King Arthur: Excalibur Unsheathed: An English Legend by Jeff Limke and Thomas Yeates. Copy supplied by publisher, Graphic Universe, in support of last year's Cybils.
The Plot:
King Arthur; the focus is the younger years, and the take is grounding it in English history.
The Good:
It seems like most of the Arthur (re)tellings I've read recently jump to the end, with the focus on old(er) Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, Mordred. So it's nice to see one that focuses on the early years and Arthur building his kingdom and his power base; to learn of his early adventures and victories and Arthur becoming king, in name, and in power. Kingship starts with the sword and the stone but is made real with battles, kidnappings and quests.
It's always a little sad to read early Arthur, knowing the darkness which will come.
Age: good for younger readers. As with any tale originally told for adults, as well as a tale that has so many variations, the author doing the retelling has to decide what to include and what to exclude. Here, the details of Arthur's birth are omitted.
Included are websites and books for further reading, including The World of King Arthur by Kevin Crossley Holland; kingarthursknight.com/; and information on La Morte D'Arthur. The art is based on both historical and traditional sources.
Links:
The Comic Wire interview with Jeff Limke
Teens Read Too review
3 comments:
Nifty. I read SO many Arthurian books as a child. :)
I love King Arthur and his court. I'll have to check this book out. Thanks for the recommmendation.
There is something about the Arthurian Legend that resonates with so many people. My personal favorite is The Once and Future King by TH White.
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