Wein, Elizabeth E. - The Winter Prince
Tue, Sep. 28th, 2004 09:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterEr. So. Why did no one mention that this is the slashiest book ever?
Anyway. I rejoice at finding a version of the Arthur story that I like! Of course, it's probably because it focuses on Medraut/Mordred and his extremely conflicted relationship with his half-brother Lleu (Artos' son) and his mother Morgause. And the fact that it takes advantage of the incest in the legend.
The book is written from Medraut's POV as a letter or speech or something directed at Morgause -- I'm not quite sure why the author decided to have the book addressed to Morgause, and it sort of confused me when she actually entered into the scene. I kept forgetting who the "you" was for some reason. It's on Medraut's unsure position within Artos' court at Camlann, on his love-hate relationship with Lleu. Lleu is the golden child, sickly at birth, who has been protected his entire life. Medraut, on the other hand, was forced to grow up too quickly as Artos' illegitimate son born of a shameful union, and he resents Lleu's position as heir and as the apple of everyone's eye even as he protects and helps raise Lleu.
The book actually reminded me a great deal of A Separate Peace, which I really need to reread someday.
While the book is very good, it really goes into high gear when an act on Medraut's part brings all the simmering tension beneath his relationship with Lleu to a breaking point (alas, mixed metaphors), which is also the point at which I started really clueing in to the slashiness. And right at the moment when my brain went, "Wow, this is slashy, isn't it?" Medraut leaned down and kissed Lleu and my brain may have imploded.
I really liked how Wein allowed Medraut and Lleu and Goewin (Lleu's sister, whom I also liked, but wanted to see more of) to be complicated. Lleu is spoiled, and Medraut's resentment is very believable, but Lleu is also very powerful in his own way. And Wein doesn't whitewash Medraut so that his horrible childhood with Morgause is to blame, although it too plays a role in the relationship. And I have no critical thoughts at all on the conclusion because my brain just sort of melted.
Anyway. I rejoice at finding a version of the Arthur story that I like! Of course, it's probably because it focuses on Medraut/Mordred and his extremely conflicted relationship with his half-brother Lleu (Artos' son) and his mother Morgause. And the fact that it takes advantage of the incest in the legend.
The book is written from Medraut's POV as a letter or speech or something directed at Morgause -- I'm not quite sure why the author decided to have the book addressed to Morgause, and it sort of confused me when she actually entered into the scene. I kept forgetting who the "you" was for some reason. It's on Medraut's unsure position within Artos' court at Camlann, on his love-hate relationship with Lleu. Lleu is the golden child, sickly at birth, who has been protected his entire life. Medraut, on the other hand, was forced to grow up too quickly as Artos' illegitimate son born of a shameful union, and he resents Lleu's position as heir and as the apple of everyone's eye even as he protects and helps raise Lleu.
The book actually reminded me a great deal of A Separate Peace, which I really need to reread someday.
While the book is very good, it really goes into high gear when an act on Medraut's part brings all the simmering tension beneath his relationship with Lleu to a breaking point (alas, mixed metaphors), which is also the point at which I started really clueing in to the slashiness. And right at the moment when my brain went, "Wow, this is slashy, isn't it?" Medraut leaned down and kissed Lleu and my brain may have imploded.
I really liked how Wein allowed Medraut and Lleu and Goewin (Lleu's sister, whom I also liked, but wanted to see more of) to be complicated. Lleu is spoiled, and Medraut's resentment is very believable, but Lleu is also very powerful in his own way. And Wein doesn't whitewash Medraut so that his horrible childhood with Morgause is to blame, although it too plays a role in the relationship. And I have no critical thoughts at all on the conclusion because my brain just sort of melted.