McKenzie, Nancy

Average customer rating:

McKenzie brings Guinevere to life
Very well written
A great retelling of the Arthurian Saga
Enjoyable, but...
My favorite retelling of Arthurian legend

Queen of Camelot
Nancy Mckenzie
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Grail Prince
Prince of Dreams: A Tale of Tristan and Essylte
The Knight of the Sacred Lake (The Guenevere Novels Number 2)
Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country (Guenevere Novels)
The Child of the Holy Grail: The Third of the Guenevere Novels

ASIN: 0345445872
Release Date: 2002-01-02

Book Description

“Guinevere comes alive–a strong, resourceful, and compassionate woman, accessible to modern folk . . . McKenzie makes a quantum leap in defining the character of Guinevere as a real, flesh-and-blood woman. The Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot triangle comes alive as well–believable, poignant, and bearing the seeds of tragedy.”
–KATHERINE KURTZ

On the night of Guinevere’s birth, a wise woman declares a prophecy of doom for the child: She will be gwenhwyfar, the white shadow, destined to betray her king, and be herself betrayed. Years pass, and Guinevere becomes a great beauty, riding free across Northern Wales on her beloved horse. She is entranced by the tales of the valorous Arthur, a courageous warrior who seems to Guinevere no mere man, but a legend. Then she finds herself betrothed to that same famous king, a hero who commands her willing devotion. Just as his knights and all his subjects, she falls under Arthur’s spell.

At the side of King Arthur, Guinevere reigns strong and true. Yet she soon learns how the dark prophecy will reveal itself. She is unable to conceive. Arthur’s only true heir is Mordred, offspring of a cursed encounter with the witch Morgause. Now Guinevere must make a fateful choice: She decides to raise Mordred, teaching him to be a ruler and to honor Camelot. She will love him like a mother. Mordred will be her greatest joy–and the key to her ultimate downfall.

Return to a time of legend–the days of Guinevere and Arthur and the glory that was to become Camelot

Download Description

On the night of Guinevere's birth, a wise woman declares a prophecy of doom for the child: She will be gwenhwyfar, the white shadow, destined to betray her king, and be herself betrayed. Years pass, and Guinevere becomes a great beauty, riding free across Northern Wales on her beloved horse. She is entranced by the tales of the valorous Arthur, a courageous warrior who seems to Guinevere no mere man, but a legend. Then she finds herself betrothed to that same famous king, a hero who commands her willing devotion. Just as his knights and all his subjects, she falls under Arthur's spell.

At the side of King Arthur, Guinevere reigns strong and true. Yet she soon learns how the dark prophecy will reveal itself. She is unable to conceive. Arthur's only true heir is Mordred, offspring of a cursed encounter with the witch Morgause. Now Guinevere must make a fateful choice: She decides to raise Mordred, teaching him to be a ruler and to honor Camelot. She will love him like a mother. Mordred will be her greatest joy -- and the key to her ultimate downfall.

Return to a time of legend -- the days of Guinevere and Arthur and the glory that was to become Camelot.

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"Guinevere comes alive -- a strong, resourceful, and compassionate woman, accessible to modern folk... McKenzie makes a quantum leap in defining the character of Guinevere as a real, flesh-and-blood woman. The Arthur–Guinevere–Lancelot triangle comes alive as well -- believable, poignant, and bearing the seeds of tragedy."    KATHERINE KURTZ

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Customer Reviews:

McKenzie brings Guinevere to life.......2007-06-21

If you are interested in books about King Arthur, read this book. If you are interested in a great book, read this book. In fact, if you are a fan of reading in general, read this book, you will not be disappointed. This is my favorite telling so far of the Arthurian tale, and I have read quite a few. It was a page turner, which is almost essential when reading a book of this size. But don't let the length deter you, the pages just fly by and leave you wanting more when the story is over. Truly Excellent!

