Hi all. I'm Storyteller Knight. You can find me on Fictionpress where I write novels about King Arthur, Superheroes and Vampires (but not at the same time), at Camelot's Library where I review Arthurian literature and at Pardon My Sarcasm where I rage about how the republicans are ruining all things
June 2nd, 2012
Thirty Days of Arthurian Legends
Day Eight- Favorite Screen Adaptation
“Mists of Avalon”. I saw the movie long before I read the book (and those who’ve read my blog know I have no happy memories of that book). I liked the movie originally and was worried that reading the book was going to taint my feelings for it, but if anything reading the book lead me to enjoy the movie more. I found most of the characters in the book to be selfish and petty— claiming their wretched actions to be acts of god while they were really just looking for an excuse to hurt another character. In the movie had the characters trying to balance the demands of the gods they followed with a desire to help their family members/friends and never quite finding that balance. This made the characters in the movie much more sympathetic in my mind. The movie also did a great job in cutting out all the nonsensical fat from the book such as Kevin, sex with Lancelot curing Guinevere’s rape trauma and Morgaine’s fairy orgy.
June 1st, 2012
Thirty Days of Arthurian Legends
Day Seven: Favorite Modern Novel
Vivian Vande Velde’s The Book of Mordred
This book is broken up into three parts. In the first third, Mordred helps an original character named Alayna rescue her daughter Keira from an evil wizard. The last third is the fall of Camelot from the perspective of Keira. The first third is good fun— nothing to write home about but enjoyable. I don’t really like the last third at all except for some lovely moments between the Orkney brothers as Keira isn’t that great of a narrator.
So, I’m sure you’re asking, she doesn’t like the first or last thirds of the novel. That’s two thirds she’s not crazy about— why is this her favorite book?
I’ll tell you why. Because in the second third of the book, Mordred and Nimue team-up to fight a wizard. This is everything I want from an Arthurian retelling. I love both Mordred and Nimue and it makes me sad that you rarely seeing these two, who should really be allies, interacting with each other. But not in this book. In this book Mordred’s deadpan snark and Nimue’s mischievous optimism team-up to take out a goddamn wizard. It is a beautiful thing and every time I am disappointed by a retelling, I go back to this middle third of the book to watch my favorite characters take out a wizard.
May 31st, 2012
Thirty Days of Arthurian Legends
Day Six- Favorite Classical Book
Um, I’m going, ah, have to go with Geoffrey Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain, because, um… ::cough::it’stheonlyoneI’veread:::cough::
::hangs head in shame::
May 31st, 2012
The hardships of original fiction on the internet.
Finally someone who understand, smh, tonight was a very sad night for me.
I have a plan. We spend the months crafting our original story. Then, before we post it, we change all the names so it comes off as a shitty AU fanfic. Then it gets really popular, we get our publishing deal, change the names back and have a really well done original work. ;)
May 30th, 2012
Let’s Get Dangerous!
I just finished Dangerous Currency, the final trade collection of KaBoom! Comic’s continuation of the Disney series Darkwing Duck. I have bought ever trade released of this series and I will treasure them deeply— just like I treasure my two volumes of DVD’s (god damnit, Disney, release the third already) and four VHS tapes. As I said on Pardon My Sarcasm, I love me some Darkwing Duck. Which is why I thought I’d take my 100th post on Tumblr to review the final comic collection.
Spoilers Below
May 30th, 2012
Thirty Days of Arthurian Legends
Day Five- Favorite Romance (Fanon)
Percival & Nimue. I don’t know if this is necessarily considered a fanon pairing or if much will ever come of it beyond my own head. But it’s my OTP, so…
When I was writing the beginning of my own Arthurian retelling, my plan was for Mordred and Percival to be best friends. Merlin was supposed to be the magical adviser of the team I was building (which include Yvain and Galahad) and Nimue was supposed to be his apprentice. However, Nimue pretty much took over that role upon her introduction. This demanded a meeting between Percival and Nimue that I hadn’t really anticipated. I also knew, based on the personalities I had given the characters, this wasn’t going to go well. Percival was an angry individual, already bitter at the world with a short fuse on his temper. Nimue was a mischievous imp who found it amusing to goad people with short tempers into fits of rage.
Sparks flew in the first meeting, just as I expected. But I also suddenly had a very clear vision of where this relationship was going and to my surprise, it was one of romance. Over the next six/seven years I spent writing the book and the ten or so years covered in the story, Nimue and Percival became my favorite characters to write. Their antagonism towards each other slowly grew into friendship and then into love. They were the most fun to write in the story and I will return to this pair as they appear in my head as many times as I am able.
May 30th, 2012
Storyteller Knight's Internet Map: 30 Days of Arthurian LegendsDay 4- Favorite Romance (Canon)Arthur &...
Day 4- Favorite Romance (Canon)
Arthur & Guinevere. I’ve thought about this all day and the conclusion I’ve come to is that, when done well, Arthur and Guinevere have a romance that is truly something special. Unfortunately it’s rarely doing well. Doing this…
I do think that Arthur and Guinevere share something unique and special but I don’t think it’s romantic love and passion…sorry, I’m sticking to the medieval poems… I think that Guinevere loves both Arthur and Lancelot but in very different ways.
