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Guenevere, last in a line of proud queens elected
to rule the fertile lands of the West, true owner of the legendary
Round Table, and guardian of the Great Goddess herself, is a woman
whose story has never been told.
Long relegated to a passive role on the arm of King Arthur, Guenevere
finally springs to life in this lavish retelling of one of the richest
and most enduring epic tales of Western culture: the Arthurian legend.
Rosalind Miles's bold, magical interpretation re-creates the stirring
pageant of love, war, heartbreak, jealousy, revenge, and desire
from Guenevere's perspective, capturing as never before her formidable
power as a queen, and her full blooded passion as a woman. Rich
in historical detail, the Guenevere Trilogy draws us into the inner
life of a courageous and beautiful heroine, torn between the fires
of her own heart and her devotion to her husband and her people.
This guide is designed to help direct your reading, or that of your
discussion group, of Rosalind Miles's new perspective on a woman
you only thought you knew.
ABOUT THE BOOKS
When Guenevere, young Queen of the Summer Country, marries
Arthur, King of the Middle Kingdom and heir to the Pendragon dynasty,
their union creates the largest and most powerful kingdom ever known
in the Isles.
Yet their golden era of political harmony and courtly love is not
destined to last; a gathering darkness forebodes the evil and revenge
that will plague Arthur and Guenevere's reign. When Arthur's long-lost
half-sisters, princesses torn from their mother and their ancestral
right by Arthur's brutal and unscrupulous father, arrive at court,
chaos is unleashed in the form of Morgan le Fay, whose black enchantments
destroy everything Guenevere holds dear, and threaten to separate
the King and Queen forever.
At the center of the story is always Guenevere, proud and powerful,
yet
vulnerable to the longings of her heart. When the young French prince,
Lancelot of the Lake, enters the scene, an otherworldly passion
is ignited in Guenevere's heart, and they each must contend with
the painful reality that they cannot fulfill their love without
shattering the code of chivalry and the man they both love with
all their hearts: Arthur. Yet Arthur is not without demons: a bleak
shadow falls across Camelot and across the sacred Isle of Avalon
as he allows Roman priests to encroach on the kingdom, bringing
with them a violent new religion that threatens to destroy the ancient
ways of the Mother. And even in the sanctity of the court, all is
not well, as betrayals, jealousies and ancient blood feuds fester.
The half-mad Druid, Merlin, plots furiously to ensure the supremacy
of the Pendragon line at any cost; Morgan and Arthur's incestuous
progeny, Mordred, menaces the increasingly fragile peace; and the
assembly of the famous Round Table of knights stands vulnerable
to Morgan's dark designs; and the irresistible power of the forbidden
love shared by Guenevere and Lancelot.
As the final, brilliant cycle of the Arthurian legend
spins out, the Quest for the Grail and the fall of Camelot bring
Guenevere to the brink of utter tragedy, where she ultimately may
complete her destiny as the greatest Queen of the Isles, and find
at last her heart's content.
Book One: Guenevere,
Queen of the Summer Country
Book Two: The Knight of the Sacred
Lake
Book Three: The Child of the Holy
Grail
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