Very well written.......2006-08-08

Being an avid reader of arthurian books, I read this book with great pleasure. I liked Guinevere a lot, laughed and cried with her, I enjoyed her being a strong personality and what I liked the most was that King Arthur was described so impressive, often - though the whole story is in great parts his story, he is described as weak king or as almost holy person so far remote from everybody else that you don't feel him. But in this book apart from creating a real queen, how one would imagine Guinevere in life with all ups and downs, Mckenzie also created in Arthur a king you feel on every page of the book, calm and strong, passionate and very lovable, ecactly how I always imagined Arthur might have been. And the end of the book is fantastic, how she solved the problem of making a nice Modred kill Arthur all the same, I wondered the whole time while reading, how exactly this might happen and her writing is as if you would really read something long foretold, something nobody could prevent, though the different charakters tried, she tells it all so fascinating, the different incidents that happened and nobody knew etc. A great read!

A great retelling of the Arthurian Saga.......2006-07-04

Wonderful book. The Arthur legends as told from the viewpoint of Guinevere, a beautiful, strong, courageous woman and her heartbreaking love of two men - Lancelot and Arthur. We see Guinevere grow from a young girl to the most beautiful woman in England.

An exciting tale and the love she bears for both Lancelot and Arthur - and the love they both return to her made for an engrossing book.Don't pick this one up in the middle of the night thinking you'll read a couple of chapters and be able to go back to sleep. This book cost me a few hours of sleep, but was well worth it. Highly recommended.

Enjoyable, but..........2006-06-28

This book is a great retelling of the classic Arthurian legend, and it kept me turning the pages. I especially liked that almost every character that I have ever encountered from reading other tales of King Arthur made some kind of appearance in this book. McKenzie is a great author and I intend to read "Grail Prince" as soon as I can get my hands on it.

My only problem with this book is the rather annoying "awe factor" that sometimes plagues the protagonists of novels such as these. I hear a lot of people saying Guinevere is a "three-dimensional" and "relatable" woman, but to be honest, I got to the point where I could relate better to Elaine... and that's not good! It seemed the only people who were not absolutely crazy about Gwen were the bad guys, and too many men were in love with her. In this book, she has brains, beauty, wisdom, wit, courage, kindness... this list goes on. It was almost painful for me to read the parts where she is alone with Arthur. It seemed half their conversations consisted of "Gwen, what would I do without you?" or "Gwen, I am the luckiest man alive to have found such a woman," etc. etc. Her love affair with Lancelot was handled delicately, but I didn't think it was believable. Arthur was just too understanding, and Lancelot and Guinevere were too noble.

In all, the pace of this story was very good and the storytelling aspect was excellent. I can tell McKenzie put a lot into her characterizations, but to me, these people were too good to be true. From what I have read, however, Galahad has a lot of potential as a more compelling hero.

Still, I would reccomend this book to anyone.

My favorite retelling of Arthurian legend.......2006-06-19

I absolutely adore this book. As others have mentioned, Guenevere is written as a fully-imagined person, with complex emotions and motivations, from her childhood through the twilight years of Camelot. Unlike in some versions, I found the love triangle between Arthur, her, and Lancelot completely believable, and my heart broke for each of them in turn. Mckenzie also manages to flesh out a multitude of compelling supporting characters, making the reader just as apprehensive as Guenevere is when the soldiers ride off to battle, wondering who will return. If you have any interest in Arthurian myths, and enjoy excellently written characters with both flaws and virtues, don't miss this book!

Average customer rating:

Another wonderful Arthurian retelling by Ms. McKenzie!
A journey of self-discovery
A Fascinating New Perspective on Galahad!
Galahad - hate him or love him?
A whole new take on Galahad

Grail Prince
Nancy Mckenzie
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Arthurian | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Prince of Dreams: A Tale of Tristan and Essylte
Queen of Camelot
The Knight of the Sacred Lake (The Guenevere Novels Number 2)
Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country (Guenevere Novels)
Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle (Tristan and Isolde Novels, Book 1)

ASIN: 0345456483
Release Date: 2003-01-01

Book Description

The wheel is turning and the world will change. . . . And a son of Lancelot, with a bloody sword and a righteous heart, shall renew the Light in Britain before the descent of savage dark. . . .

