(no subject)

[skygiants]

Once again, after lots of time spent on public transportation, I have a fair amount of booklogging to catch up on! However I only have time to do one right now, I think, which is Elizabeth Wein's The Winter Prince. shati ordered me to read Elizabeth Wein's books, and I always do what Shati tells me to! . . . this may be a dangerous thing to admit.

The book is technically an Arthurian retelling, but it is not really like any other Arthurian retelling I have read, in large part because it focuses in very closely on the relationship between two characters and one of them does not actually exist in The Legend As We Know It. The main character, who is telling the story, is Medraut, illegitimate son of Artos - you all can guess the analogues here - but the other focus of the story is Artos' other son Lleu, who is much younger, less experienced, and sickly, and of course going to inherit. Lleu also has a twin sister, Goewin, who is awesome. Medraut, of course, has a very complicated love-hate relationship with Lleu, and while this often leads them both to do very dumb things, I really enjoyed seeing it carefully explored and pushed and tested (you know I love the sibling stuff). My main complaint: the back cover copy spoiled me for developments halfway through the book. Don't read it!

This is the basic gist of the story, and probably the main sell for anyone who would want to read it; however, there are a few other smaller things I really liked that I am putting down just for me. First: Orkneys! I would have liked more Orkneys, because I love them, but I found it hilarious how their main role in the story was to sit around staring during Important Confrontations visibly thinking the medieval equivalent of ". . . AWKWARD." I also loved Ginevra, Artos' wife; there isn't much of her, but what we see easily makes her my favorite Guinevere ever. She is sensible and skilled at making maps! She has a practical skill! I adore this.

My library system has every book in the series except the second one, which makes me sad. But I will definitely be reading the sequel if I can manage to get my hands on it.

Comments

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

I haven't read The Winter Prince, but I know there are Welsh Arthurian narratives that mention a (iirc, possibly illegitimate) son of Arthur named Llacheu. I don't know enough Welsh philology to know if the names Llacheu and Lleu are related, but it's possible that Wein is getting her characters from somewhere.

She's certainly getting her spare Welsh names from the Mabinogion. Goewin is the maiden in whose lap Math ap Mathonwy puts his feet, until Gilfaethwy falls madly in lust with her and Bad Things Ensue.

[muji]

*hearts on Mabinogion*

Also, I have someone you need to talk to.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

I'm here! Pass out my contact info as you like.

[skygiants]

That she is. *grins* The Mabinogian is actually referenced several times, I think, though I don't remember exactly how - and Lleu is supposed to be named after Lleu Llaw Gyffes, which is translated in the text as Lord of the Sun. (Don't Bad Things always ensue in the Mabinogian?)

I didn't know about those Welsh narratives, though! That's kind of interesting, especially considering that Guinevere's childlessness became such a big major part of the later mythos.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

*blink* I don't remember 'gyffes', but 'llaw' means 'hand.' The name definitely doesn't translate to 'Lord of the Sun', anyway.

[skygiants]

It might be a title rather than a translation . . . and actually, later on the same person is described as the sun god. (I am flipping through the book now because I am curious.)

[shati.livejournal.com]

Is it supposed to be Welsh?

[shati.livejournal.com]

Oh. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lleu) I guess so!

[skygiants]

. . . apparently he was married to the Blodwen-equivalent, too! OTP HAH.

[shati.livejournal.com]

Morgause vs. Blodwen!

[skygiants]

Blodwen needs to start racking up the incest-points to be able to compete I think!

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Also, off-topic:
A commenter on Making Light (http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/010394.html#278874) pointed out this recent rediscovery (http://www.zeit.de/online/2008/27/metropolis-vorab-englisch). Looks like a Dr. Zeus operation to me.

[skygiants]

Dude! Adolfo Z. Wilson even sounds like a fake Joseph name.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

I KNOW, RIGHT?

[skygiants]

MILLICANON!

