The Once and Future King by T.H. White

"The ultimate classic in Fantasy literature but it is not as thrilling or as adventurous as I was led to believe. It had its humor, it's dark parts, it's characters but in the end, it all boiled down to be rather drawn out and dull."

2 Stars

Pros: It did have its amusing parts with Merlyn/The ending was satisfying in a sad but somewhat hopeful sort of way

Cons: People are just cruel to one another/Arthur, though having good intentions, just went about it the wrong way and didn't take into account the wickedness of people.

Full Review:

Broken down into four Books, The Sword in the Stone, The Queen of Air and Darkness, The Ill-Favored Knight and The Candle in the Wind, The Once and Future King is the story of Arthur and his reign over England. He starts life as a young orphan, nicknamed Wart, whose parentage is unknown. He meets a Wizard in the woods who will become his tutor, Merlyn and teach him about life. When Uther Pendragon, the current, heirless King of England dies, its said that the person who can pull the sword from the stone is destined to be the next King of England. The circumstances in which Arthur pulls the sword from the stnoe are comical but the following tales, of his rise to power, his betrayal etc, are not as funny.

The Sword in the Stone is more or less a comedy, with the bumbling character of Merlyn and his magic to make light of situations. But once Arthur pulls out Excalibur and the story progresses into The Queen of Air and Darkness, the narrative takes a darker turn. We meet Gawaine, Agravaine, Gaheris and Gareth, four sons of the beautiful Queen Morgause. There's mystery to her and to her boys and the mystery behind Arthur's parentage is brought more into the light. The story continues with Arthur creating his Round Table, a collection of Knights devoted to chivalry and justice and the best knight of that Table, let alone the world, is Lancelot. He is Arthur's best friend, but he is also in love with Guenever, Arthur's queen. I'm sure you can all guess where I'm going with this. Suffice it to say, mistakes are made and though Arthur wants desperately for there to be peace, he's trapped under his own sense of right and wrong.

It's a complex, heavy tale and though the ending leaves off to let the reader imagine what they will, overall, it was a long, very often nonsensical, dull, tiring read which left this reader fighting to stay awake. It had its good parts and it is a milestone of the fantasy genre but, overall it wasn't as dashing or as adventurous as I was led to believe. I'm glad I read it, since I've meant to for years but now, I'm glad it's done.

Comments

A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy #1) by Sangu Mandanna

"Similar to "Game of Thrones" only in space, there was a lot going on with a lot of different people and they were all important and connected but my tired, overworked brain had trouble keeping up. " 2 Stars Pros: I liked Max as a character, I'm all for the tall, dark, mysterious supposed bad boy with a heart of gold cliche, but the kissing cousins thing just made it weird. Cons: It felt like Game of Thrones, only in space, so there was a bit of a kissing cousins vibe going and I wasn't feeling it/The book tried to have these big, shocking moments I was just non-plussed, unaffected./The presence of the Gods irked me as they did in The Illiad, it's all terribly convenient to have divine intervention for your MCs. I feel like it's the cheapest fake-out cheat of all time 👍🤣 Full Review: My co-worker, who has recommended some amazing reads such as, A Man Called Ove , The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse, and I'll Give You The Sun...

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

"The classic tale of Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up and his adventures with his Lost Boys and the Darling Children, Wendy, John and Michael. At times fun and whimsical and other times surprisingly dark, it was an interesting read as an adult." 3 Stars Pros: There is something appealing about flying away to a mysterious island where you can play all day and never have to grow up. The thrall of Neverland is a constant for this dreamer. Cons: Peter Pan is truly the most arrogant little brat and very much in need of a mother/I was surprised at the bloodshed because I always thought this was a children's book, it was rather dark at times. Full Review Mr. and Mrs. Darling are the proud yet rather dismissive and negligent parents of three children. Wendy, John and Michael. All three have flights of fancy and dream of an island, with mermaids and pirates. Mrs. Darling dismisses these as the whimsy of childhood but she herself remembers when she too dreamt of...

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey

" Science Fiction at its most epically, horrific best. Mankind has colonized the galaxy and is reaching for the stars but something dark and fathomless waits in the recesses of space, biding its time and when it strikes, life itself will change." 5 Stars Pros: Deep and likable characters for all their flaws and a story that grabs you from the very beginning and never lets go. Cons: Some parts were a little technical, like how many G's a ship was flying under and the spin of planets, but it didn't take away from the story too much. Full Review: Julette Andromeda Mao. The heiress to a lunar corporate dynasty who's decided to turn her back on her life of luxury and venture out into the solar system to find work and earn her keep. Miller. A cynical, downtrodden but intelligent and resourceful cop who works out of the Ceres Station on the Belt. Holden, the commanding officer of a water hauler that ships ice from the rings of Saturn to stations ...

All the Books.

Search This Blog