Book Review – Damosel
Author: Stephanie Spinner
Cover Artist: Larry Rostant
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Binding: Hardback
Publication Date: October 2008
“So as darkness fell on the Eve, I cast the strongest helping spell I knew, calling on the runes to awaken Excalibur’s power. The wind swept my chant into the sky, and when I raised the sword, black now against the rising orange moon, it juddered in my hands as if struck by lightning.”
In Arthurian legend, the Lady of the Lake plays various and vital roles in the lives of King Arthur, Merlin, and Lancelot, depending on the account and the author.Stephanie Spinner, as she explains in the author’s note, became enthralled at a young age with the image of the Lady with which so many of us are familiar – her arm outstretched from the surface of the lake, sword in hand. How did the Lady fashion the sword that would become an exquisite instrument of power, and what became of the Lady between the time she offered it to Arthur and its return to the lake?
The well-travelled Spinner, who edited children’s books before becoming a full-time writer, offers the story from the Lady’s perspective, endowing her with the charm and talents of a supernatural creature along with the human capacities for love and empathy. The story is not hers alone to tell; Spinner creates a dwarf, Twixt, who survives a series of abusive situations to find himself a jester at court and witness to events far from the Lady’s sight. The short chapters shift from the Lady’s point of view to the dwarf’s, offering the very different perspectives of the two characters. Both wish to live simply but are called to move within the dramatic circles of court and royalty.
Spinner works her own charm on a well-worked legend, weaving believable characters within a fantastic world, but the story feels unfinished, the chapters abrupt. There is room, even within the scope of a young adult work, for more, if only to satisfy the desire for a deeper understanding of the characters Spinner brings to life.
About Medora: I am a librarian and a doctoral candidate in American Literature. I like cats, chinchillas, and moogles. When I go to a big city, I have to go to Chinatown. I eat lemons. I love love love NASCAR. This may be all you need to know.
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