The Mammoth Book of King Arthur (80 page)

(Note: Cornwell’s Grail Quest series,
Harlequin
(UK, 2000),
Vagabond
(UK, 2002) and
Heretic
UK, 2003) is not Arthurian but is set during the Hundred Years’ War,
in which a soldier, Thomas of Hookton, has become involved in a search for the Grail.)

Cramer, James Douglas
,
The Song of Arthur
(US, 2001) (f)

Unusually, this is set after Camlann, during Arthur’s final days in Avalon. As Arthur wrestles with his own conscience and memories, Percival (here Arthur’s nephew)
struggles with the idea of becoming king.

Crompton, Anne Eliot
(b.1930),
Merlin’s Harp
(US, 1995) (f)

A YA book inspired by the idea that Gildas disliked Arthur because he had robbed churches for his war-chest. Gildas takes an untypically major role in this unusual treatment. It
is the tale of Niviene, a Fey, daughter of the Lady of the Lake (Nimway), sister of Lugh (Lancelot), and apprentice to Merlin, who lives on the magical island of Avalon. The strife at Camelot
threatens to endanger Avalon, and Merlin uses Niviene’s special talents to help save the kingdom. There are two sequels, featuring the same characters but not bound as a trilogy.
Gawain
and Lady Green
(US, 1997), whilst retelling the story of Gawain and the Green Knight, explores the conflict between Druidism and Christianity. In
Percival’s Angel
(1999), Percival
is shown as a human raised amongst the Fey whose quest is to develop his human side as a knight. The story really explores the anguish of coming of age and the loss of innocence.

Crossley-Holland, Kevin
(b.1941)
The Seeing Stone
(UK, 2001),
At the Crossing Places
(UK, 2002),
King of the Middle Marc
(UK,
2003) (h/m)

Known as a poet and folklorist, Crossley-Holland has also written a simple guide for children to the Arthurian world in
The King Who Was and Will Be
(UK, 1999). His YA
Arthurian trilogy is, predictably, refreshingly different. It is set at the time of Richard I and the Crusades. The hero is a young squire, Arthur de Caldicott, anxious to become a knight. Through
his friendship with Merlin, the squire acquires the “seeing stone” which enables him to view Arthur’s world. The trilogy then shows the growing parallels between the
squire’s world and Arthur’s, especially once the squire accompanies his Lord on the Crusades. Crossley-Holland neatly retells the stories of both the Dark Age Arthur and the Arthur of
the romances.

Cunqueiro, Alvaro
(1911–1981),
Merlin and Company
(Spain, 1955; UK, 1996, trans. Colin Smith) (m)

Set in a timeless medieval Europe, built as much from the romances as from history, it depicts Merlin and Guinevere who have “retired” to Spain to escape their past
but the kings and princes of Europe still demand their services.

Davies, Andrew,
The Legend of King Arthur
(UK, 1979) (h)

The book of the TV series (
see
page 557).

Deeping, Warwick
(1877–1950),
Uther and Igraine
(UK, 1903) (h)

One of Britain’s most popular novelists in his day, Deeping visited the Arthurian world four times, once with the time-shift novel
The Man Who Went Back
(UK, 1940).
He significantly reworked the traditional story, which unfortunately anodised some of the relationships. In
Uther and Igraine
, we learn that Uther had first met her long before their
encounter as described by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Igraine is a novice nun, driven out of her abbey when it is burned to the ground. She makes her way to Winchester where she meets Uther who is at
that time disguised as the wandering knight Pelleas. Uther is shown as pious and caring, unlike the man of the legend. They become involved in
the war in Wales before the
climactic scenes at Tintagel.
The Man on the White Horse
(UK, 1934) is set in 367
AD
in the last days of Roman Britain, and though it features people with Arthurian
names and anticipates a hero who will fight the barbarians it is not directly Arthurian. Similarly, although Artorius appears in
The Sword and the Cross
(UK, 1957), the main character is
Gerontius.

