The Quest of the Fair Unknown - Gerald Morris

I feel like reviewing something. However, there's one problem with this - namely that I'm a chronic procrastinator, and I haven't actually read a book since... umm... When did Harry Potter come out? Was there a Terry Pratchett after that? I think there was... oh yes!! I read "Making Money" at Christmas. But you've all read that, I suspect. Even if you haven't, it's pretty much in the same vein as the rest, and just as brilliant. So what do I review?

Well, I guess what I do is think waaaay back... And seeing as how I'm in a medieval mood at the moment, I think of... Gerald Morris! Now, when was the last time I read one of those books...? Must have been 2006 or 2007, cos I read one that came out in 2006, called the Quest of the Fair Unknown. So I'll review that.

For those who haven't come accross him yet, Gerald Morris is definitely a light author. He takes Arthurian tales, and retells them as he feels like - sometimes he is close to the original, sometimes not very - but his writing always has a happy, slightly jovial tinge, that keeps you happy and in a good mood - these are children's books really, afterall. And they always have some way in which they relate to modern society. I think this is sometimes deliberate, sometimes not, but he loves to retell tales of excellent young women being awesome that make you make all kinds of funny noises of exhilaration while you read, which get you odd looks from everybody around you. So yes, they are a little clichéd, and coloured by modern views.

The Quest for the Fair Unknown (his 8th book) is definitely one of those tales where he takes a small story - which gets a few mentions here and there in many of the old Arthurian writers - and turns it into a novel. In this case, the big part that stems from Arthurian stories is the main character, a boy named Beaufils who has lived secluded from society with his mother for his entire life. When she dies, charging him to seek his father (a knight at Arthur's court), he wanders off into the wider world... which is all too amusing to read about... Beaufils's innocence is really rather fun, if completely unbelievable.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Gerald Morris's other tales. It's not too bad, but it gets a bit strange here and there, and for a fun, light read, it's a bit overful with symbolism and modernity. Having said that, it's still fun, and definitely worth a read (and more than a few lols). However, I would recommend starting with "The Squire's Tale", which is the first story he wrote. Although they are all stand-alone books, each links to the other, and you understand the in-jokes better if you read them all in order...

...and the other ones are better.

Really do read these books. This kind of medievalist series is so much fun, and makes you feel all happy and bubbly, and there are enough of them to keep you going for a little while. He should have a new one out soon too, I would imagine.

Sorry for that messy review. Someone will have to come along and fix it. But I missed you all so much, I had to review SOMETHING. :P

The Angel with One Hundred Wings - A Tale from the Arabian Nights; by Daniel Horch

Oh yeah – ancient script fonts all the way for this one!

Daniel Horch has created a gem of a historical novel in this tale. Inspired by “L’histoire des amours d’Aboulhassan” from Arabian Nights (as translated by Antoine Galland), this book is set in Baghdad (then called the City of Peace) nearing the end of the reign of Sultan Harun al-Rashid.

The tale centres around an elderly pharmacist called Aboulhassan, who has made his fortunes in his time selling potions, and has effectively retired to perfect his art of alchemy and try, with dwindling time, to find the elixir of life. His skill with potions and wisdom through a life of trials sees him somewhat reluctantly hosting afternoon talks with youths who are mostly there out of moral obligation, and also playing chess with his only close friend the Sultan (our pharmacist being one of the few men to ever win – although he tried not to…).

One youth, however, is much more interested in Abulhassan’s wisdom than most – he too is called Abulhassan, but also the Prince of Persia, the last living descendant of the royal family ousted from power by the religious clout of the Sultan, allowed to live by virtue of his parents’ loyalty to the Sultan. One fateful day, the Sultan’s mistress comes to visit the pharmacist for some perfume and meets the Prince and it is from there a story of intrigue, love and scandal develops. Poor Abul must choose which of his close friends to betray – the Sultan a long time friend, companion, and the authority of the land; or the Prince, his protégé who has grown into a man at Abul’s side.

The book is amazing – it really brings this ancient city to life, and fills it with elaborate characters in a richly decorated environment. Daniel Horch has done his research where needed, and used his imagination to fill in the rest – the story and events contained within are almost all fictional but utterly believable.

It was a pleasure to read this beautiful work of story-telling in its engaging surroundings featuring a combination of alchemy, the Koran, Islamic mystics and a touch of history.