Queen Guinevere: other stories from the court of King Arthur

“When the messenger rode across our narrow bridge, I was looking out of a window. My blood seemed to stop its journey around my body when I saw the livery of Uther Pendragon. That’s the second sight. All the women in our family have it to some extent…” In this dramatic retelling, based on Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, Britain’s legendary King Arthur and the tales surrounding him are viewed from the perspective of eight women. Determined and resourceful, they drive the Camelot story through love, hate, intrigue, enchantment and tragedy as, one by one, their voices come swirling out of the mists of time to tell their stories.

Review

There were some very powerful women at Camelot and this book redresses the balance with all those heroic knights. Christina Balit’s illustrations are pretty scary and characters like Morgan le Fay, Morgause and Nime will delight feisty girls.

About the Author

Christina Balit was born in Manchester but grew up in the Middle East. She studied at Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art, and also attended Morley Theatre School and Questors Theatre School. She has exhibited widely and is also a playwright. Her books have won several nominations, commendations and a shortlist place for the Kate Greenway Medal. Kingdom of the Sun (written by Jaqueline Mitton), won the 2002 English Association Award for non-fiction.

To learn more about Christina Balit click here

MARY HOFFMAN is the internationally acclaimed author of over 100 books for children, ranging from picture books to teenage fiction. Her first picture book for Frances Lincoln, Amazing Grace, has become a classic which, with its sequels in the series, has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. Mary’s other picture books for Frances Lincoln include The Colour of Home with Karin Littlewood and An Angel Just Like Me with Cornelius van Wright, as well as the hugely successful The Great Big Book of Families, The Great Big Book of Feelings, and Welcome to the Family, all with Ros Asquith. Their next title together will be The Great Big Body Book. Mary Hoffman lives in Oxfordshire. For more information about her books visit her website: www.maryhoffman.co.uk