Into the Mists of Arthurian Legend: A Review of The Circle Cast

My Book Review of The Circle Cast: The Lost Years of Morgan le Fay by Alex Epstein:

The Circle Cast: The Lost Years of Morgan le Fay by Alex Epstein is an excellent addition to the genre of Arthurian folklore and legend. The author crafts worlds past with a deft hand, easily pulling a reader into the story.

The book tells the story of the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay. The Circle Cast portrays the early years of this character, first as the child Anna and then as Morgan after she flees Britain to Ireland. It tells the story of her life as a stranger in a strange land, enslaved and surviving hardship to return to Britain and reclaim what she lost.

The plotline is fresh, delving into a piece of Arthurian legend not excessively written about, yet still keeping to the traditional lines of the tale. The author has a nice take on the magical aspects of the story, weaving a mysterious aspect in to the narrative by his effective use of Celtic religion and myth.

The writer also does an exceptional job at creating the main character, making her a full person with fears, doubts and weakness, while still showcasing her strength of purpose. The people surrounding her are nicely sketched as well, interacting and bringing the world around Morgan to life, filling a past age with solid reality.

Being a devotee of the Arthurian legends, I’ve read many books on the subject, both fiction and non-fiction, and this delightfully enchanting novel is a welcome complement to the mythology.



Also available at Amazon.ca:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1896580637/