Review: A New Series Begins
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 16, 2014
It's difficult to characterize the myth of St George the dragon-slayer.  He is an important character in the consciousness of English-speaking people and in the history of English literature.  He appears as a protector in Spenser's Faerie Queene as well as John Bunyon's Pilgrim's Progress.  Edward III made him the patron of the Order of the Garter, and his distinctive red cross on the white background, with transverse arms longer than the vertical, has been a symbol of England since about 1270.However, St George appears in the literature of the rest of the western world from India to Portugal.  There are connections to stories as ancient as that of Perseus.  According to the hagiographies, George was born in Lydda, some ten miles from Tel Aviv, where Perseus rescued Andromeda by slaying a sea dragon (according to Strabo, Pausanias, Josephus, etc.).  Eastern Orthodox depictions of St George always include a young woman in the background, who is not specifically said to be Andromeda.So George is not unique to Britain or British mythology, yet Badden-Powell and the Boy Scouts claim him to have been the patron saint of the Knights of the Round Table.The introduction of Morgan Le Fay in the last chapter also leads one to believe that British or Arthurian mythology is going to be important to this series.  When Mr Schubach incorporates elements of myth or legend into his stories, he imparts a sense of background and familiarity that enrich the tales and make them that much more enjoyable.