jgwc54e5's review against another edition
5.0
I’m not really a romance reader but I do love anything Arthurian and these 4 Camelot books by Sarah zettel really hit the spot. I loved them all!
kellylyn's review
4.0
I thought it was pretty slow paced, but overall I liked it. Few things below the spoiler I specifically did or didnt like
Spoiler
I liked how she mended both the wedding of sir gawain & the green knight. I wish there was more to the ending. One thing that I cannot get over though is swapping out gaheris for geraint. It seems like such a small detail to swap. I think the next book is a retelling of geraint and Enid but even so... why swap out gaheris? I just cannot wrap my head around that. I liked it though, I thought Risa was a likeable heroin :)chelseabanning's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. While it was somewhat of a slow start, I'm glad I pushed through. I loved this retelling of Sir Gawaine and very happy to realize there is a sequel!
krisrid's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. It is always a risk to try to write a new take on the Camelot legend. After all, how do you do something different, something nobody else has done with this story? Well, I think Sarah Zettel has done something different.
Arthur, Guinevere and Morgaine although interestingly portrayed, are only perpheral characters in this story, which revolves around the Knight Gawain, and a woman from an outland area named Risa. Both Risa and Gawain run afoul of magical beings which causes them all kinds of difficulties and obstacles in the way of their newly discovered love for one another.
Risa is a great character, because she is smart, brave and determined. She faces the challenges that attack her with perseverence and dignity - mercifully there is no running, screaming or whining from this heroine! Risa has pluck which makes you root for her.
The story has everything one could want in a medieval story: evil sorcerers, good and bad witches, gods and goddesses, weak and foolish fathers, tragic mothers, a benevolent and wise King and Queen, and plenty of clever, engrossing plot twists on the way to a satisfying ending. I recommend this highly!”
Arthur, Guinevere and Morgaine although interestingly portrayed, are only perpheral characters in this story, which revolves around the Knight Gawain, and a woman from an outland area named Risa. Both Risa and Gawain run afoul of magical beings which causes them all kinds of difficulties and obstacles in the way of their newly discovered love for one another.
Risa is a great character, because she is smart, brave and determined. She faces the challenges that attack her with perseverence and dignity - mercifully there is no running, screaming or whining from this heroine! Risa has pluck which makes you root for her.
The story has everything one could want in a medieval story: evil sorcerers, good and bad witches, gods and goddesses, weak and foolish fathers, tragic mothers, a benevolent and wise King and Queen, and plenty of clever, engrossing plot twists on the way to a satisfying ending. I recommend this highly!”
ireney5's review
4.0
Note: This book is actually 2 main retellings, although both only appear towards the end of the book. The story arc of the retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight begins only in the last 1/4 or so of the book (or less), and it overlaps and ends with a retelling of one of the Canterbury Tales, , which I absolutely loved because of the way it tied in to the beginning of the book. It also has aspects of telling the Greek myth of , which definitely made me tear up.
And, guess what tale this book thankfully DIDN'T retell? Guinevere and Lancelot. Whew. I kind of love that Lancelot is only mentioned in passing by Gawain and always in a casually insulting way because of their rivalry.
This book reminded me a lot of the LOTR movies (haven't read the books yet!) in terms of the action, battles, chases (i.e. being ambushed and/or captured by orcs), the walled towns, nearly all-powerful forces (like Saruman, Galadriel, etc) and general setting. So naturally, this book is pretty long for a first-in-a-series fantasy novel at almost 500 pages.
My favorite scenes:
1. Agravain and Kai, the coldest and harshest characters in the books, quietly weeping together because they fear what will happen to their respective brothers (Gawain and Arthur) after the encounter with the Green Knight, and know that they must always stay to support them even when using sharp words as a shield.
2. Rhian being turned into a monster, and climactically deciding that she would rather have freedom and choice than to have her beauty back.
3. And continuing off of #2, the fact that Gawain recognizes her instantly and does not pity her for what she had to do to destroy Euberacon. This is a part of the Loathly Lady / Wife of Bath's Tale retelling, which I did not expect, which answered the initial question of "What do all women want?" posed by the Green Man at the beginning of the book. The answer, of course, being choice/freedom (according to Rhian) or sovereignty (according to Euberacon/Kerra/Morgaine).
Some unanswered questions:
1. Why does the Green Man favor Rhian? In what way did he protect/help her? Clearly he didn't set the stage for the destruction of Kerra since she herself approached and asked for the favor.
2. Why did Euberacon want to push Gawain and Rhian together?
3. What happened to Rhian's father at the end? Did Euberacon's death turn him back into a sane person?
*2021 Around the Year Reading Challenge*
Prompt #27: A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards - King (Arthur), Queen (Guinevere), The Magician (Euberacon, Merlin), The Lovers
Spoiler
The Wife of Bath's Tale, relating to the Loathly Lady who Gawain marries in some variationsSpoiler
Apollo and DaphneAnd, guess what tale this book thankfully DIDN'T retell? Guinevere and Lancelot. Whew. I kind of love that Lancelot is only mentioned in passing by Gawain and always in a casually insulting way because of their rivalry.
This book reminded me a lot of the LOTR movies (haven't read the books yet!) in terms of the action, battles, chases (i.e. being ambushed and/or captured by orcs), the walled towns, nearly all-powerful forces (like Saruman, Galadriel, etc) and general setting. So naturally, this book is pretty long for a first-in-a-series fantasy novel at almost 500 pages.
My favorite scenes:
Spoiler
1. Agravain and Kai, the coldest and harshest characters in the books, quietly weeping together because they fear what will happen to their respective brothers (Gawain and Arthur) after the encounter with the Green Knight, and know that they must always stay to support them even when using sharp words as a shield.
