ladyofthelake68's review
3.0
As an Arthurian legend, the last half of the book is pretty good. If the point of the book was to inform the reader of the heroics of Mordred or even persuade us that he was not a bad guy, then it failed. Mordred is a egotistical, selfish brat who desperately needs a mother to spank him. And Arthur needs to open his eyes and see the world as it is instead of what he would like it to be.
I did finally get into the book near the end and I like how Velde described the events, telling the facts but making it seem completely different from what it usually sounds like.
Interesting book, but not worth a reread.
I did finally get into the book near the end and I like how Velde described the events, telling the facts but making it seem completely different from what it usually sounds like.
Interesting book, but not worth a reread.
roshk99's review against another edition
3.0
This book was average: it portrayed Mordred in a different light through the eyes of three women. No real plot, after the first two sections it drags on. Worth a read, but not a re-read.
ibazel's review
I remember having A Lot of Feelings about this book when I read it, no idea if I'd still enjoy it now...
ifthebook's review
4.0
First of all, I really like the idea of exploring Mordred as someone who's not a completely bad character or as someone who's just being manipulated by Morgan and/or Morgause. However, this book is less about Mordred than you might think. It's actually more of Kiera's story. She's the one element that ties the three sections of the book together. And as Kiera's story, it works well. I just wish we'd seen more of her life than the three brief glimpses we get.
All in all, the plot is your expected Arthurian Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot love triangle, with no surprises there. However, Vivian Vande Velde managed to paint in clear detail just how tragic this really was for everyone involved. After all, this is a love triangle that split a kingdom, and before that happened, everyone knew and liked everyone else. I guess the message, then, is that civil wars are always messy?
At any rate, I definitely enjoyed this one.
All in all, the plot is your expected Arthurian Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot love triangle, with no surprises there. However, Vivian Vande Velde managed to paint in clear detail just how tragic this really was for everyone involved. After all, this is a love triangle that split a kingdom, and before that happened, everyone knew and liked everyone else. I guess the message, then, is that civil wars are always messy?
At any rate, I definitely enjoyed this one.
katmarhan's review
3.0
First of all, let me declare that I will read (and probably enjoy) almost anything related to the Arthurian legend.
We learn about Mordred through the eyes of 3 women, Alayna, Nimue, and Kiera, and the story is told in three parts over time, each focusing on one of the women. Only Nimue was familiar to me from the tradition Camelot story. Alayna, a young widow, is befriended by Mordred while rescuing her daughter, Kiera. They supposedly have a deep and lasting love between them, although the story never shows us that. Later, Nimue encounters Mordred in another rescue and again, they develop a relationship. The final story involves Kiera, now a young woman, and her relationship with Mordred, Alayna, and Nimue.
Each story was well-told and well-paced. But, especially in Kiera's story, characters and plot lines are introduced with little explanation or backstory--not just the bones of the Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere triangle, but other plots as well. And in the final sections, Morgana (Morgan la Fay) suddenly shows up and plays a major role in the outcome.
This book is considered YA. Characters were not explored in as much depth as I would have liked. And, most bothersome to me, the key character is still somewhat of a mystery, even at the end. Was he acting on his own or under Morgana's control? What influence, if any, did Nimue have? Too many unanswered questions for me to rate this book higher. I felt like it was a "surface" story without much depth.
We learn about Mordred through the eyes of 3 women, Alayna, Nimue, and Kiera, and the story is told in three parts over time, each focusing on one of the women. Only Nimue was familiar to me from the tradition Camelot story. Alayna, a young widow, is befriended by Mordred while rescuing her daughter, Kiera. They supposedly have a deep and lasting love between them, although the story never shows us that. Later, Nimue encounters Mordred in another rescue and again, they develop a relationship. The final story involves Kiera, now a young woman, and her relationship with Mordred, Alayna, and Nimue.
Each story was well-told and well-paced. But, especially in Kiera's story, characters and plot lines are introduced with little explanation or backstory--not just the bones of the Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere triangle, but other plots as well. And in the final sections, Morgana (Morgan la Fay) suddenly shows up and plays a major role in the outcome.
