Rating: 
Summary: Bawdy and bloody retelling of the Grail quest
Review: This is the first of a now out of print four volume series based on the Arthurian Grail quest of the hero Parsival. The other three volumes are: The Grail War; The Final Quest; and,Blood and Dreams. This first volume follows Parsival from his overprotective mother and his childhood home on his first quest to become a knight at King Arthur's round table. Once he is a knight, he begins his second quest to find the Grail Castle and discover its secret. A parallel story tells of Broaditch, a servant from his mother's castle, who sets out soon after to find Parsival. The two quests compliment each other with short episodic chapters from each telling the tale of the book.
The book is not for the squeemish. There is a war and lots of bloodshed. The people are bawdy rather than chivalric, and the sexual relationships are not always consensual. However, it is an exciting and humorous retelling of a medieval tale. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: A black, black view of the world
Review: This series is not for the feint of heart. There are 4 in the set, and can get quite hard to find. The good guys and bad guys are really hard to tell apart. Like 'Unforgiven' in that regard. Arthur is a warlord. Lancelot is an idiot. Gawain steals peasant's gold. The priest is a demagogue. Even Parsival falters, but does have a path to redemption. Or does he? The best line has 2 teenage girls in a castle : "You should have slept with him." "No, I think not. I shall wait until I am married to go sleeping with strange knights. Like these fine ladies." Strong commentary on the human condition.
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