Any and All Fantasy Fiction Book Discussion

[Ernildir]

Heh... those sound like a good few Arthurian books. I haven't read any of them myself, though. Chrétien de Troyes' Arthurian Romances is good. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is great too, especially if it's Tolkien's translation. I read some other person's attempt last year, and it paled in comparison. Right now I'm finishing up The Faerie Queene, which is a really amazing poem of 1,000+ pages in beautiful archaic English about virtuously exemplary Arthurian knights. I highly recommend it if any of you haven't already read it.

I also love The Mabinogion. It's a collection of Welsh legends, and if I remember correctly, contains the story of Merlin's prophecy involving the Red Dragon of Wales. I love the Welsh flag even more since reading that. It will give you a new appreciation for Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain, too, if you're familiar with those.

[Cleddyf]

isn't the Mabinogion the one with the guy who keeps having to leave towns in a hurry because he does whatever craft he chooses better then anyone else and so the locals get annoyed at his customer stealing? the guy who put gold buckles on shoes and so on.....
or am i barking up the wrong tree?

[Ernildir]

isn't the Mabinogion the one with the guy who keeps having to leave towns in a hurry because he does whatever craft he chooses better then anyone else and so the locals get annoyed at his customer stealing? the guy who put gold buckles on shoes and so on.....
or am i barking up the wrong tree?

Yes, that guy is certainly in the Mabinogion.

[appalachianranger]

A few months ago I happened upon a book at a thrift store called Mists of Avalon. Judging from the description on the back, it appears that it might be a good source of lore regarding Avalon, Morgan La Faye, and the Lady of the Lake.
I have not read them yet, as I am currently in the midst of studying Plato and Socrates.
Has anyone ever heard of that series, and was it any good?

[Mirimaran]

A.R., my wife recommends the book, and there was a mini-series a few years back that is available on DVD that was very good. Love the soundtrack!

Ken

[Cleddyf]

A.R.
Its an okay book, not one i really liked, but it wasn't a bad book, depends on wether you like marion zimmer bradley's books

[appalachianranger]

This would be my first encounter with Ms. Bradley, so I guess I will have to try it out!
Incidentally, I also re-watched the NBC miniseries Merlin from the 90s the other day.
It was a fine little gem that came out before the era of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter when fantasy suddenly became cool.
If you have not seen it yet, I recommend you check it out!
Sam Neill's Merlin was excellent, as was Miranda Richardson's Queen Mab and Helena Bonham Carter's Morgan La Faye.

[Cleddyf]

has anyone here tried robin Mckinley's books, the hero and the crown, the blue sword,spindles end, chalice,
i recently reread The Outlaws of Sherwood, her retelling of robin hood, it made me think of John Flanagan's
ranger's apprentice books, in that it sort of relates.
oh, and one of the characters is a falconer

[Duathen]

Arthur fans may or may not like Bernard Cornwell's The Warlord Chronicles trilogy, but I really enjoyed them. Cornwell explores a historically plausible Arthur and the trials of native Britons during the Saxon invasion. It turns the legend on its head, but presents what is probably the most "realistic" take on the legend that I've run across. It should be noted that the themes within are very dark and quite mature, so they may not be for everyone's palate.

It also explores in detail battles waged within the shieldwall, which should hold a particular interest for Tolkien fans.

[Rhys ap Ieuan]

I've read a couple of Cornwell's other books & enjoyed them. I understand they are quite formulaic, but that isn't altogether bad, if it is a good formula.

[Cleddyf]

I've read a couple of Cornwell's other books & enjoyed them. I understand they are quite formulaic, but that isn't altogether bad, if it is a good formula.

considering the largest publishers use formulas (mills and boons and harliquin(my mum reads them, and my aunts))
throwing a hissy fit about formulas is kinda silly

[Rhys ap Ieuan]

Exactly! Not everything has to be Great Literature to be enjoyed. Also, given what Campbell showed us in "The Hero With a Thousand Faces", a certain pattern emerges from our hero myths, species wide, even in cases where the stories are far older than any substantial cultural contact.

[Duathen]

Cornwell is very formulaic, but I enjoy his books for what they are. In my opinion, his Arthur books are his best work. Highly recommend them.

[David]

I LOVE Bernard Cornwell! I haven't read his Warlord trilogy, but I have read a lot of his other books. I highly recommend his "Saxon Stories" series. It's about the Danish invasion of Britain under the rule of Alfred the Great. There are 5 out right now, and a 6th one is coming out later this year.

[Duathen]

I LOVE Bernard Cornwell! I haven't read his Warlord trilogy, but I have read a lot of his other books. I highly recommend his "Saxon Stories" series. It's about the Danish invasion of Britain under the rule of Alfred the Great. There are 5 out right now, and a 6th one is coming out later this year.

Working my way through those now! If you like Uhtred, you'll definitely like Derfel from the Warlord books.