"A spectacularly different retelling of the Arthurian legend with the Merlin character as a tale teller and image consultant - absorbing, intelligent writing"
Prize-winning author Philip Reeve gives a brilliant new take on the legend of King Arthur. Myrddin rides with Arthur spinning tales for and about him but what is the truth and can Gwyna discover it? Bridging the past and present Here Lies Arthur is the story of how heroes and the legends about them are made. Winner of the prestigious 2008 CILIP Carnegie Medal.
On winning the CILIP Carnegie Medal he said “I didn’t believe it at first, but as I got over the shock and it began to sink in, I felt totally honoured. It is very special to win the CILIP Carnegie Medal. It has such a history and I admire so many past winners’ work it is quite humbling to be ranked alongside them.”
‘Here Lies Arthur is an outstanding book, and deserving winner,’ said Tricia Adams, Chair of the 12 strong librarian judging panel. ‘Reeve’s is a consistent story-telling voice that brings us a subtle and credible retelling of the King Arthur myth. It is both a page turning adventure story and a clever historical novel. It also has clear political resonance for our times, demonstrating humanity’s need to sustain hope and optimism, and our tendency to favour myth over reality to achieve that end.’
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Gwyna is just a small girl, a mouse, when she is bound in service to Myrddin the bard - a traveller and spinner of tales. Without Gwyna, Myrddin will not be able to work the most glorious transformation of all - and turn the leader of a raggle-taggle war-band into King Arthur, the greatest hero of all time.
Reeve’s fascination with the legends of Arthur began with John Boorman’s film Excalibur. As a teenager he found out all he could about the myth through the various retellings and portrayals that punctuate our culture and history. It became the novel he was determined to write, however, it took over 20 years before he decided how to tackle it.
Reeve gives the story Welsh Celtic roots and his choice of the young orphan girl Gwyna as narrator gives a fresh perspective on Arthur’s world and time. It’s AD 500, the Romans have left, and the Celts live in fear of the Saxon invasion. The character of Myrddin (Merlin) is no magician but instead relies on trickery to spin myths around Arthur, creating the credible leader the Celts so badly need. However, in reality, Reeve’s Arthur is no more than a self-interested thug. However, he is clear that what he set out to do was to write an adventure story for young people, although he is pleased to hear that children get the ‘pun’ of the title.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Here Lies Arthur and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-12 years old
Here Lies Arthur features in the following genres: Recommended Children's eBooks, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Mythology, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Traditional Tales
Here Lies Arthur is available in Paperback, Ebook, Hardback
Here Lies Arthur was written by Philip Reeve and published by Scholastic
