A mesmerizing retelling of Arthurian legend’s minor character…
Half Sick of Shadows is a romantic retelling and expansion of a character known only from her tragic poem.
SYNOPSIS
Everyone knows the legend. Of Arthur, destined to be a king. Of the beautiful Guinevere, who will betray him with his most loyal knight, Lancelot. Of the bitter sorceress, Morgana, who will turn against them all. But Elaine alone carries the burden of knowing what is to come–for Elaine of Shalott is cursed to see the future.
On the mystical isle of Avalon, Elaine runs free and learns of the ancient prophecies surrounding her and her friends–countless possibilities, almost all of them tragic.
When their future comes to claim them, Elaine, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Morgana accompany Arthur to take his throne in stifling Camelot, where magic is outlawed, the rules of society chain them, and enemies are everywhere. Yet the most dangerous threats may come from within their own circle.
As visions are fulfilled and an inevitable fate closes in, Elaine must decide how far she will go to change destiny–and what she is willing to sacrifice along the way.
A story never told…
The story as advertised is an Arthurian legend, but not the way you might remember them. Something I have always loved about Arthurian legend is that no story is completely the same. Most of the details always remain the same. Arthur pulls excalibur and claims his throne. Lancelot, Guinevere, and Morgana all betray him, and eventually Arthur meets his demise. A tragic story indeed, but this isn’t just about them. This is the untold story of Elaine of Shalott.
Meet the woman cursed with the future…
Elaine was a character I had never heard the name of, but when I saw she was the main character, I was surprised by how little information I found about her. In the more known poem, Elaine is a woman suffering from an unrequited love. Enamored with Lancelot, when her feelings are not returned, she dies and her body drifts down the river. But the author of this story felt she deserved better. In this story, Elaine is now only the main character, but a woman who has seen every tragedy that is to come to Arthur and their friends. Sebastian does an incredible job of creating a character who can see the future without removing the things I loves about Arthur’s story.
A story more about heart than adventure…
Characters are always my favorite part of a story. I was pleasantly surprised at how much the story focused on the characters and their relationship. I am by no means an expert on Arthurian legends, and am only familiar with the major details of the stories. However, I felt that the characters were much more fleshed out in this story. Guinevere for example, I only knew for her doomed romance with Lancelot, but in this story she is much more than Arthur’s eventual wife and traitor. In this story she is still kind but she is also fearless. She is a force not to be reckoned with who even Lancelot knows to fear. It was a pleasure getting to know these characters.
MORE DETAILS
Word Count (rounded)~ 133, 952
Page Count: 432
Genres: Arthurian Romance, Fantasy, Fairy Tale
A story for the romantics, not the historians…
When I began this story, I fell in love with Elaine and her narrative. I enjoyed getting to know the character’s through her eyes. But I was surprised when I noticed bad reviews, until I realized they were written by readers frustrated with the historical inaccuracies. If you are a fan of Historical fiction, this is not the story for you. You may be put off by the constant mention of corsets and drinking tea. However, if you are like me and are unbothered by such inaccuracies, then you will have no issues with this story.
What drew me in was the love between these characters. When I speak of love, I do not just mean romantic love, but familial love. Every chapter reminded me of how close these characters were in a way that had me dreading the tragedies that could someday happen just as Elaine does in this story.
A story that left me wanting more…
All good stories come to an eventual end, and this one was no exception. It is difficult to discuss what I loved about this story without spoiling anything, but I grew so attached to the characters that when I realized the story was almost over, I felt disappointed. Not only because I wanted to spend more time with them, but for reasons I can’t say without spoiling it for excited readers. I truly hope that the versions of these characters I fell in love with will someday make it to the big screen.
Jasmin De Anda 