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The Fourth Gwenevere
Gwenevere, Arthur’s Saxon wife, is a problem. As the dynastic cement between the British and the Saxons, her marriage to the Arthur will result in a child that will unite both sides. At least, that would have been the plan, had the Great Duke Arthur not died and left the petty kings of Britain to squabble over his title.
Only Morvran, Arthur’s chief fixer, has the wit to see that the Fourth Gwenevere is the key to maintaining a crumbling peace. But when she is abducted, it seems that all hopes might disappear with her.
For, in a world where swords and horses have names of honour, where poets speak as oracles of a shifting truth and the raiding of Saxon warriors is set to ruin Britain, perhaps it’s only the Fourth Gwenevere herself who has the real solution?
Only Morvran, Arthur’s chief fixer, has the wit to see that the Fourth Gwenevere is the key to maintaining a crumbling peace. But when she is abducted, it seems that all hopes might disappear with her.
For, in a world where swords and horses have names of honour, where poets speak as oracles of a shifting truth and the raiding of Saxon warriors is set to ruin Britain, perhaps it’s only the Fourth Gwenevere herself who has the real solution?
- GenresHistorical Fiction
281 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2014
2 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
John James
14 books7 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
David John James was a Welsh author of Historical Novels.
He attended St David's University College, and also read psychology at Cambridge. In addition to writing he has also worked as a teacher and later for the Scientific Civil Service working on aviation problems.
He is known for writing four historical novels set in early medieval Britain and Europe. Neil Gaiman is an admirer of James, especially his novel Votan, which provided one model for American Gods calling it “I think probably the best book ever done about the Norse”. . James's skilful evocation of life and myths of Dark Age Europe also won him the admiration of neo-pagan authors John and Caitlin Matthews.
David John James was a Welsh author of Historical Novels.
He attended St David's University College, and also read psychology at Cambridge. In addition to writing he has also worked as a teacher and later for the Scientific Civil Service working on aviation problems.
He is known for writing four historical novels set in early medieval Britain and Europe. Neil Gaiman is an admirer of James, especially his novel Votan, which provided one model for American Gods calling it “I think probably the best book ever done about the Norse”. . James's skilful evocation of life and myths of Dark Age Europe also won him the admiration of neo-pagan authors John and Caitlin Matthews.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 21, 2014
I’ve always loved Arthurian tales, or the Matter of Britain to give them their proper name, ever since I first read an adaptation when I was a little girl and just reading on my own. When I was just a teen I loved The Mists of Avalon and I read many variations and retellings in the years since. Thus a book that is titled The Fourth Gwenevere immediately grabs my attention. The Fourth Gwenevere however isn’t a straight retelling of the Arthur legend as we know it – the sword in the stone, the round table, Lancelot and Gwenevere and so on – but the tale of what happens after Arthur is taken to Avalon and the kingdom has to go on without him. And it’s not the tale you might have expected.
The novel's structure is interesting. The chapters, which are themselves divided into numbered sections, are interleaved with interludes from the fourth Gwenevere's perspective. The interludes create the impression that what the main narrative leads us to believe might not be necessarily true. James' prose in The Fourth Gwenevere took a little getting used to at first. His love and familiarity with the Matter of Britain and other early medieval texts and legends shines through his writing. It was somewhat evocative of the Mabinogion in its choices of stylistic devices, such as describing things in three, up to and including Arthur’s previous three wives, who were a triad of Gweneveres. The fourth Gwenevere is explicitly said to carry the name as a title—it’s not her true name. Yet she is one of the few who isn’t named in the enumerative style so familiar from the Mabinogion, though to be fair he doesn’t take entire pages just to list names.
Perhaps due to this acclimatisation period The Fourth Gwenevere suffered something of a slow start. The narrative only picks up when we move beyond Arthur’s death and burial. While the tale we are told up to that point is not the saga we’re familiar with, it does contain all the usual staples and it is only after James moves beyond this point that the story comes into its own. James devised a wonderful alternate Arthur, who is not the shining, virtuous paragon of legend. Instead he’s a leader of men and a do-er of great deeds, but not a peace-time king and he certainly isn’t above taking advantage of his station. All the familiar elements of Arthur’s tale are there only they are just a little twisted.
All of this is related to the reader by Morvran, king of Gwent and Arthur’s fixer. He gives an interesting point of via on the Arthurian court as he saw it, which isn’t always very flattering to the king or his subjects. I loved the fact that the reader is essentially told that the way we know the tale is propaganda, because 'Who will fight for the memory of a pig stealer?' Combined with the content of the interludes James creates a subtle commentary on the malleability of truth through storytelling or as Kian puts it: 'What has poetry to do with the truth?' I found this a fascinating theme to the story and one that comes through quite strongly.