2. Rhian being turned into a monster, and climactically deciding that she would rather have freedom and choice than to have her beauty back.
3. And continuing off of #2, the fact that Gawain recognizes her instantly and does not pity her for what she had to do to destroy Euberacon. This is a part of the Loathly Lady / Wife of Bath's Tale retelling, which I did not expect, which answered the initial question of "What do all women want?" posed by the Green Man at the beginning of the book. The answer, of course, being choice/freedom (according to Rhian) or sovereignty (according to Euberacon/Kerra/Morgaine).
Some unanswered questions:
Spoiler
1. Why does the Green Man favor Rhian? In what way did he protect/help her? Clearly he didn't set the stage for the destruction of Kerra since she herself approached and asked for the favor.
2. Why did Euberacon want to push Gawain and Rhian together?
3. What happened to Rhian's father at the end? Did Euberacon's death turn him back into a sane person?
*2021 Around the Year Reading Challenge*
Prompt #27: A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards - King (Arthur), Queen (Guinevere), The Magician (Euberacon, Merlin), The Lovers
wealhtheow's review against another edition
2.0
Risa's father forbids her to marry, and at last Risa discovers why--years ago, her father promised her to a sorcerer in exchange for his wife's life. Unwilling to wait around to lose her soul as part of a sorcerer's household, Risa flees. The sorcerer pursues, but to everyone's amazement Sir Gawain happens upon them and rescues Risa. Gawain offers his protection to Risa, and as they ride together toward Camelot the seeds of love are planted in them. But even as they fall in love, they are troubled by marauding bands of Saxons, sorcerous machinations, and Gawain's tendency to save any damsel he comes across.
I don't know exactly why but I just didn't enjoy this. Zettel conveys the medieval period well, and Risa's reactions to spices, servants, and cloth types tell you a lot about her society. But Risa herself feels like an anachronistic hodge podge of modern fantasy heroine tropes; if I never read another red haired archer who disobeys her father to be with the man she loves, I will still have read too many. Gawain at least is given a chance at depth, as he tries to be honorable even as he's stupidly susceptible to manipulations by ladies. Two side characters, Agravain and Kaye, comment on this, and I think a little more attention to this aspect of the novel would have made me like it more.
I didn't like the pacing; the plot with the Saxons is built up to be the big problem of Camelot, but then it fizzles away (presumably to come up again in some later book in the series). The sorcerer is defeated ludicrously easily and simply. Worst of all, I flat out disliked Zettel's rewrite of the Green Knight and the Loathly Lady stories. She actually manages to make the Loathly Lady tale less feminist.
Basically, I didn't like Risa, was unconvinced (and uninterested) by the romance, and thought the plot was a combination of poorly-paced imagined events and poorly-rewritten legends.
I don't know exactly why but I just didn't enjoy this. Zettel conveys the medieval period well, and Risa's reactions to spices, servants, and cloth types tell you a lot about her society. But Risa herself feels like an anachronistic hodge podge of modern fantasy heroine tropes; if I never read another red haired archer who disobeys her father to be with the man she loves, I will still have read too many. Gawain at least is given a chance at depth, as he tries to be honorable even as he's stupidly susceptible to manipulations by ladies. Two side characters, Agravain and Kaye, comment on this, and I think a little more attention to this aspect of the novel would have made me like it more.
I didn't like the pacing; the plot with the Saxons is built up to be the big problem of Camelot, but then it fizzles away (presumably to come up again in some later book in the series). The sorcerer is defeated ludicrously easily and simply. Worst of all, I flat out disliked Zettel's rewrite of the Green Knight and the Loathly Lady stories. She actually manages to make the Loathly Lady tale less feminist.
Spoiler
In the original, the hag asks her new husband whether he'd rather have a virtuous hag or a perfidious beauty as a wife, and the knight says she should be whatever she chooses. But in this, Risa is saved from her horrible disfigurement by Gawain's kiss. Additionally, the sorcerer asks the riddle "What do all women want." In the original tale, the answer is "sovereynté." In this, the sorcerer assumes that all women want "sovereignty" and Risa tells him he's wrong, all women want "freedom." What? That just seems like a difference in word choice.Basically, I didn't like Risa, was unconvinced (and uninterested) by the romance, and thought the plot was a combination of poorly-paced imagined events and poorly-rewritten legends.
jgwc54e5's review against another edition
5.0
I’m not really a romance reader but I do love anything Arthurian and these 4 Camelot books by Sarah zettel really hit the spot. I loved them all!
brownbetty's review against another edition
3.0
I had read one of Zettel's other works, (the Isavalta trilogy, I think) and found it to be somewhat generic fantasy, but I rather enjoyed this one. I am not a terribly critical reader when it comes to Aurthurian reworkings since I don't know the source well enough to spot any offenses; readers who are should note that.
That said, it managed to present at least the appearance of a well researched semi-historical novel that blends history and legend while trying not to damage either too severely. Particularly, Zettel deals sympathetically with the situation of women: the protagonist, Risa, is a woman of her time, occasionally frustrated by the role given her, but sees her social station as mandated by god and tries not to be impious. Although the book seems to take the form of a romance, to me the story seems to be more about Risa finding a way to live her life within the limitations imposed on her.
Won't cure rickets, but an intelligently enjoyable read.
That said, it managed to present at least the appearance of a well researched semi-historical novel that blends history and legend while trying not to damage either too severely. Particularly, Zettel deals sympathetically with the situation of women: the protagonist, Risa, is a woman of her time, occasionally frustrated by the role given her, but sees her social station as mandated by god and tries not to be impious. Although the book seems to take the form of a romance, to me the story seems to be more about Risa finding a way to live her life within the limitations imposed on her.
Won't cure rickets, but an intelligently enjoyable read.
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