This is the final book of an absolutely excellent trilogy entitled the ‘Down The Long Wind trilogy’ about king Arthur’s court. All three books are worth reading.
King Arthur and his court have intrigued readers for nearly 1400 years, because they acts as a symbol that attracts something great in the human soul. Many 'Arthurian books' have been written over the years, many writers and countless readers have looked with yearning at this myth. It has just as much to offer people today.
Gillian Bradshaw is 'relaxed' about how she uses the legends. She uses some of the very modern developments of the original stories. However, this is literature and not historiography, so I believe these books will please enthusiasts of Arthurian legends as well as the rest of us.
Bradshaw has taken the legends and has composed works of literary genius out of them. She goes deeply into the characters and brings them to life for us in such a way that when the trilogy ends you will mourn for the loss of your literary companions.
These books leave you with a ‘yearning for the light’. The reader desires to stay longer in the book's world: where the characters have a purpose. Where the good guys work together to bring light and justice to Britain. Readers are left with a desire to serve God like a great warrior serves a legendary leader. The book allows you to make the parallel between saints and warriors of Christ. It leaves you with a good and healthy yearning. These are excellent books for teenage readers.
This final book of the trilogy is narrated in the first person by Arthur's wife and Queen Guinevere. It is perhaps the most complex book of the set and deals with the most difficult issues. It is the perfect ending to the trilogy, however, I would recommend it for children over 16. It contains more details of death, betrayal and adultery. I would say this books does justice to the way Arthur's rule came to an end. It is a work of genius.
This book will make a lot more sense if you have also read the two previous books, so read them in order. The first two books of the set are appropriate for children as young as 13. All books are great for adults as well.
