Arthur, the Always King

Spanning King Arthur’s enchanted birth to the king’s disappearance at the lake where he received Excalibur, Crossley-Holland (Norse Myths) recounts myriad Arthurian legends in this evocative, episodic telling. Intricately detailed full-page artwork by Riddell (Pirate Stew), rendered in swathes of muted color highlighted by regal blues and vivid gold, accompanies succinct literary text. Chapters are aptly titled according to their content: for example, in “Arthur’s Childhood,” the creators depict Arthur’s mother, Ygerna, Duchess of Cornwall, giving birth to the babe before the magician Merlin whisks him away, “over the jagged sea cliff. In the almost dark,” to foster parents Sir Ector and Lady Margery. “The Fellowship of the Round Table” follows the founding of the society and presents the seven trials faced by Arthur and his knights to achieve greatness. Subsequent tales detail these trials, Excalibur’s retrieval, and the story of the Green Knight. The creators maintain outdated interpretations of women found in the Arthurian inspiration material. This lyrically developed, if standard, story of adventure, magic, and intrigue underlines the idea, outlined in an introduction, that the Always King’s legend endures because it’s “about human beings, not about gods or supermen and superwomen.” Ages 10–up. (Apr.)