The Raven Warrior (Hardcover)

~ She jumped around way to much, with this novel she was telling the tales of a ton of people and the transitions from one part to another was just awful in my opinion. i foudn taht there were just some parts of this novel i simply could not follow no matter how much I tried, and i was forced to just make my own guess as to how they ended up some where or why there were doing some particular activity. Characters seemed to just simply disappear, it would mention them going somewhere to go and get something and they would just disappear never be heard from again, and they weren't minor characters even.
~Minor parts of the story were overdeveloped and then the important parts were so underdeveloped that you have no clue what's going on. A prime example of this is when Black Leg is in the garden with the lady of the lake. The flowers and the gardens are explained with such exquisite detail that I could probably draw the flowers with my eyes closed, but beyond what the flowers looked and sounded like I had absolutely no clue what was going on.

Now don't get me wrong, I still liked this book, or atleast the general plot of this book. I just feel that in general she stretched herself really thin with all the different story lines at once. I think if she had simplified some parts or even cut out a character or two it would have been a million times better. Acutally by best idea of what she could do is to have different novels telling the entire story from their point of view, instead of shoving them all in the one novel. It feels as though borchardt was rushed in writing this which way may account for the rushed and choppy feel of the book, or maybe this is simply the way she writes and the editor was slacking off on the job. Whatever the reason I hope this is just a one time failure and her next book lives up to the expectations she set up with her previous novels.

I won't go on about the whole story, other's have already done so. But I must add I loved this book's refreshing characters.

I read the classic Sword and the Stone, which made me want to sneeze, it was so on the surface. In this novel, the characters have depth and I love their personalities. I love that Guinevere has a personaliy and isn't flaky like it the classic. An evil Merlin is just what's needed, rather than the all to known good wizard with long white beard and so forth. Aurther yes, is a bit underdeveloped, but he's not some goody too shoes like from the classic. He seems strong and willing. Black Leg is a lovely addition, in that he's mysteriously Lancelot, and I'd never guess that. He and his lover make a wonderous coupleing, working with snide comments, but yet truley loving each other.

I have to say again how refreshing this is. The scenes change around and are developed so well, although I sometimes skim by accident for there's too much information and lists, it's beautiful. When Guinevere goes into a different world, and especially when she duels with those that are sent to fight her from the Great Houses, it makes it exciting and adds spice to where there isn't any.

I'm awaiting the next (yes I'm a bit juvenile in this) book, and my prediction of the title is The Eagle King, based on the eagle Aurthor seems to be in tune with and the bases of the other titles. I'm sad in that sense, that I have no clue to the publicataion date, how many years I'll have to await the finial book, but wait I will. It's a tad confusing with all the enhanced visualizaion and language, but I've grown to love Alice Borchard's writing.

I'm even trying to awuire Beguiled and Devolted, though our of print, I enjoy this writing and would like to read there, even if what I've heard isn't the BEST. The changes from The Sword in the Stone create what promised to be a delightful trilogy.

I am in waiting in hope for the sword our heroine had to aquire for her future husbans, what happens when the two finially get to be alone, and where Black Leg/ Lancelot comes into Guinevere's life. There has to be specific parts, which Alice never leaves out, but the whole story in uniquley it's own.

Alice Borchardt continues to prove her skill in this book, weaving the threads of much-told legend into an epic tale entirely her own.

Loosely based on the mythos of King Arthur, hardly recognizable in the first, this starts to bring the story into focus. Gwenevere leads raids upon Saxon pirate strongholds, proving herself a worthry queen, before escaping into another world, with a fantastic city-state kept alive and partly made out of an immense tree. Black Leg, wolf/man shapeshifter, travels with an immortal lover, the Lady of the Rivers, to his own new worlds, taming evil ravens and teaching them humanity, before coming back to his own world to become a warrior, the new Lancelot. Uther narrowly escapes death in his quest to reunite Britain under his kingship, wresting control in the process from the southern lords. Arthur heals his subjects in the land of the dark King Bade, braving magical attempts on his life in his slow quest to the tower.

And in the end, the three fated ones come together - Arthur, Lancelot, Gwenevere - imbued with awesome strength, magic, and intelligence, to lead their people to salvation.

The first thing I noticed about the book was that I was immediately drawn in, almost forced to continue reading page by page no matter what pressing needs were on me. Borchardt uses highly descriptive language, painting a sensory landscape even amidst the harshest of battles. There's always a confident mixture of description, thought, movement, words, and emotion, to keep the story moving, rarely faltering. Perhaps, at points, it moves too fast, important events left without detail, inviting confusion.

The language her characters use may be more formal than commonly seen now, but speeches are rare, and works well in the setting. The only noticable problem is that different areas and worlds never seem to have different dialects or mannerisms; instead all seem to share a common tongue. And none the major characters seem to have a consistent style of speech, but shift back and forth. The only truly distinct voices were the Lady, because hers was so modern and sardonic, and Ure, so reticent.

Although Arthur is almost painfully underdeveloped (from destined warrior-king to destined warrior-king), featured in only a few scenes, other characters are given time to grow and mature, and there are few enough threads that the plot mostly stays cohesive and nuanced. Until magic takes over and all becomes psychadelic, scenes shifting in unpredictable ways, flowing from thought to reality, leaving you wondering if a line was accidentally deleted somewhere. Each of them explore fantastic worlds, learning to harness powerful magic and weapons, gathering allies, and learning the deepest secrets of the world. Gwenevere defeats more and more powerful foes. Black Leg gathers all the knowledge of the ancients. His other explorations into the past, especially with the dead, are quite interesting.

This being Gwenevere's story, her segments are always from her point of view, the others third, an interesting way to point out the true focus. The other important characters - Arthur and Lancelot - are focused on getting back to her, more than anything. Her quest is definitely the most exciting, the most difficult, and the most winding.

Perhaps my biggest tiff with the book is the sex. I'm no prude, and I understand that an earthy author like Borchardt is willing to portray quite lustful people. But the book is drenched in sex, from beginning almost to end. It finally starts to leave once the violence takes its place. Black Leg and the Lady spend most of their time rolling, sex becomes the most important transfer of magical power, the most important way to defeat someone, and even a source of endless violent pasttime for some. The emphasis on Gwenevere's virginity, both her need to keep it for Arthur and others' need to despoil her, can be a bit much at points. Along with the long and silly references to fiery groins, burning need, and the future of the world springing from the queen's loins. Ranging from only obliquely stated to graphically described, the sex is simply overwelming at times, and I'd have liked it toned down.

But it is still a book well worth reading, as long as one isn't squeamish. There is magic, horror, and salvation, and a grand quest leading all toward certain doom or lasting triumph. Trials, uncertainties, desire, and adrenaline. Pick it up if you can.