So spoke the Lady of the Lake. Now her grim prophecy is coming true. King Arthur lies dead, struck down along with Mordred, his son and heir, and the greatest knights of Camelot. Of that peerless company, only Lancelot survives, a broken man who has turned his back on Britain and his forbidden love of Guinevere. Yet one knight, scarcely more than a boy, fights amid the ruins to keep Arthur’s dream alive: Galahad, the son of Lancelot.

Before his death, Arthur swore the young knight to undertake a quest: a search for the scattered treasures of an ancient king. On the recovery of these powerful relics–a grail, a spear, and a sword–hinges the future of Britain. But it is the past that torments Galahad. He cannot forget or forgive his father’s betrayal of his king. Nor can he banish thoughts of the intoxicating Dandrane, sister of his friend Percival, from his mind. Yet only a man pure in heart can fulfill the prophecy of the Lady of the Lake.

Not since The Mists of Avalon has an author so brilliantly reimagined and brought to life the enduring Arthurian legends. Weaving back and forth through time, from Arthur’s mighty reign and commanding influence to Galahad’s ultimate quest to preserve the destiny of a nation, The Grail Prince is an unforgettable epic of adventure and romance, of clashing swords and hearts set in a magical world as deadly as it is beautiful.

Customer Reviews:

Another wonderful Arthurian retelling by Ms. McKenzie!.......2006-03-16

Having read and loved Queen of Camelot, I had to give this new part of the Grail series a whirl. Nancy McKenzie throws a very interesting spin on the King Arthur tale using its secondary characters and creating a new tale for them. This time it is Galahad, son of Lancelot, and he tries to do what Arthur asks of him just before he dies. Galahad grows up hating Lancelot. His mother, Elaine, does whatever is possible to turn him against his father and succeeds when she sees that Galahad wants nothing to do with Lancelot. When he discovers that his mother has told him lies, he decides he hates women and goes to live with Peredur, Percival's cousin, where he meets a woman who challenges his prejudice against the fairer sex. But all Galahad wants to do is find the items that will save Britain: Arthur's sword as well as the Grail and Spear. He has no idea where those items are, but he won't stop his search. There are various twists throughout the novel.

Phew! It's not easy writing a quick summary of a 500-something worth of (small print) pages with more twists and turns than a steep mountain. McKenzie has created another enthralling installment that will keep you turning those pages until the wee hours of the night because you'll want to know how Galahad resolves his issues. McKenzie creates a flesh and blood man with a great deal of depth and conflicting emotions. His relationship with Lancelot here is very interesting because he has years of pent-up anger toward him because of his mother's manipulations. As for the hating women part, the whole misogynist thing has been done quite a lot in Medieval (or in this case, more like fantasy) literature and I feel that his reaction toward women is kind of over the top, especially since Aidan, a so-called priest, also takes part in bad-mouthing Lancelot. Perhaps the author wanted to add some conflict when Galahad meets Dane, but I still think that this storyline is kind of overdone. Also, though it is important to understand Galahad's relationship with Arthur, the recount of the battle of Camlann is too long-winded. There are details that, in my opinion, should have been omitted because it makes no advancement in the story. The Arthurian characters are given a quite a unique perspective in this retelling and I enjoyed them very much. The Grail Prince isn't as great as Queen of Camelot (Guinevere's story), but it is still wonderful, better than most retellings I've read. I recommend this most highly, but not before you read Queen of Camelot.

A journey of self-discovery.......2005-12-26

This book follows the life of Galahad, Lancelot's son, from early childhood until he is an adult. Galahad is on a quest to secure three relics for Britain, a grail, a spear, and a sword. If he does, Britain will be forever invincible. In the beginning of the book, Galahad is intolerant, self-righteous, misogynistic and lacking in compassion. Through flashbacks to his childhood, the author allows us to understand why he became this way. Although there are battles, this book is less an adventure story than it is the story of one man's transformation. By slow degrees, Galahad comes to a better understanding of the world and especially of his father, Lancelot. He is finally able to be the great knight he had already believed he was. Nancy McKenzie does an excellent job portraying this transformation and making it real and believable for the reader. If you are looking for bloody battles, you may be disappointed, but if you like Arthurian legend and enjoy a well-written story with complex characters, give this a try.

