Child of Saturn

I bought this book at a grocery store counter when it first was published, about a decade ago, or possibly longer. The trilogy of which it was the first volume remains my favorite work of fantasy. The characters are memorable, and Edgerton's writing sparkled with wit, grace, delicacy and charm. Edgerton went on to write six more books about tormented young men of genius and the excellent women they love, all are readable, but the first trilogy is some of the best fantasy ever writen.

Browsing through the college bookstore one day over a decade ago, I found my eye drawn to the spine of *Child of Saturn.* Thinking vaguely about Roman gods, I took the book from the shelf and grimaced at the cover, an all-too-standard hodge-podge of the usual fantasy elements: a dwarf, a long-haired warrior brandishing a sword, a glamorous raven-haired sorceress holding a chalice in the shape of a skull, and a sinisterly bubbling cauldron. Nothing new here, I thought, as I flipped open the front cover for a cursory peek.I could not have been more mistaken. A few pages into the first chapter I was well and truly hooked. In her opening paragraphs Teresa Edgerton established an elegant, yet otherworldly atmosphere many fantasists strive in vain to capture, with her description of the wizard Glastyn's mysterious disappearance from the Kingdom of Celydonn and its effects on the court he has long served--"He left behind him: a whimsical, inconsistent king; an order of jaded, disillusioned knights; and a realm slipping slowly back into the chaos from which he, Glastyn, had rescued it some fifty years before." The parallels to Arthurian legend are unmistakable. Like King Arthur bereft of Merlin, King Cynwas must now reign without the counsel of his most trusted advisor, a situation made all the more difficult by the sloth and complacency of his court. The heroes of yesterday have sunk into lazy, even dissolute middle-age, caring little now for deeds of valor and glory. The arrival at court of Princess Diaspad, the King's stepsister, contributes still further to the decay of the chivalric ideal.The best hope for the future lies with a small band of young knights, as yet unaffected by the corruption spreading through the court. Chief among them, is Ceilyn macCuel, the passionate, idealistic Queen's Champion, who senses all is not well with the kingdom, especially not with Diaspad on the prowl.Frequently mocked and derided by his companions and the Queen's ladies for his rigorous sense of honor and formidable conscience, Ceilyn acquires an unexpected ally in Teleri ni Pendaren, the childlike apprentice Glastyn has left behind him. Shy, retiring, and colorless, Teleri at first seems an unlikely choice to be Glastyn's successor; yet her quiet nature hides unsuspected depths of power and knowledge. United in their shared distrust of Diaspad, Ceilyn and Teleri set out to uncover the truth of the Princess's schemes, before all of Celydonn falls victim to her sinister charms. In the process, their alliance deepens into something rich and strange, that transforms both their lives.*Child of Saturn* marks the beginning of Edgerton's acclaimed Green Lion Trilogy, a series that breathed new life into the conventions of the fantasy genre. Edgerton displays a mature, polished style, a gift for character development, and a genuine feel for the British and Celtic legends that flavor her work. Once read, *Child of Saturn*

Child of Saturn is an absorbing blend of some of the most realistic characters I've ever read and an intriguing Celtic-fantasy background. The plot is also excellent, involving the wizard's apprentice Teleri, the knight Ceilyn, the king, queen and, or course, sorceress.While this could easily have turned out to be a generic sort of fantasy, Teleri's subtle development from a slight, pale shadow into a more mature person is exquisitely done. Ceilyn's depiction as a flawed man who is forced to live up to everyone's image of perfection is equally brilliant. The heroes and villains are multi-faceted, the plot absorbing and the world-building complete and rich. What more can I say? Read Child of Saturn-- it's definitely worth the time it takes to find a copy.

This was the first of the series of now four books (why arent there more?). I found it completely absorbing, nose to the pages, unable to put it down. The characters come to life and drag you down into the story, and leave you waiting for the next one. Far, far too long now, after the last one. It has life, adventure, betrayal, magic, romance.. everything you could want in a book in spades. Best of all the characters are entirely human with faults and flaws that make a story realistic, and make you feel for them, indentify, and want to laugh and cry as things happen. Get it. Read the others. Pray for more.

I found this book in a little used book store in Tempe, AZ in 1991, and was quickly absorbed by it. The characters (Arthurian) and setting (British Isles) were engaging, and it was easy to insert myself into the storyline and imagine that I was the heroine. I appreciated the way in which the romance and relationship between the two main characters was developed--not sugar coated or instantaneous, but taking time and involving challenges. After I finished it, I tried to find the next two books in the trilogy at a local bookstore, but no luck. I tried ordering them, no luck again. Finally, my mom, some 1000 miles away, found them and mailed them to me. I stayed up all night reading them--I just had to find out what happened to Ceilyn and Teleri.