Additionally, there is quite a bit of social commentary on the isolationism found in many island cultures and perhaps on British colonialism as well. Mostly this is shown when Morvran and his band cross the Channel and have to interact with the people they encounter abroad, but it's also present in their attitude towards the Saxons or Heathens as they refer to them. Most of this is conveyed in the guise of humour, but the chuckle is more at the expense of Morvran's group than that of the people they address. For example, Morvran is openly dismissive of the innovations introduced by the Romans such as paved roads and brick houses, stating that their own wattle-and-daub huts are more than good enough.
In general there is a humorous tone to the narrative, not for comedic value, but just Morvran’s wry personality shining through his first person narration. There is at times also something of the absurd to the narrative in the sudden inclusion of something wondrous or weird. At one point, after swearing an oath, the Saxon Oslaf pulls an adder, a hare and several pigeon eggs from his pouch and proceeds to slaughter and crush them to seal his promise. While completely nonsensical – for who carries all of that in his pouch at all times, just in case? – these events harken back to the traditional stories and also provide a laugh.
Despite the slow start to the narrative and the shift in tone between sections, which could be due to the way this book came about, The Fourth Gwenevere was a lovely book. Its story is suitably adventurous and exciting and for anyone with the slightest interest in the Matter of Britain this entertaining tale is recommended reading.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
The novel's structure is interesting. The chapters, which are themselves divided into numbered sections, are interleaved with interludes from the fourth Gwenevere's perspective. The interludes create the impression that what the main narrative leads us to believe might not be necessarily true. James' prose in The Fourth Gwenevere took a little getting used to at first. His love and familiarity with the Matter of Britain and other early medieval texts and legends shines through his writing. It was somewhat evocative of the Mabinogion in its choices of stylistic devices, such as describing things in three, up to and including Arthur’s previous three wives, who were a triad of Gweneveres. The fourth Gwenevere is explicitly said to carry the name as a title—it’s not her true name. Yet she is one of the few who isn’t named in the enumerative style so familiar from the Mabinogion, though to be fair he doesn’t take entire pages just to list names.
Perhaps due to this acclimatisation period The Fourth Gwenevere suffered something of a slow start. The narrative only picks up when we move beyond Arthur’s death and burial. While the tale we are told up to that point is not the saga we’re familiar with, it does contain all the usual staples and it is only after James moves beyond this point that the story comes into its own. James devised a wonderful alternate Arthur, who is not the shining, virtuous paragon of legend. Instead he’s a leader of men and a do-er of great deeds, but not a peace-time king and he certainly isn’t above taking advantage of his station. All the familiar elements of Arthur’s tale are there only they are just a little twisted.
All of this is related to the reader by Morvran, king of Gwent and Arthur’s fixer. He gives an interesting point of via on the Arthurian court as he saw it, which isn’t always very flattering to the king or his subjects. I loved the fact that the reader is essentially told that the way we know the tale is propaganda, because 'Who will fight for the memory of a pig stealer?' Combined with the content of the interludes James creates a subtle commentary on the malleability of truth through storytelling or as Kian puts it: 'What has poetry to do with the truth?' I found this a fascinating theme to the story and one that comes through quite strongly.
Additionally, there is quite a bit of social commentary on the isolationism found in many island cultures and perhaps on British colonialism as well. Mostly this is shown when Morvran and his band cross the Channel and have to interact with the people they encounter abroad, but it's also present in their attitude towards the Saxons or Heathens as they refer to them. Most of this is conveyed in the guise of humour, but the chuckle is more at the expense of Morvran's group than that of the people they address. For example, Morvran is openly dismissive of the innovations introduced by the Romans such as paved roads and brick houses, stating that their own wattle-and-daub huts are more than good enough.
In general there is a humorous tone to the narrative, not for comedic value, but just Morvran’s wry personality shining through his first person narration. There is at times also something of the absurd to the narrative in the sudden inclusion of something wondrous or weird. At one point, after swearing an oath, the Saxon Oslaf pulls an adder, a hare and several pigeon eggs from his pouch and proceeds to slaughter and crush them to seal his promise. While completely nonsensical – for who carries all of that in his pouch at all times, just in case? – these events harken back to the traditional stories and also provide a laugh.
Despite the slow start to the narrative and the shift in tone between sections, which could be due to the way this book came about, The Fourth Gwenevere was a lovely book. Its story is suitably adventurous and exciting and for anyone with the slightest interest in the Matter of Britain this entertaining tale is recommended reading.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
September 14, 2014
The Review: http://thefictionalhangout.blogspot.c....
