The House Of Pendragon Book I: The Firebrand
Debra A. KempHistorical fiction
Available from Amber Quill Press
ISBN: 1-59279-155-7
October 2003
| Rescuing Modred from his brothers' torment proves to be the
worst mistake Lin could ever make in Debra A. Kemp's twist
on an all-too-familiar legend. From childhood to
motherhood, The House of Pendragon, Book I: The Firebrand,
takes us on Lin's incredible journey through fear, pain,
and the glimmer of Camelot.
Action, and suspense more than make up for a lack of romance in Book I. As with many great series, the first book in The House of Pendragon lays out the story's foundation. We're introduced to many rich characters, and fed bare bones of what's to come. I think this will be a wonderful fantasy series to read all the way through. Kemp has clearly spent time researching Authurian tales. Surprisingly, she takes a very traditional stance on characters, which may be less appealing to today's female readers. On the other hand, she offers a glimpse of Modred not seen before a spoiled, bitter, very human character unlike the monsters displayed in similar works. Just viewing things from the slaves' point of view was an ingenious, and quite interesting twist. Still, there were times I was drawn out of the story. Lin seems too mature for her age in the novel. I felt the rape scenes were predictable and minimally effective to the story, and at some points there was just too much drama for me. Overall, I enjoyed Kemp's unique look at Arthurian legend and enjoyed wallowing in the slave's keep for a while. Lin is a powerful heroine and Modred was just human enough to really be interesting.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Hilary Evans |
