King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table - Roger Lancelyn Green

I've had this book for awhile and am not shamed to admit that watching Merlin had pushed me into finally reading it.

Before I read it I'd already had some background knowledge on the tales of King Arthur, in which I knew of a lot of the knights and some of the tales. I also knew that it would be nothing like the television show, so I wouldn't let that deter you, if that's what you're hoping for. The tales may be old and written in an old way, but they're still fun to read nonetheless.

Roger Lancelyn Green's version of King Arthur was based off of Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, as well as other sources of Arthurian legend, in the hopes that he could string the tales together in a way that more represented a story with a beginning, middle and end. In King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table we see Arthur's development from small boy having just pulled the sword from the stone to beloved man and king of Camelot. We also get to read about Arthur's knights, many of whom anybody with a touch of Arthurian legend would recognize; Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, etc. Their quests are the main source of action and adventure in this book, and they don't leave room for disappointment.

Even before I started watching Merlin, I was always a fan of Arthurian legend. Really, I enjoy reading about any kind of legend, mythology or fairy tale. So, I wasn't surprised as to how easy it was to get into the stories and actually enjoy what I was reading. While I know that this book draws from other sources than just Malory, I will most probably still read Le Morte d'Arthur just to compare. 

The original stories were written down quite a long time ago, and this book reads with a lot of the old language that we're not so used to today. So, while it might read a bit slow and boring, it still does detail fantastic (while a bit repetitive) quests and characters. There was romance and a lot of killing, which I suppose are only to be expected in a time of knights. 

The characters, I believe, were really fleshed out in this book, and I give props to Green for being able to do so. The only thing that I was weary of was the fact that they all seemed to be very rash and quick to fight or kill. I'd hate to be one of the people who said one sore thing in their presence. 

Overall, I was completely enthralled with this book and really enjoyed reading the Arthurian legends all woven together as one story. I particularly enjoyed the Quest for the Holy Grail. The writing was a bit stiff and not easy flowing, but that didn't deter me too badly from the story. The characters were superb and made me want to see them all sitting at the round table. 

If anything, this book has caused me to look more in-depth into the life of Arthur and his knights, and especially eager to read Malory's version and of course finish Merlin.

☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you dig legends of any kind. Especially that of the Arthurian kind.

If knighthood and quests sound appeasing to you.