IMPORTANT: This is a review copy provided by the Publisher and would normally go live on The Founding Fields. However, seeing as the backend of TFF is currently down, all book reviews will be posted on The Fictional Hangout for the foreseeable future. When the problem with TFF is eventually fixed, they will be reposted on The Founding Fields. Apologies for any inconveniences.
The Fourth Gwenevere has married Arthur, the Great Duke of War, to cement the truce between the peoples of the Island of the Mighty and beget a son who will be overlord of all... but Arthur has been assassinated, which is going to prove very awkward indeed. Now that he’s gone – though many doubt he’s really dead – the petty kings of Britain are jockeying for position, all seeking to marry the Gwenevere and take Arthur’s place. Then the Gwenevere is abducted and Morvran, King of Gwent and Arthur’s chief fixer, undertakes to find her and return her to salvage the future of Britain, for only he has the wit to unravel the Byzantine plot before the Saxons declare war...
The Arthurian Legend that we know and are familiar with isn’t exactly something that you’ll find here. The book takes a different approach to simply being a standard retelling of myth & legend, with classic moments such as the Sword in the Stone not featured here. Instead, this is about life after Arthur, a period that’s received much less attention. So although The Fourth Gwenevere is very much an Arthurian novel, although it adopts a different approach from what most people will be familiar with. Case in point, Gwenevere herself. Only, there’s something different. As the title suggests, there have actually been for people to bear the name Gwenevere, all wives of King Arthur. In particular, this one focuses around the last person to bear the name, at an unfortunate time when Arthur has been slain. It’s something that gives the book a unique feel and allows for an interesting addition to the Jo Fletcher line-up, of which the publisher has not disappointed so far with some very strong stories indeed. If you haven’t read anything from Jo Fletcher then you’re really doing yourself a disservice, because there are multiple good titles that the publisher has to offer and this book is very much one of them.
James’ writing style will take a little getting used to at first, especially if you’ve just come off an entirely different novel, with the tonal switch taking a while to get used to, especially if you’ve just finished a novel that was entirely different (for example, the previous novel before The Fourth Gwenevere for me was Claire North’s The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August – which was a whole different beast entirely). But eventually, once you’re settled in and familiar with his approach, then you’ll have no problem with the rest of the book. It’s fresh, witty and imaginative, and once you can get over the relatively slow start it moves along at a fairly gripping pace.
The narrator isn’t a famous face from legend (or at least, not as famous as the likes of Lancelot and Arthur himself) and this is a wise approach from James as his version of Arthurian legend is somewhat distorted to what we’ve come to expect. Arthur was a good king and a leader of men, yes – but being a king in a country at peace isn’t his strongest suite as he was very much a ruler who thrived on war. Our main character is Morvran, a King of Gwent, who carries the book very well indeed with his first person narrative. The book also includes multiple interludes as well that are executed strongly, but won’t detract you from the overall narrative.
John James uses humour to great effect here, and whilst sometimes poor humour can throw you off a story altogether, James makes sure that The Fourth Gwenevere is very much entertaining. It’s not a fully blown comedy but neither is it entirely grimdark, and this is because of Morvran’s narrative, which also manages to be both strong and gripping in equal measure.
This novel then, is another strong addition to the ranks of Jo Fletcher Books. John James has crafted a wonderful, different and unfamiliar take on Arthurian legend and although it may take some getting used to, otherwise remains a pretty awesome read that comes recommended.
VERDICT: 8/10
IMPORTANT: This is a review copy provided by the Publisher and would normally go live on The Founding Fields. However, seeing as the backend of TFF is currently down, all book reviews will be posted on The Fictional Hangout for the foreseeable future. When the problem with TFF is eventually fixed, they will be reposted on The Founding Fields. Apologies for any inconveniences.
The Fourth Gwenevere has married Arthur, the Great Duke of War, to cement the truce between the peoples of the Island of the Mighty and beget a son who will be overlord of all... but Arthur has been assassinated, which is going to prove very awkward indeed. Now that he’s gone – though many doubt he’s really dead – the petty kings of Britain are jockeying for position, all seeking to marry the Gwenevere and take Arthur’s place. Then the Gwenevere is abducted and Morvran, King of Gwent and Arthur’s chief fixer, undertakes to find her and return her to salvage the future of Britain, for only he has the wit to unravel the Byzantine plot before the Saxons declare war...
