5-STAR REVIEW: GUINEVERE: BRIGHT SHADOW by Sarah Provost

Publication Date: December 13, 2022

“You may think you know my story. My name has been bandied in ballads and jests, for good and (mostly) for ill. High Queen, priestess, adulterer… but first and always a woman. Courage and honor shaped me; ecstasy transported me; grief, betrayal and terror tempered me.

“My loyalty to the Goddess was supreme. But as the new religion took hold, the pagan way was threatened with extinction. There were those on both sides who would use me as a pawn in that battle, even if it meant taking my life.

“Yes, I bear my portion of blame. I loved Arthur, and I loved Lancelot, will I or no. But that was only one element in the impending chaos. Britain was divided, my love was divided, and such divisions cannot endure. I did everything in my power – and learned new powers – to prevent an all-out war. But would it be enough?”

If there is one thing that historical scholars can agree on, it’s that very little is actually known about the Dark Ages. That sense of mystery is why there are so many differing versions of the Arthurian legends.

However, author Sarah Provost brings a new version to life in Guinevere: Bright Shadow. While this retelling features the traditional characters of Guinevere, Arthur, Lancelot, and Merlin, this richly detailed story brings the historical elements to life. Of particular interest is the battle between the Pagans and the Christians, which sets the stage for future conflicts.

The characters, particularly Guinevere, are multi-dimensional. It’s clear that duty and honor (that chivalry stuff) play a significant role in how the storyline evolves. Torn between two loves—one based on friendship and respect while the other is a soul mate, Guinevere navigates a world where her pagan beliefs are ridiculed.

It’s a saga filled with old and new characters added by the author to enhance the story’s flow, which is a high-quality immersive experience. While you may think you know everything about these lovestruck, ill-fated characters, the author delivers plot twists guaranteed to make you keep turning the pages.

Guinevere: Bright Shadow sets the bar high for 2023 by giving readers a refreshing peek inside King Arthur’s court. While the conclusion left me yearning for a happily ever after, the story had to end in an epic fashion in order for us to appreciate the importance of the main themes.

Sarah Provost is a poet, playwright, screenwriter and novelist, currently living and working in upstate New York. A collection of poems, Inland, Thinking of Waves, was published by the Cleveland State University Press. Her stage plays have been produced off-Broadway, in London, Los Angeles, and states beginning with K. No screenplays have been produced, but she made a decent living writing for Paramount, Disney, HBO and others until Hollywood broke her heart. After a period of recuperation and relocation to a place with much worse weather, she began writing Guinevere: Bright Shadow, her first novel. A second novel, The Real Girl, is in progress.

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