This book is considered YA. Characters were not explored in as much depth as I would have liked. And, most bothersome to me, the key character is still somewhat of a mystery, even at the end. Was he acting on his own or under Morgana's control? What influence, if any, did Nimue have? Too many unanswered questions for me to rate this book higher. I felt like it was a "surface" story without much depth.
ghostlydreamer's review
3.0
Ah, yes. The Book of Mordred. I still have this book, and I'm actually surprised by that. I thought for sure I'd have gotten rid of it by now. Not because it was bad; it wasn't bad by any means. But it wasn't impressive either. It was very middle of the road. And that was VERY disappointing, especially in hindsight. So why, then, did it still get three stars? Because I think I forced myself to like it more. Told myself it was much better than it was. And why the hell did I do that? Because I was 18 and had just finished watching the BBC show Merlin during my senior year of high school, which I was OBSESSED with. So naturally, when I found this book, I was excited as hell to read it. Arthurian legend? Hell yes! Arthurian legend at a bargain price, found in the clearance section of my local Hastings just before they announced their bankruptcy and EVERYTHING went on clearance? Even better. You have no idea how excited I was. I didn't even sit on the book, I was that excited to read it (and I'm the queen of hoarding books and not reading them for god knows how long).
And then I read it. And it wasn't bad. But it wasn't great. And I was hoping to see a lot more Morgana (she's my favorite and always will be). And I was disappointed to see it wasn't all like the show. And the pacing was off? It just read really slowly, and I couldn't wait to just...be done with it. I was impatient! And that was the last thing I wanted to be with a book like this. I read it VERY quickly, but that's partly because I was already in the habit of reading anywhere between 6 and 8 hours a day that that was a given even if I hated the book. That didn't change the fact that it was a SLOG, and I had to force myself to keep going. Again, not because it was bad, but it just wasn't enough to keep me interested for several hours of reading at one time.
In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have forced myself to keep reading it. That sounds pretty bad. And I wasn't FULLY in the habit of DNFing books at the time, so I guess it's no surprise I kept going. That, in combination with the fact that I was obsessed with Merlin prior and refused to let myself be disappointed by the first book I'd ever found that talked about Arthurian legend. But it fell several inches too short, and I'm probably still holding onto it only because it's got a nice cover and it's got memories attached to it...that really have nothing to do with it at all. Oh well. I suppose it could have been worse, right? Or maybe I was setting myself up with unrealistic expectations, and that's why I didn't love it like I hoped. Who knows.
And then I read it. And it wasn't bad. But it wasn't great. And I was hoping to see a lot more Morgana (she's my favorite and always will be). And I was disappointed to see it wasn't all like the show. And the pacing was off? It just read really slowly, and I couldn't wait to just...be done with it. I was impatient! And that was the last thing I wanted to be with a book like this. I read it VERY quickly, but that's partly because I was already in the habit of reading anywhere between 6 and 8 hours a day that that was a given even if I hated the book. That didn't change the fact that it was a SLOG, and I had to force myself to keep going. Again, not because it was bad, but it just wasn't enough to keep me interested for several hours of reading at one time.
In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have forced myself to keep reading it. That sounds pretty bad. And I wasn't FULLY in the habit of DNFing books at the time, so I guess it's no surprise I kept going. That, in combination with the fact that I was obsessed with Merlin prior and refused to let myself be disappointed by the first book I'd ever found that talked about Arthurian legend. But it fell several inches too short, and I'm probably still holding onto it only because it's got a nice cover and it's got memories attached to it...that really have nothing to do with it at all. Oh well. I suppose it could have been worse, right? Or maybe I was setting myself up with unrealistic expectations, and that's why I didn't love it like I hoped. Who knows.
chaoticquill's review
5.0
One of two books I've ever read more than once. An interesting portrait of a character often overlooked.
declaired's review
4.0
3.5 stars, rounding up
things I liked:
-ladies! Arthurian tale ladies with agency, that aren't Guinevere or Morgana (not that I would mind more Gwen or Morgana, just that they get real tied up in their own pinned down mythology)
-i think this is one of the very few (if any?) Vivian Vande Velde books I haven't read; I truly enjoy her as a storyteller and she succeeds here, using three narrators with three different arcs that tie together across the golden years and fall of King Arthur.
