Merlin's Gift

I bought these books when they first came out and was delighted in the phrasing and talent of Mr. Mcdowell. Recently I re-read them and am still pleased. These books are keepers and I look forward to more writings by the author.

While I confess to having enjoyed Mary Stewart's "The Wicked Day," I will readily admit that for intelligence, characterization and sheer twisted humor, these books stomp Stewart's novels into the dirt. The refusal to paint this story with the flowery romanticism of typical works in this genre is part of what makes it great. The Dark Ages were full of filth, mud and toothless, disease-ridden peasants (and nobility!), and however unpleasant that reality may be, it makes the story more believable. The voice of Mordred is wry, intelligent and often hilarious, and I thoroughly enjoyed both books. Guinevere is neither relegated to the role of a vacant-headed ornamental piece at King Arthur's side nor a shameless harlot who delights in wreaking the downfall of Camelot. I gleefully enjoyed these novels and recommend them to anyone who will listen.

But if you're not easily offended, and are interested in the brilliant sequel to the unfortunately out of print "Mordred's Curse," you should read this book. It's darkly funny, strangely sad, and a complete original.

Ian McDowell is one of the best writers of this time and I consider Merlin's Gift (his sequal to Mordred's Curse) to be a masterpiece in itself.

What a wonderous spin on the Arthur legend, filled with a wonderous plot and realistic characters. I could not put the book down when I got it. Mordred's narration during the story seems so real, you'd have sworn he was right there dictating to Mr. McDowell. This book is going on my treasured shelf, along with Mordred's Curse. A spectacular read, even if you're not that familiar with Arthurian legend