“The stories here are heartfelt and drawn from a wider net than Malory. Here you will find wonderful retellings of the sword in the stone, Morgan le Fay, Gawaine and the Green Knight, Tristram (including the dragon episode and the tragic ending). Geraint and Enid, Lancelot, Percevale, Galahad and the Holy Grail, the healing of Urre and even the adventure of Uwaine and the Lady of the Fountain are all here too. Twenty-Seven well rendered Arthurian stories that keep the characters intact.

One highlight is the bond between Gawaine and Lancelot, making their battle against one another that much more intense, as they seem to be well matched. You will even find Kay come across as sharp-tongued yet endearing loyal knight. The stories are well balanced and achieve fluidity in narration that other Arthurian books in this vein have not. Picard’s work feels balanced and even complete. Although one will find that there are stories or elements one wished she would have included, this will come down to personal taste and preference.

All these stories are linked by the noble and tragic King Arthur. This Arthur seems more akin to T.H. White’s version in The Once and Future King. If you are looking for a darker more adult retelling, this is not the book you are looking for. However, I would not have found myself immersing myself in the legend at such a young age had I not loved the characters and their tragedies as presented here”