Morning's Journey (Dragon's Dove Chronicles, #2)

by Kim Headlee

[Kim Deister]

Morning's Journey is the sequel to Dawnflight and my favorite of the two!  This series is an epic tale of Arthurian mythology.  What I love most about this series is that the characters are created in new ways.  The cast of characters are those with whom all lovers of Arthurian literature are familiar, but presented in a completely different way.  It is the alternate reality version of mythology!  And it is one that is definitely a bit darker and grittier than most!

I love a book that can push its way into my head and keep me hooked.  This book did this for me, even more than the first.  It picks up right after Dawnflight ends, and right into the midst of Gyan's nightmare, predicting Urien's win.  It was a dramatic, and bloody, start to the ongoing sage of Arthur and Gyan!  There are a lot of these heart-pounding, full of anticipation scenes, the kind of scenes that keep you turning the pages.

Being a student of mythology, I can thoroughly appreciate the sheer amount of research that the author has done with this series.  The weaving of myth and history is beautiful to read, and seamlessly done.  I love, love, love the blending of myths from different cultures, and this author is an expert at doing so!

Things to love about Morning's Journey...

   -The mythology.  The cultures referenced in this book are historically accurate, but she blends their mythology together in new and interesting ways that make you look at the Arthurian stories in an entirely new light.
   -The very real struggles of Arthur and Gyan.  I love that,despite being epic characters, they have their own personal struggles.  My favorite is Gyan's struggle to realize her new life NOT as a leader.

My recommendation:  For lovers of Arthurian stories, a definite must read.  However, you should most definitely read Dawnflight first as these truly are an epic saga from one book to the next.