Dickinson, Peter
(b.1927)
Merlin Dreams
(UK, 1988) (f)

A YA collection of nine stories and two poems plus interlinking material that helps piece together Merlin’s life. In Dickinson’s version Nimue has helped Merlin to
rest in an enchanted sleep and he dreams various episodes in his life including most of the key traditional Arthurian moments, set in a well-visualized Celtic world.

Ditmas, E.M.R.
Gareth of Orkney
(UK, 1956) (m)

A YA book retelling, in slightly rationalised terms, Malory’s story of Gareth “Beaumains”. The same author’s
Tristan and Iseult in Cornwall
(UK,
1969) is a non-fiction study.

Drake, David
(b.1945)
The Dragon Lord
(US, 1979; revised, 1982) (h/f)

Set in the sub-Roman period it features Arthur as the leader of a band of mercenaries fighting the Saxons. But Arthur wants to be a genuine Dragon Lord and he sets Merlin the
task of raising a dragon and the means of controlling it. Arthur’s companions are known by the later names, such as Gawain and Lancelot, though the background is clearly Celtic.

Duggan, Alfred
(1903–1964)
Conscience of the King
(UK, 1951) (h)

One of the more unusual historical novels told from the viewpoint of the renegade half Briton-half Saxon Cerdic/Coroticus, who was the son of Eleutherius. In a single-minded
drive for survival and power Cerdic kills all who cross him, except for Arthur, and survives Badon to found the kingdom of Wessex.

Edwards, Rex
,
Arthur of the Britons
(UK, 1975) (h)

The book of the TV series (
see
page 553).

Erskine, John
(1879–1951),
Galahad
(US, 1926) (m)

The noted author of
The Private Life of Helen of Troy
enjoyed producing thinly disguised satires transposing the life and morals of the 1920s into historical settings.
Galahad
, sub-titled “enough of his life to explain his reputation”, considers the tragic life of Elaine, the equivalent of the post-war “new woman”, who desired
Lancelot and craved a child which, when it grew to maturity and realised it was illegitimate, spurned its parents. Well written, the novel suffers by being too close to the era it is lambasting,
but will doubtless regain its reputation for later generations. Erskine repeated his experiment with
Tristan and Isolde
(US, 1932), in which the Saracen knight Palamedes finds that the
renowned chivalry of Arthur’s court is but a veneer. He becomes involved in the Tristan > Isolde > Mark triangle, which is further complicated by Brangain’s love for him. Erskine
also wrote “Seven Tales from King Arthur’s Court” (
American Weekly
, 1940), a series retold direct from Malory, with some twentieth century seasoning, which was not
collected in book form.

Evans, Quinn Taylor
,
Dawn of Camelot
(US, 1998) (f)

Evans (real name Carla Simpson) has written a six-book series of historical romances called “Merlin’s Legacy”. The first three feature the daughters of Merlin
who have lived for centuries and have romantic entanglements in the times of the Vikings, Normans and Crusades. The fourth book,
Shadows of Camelot
(US, 1997), concerns Merlin’s son
Truan who travels back in time to help defend Camelot.
Dawn of Camelot
takes place at the time of Arthur and is the story of Merlin’s sister Meg who falls in love with Arthur’s
childhood friend Connor. Merlin and Meg work together to protect Arthur so that he can save Britain. Its direct sequel,
Daughter of Camelot
(US, 1999), is about Meg and Connor’s
daughter Raine. Strictly for romance fans.

Faraday, W. Bernard
(1874–1953),
Pendragon
(UK, 1930; reprinted US, 2002) (h)

A first-person account by Arthur of his battle to save Britain from the Saxons. The battle accounts are so vivid and the temper of the novel so passionate that it has been
suggested that Faraday was
writing out his angst of his experiences in the First World War. It culminates in the Battle of Badon, which Faraday places at Badbury Rings.

Finkel, George
(1909–1975),
Twilight Province
(Australia, 1967; as
Watch Fires to the North
, US, 1968) (h)

YA novel of how Bedwyr saves Artyr and how together they organise the Romano-British resistance. An original feature is their travels to Rome to acquire Thracian cavalry
horses.

Fisk, Alan
(b.1950),
The Summer Stars
(UK, 1992) (h)

The autobiography of Taliesin as he travels through Dark Age Britain.

