The Once and Future King

    
 Taliesin; Merlin; Arthur; Pendragon; Grail, all by Stephen R. Lawhead, (one of my favorite authors). I can't say enough good things about these books or this author. Lawhead writes from a Christian perspective, but is also a wonderful storyteller who makes his world come alive. Too often, Christian fiction authors today are so much fluff. To find a good one in the fantasy field is rare indeed. His Song of Albion trilogy and Byzantium are also highly recommended.
 
 

 The Forever King by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy. I enjoyed this enchanting version of the legend, which has Arthur and some of his followers "reborn" in a modern setting. This book focuses on a new quest for the grail. There is a sequel out, but I haven't read it yet.
 
 
 
 
 

 The Dark is Rising, a series by Susan Cooper. (I have all five books in one volume.) While not strictly about the Arthurian legend, Cooper uses many of the characters, symbols and themes in this children's fantasy series. The separte titles are Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King (a Newberry award winner), and Silver on the Tree. Comparable to Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles in quality and scope.
 
 
 

 Firelord; Beloved Exile, both by Parke Godwin. Two powerful, exciting books! Very hard to put down. Godwin also puts his own ideas of history, fantasy, and religion into the Arthurian legend, but, unlike Gemmel's bland work, brings fresh new ideas to the story without harming its essence. I especially liked that he explored what happened to Guinevere after Arthur's death, and that he could make well-rounded female characters.
 
 

  
 The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay. Three incredible books: The Summer Tree; The Wandering Fire; The Darkest Road. Filled with Arthurian (and many other mythological themes), Kay has created a world where all the archetypes are true. These are can't-put-'em-down, stay-up-all-night books.
 

 Le Morte D'Arthur, by Sir Thomas Malory. I really enjoyed the challenge of reading this quintessential Arthurian story in the original language in its entirety, but others may want to get a "modern language" or abridged version. Anyone interested in the Arthurian legend should read this book. It deserves the name of masterpiece.
 
 
 
 

 
 The Child Queen; The High Queen, both by Nancy McKenzie. I was enchanted to find these books by new author McKenzie. an excellent writer, she tells the story from Guinevere's point of view, and for once there are good, nice women in an Arthurian re-telling (which  tends, unfortunately, to be mostly male-dominated).
 
 

 The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights, by John Steinbeck. I generally dislike Steinbeck's graphic, fatalistic stories, but he did a superb job on his unfinished modernization of Malory. Good to read to slightly older kids, Steinbeck tells the ancient story, in ancient setting, with modern words.
 
 
 
 

 
   
 The Crystal Cave; The Hollow Hills; The Last Enchantment; The Wicked Day, all by Mary Stewart. These books have become one of the best-known modern re-tellings of the story. They focus on the life of Merlin, and are well-written, enchanting stories that make you relive the legend. I've never read The Wicked Day, though, mostly because I can't stand Mordred, that book's main character. The Prince and the Pilgrim is also an Arthurian novel, but not at the center of the story.
 

  Arthur, King By Dennis Lee Anderson. An OK book about Arthur and Mordred coming forward in time to WWII.
 

 The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. A powerful, well-written book that focuses on Celtic goddess worship and feminism. However, I can't recommend this book to Christians because of disturbing sexual scenes.
 

 Hawk of May; Kingdom of Summer; In Winter's Shadow; all by Gillian Bradshaw. An OK series with Gwalchmai (Gawain) as the "hero." I couldn't get through the last book of the series because it was so dark and depressing. Maybe someday I'll try it again.
 

 King of the Sceptered Isle by Michael Greatrex Coney. It's been a while since I've read this one, but it's got to be one of the strangest takeoffs of the Arthurian story I've ever seen, with parallel dimensions and gnomes thrown into the mix.
 
 
 Ghost King by David Gemmel. The author takes the Aurthiran story into his own world of fantasy and history. I have never read the sequels, and don't really care if I do. Enough said.
 

 King and Raven, by Cary James. Not a great book, but I enjoyed its broader look at society in the middle ages. A story of a peasant who becomes a knight of the Round Table through very unusual circumstances, it gives the reader a look at peasant, Jewish and Frankish (as well as English) lifestyle, customs, and worldviews at the time of the hight of the Arthurian legend's popularity.
 

 In the Shadow of the Oak King; Witch of the North; both by Courtway Jones. The first book is about Pelleas, the second about Morgan. I got rather disgusted with Jones' over-practical view of Arthur and Merlin. For me, Arthur is always the hero, and any book that takes a different tack, I'm bound to dislike. I never bought or read the third book in this series, which focuses on Mordred.
 

 The Hawk's Grey Feather; The Oak Above the Kings, both by Patricia Kennealy- Morrison. It's the Celts in outer space, but not as bad as it might sound. Well-written books with believable characters, I can't recommend them to Christians because Kenneally is a Wiccan and her beliefs come out all too clearly in her books (also, I just don't want to support a Wiccan with my money!) There is also a third book in the series, The Hedge Above the Mist, which I have not read.
 

 The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, by Howard Pyle. 19th Century children's tales of Arthur and his Knights. Excellent for bedtime reading and to introduce kids to the chivalric ideals of loyalty, honor, etc., and to show the consequences of disloyalty, dishonor, etc.
 

 The Coming of the King by Nikolai Tolstoy. (Yes, he is related to THE Tolstoy!) I could never make it past the first few chapters of this slow-paced, wierd story told from Merlin's point of view, beginning long before the "coming of the King (Arthur)." Maybe someday I will tackle it again, but i'm not sure I want to try.
 

 The Eagles' Brood, by Jack Whyte. I enjoyed this mostly "historical" take on the Arthurian story and its beginnings (this one is mosly about Uther). I know there are sequels, (as well as prequels) but I don't know the titles yet.