Arthur: King of the Roman Celts

This book is a gem of Arthurian literature in the the author does not slavishly twist the plot to conform with the expectations of those familiar with the later legends. Moreover, the landscape of Arthur's Britain is free of the anachronistic castles that fill the world of the classic Romances.

Which is not to say that this is an effort to reclaim a more 'authentic' Arthur. The author is clearly a scholar of the Roman world, not the Celtic. The people live in villages and villas and use the Roman names for their homelands, with a few exceptions, which is incongruent with the characters' general dislike of Roman ways and customs. In an Author's Note at the end, M. K. Hume indicates that she has tried to remain true to 'earlier' versions of the legend, before the French Romances canonized such features and characters as Lancelot. She indicates that Caius is called 'Sir Kai' in later versions, and that her original inspiration was a single reference to Gwenhyfar being Arthur's second wife, something she had not encountered before in the legends, nor could she find any other reference to multiple wives in legend. However, the name Kai is attested to in the earliest Arthurian literature, and the Welsh Triads make references to Arthur having as many as three wives, all named Gwenhwyfar.

All that being said, Dragon's Child is a vivid and detailed story that brings an authentically human world to vibrant life. Peopled with characters who are by turns flawed and hopeful and vicious and noble, the story is no mere retelling of a tale told too many times, but a genuine examination of humanity at its very best and its very worst, and is well worth the read for anyone who enjoys: medieval realism, historical fiction, or A Game of Thrones -- or anyone who simply wants a version of the Arthurian legend that is more than a rehash of the same old story.

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