Product Description

Born of an incestuous relationship between King Arthur and his half sister, the evil sorceress Morgause, the bastard Mordred is reared in secrecy. Called to Camelot by events he cannot deny, Mordred becomes Arthur’s most trusted counselor -- a fateful act that leads to the "wicked day of destiny" when father and son must face each other in battle.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #900474 in Books
• Published on: 1983-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 453 pages

From the Publisher
If you haven't read Mary Stewart's Arthurian Saga, you don't know what you're missing. They are must reads for any romance reader, for any lover of Arthurian legend, for any history buff, for any voracious reader, and may be the books to get non-readers started. Basically, they should be read by everyone! Mary Stewart's research is phenomenal. Her understanding of myth and its relationship to fact is remarkable. The books are complex, yet incredibly inviting and you will absolutely love the characters. They also weave together so beautifully that you won't be able to read only one. Two things I find particularly interesting in this series is the portrayal of Arthur and the fall of Camelot. Arthur represents all of humanity in these books as opposed to the more mythical figure you usually see. And the fall of Camelot is more internal rather than external--more about the passions and lusts in the heart rather than a more obvious loss of power. The books go in this order: The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, The Wicked Day. Shauna Summers, Senior Editor

From the Inside Flap
Now, the spellbinding, final chapter of King Arthur's reign, where Mordred, sired by incest and reared in secrecy, ingratiates himself at court, and sets in motion the Fates and the end of Arthur....
"Gripping....A superior adventure tale."
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

About the Author
Mary Stewart, one of the most widely read authors of our time, began writing at the age of five, when she published her first poem in a small parish magazine in England.Having published 20 novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she is noted both for her contemporary stories of romance and suspense and for her Arthurian novels, most recently The Prince and the Pilgrim. She has fourteen New York Times bestsellers to her credit, including The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment, which comprise The Merlin Trilogy.Before embarking on a full-time writing career she taught English at school and university level. Born in England, Mary Stewart has lived for many years in Scotland, dividing her time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.Her interests include natural history, gardening, Greek and Roman history, music, and art.

Customer Reviews

Mordred .... a hero (?)
After having read Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy, I was rather reluctant to read this book. Having pre-conceived ideas of Mordred's evil character, I didn't want to destroy the 'feel-good' warmth that I had at the end of the trilogy. But, having started Stewart's journey, I just felt I had to finish it, even though I knew it would not be a happy ending.

How wrong I was!!!! This book threw all my expectations of doom and gloom out the window, and impossible as it may seem ... I actually ended up feeling good even if the end was rather tragic.

It is extremely refreshing to see Mordred put in an entirely different light - a courageous, strong-willed and honest man, instead of the evil, greedy and conniving son in other more common versions. Unfortunately, in this book, it was circumstances and misunderstandings that went against him. The best part was - it was totally believable!!!

If you only want to know 1 version of Mordred's story, then this should be it.

Reconsidering Mordred
Mordred, King Arthur's illegitimate son and nephew, has often been portrayed as a traitor who kills Arthur and causes the downfall of Arthur's kingdom. In The Wicked Day, her fourth volume on the King Arthur myth, Mary Stewart challenges readers to reconsider the character of Mordred and his role in Arthur's demise. She traces the protagonist's ill-fated life from his beginnings as an orphan raised by fisher folk, to his rise to power as Arthur's trusted counsellor and regent and finally to the choices and circumstances that bring about the "wicked day" of destiny.

The strength of the book lies in Stewart's depiction of Mordred as an intelligent and loyal person unable to escape his fate. After he discovers his identity, Mordred learns of Merlin's prophecy that he will one day become Arthur's bane. Queen Morgause, Mordred's mother and Arthur's enemy, endeavors to recruit her son to oppose Arthur. Nevertheless, Mordred vows to fight fate and the gods and earns the trust of his father. Only Mordred's ambition for a queen and a kingdom brings him to the brink of catastrophe where his choices mean the end or fulfilment of all his hopes and dreams.
While readers will enjoy The Wicked Day by itself, I suggest reading Stewart's prior Arthurian novels first to appreciate established characters such as the wise yet wearyArthur and the devious Queen Morgause. Moreover, the other books will also show readers the deep-rooted seed of the Arthurian tragedy beginning with Mordred's parentage and bearing fruit in Morgause's family and Mordred's life. Finally, readers could also compare Stewart's Mordred with her books' other heroes such as the young Merlin in The Crystal Cave and Arthur himself in The Hollow Hills.

A worthy sequel
Often, when a fourth book is written after a successful trilogy, it tends to suffer in comparison to the originals. (see Ursula La Guin's Tehanu as a primary example of this) This book clearly avoids this syndrome and succeeds greatly as an alternative take on the story of Mordred.

Just as the Merlin trilogy portrayed Merlin in a light not really seen elsewhere, Mary Stewart's take on Mordred comes at this normally-reviled character from an unexpectedly sympathetic point of view and succeeds on essentially every note. Just like other reviewers, I'd strongly recommend reading the Merlin trilogy first, but as soon as you've devoured those, tear into this one. You won't regret it.