Exiled from Camelot [Paperback]

Sir Kay is one of the most underutilized characters in Arthurian legend, traditionally portrayed as Arthur's foster brother and seneschal. Cherith Baldry does an admirable job of giving him a face and soul in this tense tale of betrayal and gashed honor.

The illegitimate son, Loholt, of King Arthur appears at the court of Camelot. With no heir, Arthur welcomes the younger man -- however, many are unwilling to accept him so readily. Among them is Arthur's foster brother and seneschal, Kay. Arthur ignores these suspicions.

When Loholt is suddenly murdered, Kay is suddenly the prime suspect for his death. He is no longer a knight at Camelot, but is cast out. He soon is forced to ally himself to a renegade warrior and his enchantress girlfriend, who are seeking to undermine the very highest levels of Camelot. Kay, not surprisingly, doesn't want this to happen, and must try to save his brother and kingdom from battle and magic.

I've had a bit of a soft spot for Kay since I read about him in "The Sword in the Stone." A little blustery and show-offy, he nevertheless is shadowed too often by his foster-brother. In many works of fiction, Arthur and Kay don't even speak to each other very often, let alone continue any brotherly relationship.

It's refreshing to see Baldry's interpretation of Sir Kay, who is often portrayed as a bully, a buffoon, or a schemer. While he has imperfections in this telling, the character who grows over the course of the book is honorable and sympathetic, from the frame-up at the beginning to his determination to help Camelot and Arthur, even after being tossed out on his ear. The portrayals of the knights of the Round Table, other than Kay, are also interesting and multidimensional, as they often are not in other stories.

The majority of this tale takes place away from the usual castle of Camelot, and draws upon legends from pre-Malory eras. (Check up info on Loholt and other legends from the same period--it's worth the time and effort) The writing is compelling, accurately showing us what the characters are feeling, and describing the surroundings.

All in all, this is a classic tale that gives us new insight into a neglected character of Arthurian lore. An excellent addition to any Arthuriana-buff's collection.

It's natural that this book should draw comparisons to Phyllis Ann Karr's "Idylls of the Queen". Both feature the irascible and gruff Sir Kay, King Arthur's foster brother and seneschal, as the protagonist (and in both of them, he reveres and loves Guinevere from afar, but has the common sense to never act upon his longings). This brings the grand total of Arthurian novels starring Kay to...well, two. For my money, there have been far too many books that have gone maundering on about Arthur and Lancelot and Guinevere, or about Merlin, for that matter. Let me say now: Merlin, of course, is pretty cool. Those other three? Not so much. For heaven's sake, Lancelot: you just couldn't keep your hands to yourself? That's not a tragic love story, it's a case of foolish and grotesque self-indulgence. But I digress.

At any rate, in this novel Kay takes center stage, with Gawain and his brother Gaheris in supporting roles. Through a series of events (including gutting Arthur's illegitimate and non-good son), it's not too long before our misunderstood hero finds himself--exiled from Camelot. Which is fortunate, because otherwise the book's title would make little sense. For the most part, the Knights of the Round Table are glad to see him get evicted, because he's not their martial equal and he lacks manners, and really, they've never let him play any of their reindeer games. However, in Gawain and Gaheris, Kay has some strong and noble defenders, and Kay's own innate goodness soon wins him new allies throughout the course of his travails.

Structurally, the novel has a lot of short chapters, many of them with cliffhangers (often of the sort "So, we meet again, Sir Example--but this time, the advantage is mine!"), and it cuts back and forth amongst various scenes, losing track of Kay for two or three chapters at a time. For long stretches of time, even when Kay's present, the story is seen through the eyes of Gaheris or Gawain, who get fleshed out fairly nicely. There is also an extended interlude when Kay finds refuge and purpose at the manor of Lady Alienor, and in the people of her holding he discovers greater camaraderie than perhaps he ever enjoyed at Camelot.

I did find the amount of time that Kay spent blackjacked, ill, comatose, imprisoned, or otherwise rendered insensate or helpless to be a bit annoying. (On the other hand, it was at the same time rather nice to see that Kay wasn't mowing mercilessly and triumphantly through all his enemies through the sheer power of his mighty thews. I'm not sure he has thews at all.) Also, the enduring friendship between Kay and Gawain and Gaheris was hammered upon a little too relentlessly. That point didn't have to be made explicit seven dozen times. This was a case where the old dictate "Show, don't tell" would really have come in useful. Finally, there are arguably some undercurrents of homoeroticism in not a few scenes. There's quite a lot of manly weeping, embracing, tearful and choked protestations of eternal friendship, et cetera.

This is a fine addition to Arthurian literature and an interesting exploration of one of my favorite characters of the genre. I understand that the author has also knocked out two or three short stories featuring Kay, which I believe you can find in some recent Camelot compendiums. I'd recommend looking them up. Good stuff.

Kay is the focus of this marvelous book. "Exiled from Camelot" offers a fresh view of Sir Kay, Gawaine, and many other characters surrounding the round table. In fact, this book pulls from a tradition that falls far from Malorian cannon.

In "Exiled" Arthur's son is brought to the courts of Camelot, where he hopes to be made heir to Aurthur's throne. The events that follow show the High King who are his most loyal retainers.

The bulk of this story takes place outside of Camelot, and explores the personality of Sir Kay, High Seneschal of Britain. Through Kay the author, Cherith Baldry, shows how honor extends beyond the reach of ones sword.

"Exiled From Camelot" is a dynamic and colorful tale that absorbs the reader, making them party to the hopes and fears of the stories characters.

I will read this one again.

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