I’m a newbie. I am. I haven’t read many of these kinds of books. I’ve read three to be exact. Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell, Guinevere’s Gift by Nancy McKenzie, and The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White. All three of these have been read in the last seven or eight months. So I am not the expert. A few of you may be way ahead of the game here. So if you want to share any words of wisdom on what is a must-read in the field, please share in the comments!
I’d like to join this challenge, but since I’ve read quite a few Arthurian novels already, it might take me a while to come up with books I haven’t yet read that sound interesting. But here’s some books I’ve enjoyed about Arthur and his court:
Queen of Camelot, by Nancy McKenzie
The Squire’s Tales by Gerald Morris (The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady; The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf; Parsifal’s Page; The Ballad of Sir Dinadan; The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight; The Lioness and Her Knight; and The Quest of the Fair Unknown)
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancy (descendants of Arthur’s knights who use cars instead of horses and modern swords and stuff, and Excalibur makes an appearance)
I Am Morgan le Fay, by Nancy Springer
I Am Mordred: A Tale of Camelot, by Nancy Springer
The Book of Mordred, by Vivian Vande Velde
The Lost Years of Merlin series is also really good, but I see you’re already planning on reading it.
Whoops, I meant to add The Squire’s Tale as the first book in the Squire’s Tales series.
This is a really fun idea!
For myself, however, I don’t have time to take the challenge because I am an aspiring novelist making an attempt to write an Arthurian series of novels!
I am currently about 80% of the way through my first book (draft #1), and have two sample chapters online.
Thought I’d share a link to my site if anyone is interested in checking out my work.
http://robert.epictales.org
I do not have an agent or publisher, although that is normal since I haven’t approached any yet. I hope to be ready to do so by fall.
Also, I own the website at:
http://www.kingarthur.org.uk
But haven’t got much content up yet. I plan on making this an encyclopedia linking to all the great Arthurian content on the web.
I put up a few recommendations here if it’s of any help.
I would like to recommend the first book in my “Sons of Avalon” series…”Sons of Avalon: Merlin’s Prophecy.”
“Chaos ensues as Rome abandons Britain, leaving native Britons alone to defend their shores from the growing Saxon invasion.
Set in 5th Century Britain, this retelling of the traditional legends of Merlin, King Arthur, and Avalon, blends a mixture of historical fact with Arthurian fantasy.
Refreshingly innovative, the tale spans the mysterious birth of Merlin, climaxing with the conception of Arthur, the legendary future king of Britain. A young Merlin advises three High Kings: to fight through the bedlam, fight for the right to rule, fight to save the future treasure of Britain!
Interlacing love, revenge, mystery and murder, with a dash of humor, this coming of age adventure is a guide through the shrouded tales that embrace the Sons of Avalon!”
***
If you have any questions pertaining to the the novel, please do not hesitate to contact me. I love hearing from my readers.
This is a fun challenge and I look forward to keeping up with the Arthurian reading lists.
Sincerely,
Dee Marie