Review for King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green

Genre – Fantasy, Historical fiction,

Series – This is a collection of stories taken from older tales.

Rating – PG-13 for violence and suggestive themes

Synopsis –

This novel tells the of King Arthur’s rises to power in Britain. Merlin, a good wizard, hides Arthur when he is still a child and places him with foster parents. Once Arthur pulls a magical sword from a stone, he lineage is revealed, and he is crowned king. Arthur gathers knights of renown to cleanse the land from evil. His knights embark on various quests to gain glory and honor.

My Thoughts –

My sister and I had recently started watching the BBCs Merlin. After finishing season one, which I really enjoyed, I thought I would go back and reread the book. The author took stories from a variety of poetic version and condensed them for children.

I had read this years ago back when I was in middle school, and I had a vague recollection of a few stories. I enjoyed going back and rereading this classic. I got a lot more out of it the second time. There were several knights that I had completely forgotten about like Percival and Galahad. Also I had forgotten the whole quest for the holy grail.

Overall, I would say that I enjoyed these stories. A few characters got on my nerves *cough* Launcelot I am looking at you. Merlin was only in like the first 3 stories which was surprising as I had thought he was more of main character. After Arthur becomes king, Arthur takes a step back from the story and his knights take over.

I do feel like the story felt a little stifled. It repeated a lot! The knights would joust, break their lance, then proceed to fight until their opponent bled to death. I am not sure how much the author changed from the original manuscripts. So who knows, maybe the original story was different. Also almost every quest involved saving a women from an evil knight. I just wish there could have been a little variety there.

As a side note if you do want to hear another take on King Arthur I would recommend listening to the Myths and Legend podcast. It is aimed at adults though. Here is a link to some of his King Arthur ones. https://www.mythpodcast.com/4/episode-1a-yvainglory/

Violence –

The violence doesn’t go into descriptive detail, but it is there. Many mentions of knights getting their heads chopped off. One night comes back to life afterwards. Since they joust in just about every chapter, the author mentions them fighting until the ground is soaked with their blood. Many characters suffer from a mortal wound. A few characters have odd illnesses that plague them. There is a huge battle where there are literally only 4 survivors. One of the holy relics that goes with the Holy Grail is a bleeding spear that pierced Christ’s side.

Language – None

Innuendo –

Most of the suggestive themes are referenced in veiled terms. The whole thing of Uther falling in love with Igrayne, another man’s wife, only gets about a sentence. There are several kisses between knights and their lady love. Not descriptive at all. Now I do want to mention the whole Launcelot and Guinevere thing. In the earlier parts of the book, just says that Launcelot fell in love with Guinevere at first sight and fought for her, but later on we find out she falls for him as well. They eventually kiss and supposedly going to do other stuff, but they are found out.

I will say Launcelot tries to do the right thing by forgetting about Guinevere, but sadly, this doesn’t last long. It is shown to be wrong and a priest confronts him about it. It is part of the reason why he is not allowed to see the Holy Grail.

Other –

Just a quick mention that there is some magic throughout. Mostly enchantments that are put upon a person unwillingly. Also Morgana Le Fay has the ability to transform herself into other objects.

Conclusion –

This book is great starting point for someone interested in the legend of King Arthur. It is filled with daring quests and fighting for what is right. It is a classic in its own right. I enjoyed going back and rereading this classic, although it is a bit repetitive at times. These stories have been around several hundred years. So, if you haven’t read it, give it a go.

Have you read any books about King Arthur? Do you have a favorite story? or Movie? Love to hear your thoughts!!

Anna

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