Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Seven Endless Forests

Author: April Genevieve Tucholke

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - May

On the heels of a devastating plague, Torvi’s sister, Morgunn is stolen from the family farm by Uther, a flame-loving Fremish wolf-priest who leads a pack of ragged, starving girls. Torvi leaves the only home she’s ever known, and joins a shaven-skulled druid and a band of roaming Elsh artists known as the Butcher Bards. They set out on a quest to rescue Torvi’s sister, and find a mythical sword.

On their travels, Torvi and her companions will encounter magical night wilds and mystical Drakes who trade in young men. They will sing rowdy Elshland ballads in a tree-town tavern, and find a mysterious black tower in an Endless Forest. They will fight alongside famous Vorseland archers and barter with Fremish wizards. They will feast with rogue Jade Fell children in a Skal Mountain cave, and seek the help of a Pig Witch. They will face wild, dangerous magic that leads to love, joy, tragedy, and death.

Torvi sets out to rescue a sister, but she may find it’s merely the first step toward a life that is grander and more glorious than anything she could have imagined.

Such a mixed bag for me. I loved the writing style, very lyrical. I loved the allusions to various mythologies and stories, especially the King Arthur thread. I loved the world building, so sprawling. But overall, I was very disappointed in the actual story itself. We are treated to an almost 400 pages road novel with tons of meandering flashbacks and stories. And yet, we don’t move the plot forward at all in those 400 pages. I was left thinking this was just the beginning. Where’s the rest of the story? The characters are very bland to the point that I couldn’t actually see any of them in my mind. And sometimes that sprawling world building allusions to various myths overwhelmed everything. Like seriously, they have be the “Vorse” and talk about dying and meeting again in “Holholla”? It got old pretty quickly. Disappointing read…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes

Title: Arthurian Romances

Author: Chretien de Troyes

Genre: Classics

Pages: 526

Rating:  4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Classics - Translated; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it

Chrétien de Troyes was a French poet and trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. His work on Arthurian subjects represents some of the best regarded of medieval literature. His use of structure, particular in Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, has been seen as a step towards the modern novel. Chrétien's five romances together form the most complete expression from a single author of the ideals of French chivalry.

I have read various retellings of the stories of ancient Britain, but I never read the definitive source.  All that changed today.  Reading the introduction, I learned that de Troyes seems to have had ties to the Marie, the Countess of Champagne (daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine) and King Philip.  Of course he had such royal patronage.  It explains his writings' survival to this day.  I finally dug in and completed de Troyes work of five tales of romance and chivalry.

• Erec and Enide -- This story of bravery and romance felt very flat to me.  I just couldn't get behind Erec and Enide's love story.  To me, he didn't sacrifice anything for his love.  Hmmm... on to the next.
• Cliges -- A tale of adultery that ends well.  Not the most romantic story of all time.  I did enjoy the discussions of the adventures by both Cliges and his father, Alexander.
• Lancelot -- Ah Lancelot.  The beloved of Guinevere and best friend of King Arthur.  According to Wikipedia, this is the first story that mentions Camelot and the affair between Guinevere and Lancelot.  Growing up I always thought these two were idiots for sneaking around the betraying Arthur who did nothing but support and love them.  Reading the "original" story, I still have issues with the "love" depicted.  It just doesn't sit well with me.
• Yvain -- After stupidity forgetting his wife, Laudine, Yvain must prove himself and his love to her.  I do like the motif of redemption in this story.  Worth a read.
• Perceval -- This one was left unfinished by de Troyes.  Supposedly he died before finishing the poem.  At any rate, the first story of the quest for the Holy Grail was a great start.  Unfortunately we don't get de Troyes version of an ending, although there are many out there.

Overall, I am really glad that I finally picked up this volume of stories.  It renewed my interest in myths and fairy tales after some disastrous previous reads.  I might even have to read Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur next year.  We'll see...