Since the days of King Arthur, there have been poems and paintings done in her name. She is the Lady of Shalott, and now there is a new story about her, from an exciting new talent. The year is 490 AD. Fiery 16-year-old Elaine of Ascolat, the daughter of one of King Arthur's supporters, lives with her father on Arthur's base camp, the sole girl in a militaristic world of men. Elaine's only girl companion is the mysterious Morgan, Arthur's older sister, but Elaine cannot tell Morgan her deepest secret: she is in love with Lancelot, Arthur's second-in-command. However, when yet another girl - the lovely Gwynivere - joins their world, Elaine is confronted with startling emotions of jealousy and rivalry. But can her love for Lancelot survive the birth of an empire?
I wasn't expecting a novel written in verse. I feel like I would have enjoyed this book even more if it was written as a more traditional narrative. But [a:Lisa Ann Sandell|310364|Lisa Ann Sandell|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1226789446p2/310364.jpg] evokes the characters so strongly and moves the story along so very well it's remarkable. And there was a lot to like.
The familiarity of the characters made it a lot of fun to get to know her versions. I liked the blending of different legends. I liked all of the characters, especially Elaine, and enjoyed their transformations throughout the story. Well, most of them. One was fairly sad, but that was sort of inevitable.
Being written in verse, it kind of surprised me how much I liked the characters and the story. Some of her language was especially beautiful and I loved the way Elaine connected with the world around her. I hate to be like this, but I'm pretty sure I would have loved it in a traditional narrative form.
