Guinevere's Gift

At the time of her birth, a prophecy foretold Guinevere would one day be wed to a great king and be the highest lady in the land. Guinevere herself refuses to believe this will be so. After all, she's thirteen years old and an orphan living at the mercy of her uncle and aunt, the king and queen of Gwynedd. She prefers riding horses to more feminine tasks, and it would be unlikely a great king would look twice at her boyish figure. When Gwen discovers an ancient tribe, she learns they not only accept the prophecy as truth, but they have been guarding her all her life. Guinevere is no longer sure what to believe. In the midst of inner turmoil, she uncovers a sinister plot against her uncle and aunt that threatens not only their lives, but the lives of the ancient tribe, as well. It's up to Guinevere to unravel the plot and save the lives of those she loves. Though the characters presented in these books are well known and loved by many, McKenzie is able to give them new life and has made them her own while still remaining true to the legend. The reader is introduced to Guinevere as a young girl before she even meets Arthur, and this is a wonderful side to see of the future queen. This is the first book in THE CHRYSALIS QUEEN QUARTET, and Ms. McKenzie does a fantastic job of introducing this new side to the legend of King Arthur. GUINEVERE'S GIFT is a great beginning to what is sure to become a series of books loved by fans of Arthurian legend. Though I know how the story ends, I loved the beginning of the journey as seen through the eyes of the girl who will be queen. I look forward to seeing how Guinevere and the other characters grow toward their destinies in GUINEVERE'S GAMBLE, the second book in the series. Reviewed by: Joan Stradling

Nancy McKenzie's GUINEVERE'S GIFT tells of an orphan and ward of an uncle and aunt who is tomboyish and unlikely to become the queen prophecy has foretold. Guinevere's discovery of an ancient tribe whose mission is to protect her uncovers a castle plot, a mystery, and possible ancient powers at work in the land in Book 1 in the 'Chrysalis Queen Quartet'. An excellent leisure read for middle school readers.

This first book in a four part series gives a glimpse at Guinevere's everyday life starting aroung age 13. She is an obstinate tomboy who is intent on doing the (morally) right thing even when it goes against her aunts wishes. We see Guinevere grow through her daily escapades, her adventures to rescue those she loves, a seemingly fortuitous meeting with a young boy from a hill tribe, and her eventual understanding of her aunt's strict rules. Although the writing and characterization are not as good as in McKenzie's previous novels(hoping these will develope with the series), this is a good book with a fast paced story line. It will keep you hooked. She has kept her target audience (YA) in mind while writing so this book has no great romance; it is not a saga with a heartbreaking ending. The story actually takes place over a few weeks. Anyone, YA or otherwise, who has a love for Authurian tales or historical ficton will enjoy any of McKenzie's writing. Happy reading =)