A Fascinating New Perspective on Galahad!.......2003-06-29

This is the tale of Galahad, son of Lancelot. In the beginning, Galahad, poisoned in mind against Lancelot, learns to hate his father. His mother Elaine, with the help from a "priest" Aidan, work together successfully to turn Galahad against him. While Elaine has her own reasons, some of them her own fault, for hating Lancelot, she enlists Aidan in her plans to shame him, not knowing that he has his own reasons for revenge.

From all of this, Galahd has learned to despise his father and desires to avenge himself on Lancelot for the perceived cruelness imposed on his mother over the years. He finally breaks free to go to Camelot to serve Arthur, the High King, but peace eludes him there also. Eventually, he learns that all he was taught by his mother and Aidan was false and he then turns his mind against women, judging them all to be liars and the weaker of the sexes. He also continues to hate his father but after awhile of gradual maturing he comes to understand Lancelot but finds it difficult to forgive him until he himself commits the same mistakes as his father did.

He goes on a quest for Arthur to find the treasures that will heal Britain and once again make her invincible to invaders. For awhile, he travels with his cousin Percival who worships him as a hero figure. Galahad's pompous, aloof behavior changes when he meets Dane, the twin sister of Percival.

Things then begin to change his preconceived ideas and he learns to eventually love and to quest for something more tangible and earthly to bring him peace of mind. The novel switches back and forth between Galahad's past and his present life and shows how he matures in mind and body over the years.

This is a real page turning yarn that will delight and enthrall any follower of Arthurian Literature. I thought this would be a boring saga of the saintly character Galahad, but was pleasantly surprised to find it anything but. Galahad is portrayed as a man struggling with what he has always been taught to believe is right and what the true reality really is. A totally believable human being is showcased here with faults of his own that he must learn to conquer in order to find true happiness. Read it, you will not be disappointed!

Galahad - hate him or love him?.......2003-04-08

I liked this book well enough to recommend it - however, not without a couple criticisms...
Galahad's wanderings help you to understand this character and his evolution from an overly pious finatic to a kind-hearted and loving man. However, I thought there was a bit much recounting of the battle of Camlann and the days of Arthur. I don't disagree that understanding these moments are important in understanding Galahad himself. I simply wonder if the authur lacked confidence in the character and believed that the book would hold no interest without re-introducing Arthur in such great detail. I read through the Arthur-filled chapters EAGER to get back to Galahad's quest for the grail and for inner peace.
It also seemed that as the book wrapped, the author did a huge role reversal with Ninianne. I was left completely confused as to her true intentions. This character along with the Merlin character from Queen of Camelot, were poorly developed and left little impression other than simple confusion. Tristan was also introduced for about 4 lines and then vanished. Perhaps he will be the subject of her next work???
Overall, however, I found the book captivating and the evolution of Galahad to be believable and heart-warming.

A whole new take on Galahad.......2003-04-01

Prior to this book, Galahad has always been kind of a boring and one-dimensional character. He was the Perfect Knight, the stainless, the pure, the winner of the holy Grail. In this story, we see a more human portrayal of this character--more human, and more interesting. Galahad is by no means perfect in this story. He cannot forgive his father Lancelot for his past, he harbors hatred for Queen Guinevere, and struggles with lust. This is chiefly the story of a rigidly idealistic young man looking for the real meaning of life, love, and honor.

Prince of Dreams: A Tale of Tristan and Essylte

Average customer rating:

You may not understand this review if you don't know the story told within
Never approaches the glory of her previous books
A Fresh New Perspective on Tristan & Essylte!
Destruction in slow motion...
Heart-wrenching

Prince of Dreams: A Tale of Tristan and Essylte
Nancy Mckenzie
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Historical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Grail Prince
Queen of Camelot
Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle (Tristan and Isolde Novels, Book 1)
Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country (Guenevere Novels)
The Knight of the Sacred Lake (The Guenevere Novels Number 2)

ASIN: 0345456505
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Book Description

It is a generation after the fall of Camelot. The legendary figures of Britain’s brief but shining renaissance—Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere—are gone but not forgotten. Their memories live on in song and story. But Arthur’s dream of a united Britain is fading fast. The hard-won alliance of independent kingdoms is fracturing. Sensing weakness, defeated enemies are returning.

