Mining the same vein as Marion Zimmer Bradley's genre classic The Mists of Avalon
, Arthurian aficionado McKenzie focuses on the feminine and the pagan in this prequel to The Child Queen
. Initially, 12-year-old Guinevere is the dutiful ward of her wily Aunt Alyse and a timid companion to her cousin Princess Elaine. Guinevere is fearful of the prophecy hanging over her since birth—that she will wed a great king, but betray him and then be betrayed, and that her name would be remembered for a thousand years. She shows her fiery spirit only when riding alone. She learns her solitude is illusory when she is confronted by a pagan hill man—one of the “Old Ones”—sworn to protect her because of the prophecy. When the hill men are implicated in a treacherous plot, Elaine kidnapped and Alyse's throne endangered, Guinevere discovers her own courage and finds a “gift for doing the right thing.” McKenzie uses excellent period details (Guinevere feels overwhelmed by a gift of lace, “costlier than jewels, being so rare”). Her female characters are strong and give advice relevant to contemporary readers; as Alyse says, “Beauty is a fleeting weapon. It's the use of your wits that will carve you a place in life.” Ages 10-14. (Feb.)