-and they are heroic stories with terrible monsters
things I care less for:
the overwhelming dread of fighting enemies who lie and lie and somehow keep winning is emotionally exhausting. and the dread of childhood, of having so much be out of your power. (like, it's rendered well, and in doing so it tears at the spirit)
Arthurian drama always tears at my spirit though, and even getting into the idea and the arc of a tragedy as something enjoyable, I find it hard to enjoy specifically this mythology.
things I liked:
-ladies! Arthurian tale ladies with agency, that aren't Guinevere or Morgana (not that I would mind more Gwen or Morgana, just that they get real tied up in their own pinned down mythology)
-i think this is one of the very few (if any?) Vivian Vande Velde books I haven't read; I truly enjoy her as a storyteller and she succeeds here, using three narrators with three different arcs that tie together across the golden years and fall of King Arthur.
-and they are heroic stories with terrible monsters
things I care less for:
the overwhelming dread of fighting enemies who lie and lie and somehow keep winning is emotionally exhausting. and the dread of childhood, of having so much be out of your power. (like, it's rendered well, and in doing so it tears at the spirit)
Arthurian drama always tears at my spirit though, and even getting into the idea and the arc of a tragedy as something enjoyable, I find it hard to enjoy specifically this mythology.
tichwi's review
Cover: I’ve admired this cover for a long time. The illustration is beautiful, and while I don’t always like faces on my covers (I am of the type who like to picture the characters for myself), these ones really worked. The front cover goes perfectly with the book and I feel it captured the characters and mood well. (I believe it is Mordred and Keira on the front cover.)
Characters: I knew most of the characters in this book already, as I enjoy reading Arthurian stories. Vivian kept true to their natures, while exploring different sides of their personalities. The biggest difference I saw was in Mordred, and I loved him in this book. Instead of causing all the problems intentionally, he is swept away by events outside of his control and is dealing with them the best way he knows how to. Kiera and her mother Alayna are new to the story, and both characters were well developed and believable. Their addition also made other characters feel more 3-dimensional, as the reader sees them through a fresh set of eyes. Finally, this is the first time I have read anything told through Nimue’s point of view, and it was refreshing to see her take on events.
Plot: The plot of this story is one that has been around for centuries, but Vivian still manages to make it feel fresh. All of the main components of the Arthurian legend are there, but it is the in the details where Vivian’s contributions to the story shine. Even though I already knew how the story would end, I kept reading to see just what path the characters would take to get there. I kept finding myself thinking “So that’s what really happened,” as though I was reading a first hand account and the other stories had been hearsay. There weren’t any slow parts of this book for me and I was always reluctant to close it in order to take care of life.
More reviews at sschpagepals.blogspot.com
Characters: I knew most of the characters in this book already, as I enjoy reading Arthurian stories. Vivian kept true to their natures, while exploring different sides of their personalities. The biggest difference I saw was in Mordred, and I loved him in this book. Instead of causing all the problems intentionally, he is swept away by events outside of his control and is dealing with them the best way he knows how to. Kiera and her mother Alayna are new to the story, and both characters were well developed and believable. Their addition also made other characters feel more 3-dimensional, as the reader sees them through a fresh set of eyes. Finally, this is the first time I have read anything told through Nimue’s point of view, and it was refreshing to see her take on events.
Plot: The plot of this story is one that has been around for centuries, but Vivian still manages to make it feel fresh. All of the main components of the Arthurian legend are there, but it is the in the details where Vivian’s contributions to the story shine. Even though I already knew how the story would end, I kept reading to see just what path the characters would take to get there. I kept finding myself thinking “So that’s what really happened,” as though I was reading a first hand account and the other stories had been hearsay. There weren’t any slow parts of this book for me and I was always reluctant to close it in order to take care of life.
More reviews at sschpagepals.blogspot.com
robincfarrell's review
2.0
Disappointing. The back-cover description held such a promising concept; the characters seemed so interesting. But the actual book seemed to skip over all the parts I was looking forward to. And I don't mean the classic parts of the legend, but the different women getting to know Mordred, and growing apart from him.