The Chosen Queen
Igraine is happily married to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, even though his withdrawal from the Mysteries and the Goddess have created a strain between them, as well as friction between her and her mentor Vivian, the Lady of the Lake. While they are visiting King Uther Pendragon at his castle, Uther makes it obvious to the entire court that he desires Igraine to be his queen. Later, he corners her in the hall, and when Igraine informs Gorlois of what happened, he gathers his people and abruptly leaves the festivities, declaring war.
In the bloody aftermath, Igraine assumes the role of leader at Tintagel Castle, encouraging the women left behind to continue working the fields to show their devotion to the Goddess and instructing her two daughters Morgause and Morgan to harness their own powers. She plans a grand summer solstice celebration, inviting their allies. On the eve of the solstice, Gorlois unexpectedly returns from battle. But it is only then Igraine learns the full extent of the devious plot of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. Chosen by the Goddess, by Vivian, by Merlin, by Uther Pendragon, in the end, Igraine chooses her own fate in this epic, feminist retelling of the mother of King Arthur, the first in a series.
About Sam Davey
Sam Davey works at London’s Royal Opera House and is the founder of the Hastings Book Festival and Chair of the Hastings Writers Group. She lives with her husband and cat on the southeast coast of England.