

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Born in Indonesia of French parents, Sophie Masson was sent to live with her paternal grandmother in Toulouse, France, when she was just a baby and lived there till she was nearly five, when her parents came back from Indonesia and took her to Australia. All the rest of her childhood, the family stayed in Australia, with frequent trips back to France, and this dual heritage underpins a good deal of Sophie's work.
Sophie's first book appeared in 1990 and since then she has published more than seventy books, for children, young adults and adults. Her books have been published in Australia, the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and many other countries. She has also had many short stories and articles published in newspapers, magazines, and online journals.
Sophie holds a BA and M.Litt in French and English literature, and a PhD in Creative Practice. A former Chair of the Australian Society of Authors, she is the current Chair (2021) of the New England Writers' Centre and of the Small Press Network. She is also the President committee of the New England and North West sub-branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia, NSW branch.
Sophie has received several awards for her creative work, including the Patricia Wrightson Prize in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, and the YA category of the Aurealis Awards. In 2019 she received an AM in the Order of Australia for her significant service to literature as an author, a publisher, and through service to literary organisations.
Sophie's website is at www.sophiemassonauthor.com
She has a writing blog at www.firebirdfeathers.com
Her You Tube channel, with trailers to many of her books, is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWLa...
She is also a regular contributor to the popular authorship blog Writer Unboxed, www.writerunboxed.com

Reviews

[Ines Norton]

Mesmo que numa primeira leitura tenha gostado mais das histórias que nesta "second time around" para mim este livro será sempre um tesouro muito muito estimado pois foi uma oferta da minha escritora preferida, se não me falha a memória, muito antes de sequer termos nos conhecido em pessoa, anos antes das suas três visitas ao nosso país, mas além de permitir conhecer outros autores que de outra forma não conheceria (o livro é uma colectânia de vários autores Neo Zelandeses e Australianos) eu sou uma das pessoas que vive encantada com Camelot, Rei Artur, Merlin e afins. De salientar que é uma versão refrescante pensar nestas personagens legendárias na sua infância e Juventude, muito antes de todos os eventos que tão bem conhecemos... Em termos de histórias as minhas favoritas continuaram a ser a de Artur como um filho adoptado muito mais humilde do que se esperaria dum futuro rei, escrita pela minha querida Juliet Marillier, a história de um Merlin apaixonado em Heart's Desire e a "The Selkie's Daughter"...

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Even if this "second time around" - yes, I've read this book at least one more time - for me this book will always be a very special treasure, because even before I had meet her in person,my favourite writer, replying to an email send it to me, long before she was in Portugal to promote her books and this kindness act will remain with me forever. Besides it gave me the chance to know the work of several authors from NZ and Autralia,that otherwise would remain strangers to me. I've always like the legends sorrounding king Artur, the round table, Merlin and the knights, and was a breath off fresh air to see this mistical beings in their early years is something unheard off. AS for favorite stories I have to say that of curse was the one about Artur as a foster child, written by my dear Juliet Marillier, and the one about a Merlin inlove and the "Selkie's Daughter."...

[Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms)]

I bought this book because it contains a story by Juliet Marillier and I would read anything she writes! Her story about Arthur deserves 5 stars. Some of the others I just didn't care for. This is a book of short stories by different authors so hard to rate. Probably would be a 2.5 if I could do that. Each author chose a different character related to the Arthurian legend. It is a good book to have sitting around for when you have just a few minutes to read since the stories are short and you can finish quickly. They are interesting takes on a legend that has no written history other than enduring through the centuries and many different versions.

[Danielle]

I normally love books about Camelot and Arthurian legend but I have to say this book was not at all what I thought it was going to be. I bought it because two of my favorite authors contributed stories to this anthology but even that did not make the book amazing. I was very disappointed that several of the stories took place in modern times and barely touched on the Arthurian legend. I also did not think the language or behaviors of a lot of the characters was realistic for the time period. If you are looking for a book of short stories that takes place in Arthur's time, do not read this. If you are looking for a book that only briefly touches on the legends, then you may like it.

[Alayne]

Like most anthologies, this is uneven in the stories. I enjoyed most of them, but there were a couple that were a bit flat. The authors are all Australian, which was pleasant!

[Tanya (aka ListObsessedReader)]

I originally picked up this book as it has a short story by one of my favourite authors, Juliet Marillier, in it. After reading her story I decided to give the rest of it a go.

It is a collection of short stories from the perspective of various characters from Arthurian legends as teenagers. Most feature a defining moment that could influence them to grow into the characters they are known to become.

The stories are simple but create an interesting picture of what these characters (could) have been like in their youth. I have an interest in the Arthurian legends but have not read much concerning them so this hopefully will act a good stepping stone to some 'harder' stuff.

[biblioceraptor]

I normally like Arthurian legend, medieval fiction, fantasy etc., however I only enjoyed one or two of the stories in this collection. I loved the one by Juliet Marillier, but there were some I just did not enjoy at all.
It's a pity because this book just reinforced my dislike of short stories.

[Patricia]

If you like the tales of King Arthur & his world, you might enjoy this collection of stories, written by several well-known authors of fantasy & mythological fiction.

[Tam Cooke]

it was filled with really interesting stories of Merlin, Arther, Gwen and Morgana before they became legends

[Clodagh]

this book could have been done a lot better. but i like the ideas behind the stories.

[Alex]

i dont really like it and its a bit confusing.

[Caitie]

Some gorgeous Arthurian short stories from Juliet Marillier, Kate Forsyth and Garth Nix. However, many of the others were a bit pointless or lazily written.