Such is the world of Tristan, Prince of Lyonesse. Born with the soul of a poet and the heart of a warrior, Tristan has been pushed aside by his uncle, Markion, who is determined to succeed King Constantine. Because he shares Markion’s dream of restoring the faded glory of Camelot, Tristan supports his Uncle’s claims to the High King’s throne, against the better judgment of his friends.

Markion dispatches Tristan as his trusted agent to fetch his new bride, the daughter of King Percival. As soon as Tristan sets his eyes on the beautiful Essylte, and Essylte sees the handsome Tristan, a fateful love blooms between the two young people, a love that knows no law but its own fierce and imperious demands. Now, torn between duty and desire, Tristan and Essylte will risk everything—their lives, their souls, Britain itself—to be together. . . .

This powerful tale of love, betrayal, and redemption has echoed down the ages. Acclaimed author Nancy McKenzie brings it stunningly to life for a new generation.

Download Description

It is a generation after the fall of Camelot. The legendary figures of Britain's brief but shining renaissance -- Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere -- are gone but not forgotten. Their memories live on in song and story, but Arthur's dream of a united Britain is fading fast. The hard-won alliance of independent kingdoms is fracturing. Sensing weakness, defeated enemies are returning.

Such is the world of Tristan, Prince of Lyonesse. Born with the soul of a poet and the heart of a warrior, Tristan has been pushed aside by his uncle, Markion, who is determined to succeed King Constantine. Because he shares Markion's dream of restoring the faded glory of Camelot, Tristan supports his Uncle's claims to the High King's throne, against the better judgment of his friends.

Markion dispatches Tristan as his trusted agent to fetch his new bride, the daughter of King Percival. As soon as Tristan sets his eyes on the beautiful Essylte, and Essylte sees the handsome Tristan, a fateful love blooms between the two young people, a love that knows no law but its own fierce and imperious demands. Now, torn between duty and desire, Tristan and Essylte will risk everything -- their lives, their souls, Britain itself -- to be together....

This powerful tale of love, betrayal, and redemption has echoed down the ages. Acclaimed author Nancy McKenzie brings it stunningly to life for a new generation.

Customer Reviews:

You may not understand this review if you don't know the story told within.......2006-05-17

I don't know why, but I tend to get stuck on some stories and search for every book written about them. I obsess over Elizabeth I's relationship with Robert Dudley, faithfully search out tales about and of Sharazard, and lately, I want to know everything about Tristan and Isolde. That's why I picked this book.

This is the story of doomed young love. Tristan, a young knight whose birthright to the high throne of Britain was taken by his Uncle (with his help actually, he gave it up) is sent by the same Uncle (Mark) to fetch his bride from Wales. She is fifteen and will marry over forty Mark. Her name is Esselte.

Of course-you know the story. This is a pretty good re-telling of it but for a few details-the poisoned sword wound that Tristan received is just stupidly healed and treated. Tristan has a gay Uncle (nothing wrong with that) who lends nothing to the story but pops up now and then. Esselte's mother is absurd in her hatred of Esselte and Branwen's actions-she delivered the love potion to our lovers and then agrees to sleep with Mark secretly in Esselte's place-are confusing.

This book has also fallen to a classic mistake that comes with retelling this story. Mark of Cornwall is stupid, mean and downright evil at times. This is supposed to be a triangle of love, respect and duty between a devoted nephew, a wife doing her duty and a king. Instead Tristan constantly bemoans that he cannot save Esselte from the evil Mark. Clearly he could have at any time. His excuse of it taking down the British alliance is stupid-Mark's own actions in this book cause that.

In short the romance in this book is far better than in the other version I read recently, the White Raven by Diana L. Paxton, who focused solely on Branwen's tale. But it's still not very romantic. This book is also far better than Rosalind Miles series-which I'm sorry but was so boring I almost died.

I have to say that the recent movie did a far better job of making three likable characters for the triangle, and the dialog was perfect-not too sappy romantic stuff-but real words from people in a horribly desperate situation.

