I count historical novels among my most beloved genres. Rarely do I get disappointed with authors taking on the task of writing historical fiction. And The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick didn’t disappoint me either. As a matter of fact it greatly exceeded my expectations.
The Kingmaking is a story about one of the most mysterious, legendary characters, King Arthur. It tells the story of Arthur’s childhood, adolescence and his rise to the position of the king. It also tells the story of love between him and Gwenhwyfar, a beautiful and strong-minded woman. It all starts in 450 AD. It’s a period of British history of which not much is known and a lot is shrouded in legend and mystery. But Helen Hollick did a superb job giving us Britain with its villainous leaders trying to usurp power for themselves, with its customs, its brutality, the dawn of Christianity and fading of old gods. Simply put, she brings the Dark Ages to life.
Probably, the boldest move Ms. Hollick made was in giving us Arthur Pendragon as he was before he became King Arthur. His childhood was horrible. He was believed to be a bastard of suspected but uncertain heritage. He was hated by Morgause, a lover of one person that truly loved Arthur, Uthr Pendragon. Because of this one woman’s hatred and abuse, Pendragon grew up to hold all women in disregard, to use them for his pleasure and nothing more. What you’ll read, will be far different from the chivalrous King Arthur of the legends. It is a breath of fresh air, however, because we finally have a chance to take what used to be a subject for fantasy tales, with Merlin heading the company, as a very real and very rich part of the British history.
Another character, just as important as Arthur, is Gwenhwyfar. She is a wonderful woman. I couldn’t help but keep comparing her to Boudica. Gwenhwyfar, Arthur’s one and only love, might be insolent at times, however, one can’t help but side with her. She is strong, stands her own and is very independent, in deed and mind. That is no small feat considering she lives in 2nd century Britain, when women were generally no more than servants and bedmaids to their husbands.
Ms. Hollick fully displays her talent with this first part of The Pendragon’s Banner trilogy. There is enough action and nail-biting moments in there to sit up late at night reading. With her imagination, knowledge and apparent passion, the author pulls the reader into the whirl of life, warring, revenge, loyalty and love.
***
I will be tracking this down. I love Arthurian books. It's been a while since I've read any.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Hope you enjoy it Julie!
ReplyDeleteHelen
x
I liked Hollick's depiction of Arthur: much more real-to-life than the traditional legend. I felt the author did a good job of blending history with myth, and creating an accurate picture of post-Roman Britain.
ReplyDeleteArthur definitely had moments where you disliked him, among his other good qualities. Gwenhwyfar was the same way. There were times where I questioned her, but overall, she was more like-able than Arthur.
What did you think of the antagonist characters? Did you think they were well-rounded and complex? What did you think of Winifred? Did she have any redeeming qualities in your mind?
Also, now that I think about it, I would have liked to see Morgause as a more regularly character throughout the novel. What do you think? I thought she was an interesting, conflicting character.
Thanks for great thoughts on the book, Steven. You do pose valid questions. I think that just like any good piece of writing, this book wouldn't be as good as it is without the antagonistic characters. I do think that both Winifred and Morgause will be in next books of the trilogy.
ReplyDeleteDid any of them have any redeeming qualities? I'm not sure. It is clear in Winifred that she was a product of her environment. What I found more frustrating than her connivance was Gwen's and Arthur's inability to see through her scheming sooner and do something about it. I only hope that they will not be so vague in their approach towards another villain character next time around.