Camelot Fantastic

By Lawrence Schimel

Book Overview

From the drawing of Excalibur from the stone tothe Knights of the Round Table, join popular fantasists Katharine Kerr, Brian Stableford, Tanya Huff, Rosemary Edghill, Michelle Sagara West, Ian... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0886777909
• ISBN13: 9780886777906
• Release Date: July 1998
• Publisher: Daw Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

7 stories, none retellings of Malory (see also MERLIN)

Ashley, Mike: "The Bridge of Fire", though the mysterious device of the renegade Meliagraunce, focuses on Kamelin, a young knight with no taste for unnecessary adventure (though knighted by Lancelot for a brave rescue). Kamelin and his friend Rhun don't fit in at Camelot, being nearly the only students of Camelot's library and daydreaming of magic, seldom seen in the waking world. After Lancelot rescues the queen from Meliagraunce, taking him prisoner, celebration turns to condemnation when her wedding ring is found in Lancelot's quarters. Only Kamelin and Rhun are willing to defend Lancelot's name - and only they have the cast of mind to actually investigate rather than depending on trial by combat. Edghill, Rosemary: Not a Mallory-style Arthur, but a tribal warlord who, in declaring himself to be a new clan, isn't bound by the taboos that restrict the marriages of all other clans, and can marry for any alliance he pleases. Unfortunately, this means that any woman he chooses will raise their children to be loyal to her clan, not his. But "The Sword of the North", the uncanny bandit Queen called the White Shadow, seems to have no conflicting clan loyalties, if the Bear can win her... Maguire, Gregory: Mendorix is no knight, but a simple "Builder of Keeps" with damaged hands, headed home to Cornwall. Straying into a fog, he encounters both Merlin and the Morgana, who are seeking new homes on the borders of the mortal world. Badly edited, losing track of its own double negatives. McDowell, Ian: "The Feasting of the Hungry Man" occurs when Arthur makes the mistake of inviting a strange hermit to the harvest feast at Camelot when the hermit demands payment for sheltering Arthur and Mordred in a storm. Between them the queen and Mordred save the situation. Narrated by Mordred, late in Arthur's life when Arthur has mellowed from stern idealism to live-and-let-live policies (taking.some of the pleasure out of Mordred's efforts at revenge). Reinterpretation of Merlin as an old foe of Arthur's, out of devotion to his father. Patton, Fiona: "The Raven's Quest" Despite Patton's lifelong affection for King Arthur, the protagonist - Corvus, the last of the ravens dedicated to the protection of the realm - is less than admiring of the Table's fellowship, who have slain many of his kind. Coupling this with Corvus' tendency to speak only in questions, it's no wonder that Merlin finds him irritating. One question, however, buys his life from Nimue, in exchange for a compulsion to ask it of everyone he meets, driving him to Camelot itself. Springer, Nancy: "The Queen's Broidery Woman" began by explaining to flighty young Guinevere that embroidery isn't for decoration, but is placed on hems and the ends of sleeves to create wards. But seeing the design the queen planned for Lancelot to carry in tourney, Norrie realized that Guinevere *knew* what trouble she was invoking between herself and the knight - just as another flighty woman had once set out to lure No

7 different sides of Camelot...

A masterful mix of seven radically different stories about Camelot, this anthology makes itself stand out from all the other books in a few ways. One way is that very few of these stories feature Arthur in the very traditional "Excalibur" type of way. If you've read a lot about the legend and want a change, this book would be a good choice for you. If you like a very traditional style of Arthurian story, than by the book for "The Feasting of the Hungry Man" by Ian McDowell. A bloody brilliant story that stars Mordred, it's a true gem and one of the reasons I gave this book as many starts as I did. The seven stories the book features are:· The Raven's Quest by Fiona Patton- a wonderful story with a very 'fairytale' feel to it.· The Queen's Broidery Woman by Nancy Springer- a small familiarity with Greek or Roman myth might be helpful with this one.· The Architect of Worlds by Brian Stableford- is a nice little story about Merlin and Morgana. · The Bridge of Fire by Mike Ashley- features a few lesser known knights defending Lancelot when he is accused of infidelity with the Queen. · The Feasting of the Hungry Man by Ian McDowell- this is my favorite from this anthology. The writing is great and the characters fun. You have to give this one a read!· Builder of Keeps by Gregory Maguire- is another look a Merlin and Morgana's role in Camelot.· The Sword of the North by Rosemary Edghill- is a Native American look at Camelot. A few of the stories drag but all and all it's worth purchasing!

Highly Recommend

This was an entertaining bunch of short stories about Camelot. Eachstory is different, with a different take on the legend.