The Chessboard Queen: A Story of Guinevere

by Sharan Newman

Series: Guinevere (book 2)

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▾LibraryThing recommendations

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I only finished reading this book because I need it for my essay, I think -- and because I'm being bribed to (I love my friends). It's not so terrible, but I'm just so totally bored by it -- Guinevere is totally unsympathetic, whatever the author was trying to do, and the humour in it just doesn't do anything for me. And the unicorn stuff makes me wince, and I'm not sure what the heck is going on with the Geraldus stuff -- it's always seemed fairly unnecessary. I hope it wasn't just for the Merlin/Nimue stuff.

There are plenty of strong female characters in the background -- it seems ridiculous that Newman could manage that and make Guinevere so bland. Even her love for Lancelot, which is supposed to be some great passionate thing for her... no. (

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shanaqui | Apr 9, 2013 |

Definitely my favorite version of the King Arthur story (despite the fact I'm not so crazy about Guinevere herself). This series privileges the fantastic and romantic aspects of the Arthur stories over the historical (you sort of have to, if you are including Lancelot and Guinevere), and it doesn't seem to favor Christianity or Paganism like some of the versions I've read. It's a bit soapy, I"ll admit, but I love Gawain! (

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Ancientgirl | Sep 21, 2006 |

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Series (with order)

Guinevere (book 2)

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The misty, mysterious coast of Britain has been visible for hours, but to the man who peered at it through a blur of nausea, it did not appear to be getting any nearer.

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Guinevere

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Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0312863918, Paperback)

In Guinevere, Sharan Newman told us the story of that lovely and legendary woman's childhood up until her wedding night. Guinevere is now the beautiful young wife and queen of King Arthur, a position much-coveted by all women of Camelot. But nothing in life is ever certain, and soon Guinevere discovers--most alarmingly--her deep and passionate love for another man: Lancelot, the most beloved Knight of the Round Table in all of Camelot. Here Sharan Newman brings the legend of Lancelot and Guinevere to life with the same blend of magic and history that has made her Catherine LeVendeur medieval mystery series such a success. As ambitious and striking as The Mists of Avalon and The Hollow Hills, The Chessboard Queen is a beautiful rendering of the world's most timeless romance, a tale of earthly passion and spiritual love like no other before or since.

(retrieved from Amazon Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:51:43 -0400)

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