Recommended by a person I met at the bus stop (in return, I told her to read Outlander.) This is a reworking of the legends of King Arthur as told from the women’s perspective. It is a very good book, but not the best I have ever read. The character development is not as good as it could be. For example, sometimes the characters end up doing things that are way out of line with the personality that has been presented up to that point. The story is interesting, of course, but the writing and, perhaps especially the dialogue, could be better. Also, the book is huge (paperback version is almost 900 pages), so naturally the author couldn’t be expected to go into any more detail, but there are some points in the story when whole blocks of years are passed over — kind of like in a soap opera where the parents have a kid and then in the next episode, the kid is in college. I am glad that I read the book, but overall, I’d say that it was just a book — not a fabulous book.

[NOTE: Upon reflection, I’d have to say that it is quite a good book. A few days after I’d finished reading it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and the characters in it. I am also looking around for her next book (hard to find in Japan).]