Lancelot is her lover, the man she is in love with -romantically speaking-, the man she’s attracted to, and they share a strong love and a strong passion. Arthur is what I could call her best friend, her big brother… she adores him and she’s greatly attached to him…but she doesn’t love him romantically… I don’t know if I’m clear :P
I guess that Guinevere would have been happy with her marriage if she never met Lancelot.
That how I see it…it’s just my idea-I know no one is interested but…xD.
Opinions and all. But I have actually never, ever read/seen a version of the Lancelot/Guinevere romance that I’ve enjoyed (this is probably because I hate Lancelot as a character- stay tuned for Day Twelve!). Where you see a strong love and a strong passion, I see something really irritating and annoying that weakens both characters (like how with Arthur/Gwen I see the strongest relationship in the Arthurian mythos and you see a brother/sister friendship). I have a lot of thoughts on why they don’t work for me, but I’m going to save that for when I talk about why Lancelot is my least favorite character.
May 29th, 2012
Day 4- Favorite Romance (Canon)
Arthur & Guinevere. I’ve thought about this all day and the conclusion I’ve come to is that, when done well, Arthur and Guinevere have a romance that is truly something special. Unfortunately it’s rarely doing well. Doing this romance justice doesn’t just mean the two being all lovey-dovey or super into each other. There has to be conviction. There has to be this very adult understanding between them that their love is going to build something great. They can’t just love each other, they really need to believe in the strength and conviction the other holds. And when their love and faith and strength all click, this is really a beautiful relationship.
(This is why the love triangle never works for me, but we’ll get into that later)
May 29th, 2012
a mouth as sensuous as nelson's: gabbiebii replied to your post: You know as much as I enjoy laughing...
gabbiebii replied to your post: You know as much as I enjoy laughing at all the…
then… Gawan has Ragnelle! I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) ship him with anyone else, because Gawain&Ragnelle are perfect together *-* (i know it may sound “anti-slash”…but really, it’s just because R&G are…Yeees! ç-ç He must have missed her so much ç-ç And if I remember well their son disappears too…to return later (wasn’t le bel inconnu their son Gingalain? Or is my memory completely gone?). Poor Gawaine :(
Yes, she dies 5 or 7 years later…so of course it totally makes sense that he just moved on at some point (in the stories he got re-married more than one time…)… But G&R simply beat any other ship ahah xD
And Yes, he’s so perfectiwantomarryhimsobad xD
I don’t know why I forgot about this story untill like this summer.. But I’m SURE I read it when I was younger. Just can’t remember when and where…But I totally fell in love with themand with him.Yeah I think he gets remarried a couple of times in various versions. And yes! The Fair Unknown! I don’t think it’s ever said explicitly anywhere the he is Ragnelle’s son (just that it’s some fairy woman), but a lot of writers do go with that, and I pretty much can’t see it as being any other way. I’ve read some version where Ragnelle doesn’t die, but has to leave because she’s a fairy or something and can’t stick around. There are too many different versions too keep up with, to be honest. The blessing and curse of Arthurian legends, haha.
I really want to write a story about Gawain raising Florence and Loval as a single father now. And his brothers try to ‘help out’, so Florence and Loval have all these crazy messed up uncles trying to help raise them and give them advice (god, can you imagine Mordred trying to explain how babies are made). Agravaine would totally dote on them because he and Laurel don’t have any kids, and he tells them stories where Lancelot is always the villain and then when they finally meet Lancelot Florence is like ‘Oh my god, it’s the evil wizard who eats children!’
And Gawain is just standing there dying of embarrassment and apologising. But Lancelot thinks it’s really funny and chases Florence and Loval around making roaring noises while Agravaine looks on in impotent rage.
Waaaa! This sounds just so lovely, now I want to read a story like that xD Gawain’d be a great dad, but everything’d be just so wonderfully messed up (OMG I’m trying to picture Mordred explaining how babies are made… SO FUN! ahah!) *-* write this story PLIIIIZ! *-*
I know he remarried a couple time yup…with a woman named Florie and with another woman (l’orgolleuse of logris? my french is terrible) but it changes from story to story…I’ve read those versions in which Ragnelle has to leave too…I’d prefer a version in which she stays and they just make the most perfect family ever -crazy uncles included :D-.
Just a curiosity…is Gawain the only one of Lot’s sons to have children of his own? I can’t remember any children of Gaheris, Agravaine or Gareth’s (I know that Mordred has 2 sons from who-knows-who called Melehan and Melou..but he’s not Lot’s son xD)… But they’d been married for a while before they died (if Agravaine and Gaheris died anyway…I can’t remember. I’m sure Gareth does -and that makes me so sad… but I think the other two had a bad ending too, bah xD)
Now I want to hear the bedtime story of the evil, baby eating wizard Lancelot.
May 28th, 2012
Thirty Days of Arthurian Legends
Day Three- Favorite Female Character
Nimue. I just love her. I love her when she’s proud and regal. I love her when she’s uncertain and afraid. I love her when she’s quirky and mischievous (especially this one). I love her when she values loyalty above all else. I love her when she believes wholeheartedly in the path fate has set for her. I love her when she just hates Merlin and wants to steal his power and lock him up for shits and giggles. I have never seen a portrayal of Nimue I didn’t love. She is a wonderful character and I love her.
