The High Kings

An interesting retelling of the Arthurian legends, interspersed with essays on Celtic culture and introductions to each story utilizing the 'story within a story' motif, in that someone asks a bard to entertain them, and he relates a particular tale. It doesn't match some of the other Arthurian legends I've read, but that is the nature of oral tradition, and it gives this work a spark of interest it might not otherwise have had.

A re-telling of stories from The Matter of Britain, interspersed with essays on Celtic life and culture. Readers of The Science of Discworld books will be familiar with the format. Some annoying OCR errors, and was Vortigern originally Vortigem? That spelling was consistent throughout, and a quick search suggests it may be the Scottish version of the name. I'm not sure which set of legends Chant was using, there seemed to be elements of all the pre-medieval British/Welsh sources, but none of the later sources like Malory or the Breton accretions like Lancelot.

The rather loose linking plot was Arthur's story, with bardic tales and illustrative essays at various junctures. How it works:

Chapter 1: story - The Winning of Britain, essays - show more The Bard, Women
Chapter 2: story - The Two Queens of Locrin, essays - The Warrior, Religion
Chapter 3: stories - The Blemished Prince, Leir and his Daughters, essay - Warfare
Chapter 4: story - The Mighty Brothers, essays - Druids, Head-Hunting, Marriage
Chapter 5: story - The Children of Lir, essays - Bans and Biddings, Ornament
Chapter 6: story - The sons of Troy, essays - The Feast, The King
Chapter 7: story - The Sovereignty of Britain, essay - Story-Telling
Chapter 8: story - Vortigem the Traitor
Epilogue: story - Chief Dragon of the Island

An enjoyable read, and of interest to anyone planning a Dark Ages Celtic campaign (or even a Sartarite campaign) and who wants an accessible background source for their players to read. show less

Engaging retellings of British mythology - modern language versions of Geoffrey of Monmouth that don't lose the stories' essential weirdness. The illustrations are gorgeous and worth the book even if you don't read a thing.