King & Raven

Not at all what I expected. I also thought the cover looked tame enough so I went ahead and bought it. I was surprised - but not disappointed. Very well written. Although I still wonder what happened to Anduin and Sarah...

Amazing. I have read this story more times than one would care, without even feeling bored. There's something magical about this story and I assure you that it has not lost it's magic. Of course my favorite was Raven, a low classer who rose into a higher lifestyle.

With the usual Arthur story, everyone's read one or two or more of the different variations out there. This is one of the best after MIST OF THE AVALONS. While being told by a young knight, something that turned me off in the beginning, it was a whole new light dawning on this time contained story of love and soul searching. Fabulous.

One of the richest and well written books on Camelot I've had the pleasure of reading. The retelling of Arthurian times as seen through the eyes of a peasant-turned-knight was inspired and intriguing. Mr. James has obviously researched his subject well. The reader can taste the dust, sweat and blood of an ardent knight as well as feel his honor, valor and love of chivalry. This is a book I did not want to end. One can only hope there will be a sequel.

As an avid reader of all the retellings of the Arthurian legend, as well as the tracts that attempt to place it in historical perspective, I am always thrilled to find a unique version. And I have to put "King & Raven" in that category. It managed to remain "true" to the mainline version of the tale, yet the introduction of the peasant perspective gave it a realism I had not yet seen. The shabby treatment of the common people of the day was not something I had ever considered before, but I can only feel it was accurate. As a result, Raven, the accidental knight, has become the first character of the legend that I can truly say I would have wanted to be. He truly embodied the spirit of chivalry that the "true" knights could never achieve because of their petty vanities and self-indulgence. As I came to the final pages of the book, I realized I wasn't ready for it to end! In Cornish folklore, Arthur's soul went into a raven's body upon his death. I can only hope that Mr. James is planning on tying this tidbit into a sequel!