Review: Revisionist History with a Magical Twist
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 17, 2012
I enjoyed this book so much!! Somehow Mendelssohn manages to combine a beautifully presented historical world that is completely believable, marry it to some seriously revisionist fantasy tweaking, and top it off with an anachronistic tone that does not undermine the historical accuracy at all, but actually manages to make it all seem even more real!I've read smart-mouthed sentient sword fiction before and yep, Excalibur is highly entertaining as a character, but our protagonist Henry is the real star of the show. He's believably constructed and does some serious growth as the story progresses. I do agree with another reviewer that he's by far the most fully realized of the cast, but that's no problem for me since he is so well done.There's action a-plenty and plot twists galore as Henry and Excalibur try to decide who's the hero now. I am very glad that this is Book One, because I'd love more!So if you are looking for something that really captures medieval France and England, read this. If you are looking for some freshness in the Arthurian legends, read this. If you are just looking for a good fantasy read, read this. Finally, if you just want to laugh and be entertained--while having your ideas of power and responsibility challenged, by all means read this.