 |
|
Title: Grail Prince
ISBN: 0345456483
Author:
Nancy Mckenzie
Publicate Date: 2003-01-01
Publish: 2003-01-01
List Price: $14.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
 |
|
|
|
|
Amazon Lowest New Price: $6.99
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.04
Amazon Merchant Price: $11.96
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Customer Review: |
|
1: Another wonderful Arthurian retelling by Ms. McKenzie!
Having read and loved Queen of Camelot, I had to give this new part of the Grail series a whirl. Nancy McKenzie throws a very interesting spin on the King Arthur tale using its secondary characters and creating a new tale for them. This time it is Galahad, son of Lancelot, and he tries to do what Arthur asks of him just before he dies. Galahad grows up hating Lancelot. His mother, Elaine, does whatever is possible to turn him against his father and succeeds when she sees that Galahad wants nothing to do with Lancelot. When he discovers that his mother has told him lies, he decides he hates women and goes to live with Peredur, Percival's cousin, where he meets a woman who challenges his prejudice against the fairer sex. But all Galahad wants to do is find the items that will save Britain: Arthur's sword as well as the Grail and Spear. He has no idea where those items are, but he won't stop his search. There are various twists throughout the novel.
Phew! It's not easy writing a quick summary of a 500-something worth of (small print) pages with more twists and turns than a steep mountain. McKenzie has created another enthralling installment that will keep you turning those pages until the wee hours of the night because you'll want to know how Galahad resolves his issues. McKenzie creates a flesh and blood man with a great deal of depth and conflicting emotions. His relationship with Lancelot here is very interesting because he has years of pent-up anger toward him because of his mother's manipulations. As for the hating women part, the whole misogynist thing has been done quite a lot in Medieval (or in this case, more like fantasy) literature and I feel that his reaction toward women is kind of over the top, especially since Aidan, a so-called priest, also takes part in bad-mouthing Lancelot. Perhaps the author wanted to add some conflict when Galahad meets Dane, but I still think that this storyline is kind of overdone. Also, though it is important to understand Galahad's relationship with Arthur, the recount of the battle of Camlann is too long-winded. There are details that, in my opinion, should have been omitted because it makes no advancement in the story. The Arthurian characters are given a quite a unique perspective in this retelling and I enjoyed them very much. The Grail Prince isn't as great as Queen of Camelot (Guinevere's story), but it is still wonderful, better than most retellings I've read. I recommend this most highly, but not before you read Queen of Camelot.
|
2: A journey of self-discovery
This book follows the life of Galahad, Lancelot's son, from early childhood until he is an adult. Galahad is on a quest to secure three relics for Britain, a grail, a spear, and a sword. If he does, Britain will be forever invincible. In the beginning of the book, Galahad is intolerant, self-righteous, misogynistic and lacking in compassion. Through flashbacks to his childhood, the author allows us to understand why he became this way. Although there are battles, this book is less an adventure story than it is the story of one man's transformation. By slow degrees, Galahad comes to a better understanding of the world and especially of his father, Lancelot. He is finally able to be the great knight he had already believed he was. Nancy McKenzie does an excellent job portraying this transformation and making it real and believable for the reader. If you are looking for bloody battles, you may be disappointed, but if you like Arthurian legend and enjoy a well-written story with complex characters, give this a try.
|
3: A Fascinating New Perspective on Galahad!
This is the tale of Galahad, son of Lancelot. In the beginning, Galahad, poisoned in mind against Lancelot, learns to hate his father. His mother Elaine, with the help from a "priest" Aidan, work together successfully to turn Galahad against him. While Elaine has her own reasons, some of them her own fault, for hating Lancelot, she enlists Aidan in her plans to shame him, not knowing that he has his own reasons for revenge.
From all of this, Galahd has learned to despise his father and desires to avenge himself on Lancelot for the perceived cruelness imposed on his mother over the years. He finally breaks free to go to Camelot to serve Arthur, the High King, but peace eludes him there also. Eventually, he learns that all he was taught by his mother and Aidan was false and he then turns his mind against women, judging them all to be liars and the weaker of the sexes. He also continues to hate his father but after awhile of gradual maturing he comes to understand Lancelot but finds it difficult to forgive him until he himself commits the same mistakes as his father did.He goes on a quest for Arthur to find the treasures that will heal Britain and once again make her invincible to invaders. For awhile, he travels with his cousin Percival who worships him as a hero figure. Galahad's pompous, aloof behavior changes when he meets Dane, the twin sister of Percival. Things then begin to change his preconceived ideas and he learns to eventually love and to quest for something more tangible and earthly to bring him peace of mind. The novel switches back and forth between Galahad's past and his present life and shows how he matures in mind and body over the years. This is a real page turning yarn that will delight and enthrall any follower of Arthurian Literature. I thought this would be a boring saga of the saintly character Galahad, but was pleasantly surprised to find it anything but. Galahad is portrayed as a man struggling with what he has always been taught to believe is right and what the true reality really is. A totally believable human being is showcased here with faults of his own that he must learn to conquer in order to find true happiness. Read it, you will not be disappointed!
|
4: Galahad - hate him or love him?
I liked this book well enough to recommend it - however, not without a couple criticisms...
Galahad's wanderings help you to understand this character and his evolution from an overly pious finatic to a kind-hearted and loving man. However, I thought there was a bit much recounting of the battle of Camlann and the days of Arthur. I don't disagree that understanding these moments are important in understanding Galahad himself. I simply wonder if the authur lacked confidence in the character and believed that the book would hold no interest without re-introducing Arthur in such great detail. I read through the Arthur-filled chapters EAGER to get back to Galahad's quest for the grail and for inner peace.
It also seemed that as the book wrapped, the author did a huge role reversal with Ninianne. I was left completely confused as to her true intentions. This character along with the Merlin character from Queen of Camelot, were poorly developed and left little impression other than simple confusion. Tristan was also introduced for about 4 lines and then vanished. Perhaps he will be the subject of her next work???
Overall, however, I found the book captivating and the evolution of Galahad to be believable and heart-warming.
|
5: A whole new take on Galahad
Prior to this book, Galahad has always been kind of a boring and one-dimensional character. He was the Perfect Knight, the stainless, the pure, the winner of the holy Grail. In this story, we see a more human portrayal of this character--more human, and more interesting. Galahad is by no means perfect in this story. He cannot forgive his father Lancelot for his past, he harbors hatred for Queen Guinevere, and struggles with lust. This is chiefly the story of a rigidly idealistic young man looking for the real meaning of life, love, and honor.
|
|
|
|
|