[muji]

I keep misreading Wein as Weir. >_>;

[skygiants]

. . . SO DO I. And I could not figure out why until just now, because I don't watch SG:A, but now I realize it's YOUR FAULT! *giggling*

[genarti]

I need to borrow the books back from Shati so I can finish and discuss them!

So far my strongest feeling is "GOEWIN = FAVORITE." Um, shockingly.

[skygiants]

You do! Shati has hold of them for nefarious purposes, I think, but she may be swayed for evangelical purposes.

I am SO SURPRISED. *giggles* But Goewin is totally awesome. Also, the sanest!

(Gen I was talking with a friend today who was trying to argue that Heero was sane. What!)

[genarti]

She told me she had finished them and I could re-borrow! Er, as you can see below.

Yeah, I know. I am daring and unpredictable like that! Also she SO IS.

(...Well, he's saner than he could be... Um. What on earth was the argument there?)

[skygiants]

I can never predict anything with you. *solemn*

("Well, military people are supposed to self-destruct when they've finished their missions!"

"They had to TAKE AWAY his self-destruct button!"

". . .")

[genarti]

I know. I am a wild thing.

(*cracks up* Yes. The self-destruct buttons are there for a reason! Even in the ones that aren't Heero's!

Buuuuut um Heero yes. He is maybe a teeny bit too fond of his. Ickle tiny bit.)

[shati.livejournal.com]

I have finished rereading them! Next time I see you I can hand them over. I just wanted to reread because I hadn't in years and the new ones made me crave them again, and to see if an Angel Sanctuary crossover would be plausible.

[genarti]

:D :D

And is it?

[shati.livejournal.com]

I swear the books make more sense if you take it as a given that Lleu is one of Alexiel's incarnations

I might be crazy

[ashen_key]

I WANTS I WANTS I WANTS I WANTS I WANTS!





(sorry, were you expecting more coherance?)

[skygiants]

I was thinking of you the WHOLE TIME for serious. There is divided loyalty and total stubborn contrariness and threat-kissing and inappropriate sexual tension for everyone!

[ashen_key]

*SQUEAKS WITH UTTER GLEE*

[batyatoon]

Have you read Parke Godwin's Firelord?

[skygiants]

I have not! What is?

[batyatoon]

Is another Arthurian retelling! I just recently reread it, and I am minded of it now because (a) it also calls Arthur Artos, and (b) it's also got a pretty damn awesome Guinevere. And a pretty damn awesome Morgana.

[skygiants]

Oooh. *makes note!* I am kind of feeling a revival of my teenaged Arthurian kick anyways right now, due to all the Tennyson and E.B. White I read this past quarter - I sort of have this urge to do a massive Compare And Contrast on them all.

[shati.livejournal.com]

I will lend you the second book if I need to! Although you will have to wait a bit.

but I found it hilarious how their main role in the story was to sit around staring during Important Confrontations visibly thinking the medieval equivalent of ". . . AWKWARD."

Hee hee.

Also, the back covers of several of the books in the series contain major, sometimes climactic spoilers. I don't know why. Try to avoid looking at them ...

[skygiants]

I can wait! And see if I can find a way to acquire in the meantime. (I should probably just buy, but I don't want to buy them all because that is a lot of books to buy, and my soul rebels against just buying the middle book in a series . . .)

D: I will do my best . . .

[ceitfianna]

Speaking of Arthurian stuff, I'm reading an author Danii recommend, Elizabeth Bear and a book called Blood and Iron.

Its a really interesting world of magic and the Fae with a fascinating take on Arthur.

I haven't actually finished it yet, but I'm liking it.

There was another one I read ages ago that I really liked that was a modern retelling where Arthur was a poor Lord.

At the moment I can't remember its title or author but it had a sword on the cover.

[skygiants]

Oooh. I have heard of Elizabeth Bear, I think, but I have never actually read any of hers. *takes notes!*