Review: The Lay of Lady Percival

'' ''I was wondering how future generations might remember this time.'' 

''That,'' Galahad said meaningfully, ''depends on who wins.'' ''

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

From Goodreads:

Rome has fallen and the eagles have flown. Left alone with her child when her lover, Arthur, leaves these shores, Persephone finds her world changed when he returns - as war duke and then King of Britain. She has the one thing he needs:

His son.

But he will not accept her as herself.

Thus is born the legend of Percival.

She is willing to give up her life to protect the future of others. The only question is how far she has to go to accomplish her goal and is it worth it in the end?

To understand The Lay of Lady Percival the reader must have at least basic knowledge of the original legend. I had the barest knowledge of the legend before starting to read the book. I felt that it was just enough to immerse myself in the plot. 

Having read the authors previous work Daughter of Fire, this was definitely more up my alley as a genre and as witing style. I could clearly see the plot and character development. The character development was one of my favourite aspects in the entire book. The differences in the backgrounds of all the characters were intriguing and the drivers for the plot. Persephone's character was so versatile and she could integrate herself into any situation needed, while still keeping her core features intact. 

The events span to a few different decades, following the next generations on the side. The time allows space for development and drastic growth for the characters. I found the true growth from the early stages of life to life-long comrades to be addicting. The trust that develops between the characters is realistic and something the reader dotes for. 

The Lay of Lady Percival centres really around loss and the importance of staying true to your character. Faith and the growth of Christianity are the leading themes that drive the plot forward. Persephone stays true to her beliefs from the beginning without slandering the beliefs of others. This is something that any of us could learn from. 

If you feel like reading an excellent rewriting of the legend of Arthur and his knights, and how the story might have looked like from a side character's point of view, this book is definitely a great place to start!