On its own this book gets 3.5 stars, but I'm still looking for a novel retelling of this story I can love. Who knows, maybe I'll just write it myself.

Never approaches the glory of her previous books.......2006-02-18

Queen of Camelot is one of my favorite pieces of modern Arthurian fiction- I absolutely loved it. Though I actually prefer how the story was originally published, as two separate books (The Child Queen and The High Queen) which were later consolidated into one volume and some slight changes made.

I therefore was prepared to love this book, as the tale of Tristan and Isolde is one of my favorites. I can't even begin to explain how very disappointed I was as I struggled through this book.

It literally was a struggle to finish. I think the crucial difference is that in Queen of Camelot you truly get to know the characters- they have depth, and life, and you feel as though you know them personally and become very invested in what happens to them. In Prince of Dreams, that depth is very much lacking. She skips from place to place and shoots forward in time so often than you never feel as though you are watching them live their lives; you're just skimming through a summary.

Which is why, to me and obviously to others, Essylte often comes across as a whiner. I didn't care about her because I knew virtually nothing about her- she was just a shell, and her problems didn't touch me at all. The children (who are arguably the biggest victims of circumstance) are treated very dismissively, so it's hard to care about them either. Tristan has a bit more warmth and depth and we spend more time with him, but he doesn't manage to save the book as his nature- self-destructiveness and all- isn't explored and he generally ends up coming across as just being selfish.

The only real interest stirred in me at all was caused by Branwen, Essylte's maid (among other things); I spent a good portion of the book anticipating her next move and wondering what surprises she might have in store that might not necessarily follow traditional tellings of the story.

All in all, a very disappointing read from an author I expected greater things from. I'm sure that many people will be able to read and enjoy it, but after the richness and depth of Queen of Camelot, this book falls far short of my expectations.

A Fresh New Perspective on Tristan & Essylte!.......2004-03-15

It would seem the story of Tristan and Essylte would be a much told, tired story by now. However, this author puts some new twists on the old legend and breathes life into its characters. The fates are against these two lovers from the beginning but they try to make a valiant showing throughout the book. Essylte's maidservant, Branwen, is not what she seems and she brings about many of the circumstances Essylte and Tristan endure. King Markion, who is now high king of Britain is Tristan's uncle and wishes to wed the Welsh Princess to bring unity to Britain. Unfortunately, his scope is very limited and Tristan and many others only support him because there is no one better to do so. Except for Tristan, of course, however, he does not desire the high kingship, only Essylte, someone he is never destined to have.

It is a wild ride with much intrigue and many interesting twists that will keep the reader enthralled from beginning to end. I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in "The Matter of Britain."

Destruction in slow motion..........2004-03-13

Don't get me wrong. Nancy McKenzie's prose evokes a distant time. You can hear the storm pounding against the castle walls, smell the blood of Saxon battles, and feel the anguish in Tristan's heart as he longs for a woman he loves but cannot have. And yet...despite the beauty of the language and the vivid characters, I felt a mounting frustration with the doomed Tristan and Esseulte.

These are not an English set of Romeo and Juliet. The Shakespearean lovers only destroyed one other person besides themselves. Tristan and Esseulte manage to destroy friends, family, unborn babies, and kingdoms by their obsession with each other. They refuse to give the other up despite numerous separations, yet neither one will sacrifice all their supposed obligations to other people to be together. It is this refusal to totally commit that involves others in their destructive orbit. Tristan comes off as poetically self-destructive while Esseulte whines.

If you like your romances large in scope and filled with doomed lovers, then you may enjoy this book. Otherwise, it may be an exercise in screaming frustration.

Heart-wrenching.......2004-02-17

The tale of Tristan and Essylte - a beautiful but tragic love story. This is sort of the Romeo and Juliet of ancient Briton.
I know the story mainly from the books by R. Miles - but Nancy McKenzie has a style of writing that is second-to-none. She spins a new twist on the story and ties it beautifully to her earilier book "Grail Prince". I couldn't put this down - the descriptions of their feelings for each other - their love - their desperation - their heart-wrenching separations and breath-taking reunions...McKenzie takes you there. You feel it with them and if you've ever been in love you feel it with every beautifully woven detail of the story. McKenzie continues to craft masterful works centered around the Arthurian legends and this one certainly did not disappoint!

