Review - Queen of the Summer Stars by Persia Woolley

 

TITLE:    Queen of the Summer Stars
AUTHOR:    Persia Woolley
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 488 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:    In a country simmering with witchcraft and unholy alliances, Guinevere joins forces with her husband, King Arthur, to gain control of Britain's warring knights. She presides over fabled heroes-including Gawain, Merlin, Tristan and Isolde-and treacherous villains, including Morgan le Fey and Lancelot. Vibrantly human, she reigns as a woman poised to discover the true peril and promise of the human heart. The second novel of this Arthurian trilogy plays out the history and myth of the round table, brought to life through the words of an extraordinary queen.

MY TAKE:    I read this series several years ago when it was first published.  I loved it then and I love it just as much now.  I am very pleased that Sourcebooks has chosen to reprint this classic tale with the gorgeous covers that just add to my enjoyment (again) of the story.  Arthurian tales are one of my favorite sub-genres.  My mom started me on The Knights of the Round Table at a very young age and I have never been able to pass up one of these stories.

Persia Woolley began her trilogy with Child of the Northern Spring.  In that book we meet Gwen while she is remembering her childhood as she is riding to her wedding.  We learn about this independent and intelligent girl ~ one who is really rather far ahead of the times. 

As we join Guinevere in this second installment, she is dealing with the impending death of Igraine, Arthur's mother.  We are with her through loss and battles that are both personal and Britain's.  The author brings to us in vivid, living color a woman who tried to balance who she was on the inside with who the King and country needed her to be on the outside.

I love that these books are written from Guinevere's point of view.  It is refreshing to see the female side of this epic tale.  The fact that this Gwen is portrayed as anything but the simpering twit that so many of the versions make her out to be is a treat.  Woolley uses a more modern speech than some might expect for a historical fiction.  I found this to be helpful as it is easy to get bogged down in the correct dialogue and phrasing when reading these type of stories.  The tale moves along a very nice pace due in part to this change of verbiage.

I won't go too much more into the details of the plot.  It's a treat to be enjoyed yourself.  This series is on my all time favorite list and I think it will be on yours as well.  I highly recommend it.  Sourcebooks will be coming out soon with the third book:  The Legend in Autumn - keep your eyes open for it.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

 

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.