The Squire's Tales/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


"But I'm a nobody, of lowly birth!" Sarah said.
Terence knelt on the floor beside her chair and took her hand. "My lady, I for one am not at all sure about that. But even if it were true, you have saved England by your courage, and that sort of thing is, after all, how nobodies become somebodies."

  • Genius Bonus: Tons for those familiar with the original legends, including a speech by an exceedingly tedious scholar named Geoffrey (of Monmouth) about the etymology behind the word “grail.”
    • The Ballad of Sir Dinadan contains one such bonus in the form of a flying spear cutting off a speech. For anyone who has suffered through the invocation of names in “Culwch and Olwen,” may also count as a Crowning Moment of Funny
  • Moral Event Horizon: Mordred crosses it when he kills Bedivere. Killing Alexander out of spite just proves exactly how much of a Complete Monster he is.
  • Ron the Death Eater: Some characters who were portrayed as good in other versions of the legends are made idiots or jerks because Morris' current lead character doesn't like them. Tristram and Isolde are the best examples.
    • Any character whose story relies overmuch on "Courtly Love" is likely to come off very badly indeed in this story. (Guinevere and Lancelot only become sympathetic several books after their involvement ends.)
  • The Woobie: No one consistently, but Arthur is definitely one in the second book when he's suffering over Guinevere and Lancelot's blindingly obvious love affair.