The Legend of the King

Starred review from July 15, 2010

Morris pulls off a spectacular conclusion to his humane and witty Squire's Tales series as destructive intrigues both provide a backdrop for a fan-pleasing reunion of favorite figures from past episodes and lead up to the final battle between Arthur and his brilliant, hideously warped son Mordred. Though the enchantress Lynet and her wise, mild husband, Sir Gaheris, have set out to find the murderous sorceress Morgause, a series of forged letters reopen old rifts between Arthur and Lancelot while Mordred's knights, disguised as Arthur's, lay waste to the country in a cunning terror campaign. Meanwhile, others, from heroic Sir Gawain and his faerie ex-squire Sir Terence to Morgan Le Fay and the saintly hermit Guinglain, step in to show what true loyalty, honesty, honor, love and courage look like. Those—along with, of course, stirring deeds of knightly prowess—are what the entire series has been about. Though the author doesn't shy from depicting the legend's tragic end, he does display authorial mercy in a set of aftermath scenes that ease the pain with a focus on healing and the future. Well done. (end note, cast list) (Fantasy. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

October 1, 2010

Gr 5-8-Camelot is in ruins, nearly all the famous Knights of the Roundtable are dead, and Arthur is no longer on the throne. Or is Camelot just waiting to rise again? In this final title in the series, Morris once again makes the adventure, excitement, and magic of King Arthur and his court accessible to every reader. Arthur's illegitimate son, Mador, born to the great sorceress Morgause, has raised an army, the White Horsemen, and is massacring people across the countryside and blaming it on Arthur's knights. At the same time, Camelot is infiltrated by spies and the scandal of Lancelot's affair with the queen causes a division between Arthur and the great knight, though that is soon healed. And the door between the human and magical world closes. Through the mayhem, Arthur's England triumphs, but at the cost of nearly everyone who has appeared throughout this series. Yet the ending is hopeful and still possesses the magic of the legends. As with the earlier titles, Morris does not shy away from love or violence, but instead stays true to the feel and premise of the original tales while building on them. Reading the previous books is a necessity to understand all of the characters, although a list of them and the books in which they appeared is helpful. An excellent end to a worthwhile and well-written series that can be recommended to reluctant and skilled readers alike.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2011
This final series installment tackles the end of Camelot: death, destruction, and the extinction of chivalry. Morris's great accomplishment is tracing these events without dampening the courage and optimism of his big-hearted protagonists. The knights' simplicity, honor, and kitchen-table philosophizing will continue to entrance readers, straight through to the end of this thrilling, elegiac, hope-from-the-ashes saga.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from November 1, 2010
Mordred is on the attack, ravishing the countryside and blaming King Arthur for the destruction, but Arthur, distracted by rumors of a renewed affair between Sir Lancelot and his queen, is unable to summon a response. In this final installment of his stirring, heartening series, Morris tackles the end of Camelot, an episode that sees the death of many of the bravest knights of the Round Table, the destruction of Arthur's castle, Arthur's own removal to the fairy realm, and the extinction of chivalry and the rule of law. Morris's great accomplishment, however, is tracing these events without dampening the courage and optimism of his great-hearted protagonists, allowing his readers, by extension, to experience the loss of their companions with a sense of reluctant completeness rather than overwhelming grief. Many old favorites appear here: Sir Dinadan; Parsifal; Gaheris and Lynet fending off a siege of their castle; the great Gawain facing off against the indomitable Lancelot for the honor of Guinevere; the newly knighted, ex-squire Terence himself confronting Mordred and fighting for the king. The knights' simplicity, honor, and kitchen-table philosophizing will continue to entrance readers, straight through to the end of this thrilling, elegiac, hope-from-the-ashes saga. anita l. burkam

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)