The Wicked Day - Book Review

The Wicked Day - by Mary Stewart

This fourth book in the Arthurian Saga series follows the life and exploits of Mordred, Arthur's son.

This book approaches its subject matter from a considered and unique perspective. Most of the other versions of the story that I've read or watched have portrayed the incestuously begotten Mordred as thoroughly villainous. He is often shown as mentally disturbed - sometimes even as physically misshapen - and the reasons for his treachery are shallow, if they are given at all.


Ms Stewart, on the other hand, takes a more mature and considered approach. She paints a picture of a young boy who is raised as an orphan by a kindly couple in a small fishing village. He is raised with integrity and compassion and, when he is finally thrust into court life by his mother, he is well suited to the challenge. Far from being Arthur's arch enemy, when he is told of the prophecy that he will be his father's downfall, he does his best to avoid the fate and even considers suicide as a way to thwart the will of the gods.

This is, by far, the best version of the tale of Mordred that I've ever seen. Like all the other books in this series, Ms Stewart is fastidiously detailed in her account and, unlike any other version that I've read, she presents Mordred as a real person with real feelings and psychological turmoil.

Even if all the other books in the series had been mediocre, which they weren't, reading them would have been worthwhile just to get the backstory before reading this masterpiece.