While I’m familiar with the Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart as well as the short story “The Last Defender of Camelot” by Roger Zelazny (I’ve had the collection the story appears in for quite a while but just never got to it until now), it wasn’t until recently that I discovered how much Arthurian fiction is actually out there. I decided to read a few stories so here are some reviews.
“The Last Defender of Camelot” by Roger Zelazny
(The Last Defender of Camelot, Pocket Books, 1980)
The story begins with Sir Lancelot alive in the present day. Believing he has been cursed with immortality, he searches for the Holy Grail in hopes that it will end the curse. After running into someone from his past he seeks out Merlin, but things don’t turn out as planned. A suspenseful start that leads to conflict with a moving ending.
Rating 5/5
“Running to Camelot” by Darrell Schweitzer
(The Darrell Schweitzer Megapack, Wildside Press, 2013)
Each time Lancelot visits the castle of a sorceress, a former lover, she tries to convince him to stay by showing him his tragic future. I enjoyed the prose and the haunting, melancholy-like atmosphere. This story first appeared in the Summer 1998 issue of Marion Zimmer’s Fantasy magazine with a great cover by Mark Harrison.
Rating: 4/5
“A Once and Future Reckoning” by Rajan Khanna
(Beneath Ceaseless Skies #361, July 2022
An alternate version of the life of King Arthur from the time he pulls the sword from the stone to his death. In between short paragraphs that chronicle the version of legend we are familiar with; we are told the story of how Merlin guides Arthur throughout his life in an attempt to re-awaken something quite old.
The use of names really adds to the feeling that the story being told is an ancient one. Arthur is called Artur, Guinevere is called Gwenhwyfar, and Merlin is called Myrddin. Myrddin the Wyllit (Myrddin the Wild) is a figure from medieval Welsh legend who served as the inspiration from Merlin in Arthurian legend. Overall, this has an epic feel to it and deftly mixes existing legend with gradual hints of the true nature of the story. Outstanding.
Rating: 5/5
“Uncounted Leaves of Ends of Camelot” by R.K. Duncan
(Beneath Ceaseless Skies #361, July 2022
Merlin sends King Arthur to the Forest Perilous after Arthur asks how he may avert the doom that will befall Camelot. There he enters a tree created by Merlin that contains the branches of all futures in hopes of finding a path in which Camelot does not fall. Intriguing and I really liked where the story led. Beneath Ceaseless Skies is available on Kindle but also free to read online.
Rating: 4/5
“Soothes the Fire” by Josh Reynolds
(Shadows Over Avalon, 18thWall Productions, 2022)
The book this story appears in collects stories that mix Arthurian legend with the Cthulhu mythos, hence the title Shadows Over Avalon. After the death of King Arthur and the fall of Camelot, the last knight of the Round Table narrates his attempt to stop Morgan Le Fay from opening a gate that will allow the return of the Old Ones. I really enjoyed how the story mixes legend, particular about one of the lesser-known knights, and the Cthulhu mythos. Outstanding.
Rating 5/5
These were all enjoyable reads and I’m looking forward to reading more Arthurian fiction in the future. Now if I can just fit that in with all the other stuff that I want to read...
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