Frankland, Edward
(1884–1958),
The Bear of Britain
(UK, 1944; as
Arthur the Bear of Britain
, US, 1998) (h)

The story of Arthur’s twelve battles across Britain and on to Camlann. Written during the War years it reflects the struggle for survival of the British against invasion.
Frankland places Badon at Liddington Castle.

French, Allen
(1870–1946),
Sir Marrok
(US, 1902) (m/f)

The story of Sir Marrok who, after his return from Arthur’s wars against Rome, finds his wife has betrayed him, and is turned into a werewolf. The second half of the novel
was reprinted in
The Mammoth Book of Arthurian Legends
, edited by Mike Ashley (UK/US, 1998).

Friesner, Esther
(b.1951),
Up the Wall
(US, 2000) (f)

A collection of mostly humorous stories including “The Death of Nimuë” and “Three Queens”.

Gemmell, David
(b.1948),
Ghost King
(UK, 1988) (f)

Part of Gemmell’s Sipstrassi series about Stones of Power, which are fragments of meteorites that confer special powers. The first,
Wolf in Shadow
(UK, 1987), takes
place in the far future but this volume is set at the end of the Roman Empire and features the Warrior Culain (based on Cú Chulainn, though also a Merlin figure), known as the Lord of the
Lance, and a young Uther
Pendragon (here called Thurso), who are fighting the Germanic invaders. Uther becomes High King but with the sequel,
Last Sword of Power
(UK,
1988), Uther’s soul is trapped in Hell and a new leader must be found. The other books in the series move beyond the Arthurian period. Gemmell uses the Grail and Excalibur elements from the
Arthurian legend to create an inventive heroic fantasy.

Gloag, John
(1896–1981),
Artorius Rex
(UK, 1977) (h)

Arthur’s rise and fall is told by Caius Geladius (Kay) to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. Caius reports that Arthur is eventually abandoned by his companions as the local
kings grow in strength.

Godwin, Parke
(b.1929),
Firelord
(US, 1980) (h)

Godwin reconstructs a complex but plausible Celtic society in which the part-Pict Arthur has the vision and pragmatism to unite the defence against the Saxons. This is one of
the best Arthurian novels, with credible characters and a believable culture. The sequel,
Beloved Exile
(US, 1984), is about the struggle by Guinevere and the remaining warriors to survive
and ultimately integrate into what has become an alien Britain dominated by Saxons.
The Last Rainbow
(US, 1985), though treated as part of this sequence, takes place earlier and is the story
of St Patrick, though it includes a meeting with Ambrosius Aurelianus (s
ee also
Hawks, Kate
).

Greeley, Andrew M.
(b.1928),
The Magic Cup
(US, 1979) (h)

Greeley retells what he believes is the original Grail story from Irish legends and includes his counterparts for Arthur (Cormac MacDermot), Guenevere (Finnabair) and Merlin
(Columba).

Guler, Kathleen Cunningham,
Into the Path of Gods
(US, 1998),
In the Shadow of Dragons
(US, 2001) (f)

The first two volumes in the projected four-volume YA sequence, Macsen’s Treasure. Set in the fifth century, before Arthur’s reign, it is the story of the Welsh spy
Marcus ap Iorweth and the psychic woman Claerwen who become involved in
Myrddin’s quest for Macsen’s Treasure, the sacred symbols of the British High Kings.

Haar, J. T.
Koning Arthur
[
King Arthur
], (Holland, 1967; US, 1973) (m)

A YA retelling of the Arthurian story but with the fantastic elements rationalised and with Modred (here Guinevere’s brother) shown as the mastermind behind Arthur’s
demise. Rather too short for any depth of character it is, nevertheless, a sharply delineated storyline. Haar also wrote his version of
Parcival
(Holland, 1967), which has not been
translated.

Hamilton, Lord Ernest
(1858–1939),
Launcelot
(UK, 1926) (m)

An almost exact retelling of the Lancelot story from Malory, including the mock-archaic English, but overlaid with the shallow mores and conventions of the 1920s. Guenevere is
depicted as the villain of the story whilst Launcelot appears as easily led.