The Child Queen: The Tale of Guinevere and King Arthur

Average customer rating:

Full of adventure, passion, intrigue and emotion.
A Romance of All Ages
Don't be fooled
Guinevere's Point of View
The Child Queen Grows Up

The Child Queen: The Tale of Guinevere and King Arthur
Nancy Mckenzie
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

High Queen
Grail Prince
Prince of Dreams: A Tale of Tristan and Essylte
Queen of Camelot
Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country (Guenevere Novels)

ASIN: 0345382447
Release Date: 1994-07-02

Book Description

The story of a love and a treachery that would live for all time. Guinevere and Arthur. Lancelot and Merlin and Morgan Le Fay -- all the names of myth are given flesh and blood in this Del Rey Discovery of the Year book!

Customer Reviews:

Full of adventure, passion, intrigue and emotion........2005-06-04

An extremely engaging book, full of adventure, passion, intrigue and emotion.
Engages the reader evey step of the way.
It traces the early life of Gunievere , who would be Arthur's bride, from her birth to the king and young queen of the Kingdom of Northgallis, where a witch predicts the night of her birth that she would live to be the greatest lady in Britain, but also that she would betray her king and herself be betrayed.

Growing up in north Wales, to be a great and engaging beauty , together with her cousin Elaine, her life is turned upside down when she is chosen as the bride of the High King of Britain, Arthur.
Guinevere must deal with the betrayal born of jealousy of her look-a-like Elaine, as well as her love for the King's most trusted knight, Lancelot.
Included in this saga are others in Arthurian legend such as the King's adopted brother Kay, Arthur's half-sisters Morgause and Morgan La Fey , the battles with the invading Saxons , and the various kingdoms in Britain in the time. McKenzie did her research well, while introducing an exciting take on the world of Arthur and Camelot.

A Romance of All Ages.......2004-07-12

Really, Mists of Avalon brought about me the feeling that "You know, what? I am going to be a priestess. I want power, love, devotion...yata, yata, yata." But, the Child Queen showed a beautiful, growing relationship between Arthur and Gwenhyfar. At times, I wished Lancelot had loved someone else, so as to keep the Queen and King in complete friendship and love. Nevertheless, I read this book in a few hours total. I have entered a Fantasy stage of my life...I only hope I can bring myself to realize that I am no Dark Age Queen and must live my own life as I go to college--and not be enamored so by these books!!!! Read it..I am looking forward to picking up its sequel, The High Queen. God bless you, Nancy. I praise how you raise a family and I noticed you attended Tufts University--where I will be enrolled this fall!!!

Don't be fooled.......2003-12-17

I had to read this book years ago for an English class. I begged and begged the teacher to change his mind because this book was listed as a romance novel. I am extremely thankful he said no.
The Child Queen, and its sequel, The High Queen, tells Arthur's story through Guinivere. This book, though relatively short, managed to engulf me with its settings, characters, and stories. Listing it under romance is a serious injustice to this book.
After reading both novels, i quickly got my hands on as many Arthurian novels as possible. There is no way a terrible book can cause a lifelong love.

Guinevere's Point of View.......2001-07-16

I love this book. When read with the sequel, The High Queen, a whole new view of Arthurian legend is provided. It is a wonderful book! If you like Arthurian legend, this is a beautifully woven tale full of the romance in other books. At the same time, the alternative view is a new way to look at the story.

The Child Queen Grows Up.......2001-06-16

I would recommend "The Child Queen" to not only lovers of Arthurian legend, but to people who like strong characters as well. McKenzie's Guinevere is a real and vivid protagonist. Guinevere is not a Barbie doll, but a true ingenue... a woman that you could believe would capture the hearts of many men and especially one that would be worthy of King Arthur. This story has a lot of depth and you feel the emotions of the characters as if they were your own - I have read this book at least three times and I am not tired of it yet! Well Done!

Average customer rating:

A Good read
Ending is a mess
Queen of Camelot
One of the greatest books I've ever read!
Simply Loved it!

