Thursday, April 12, 2012

Book Tour: Review--The Dragon's Harp by Rachael Pruitt



My thoughts:
I love the Arthurian legend.  Any story surrounding the legend, whether it be about Arthur himself, or the other well known characters (to us that know the legend well), is always of great interest to me.  While reading The Dragon's Harp, I found myself drawn to watch a favorite Arthurian film for the hundredth time.  The film is "Excalibur" and I first saw it when I was twelve.  It was the movie that hooked me on all things Arthur.  I am pleased to say that this book has joined the ranks of my favorites surrounding the legend.

The Dragon's Harp is the first book in Rachael Pruitt's planned five books series, Era of Dragons:  The Lost Tales of Gwenhwyfar.  In this book, we learn the coming of age story of Gwenhwyfar (or Guinevere) and her relationship with Merlin.  Yes, in The Dragon's Harp, Merlin is Gwenhwyfar's uncle and it's an interesting twist on the traditional legend.  It is from Merlin that Gwenhwyfar learns about her power and how to control it.  I much prefer the Guinevere character portrayed as she is here--strong, likable, humble, and honorable--rather than the religiously obsessed, bitter, and shallow character in another favorite book, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (sorry, that's just how I see her in that book).  Gwenhwyfar takes center stage in this retelling and it is up to her to save her people from the evil bent on their destruction.  I can't wait to continue reading the series to find out how it all turns out for her.  What is great about this first installment is that there is no cliffhanger so we don't have to chew our nails while waiting for the next book.

This is a terrific first novel for Pruitt.  She has outdone herself with the creation of a strong Arthurian premise with dynamic characters and writing that draws the reader with its descriptive and imaginative flow.  Bring on the next book!

About the book:
ENTER THE WORLD OF THE DRAGON’S HARP ARTHURIAN HISTORICAL FANTASY FOR THE 21st CENTURY

Before Gwenhwyfar became Queen - before Arthur met Merlin - a tribal Welsh princess met a young Heatherlands Mage. Together, they will create a legend. Inside a mist of beauty and brutality waits the Arthurian legend as you’ve never heard it before. Enter the world of THE DRAGON'S HARP, a realm of blood lust and vengeance, of spellbinding magic from the beginning of time. The realm of Princess Gwenhwyfar: a young girl torn between magic and desire, born with magical powers she can either wield to save her people from destruction - or deny to save her soul. 

IN AN ERA OF DRAGONS A YOUNG GIRL COMES OF AGE

First in a five book series of historical fantasy, Rachael Pruitt’s unique take on a beloved legend reintroduces the mythic characters of Gwenhwyfar, Merlin, and Vortigern against the gritty backdrop of sixth century Wales, where scenes of shape-shifting and heartbreaking romance vie with torture, murder, and battle in a dragon-haunted land. 

ERA OF DRAGONS: THE LOST TALES OF GWENHWYFAR: BOOK ONE.  JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF THE DRAGON'S HARP YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!

About the author:
My name is Rachael Pruitt and I’m a writer, storyteller, and teacher with a lifelong fascination for Celtic mythology and the Arthurian legend.

My new novel, The Dragon’s Harp, tells the story of the coming of age of the famous Queen Gwenhwyfar (the Welsh spelling for Guinevere) in a dark and frightening time. Merlin is her Uncle and, although she is a tribal Celtic princess who possesses both power and magic, she is in great danger from both the human and supernatural realms.

Dragon’s Harp is just the beginning! I have plans for four more books about Gwenhwyfar and Merlin’s lives. The books are called Era of Dragons: The Lost Tales of Gwenhwyfar.

Visit Rachael:  Website | Facebook | Twitter
Other stops on the tour:  Tour Schedule
Twitter Event Hashtag: #DragonsHarpVirtualBookTour


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8 comments:

Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment. It means so much.

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  1. Thank you very much, Michelle, for your wonderful review of my novel, "Dragon's Harp". As you can tell, I, too, am a passionate Arthurian reader and writing this novel is a dream come true for me. Even better, knowing that "Harp" is reaching readers and gaining fans among fellow "Arthurian-philes" :)such as yourself, is truly thrilling! Thank you again for your enthusiasm & your gracious review--I promise to get that second novel to your "asap"!

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  2. You are more than welcome, Rachael. It's my pleasure to give a good review to a book that clearly deserves it!

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  3. What a lovely review! I'm currently reading this one and honestly it's probably the best Arthurian tale I've ever read :)

    -Kimberly @ Turning The Pages

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  4. This is a beautifully written review, Michelle, and I really agree with you. I love this book, especially the portrayal of Gwenhwyfar-- can't wait for more!!

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  5. I really enjoyed reading The Dragon's Harp. Rachael Pruitt writes a wonderful story from Gwenhwyfar's perspective. The story grips you from the first page till the last and I for one am anxiously awaiting book two.

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  6. your review has made me want to check this out further and most likely it will land up on my wish list

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  7. That really is a lovely and well thought out review. Thanks for that *adds another name to the list of wbr prospective books* *sighs very loudly at the increasing size of wbr pile of books*!
    Thanks
    Lynn :D

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