I *almost* didn't read this one yet because I found out that it's the third book in a trilogy, and usually I'm really anal about reading books in order. But I thought, It's Arthurian! I know all the characters; how confusing can it be?

It wasn't very confusing. :) Although, I give this book credit in truly bringing something brand spanking new to the table: a daughter of Arthur and Guenevere. The author makes the (not-very-strong) argument that they *could* have had a daughter since history tends to forget women. But, I was so enamored by the idea of Arthur and Guenevere having a baby of their own that I was 100% willing to suspend my disbelief. I liked the character of Ursulet, but I wished that more of the story had actually focused on her; there were a surprising number of viewpoint characters for a book so short. In addition to Ursulet, you get to see a few more characters from "one-generation-down-the-line," such as Mordred's two sons, who were also interesting. The characterization of Mordred as a father was interesting, and I think this is the only Arthurian book I've read that didn't give Mordred black hair. It was fun imagining him with a red handlebar moustache! And finally, it was interesting how blatantly *fantasy* this retelling was, with unicorns, dragons, etc. It was a little refreshing, after the current trend of Arthurian retellings being all about the author showing off how much s/he knows about medieval European tribes and religious customs.

A good read; I'd definitely purchase the other two books in the series if I found them, and not *just* because they're Arthurian. ;) ( )