The Arthurian Legend that we know and are familiar with isn’t exactly something that you’ll find here. The book takes a different approach to simply being a standard retelling of myth & legend, with classic moments such as the Sword in the Stone not featured here. Instead, this is about life after Arthur, a period that’s received much less attention. So although The Fourth Gwenevere is very much an Arthurian novel, although it adopts a different approach from what most people will be familiar with. Case in point, Gwenevere herself. Only, there’s something different. As the title suggests, there have actually been for people to bear the name Gwenevere, all wives of King Arthur. In particular, this one focuses around the last person to bear the name, at an unfortunate time when Arthur has been slain. It’s something that gives the book a unique feel and allows for an interesting addition to the Jo Fletcher line-up, of which the publisher has not disappointed so far with some very strong stories indeed. If you haven’t read anything from Jo Fletcher then you’re really doing yourself a disservice, because there are multiple good titles that the publisher has to offer and this book is very much one of them.
James’ writing style will take a little getting used to at first, especially if you’ve just come off an entirely different novel, with the tonal switch taking a while to get used to, especially if you’ve just finished a novel that was entirely different (for example, the previous novel before The Fourth Gwenevere for me was Claire North’s The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August – which was a whole different beast entirely). But eventually, once you’re settled in and familiar with his approach, then you’ll have no problem with the rest of the book. It’s fresh, witty and imaginative, and once you can get over the relatively slow start it moves along at a fairly gripping pace.
The narrator isn’t a famous face from legend (or at least, not as famous as the likes of Lancelot and Arthur himself) and this is a wise approach from James as his version of Arthurian legend is somewhat distorted to what we’ve come to expect. Arthur was a good king and a leader of men, yes – but being a king in a country at peace isn’t his strongest suite as he was very much a ruler who thrived on war. Our main character is Morvran, a King of Gwent, who carries the book very well indeed with his first person narrative. The book also includes multiple interludes as well that are executed strongly, but won’t detract you from the overall narrative.
John James uses humour to great effect here, and whilst sometimes poor humour can throw you off a story altogether, James makes sure that The Fourth Gwenevere is very much entertaining. It’s not a fully blown comedy but neither is it entirely grimdark, and this is because of Morvran’s narrative, which also manages to be both strong and gripping in equal measure.
This novel then, is another strong addition to the ranks of Jo Fletcher Books. John James has crafted a wonderful, different and unfamiliar take on Arthurian legend and although it may take some getting used to, otherwise remains a pretty awesome read that comes recommended.
VERDICT: 8/10
December 21, 2020
I chose this book in the library as I was going to be Gwenevere in a local production before the recent lockdown. This is a story with a difference - Arthur is killed in a fight over a pig (as you do) and it is left to his right hand man Morvran to ensure peace in the aftermath. He realises that Arthur's widow Gwenevere (the Fourth Gwen in the title) is the key to peace and must rescue her when she is kidnapped. There is intrigue and skulduggery plus three ex-wives all called Gwenevere as this is their official title.
This book was completed by John and Caitlin Matthews who have done a fantastic job. It must be very difficult to complete someone's work and there is lots of information at the end. Even if you don't read fantasy there is a lot of political intrigue that will keep you interested. Please read!
This book was completed by John and Caitlin Matthews who have done a fantastic job. It must be very difficult to complete someone's work and there is lots of information at the end. Even if you don't read fantasy there is a lot of political intrigue that will keep you interested. Please read!
October 23, 2022
A clever retelling of the Arthurian legend that combines a sense of harsh realism with a fantastical quality, and manages to be quite unexpected.
John James reaches back to the oldest versions of the King Arthur tales, before all the romanticism was added in. In these oldest versions, the stories describe how Arthur had not one - but four wives, all named Gwenevere.
Since we start here with his marriage to the fourth Gwenevere, that should be a clue as to where in King Arthur's life we are, but events are still shocking. And then the retelling starts as people scramble to deal with the political fallout of regime chance.
A good retelling of what the King Arthur stories might have looked like in reality, while also holding a mystical quality.
October 21, 2017
A very original take on Arthurian Britain. It has some similarities to James's earlier book with the same setting, Men Went to Cattraeth, especially in the irony of having the Britons think of themselves as being civilised but actually being quite backwards (e.g. destroying Roman buildings for their metal, to pay for wine and swords from traders). MWtC is one of my favourite Dark Age novels. But I found this one too over the top with its barbarity, implausibility, and occasional deliberate silliness. This book was never published in James's lifetime, and I wonder if his earlier published books had the benefit of a professional editor to keep things more 'straight'.
September 28, 2014
A different take on Arthurian legend. In this telling, a Gwenevere is a title and not a personal name. I found this to be an okay piece of historical fiction although it wasn't particularly compelling.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews