Name: Here Lies Arthur
Rating: 5 (0 reviews)
Author: Philip Reeve

About this book

Summary

Book Summary

Gwynna is just a girl who is forced to run when her village is attacked and burns to the ground. To her horror, she is discovered in the wood. But it is Myrddin the bard who has found her, a traveler and spinner of tales. He agrees to protect Gwynna if she will agree to be bound in service to him. Gwynna is frightened but intrigued - and says yes - for this Myrddin serves the young, rough, and powerful Arthur.

In the course of their travels, Myrddin transforms Gwynna into the mysterious Lady of the Lake, a boy warrior, and a spy. It is part of a plot to transform Arthur from the leader of a ragtag war band into King Arthur, the greatest hero of all time.

If Gwynna and Myrrdin's trickery is discovered, what will become of Gwynna? Worse, what will become of Arthur? Only the endless battling, the mighty belief of men, and the sheer cunning of one remarkable girl will tell.

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Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Nodding to canon and history while not particularly following either, Reeve, like Myrddin, turns hallowed myth and supple prose to political purposes, neatly skewering the modern-day cult of spin and the age-old trickery behind it. Smart teens will love this." - Publishers Weekly.

"Absorbing, thought-provoking and unexpectedly timely." - Kirkus Reviews.

"Starred Review. Arthurian lore has inspired many novels for young people, but few as arresting or compelling as this one." - Booklist.

"Reeve's retelling of an ancient tale imparts myriad modern-day lessons .... facts exist to be bent to the will of the best storyteller, and to be ever mindful of what larger purpose the story may serve." - Shelf Awareness.

This information about Here Lies Arthur was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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A Bookshelf Monstrosity

Arthur the punk-raider and the Merlin behind the legends
Countless retellings of the Arthurian legend abound in the literary world, and I know some of you are ready to leave this review behind before you finish it. Before you move on, let me tell you why this book is just a little different than all the rest and worth a second chance. First of all, thank you, Philip Reeve for not making this novel another over-romanticized, plotless tale of love. I've read quite enough of that sort, thank you very much.

Secondly, and most important, is Reeve's characterization of Arthur. If you are looking for a valiant and gallant myth of a man, do not come searching here. Arthur is a brute who is vying for power and dominance the only way he knows how- by looting nearby villages and taking whatever he wants and needs in order to attain more power. Myrddin, more commonly known as the bard Merlin, meets Gwynna, a servant girl, and takes her under his wing. It is through Gwynna's eyes that we the readers witness the real story behind the legends of Arthur, from the Lady of the Lake to the sword in the stone to Guinevere.

This book is a refreshing revision on the Arthurian legend and will be enjoyed by all fans of historical fantasy as well as those curious about King Arthur.

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