Knights of the Round Table: Gawain

by Gwen Rowley

Book Overview

Loyal Sir Gawain pledges to marry a hideous crone in exchange for the answer to a riddle that will save King Arthur's life. But the loathly lady is actually the lovely Aislyn, former sorceress, in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0515143499
• ISBN13: 9780515143492
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Jove Books
• Length: 311 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.3" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Fairy Tale

Wish I could give this book 6,7,8... stars!! This book is on my keeper shelf for life. I love everything about this book. The heroine was spunky and funny. There hero was noble and HOT. Both characters struggled and were meant for each other. There were lots of plot twists. It was a adult fariy tale come to life. I cried. I laughed. This book left me emotionaly spent, it felt so good. Immediately after reading it I went back and re-read it, it was that wonderful. Haven't seen anything new from her, please write more?!

Enchanting

King Arthur is in trouble. He has to answer one question or he will die, and the only one willing to give him the answer is the old crone, Dame Ragnelle. The only reward she asks for is to marry Gawain, King Arthur's nephew and one of his beloved knights. Little does either Gawain or King Arthur know but this hideous crone is actually Aislyn, a woman who once deeply loved Gawain and now seeks to get a bit of petty revenge on the man she believes scorned her. Unfortunately for Aislyn, her magical disguise as the Dame Ragnelle soon becomes truth. Will Gawain rescue this lady in distress? And will Gawain and Aislyn rediscover the love they once shared? What a complex and enchanting tale! Gwen Rowley captures the beauty and soul of Camelot and weaves a tale that is beautiful beyond words. There is a mysterious aura that surrounds Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table and Gwen Rowley perfectly demonstrates this in her spellbinding tale, KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE: GAWAIN. And what better knight than Gawain to read about? Gawain is so heroic, so generous and just flat out noble. He's not perfect, no, but he embodies the traits of a true hero. More than once did I shed a tear, as Gawain is not the only dignified person in this tale. Ahh... but to reveal more would be a spoiler. Suffice to say, KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE: GAWAIN has a whole host of memorable characters, both righteous and villainous, that will leave their mark on the reader. I couldn't put this one down, as I read anxiously, hoping against hope that all would be resolved. Don't make the same mistake I made... read this one soon as possible! Gwen Rowley puts her own unique twist on the legends of Gawain and King Arthur in this extraordinary and deeply emotional tale. Highly recommended! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Satisfying and Fun!

In my opinion, a very satisfying book. The characters are enjoyable and interesting to read about -- more human and less stereotypical than can be found in some romance novels. The story is filled with humor, romance, a worthy villain or two, and even some thought-provoking moments. This book, a nice blankie, and a box of chocolates make for a truly pleasant afternoon or evening! Enjoy!

A great little take on a lesser known Arthurian legend

Ah chivalry. Knights in armor, pretty ladies in gorgeous gowns, and a touch of magic here and there. The legends of Britain's King Arthur have managed to survive through the centuries, and now have spawned hundreds of novels and the legends have been pretty much picked to the bone. Some of the novels are good, but most land on the awful side of the equation. And to be honest, that's what I was expecting when I started in on Gwen Rowley's third book in her _Knights of the Round Table_ series. The previous two had been decent reads, and mildly entertaining, but when I saw that the third book was to be about Gawain, inside I was cringing -- oh no, not _another_ rendition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight! But happily, Rowley takes another tack with her story, and turns out the best of the three. King Arthur has been sent on a quest to answer a seemingly simple riddle -- _what do women want?_ For a year now he has travelled his kingdom, along with his nephew and heir, Sir Gawain, asking questions and writing down all of the answers in a book. It may sound frivolous, but Arthur is a king who believes in keeping his word, and an opponent called the Lord of the Summer Country will kill the king if he can't come up with the right answer. On the way to the rendezvous, they encounter an old woman. A _really_ old and ugly woman, with tusks for teeth, grey hair, and a body twisted enough for nightmares. Dame Ragnelle promises that she indeed has the answer to the question and will give it to him if he will grant her request, but doesn't say exactly what it is. Arthur, good king that he is, assures her that he will give her whatever she asks for and goes off to do battle. But everyone is surprised when Dame Ragnelle doesn't ask for wealth or a castle or land -- what she wants is a husband. And that husband is to be none other than Sir Gawain himself. Everyone is horrified, including Gawain, but being just as honorable as his uncle, he agrees to marry the old woman, and so begins a marriage made it seems in hell. For there is much more going on in this story than what appears to the eye. For Dame Ragnelle is really Aislyn, a young enchantress who has known Gawain since he was in the court of his mother -- Queen Morgause of Orkney. Aislyn has studied magick so that she can have the same power as Morgause, but great intelligence doesn't always bring wisdom. And unlike Morgause, Aislyn does have some scruples, especially when Morgause gives her a binding spell to use on Gawain with disastrous consequences for both of the young people. And whatever affection Gawain may have had is quickly gone once he realizes that someone is trying to control him through magic. Now Gawain and Aislyn are together again -- but this time Aislyn is determined to control her fate, and isn't about to let Gawain in on her ghastly disguise. The plan goes awry when the King's sister appears, the formidable Morgana, and she makes Aislyn's transformation to Ragnelle complete, wit

4 stars

The tale of Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady is fleshed out and given new life as it is presented here to modern readers. Once, Aislyn and Gawain were in love, but a deception lay at the root of their affair; she was his mother's disciple, ordered to seduce him and enchant him so that he would betray Arthur. However, Aislyn could not go through with the plan and left him out of love. Now, years later, she has a chance to be with him again. Knowing that Gawain and the King are seeking the answer to a riddle, "what do all women want?," she transforms herself into a crone and offers Arthur the solution for the price of a husband. As Arthur's most trusted and loyal knight, Gawain offers himself. Against all good sense and protests from the king, he goes through with the bargain. Aislyn continues to maintain her ruse because she is hiding from Gawain's mother, Morgause, the king's sister. However, she can change back into her true form at will until Morgana, the king's other sister, visits and makes her crone like state permanent, unless she can win the kiss of true love from Gawain. Then, she might have a partial reprieve. How can Aislyn hope for such a thing when her face is hideous and her lies even uglier? **** This has always been one of my favorite legends of the Round Table. Seeing it expanded into a full blown story is a joy that I hope many readers will share. Multiple flashbacks hamper the flow somewhat, however, in the end it comes together to make sense. ****