Excalibur

Arthurian legend has fascinated me as long as I can remember. I'm not sure, all these years later, whether the first fictional account of it I fell in love with was T.H. White's "The Once and Future King" or Mary Stewart's Arthur/Merlin trilogy. Whichever it was, the story grabbed me by the throat and hasn't let go for decades. I can't even recall the number of versions of this story that I've read over the years. Yes, I know the plot. I know from the start how it will end. And yet the story of how these four people - Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and Merlin - live that story is endlessly fascinating.

That said, I somehow never read the Cornwell trilogy and I'm sorry about that. Cornwell's take on the familiar story goes deep into the historic times: The Romans are gone, the Saxons are invading, and the tribes of Britain are struggling with in-fighting. The Old Gods were nearly wiped out by the Romans and now this new Christian god is threatening the land. Adherents of the Old Gods struggle to bring them back while Christians spread their influence and Roman influence lingers.

Cornwell's Arthur story focuses on the gritty reality of the times. Magic, such as it is, is mysterious and unpredictable and maybe not even real. The bastard son of now-dead king Uther Pendragon, Arthur holds and protects the kingdom of Dumnonia as a sort of regent for Mordred, the infant son of Uther. This telling of Arthur doesn't want to be king. He dreams of being able to put Mordred on the throne, get all the fighting and politics behind him, and be a simple farmer. Maybe a blacksmith.

It's the old story dressed on truly ancient clothing, and as heartbreaking as ever.