High Queen
Nancy Mckenzie
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Queen of Camelot
Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country (Guenevere Novels)

ASIN: 0345382455
Release Date: 1995-01-30

Book Description

The Childless Queen

The prophecy spoken at Queen Guinevere's birth had been fulfilled. Guinevere reigned strong and true, at the side of her beloved King Arthur. Together, they had forged a legendary kingdom, and its fame would live forever. Yet there had been a dark side to the prophecy, and the white shadow of fate ever hung over the Queen.

Now Guinevere thought she knew what that shadow was: she was barren. She accepted that -- just as she accepted that Arthur must have an heir And the only true heir of his body was Mordred -- offspring of a cursed encounter with Arthur's own sister, the witch Morgause.

Guinevere couldn't give Arthur her own child, so she would give him his own son: Mordred. She would raise the boy, teach him to be a king. He would be like Arthur -- wise, coolheaded. He would honor Camelot and all it stood for. She would love him like a mother.

He was to be her greatest joy, and her greatest despair...

Customer Reviews:

A Good read.......2007-05-17

The High Queen continues the story of King Arthur from Guinevere's point of view. This story exactly mirrors the stories of Mary Stewart it is just looked at through different eyes. In book 1- The Child Queen is also a must read prior to this second and final book in the series.

Ending is a mess.......2006-06-13

I enjoyed The Child Queen very much. Fairly standard Arthur fare. The High Queen was in much the same vein, and was enjoyable until the end. Unfortunately, McKenzie decided to make Mordred noble and likable. Then she had to figure out how to make this noble and likable character fulfill the prophecy of killing his father. The ending made no sense compared to the rest of the book - it just seemed like a slapstick comedy with horrible results.

Queen of Camelot.......2003-03-22

I recently read the combination of Nancy McKenzie's two books, The Child Queen and The High Queen, and until recently the stories by Persia Woolley were my all-time favorites. This book is incredible. I have read this book 3 times, because it is always a wonder to me how the characters grow and the times change. The first time I finished it, I cried and was melancholy for days. This book so completely depicts all of the characters, I easily and immediately felt a part of Camelot and a part of this story. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

One of the greatest books I've ever read!.......2002-01-07

Where do I begin? The High Queen is a moving and powerful sequel to the awesome book The Child Queen. I am an avid reader of fantasy books, especially those based on Arthurian legend, and these have to be not only among the best, but probably the most emotionally-charged. Both books are the basic Arthurian legend as told by Guinevere, but be warned, there are a few twists, (not giving anything away), Nancy McKenzie presents her own Mordred, one who is much different from the evil bastard son most may expect. I adore Ms. McKenzie's Arthur, he is portrayed here as the great man of legend, a man who will truly bring peace and justice to the world, while at the same time the reader is forced to fall in love with Lancelot, just as Guinevere does. The true beauty of this book is that as Guinevere struggles with her love for both Arthur and Lancelot, the reader does too. WARNING: The ending of this book is so powerful, I finished it at 4 in the morning and just sat and cried my eyes out. This is the first and really the only book to really make me CRY. At the end I really cared for each of the characters and almost couldn't bear to have it all end. Even knowing the legend and what happens could not prepare me for the ending Ms. McKenzie created. I was truly moved. Please read this book and it's companion, The Child Queen. If you like novels based on Arthurian legend, fantasy books, or would like to try something new, try these. You won't be sorry, I promise!

Simply Loved it!.......2001-12-26

This was a great book. Even though everyone knows the Guinevere and Arthur story, this book managed to put a new twist on it. The depth McKenzie gives to Guinevere allows the reader to feel everything Guinevere does. There was a bit too much foreshadowing in my opinion, but with knowing the ending, it is fairly easy to pick up on. It is nice to see the story from Guinevere's view point.

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The Aids Reader

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The High Queen The Tale of Guinevere and King Arthur Near Fine

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The High Queen The Tale of Guinevere and King Arthur Near Fine
Nancy McKenzie
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KBHA8O

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Guinevere's Gift
Nancy Mckenzie
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Beyond Crisis (Meridian)

Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452011086

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The Crisis in Health Care
Nancy F. McKenzie
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
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