vendredi 15 août 2014

The Most Enduring Theme For Fantasy Romance Novels Based In England

By Tanisha Berg


Since the beginning of human history, people have loved a good story. Legends and myths from all over the world deal with themes such as love, war, chivalry and intrigue. Add a dose of magic and creatures such as monsters, dragons and fairies and you have the recipe for a story that will have readers or listeners on the edge of their seat. These elements are timeless and often those old stories influence new stories. For instance, many fantasy romance novels based in England are influenced by the legends of King Arthur.

Fantasy romance, as the name implies, is a blend of two popular genres. Fantasy often revolves around magic and mythical creatures while romance deals with tales of love. In Arthurian legend, these elements combine perfectly to create some of the greatest love stories of all time.

While many books in the genre are set in imaginary places, Arthurian legend is set in England. King Arthur is said to have lived in about the 5th or 6th century, when Christianity was becoming more widespread in a country at war with the Anglo-Saxons. There is debate on whether King Arthur really existed and where his famous Camelot was located but the stories often mention real English locations.

Love is a common theme in many of the stories of Camelot. The most well-known of the Arthurian romances is the one between Lancelot and the beautiful Guinevere. However, this is also a tragic story that eventually destroys Arthur's kingdom. Lancelot, after all, is a close friend of King Arthur and a knight everyone looks up to, being handsome and brave and having been raised in the magical kingdom of Avalon, while Guinevere is married to King Arthur.

Lancelot and Guinevere's is not the only love triangle in Arthurian legend. One that inspired a famous opera is the story of the knight Tristan and his uncle's bride, Iseult. It is a love potion that brings these two lovers together and causes mayhem at the court of Mark, the King of Cornwall.

Luckily not all love stories at Camelot end in tears. One of the most romantic stories is that of Gawain and Ragnelle. Gawain is Arthur's nephew and another one of his most trusted knights. He marries Ragnelle in order to prevent Arthur's execution. This is a great sacrifice since Ragnelle is the complete opposite of all the great beauties in the kingdom. However, the spell that made her so unsightly is broken through Gawain's chivalrous actions.

There are many works based on Arthurian legend, including some that are literary classics. Contemporary writers often use these stories as the basis for their works too. Some set the traditional stories in modern times. Others create reinterpretations of the old stories by telling them from a different point of view.

To find stories based on Arthurian legend in your local bookstore or library, look in the sections marked 'fantasy' or 'romance'. You'll find the older versions under the 'classics'. If you want to make the search much easier, simply go online. This way you can also use the reviews to decide whether a specific novel will be for you.




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