A Very Cute Read

I absolutely adored this reading. I literally read it all in one day because I was so invested in the lives of these teenagers. It reminded me so much of the things I used to read when I was 14-15 and I was honestly super happy to be back in that world again. Much simpler times. Though often it was a bit cringe, I really enjoyed this take on Arthurian legend. I also had no idea it was based in Anne Arundel County (where I grew up and currently live). It was a pleasant surprise for me to be able to feel like I could physically see the story unfolding before my eyes, because I’ve been to the places it has talked about so many times. I will add I think this was extremely well written for a younger audience. It was full of clever little tid-bits that made me “ohhhhhhh” at some parts (Elaine floating in the pool that was the “lake”… I mean wow)! The stories we read in class tend to be a bit heavier and dark, but this was a nice, light, airy feel to King Arthur that I think many people might prefer. This reading really focused on how Modred (Marco) was involved in all of this and I appreciated that, because I feel like he is often in the background of our minds but never explored in depth. All in all, a nice read and a clever take on Arthurian legend.

(I ship them so hard, btw.)

Who really is Elle?

Obviously, we went into the book knowing that it was another story of King Arthur. While you were reading it was there any points in the book that you did not believe that Elaine was Lady of Shallot and was a different character from the mythic tales? Who did you think they were and what gave you that inclination? 

Character Switch

"I love my parents and all, but why did they have to name me after someone so pathetic? The only thing my namesake and I had remotely in common was a mutual love of floating... although I preferred to do mine on a raft in a pool, whereas Elaine of Astolat favored floating to her death in a boat..." (133)

With the "floating" comparison starting from the very first chapter, I thought for sure some tragedy would befall Ellie by the end of the book. However, she persisted in not being like Elaine of Astolat. She became a hero of sorts and flipped which character she represented in the Arthur parallel. Even though Ellie doubted that any of it was true, she stayed loyal to her friend. Which is more than can be said for other Arthurian characters.

The story was cute, if teenagery, and the author brought some hope to an otherwise tragic story.

Realistic side of Morgaine

Throughout the stories of King Arthur, you can catch yourself wondering how people could come up with them, as some things just seem so unrealistic. But, in this story you see a characters realistic side Morgaine's in particular. Some characters just seem as if they have no human like feelings. This story is told in Morgaine's perspective and you see her human like side. She becomes very dramatic when it comes to Lancelot's thoughts on her. It comes off as very relatable to readers, as everyone wants to have a feeling of conformation.

Getting to Know Morgaine

Honestly, I kind of enjoyed the new version of the King Arthur tale. I liked reading this from Morgaines eyes and learning her inner monolog. In everything else we've had with her in it, I feel like she comes off as a little un-personable and cold. We don't really know her inner motive at all, so I really enjoyed getting to know her emotions and feelings on certain things, it really helps us understand why she does what she does. The other character that was interesting to me is Galahad or Lancelot. I thought it was interesting that he was being offered the training of a Druid with all of these magical powers, and he turns it down because he's now seen the world and its problems, and wants to do something about it. I feel like that adds a lot of depth to his character and gives us a little bit more of an understanding of him, rather then him just being a knight who has an affair with the Queen and breaks a lot of peoples hearts. Plus honestly, Lancelot with a druids training and a knights training probably would have been very powerful and he still wants to leave Avalon and fight, so I though that was pretty cool.

Deadly Teddy Bear

“That is enough,” he said. “It is good sport, but on such a day as this I would rather not kill anything needlessly, and there is one for my mother and two for the Merlin.” This part stuck out to me when reading because it really shows what Lancelot’s character is like. It shows that a very powerful knight can be so kind hearted to the birds and only want to kill what he absolutely needs. He doesn’t even catch one for himself he takes care of his mother and Merlin. In these stories they portray Merlin as a very powerful knight that loves to fight and prove his worth undercover. Therefore, seeing someone like Lancelot care for a bird speaks about who he really is. I think seeing the characters be portrayed in so many different ways through out the text helps you get a well-rounded perspective of who they really are outside of fighting. 

Knight Life, eh

"Slowly, Elvis stood up and started to clap. Buddy joined him. And then someone who wasn't part of Arthur's group, and then another, and then within seconds, the entire studio was filled with the thunderous sound of applause." (263)


I honestly really liked this entire reading until it came to this point. If i were there, and the candidate was saying these things, my reaction would be "okay, this guy is crazy", but I'm supposed to assume that everyone here is believing this? Idk it took me out of the reading a little bit. After thinking about it though, this moment kind of brought me back to the old readings. When Arthur would give a speech before a battle and everyone would join with him in cheers and stuff, so when I thought about it like that, I really actually came to enjoy this ending. I guess my question is, was there anything in this reading that at first you didn't enjoy, but you came to appreciate considering the context of the older texts?