Let me preface this review by saying that a lot of it is in light of having recently read Pyle’s Robin Hood.

While I enjoyed The Story of King Arthur and his Knights more than I enjoyed Robin Hood, I was disappointed that Pyle used almost the exact same formula of plot development – Arthur/some swanky knight of the round table meets bad guy – they have an epic duel – then the bad guy becomes an ally. At times it was basically Robin Hood but with jousting and significantly more nobility.

That being said, there were an abundance of delightful stories. The figurative language was stunning, more so than in Robin Hood. There were lots of important female characters too, which I was surprised to find in a book of its time. I especially loved the riddle at the end and Sir Gawaine’s character development (from a rude silver-tongued rascal to a loyal knight and faithful husband).
It was also hilarious to read the folly of some of the knights and how easily they were manipulated and enchanted. It was heart-warming when they overcame challenges together, laying down their life for each other, and resolving conflict between each other.

I HATED Merlin in this. He was a boring, creepy, grumpy old man. He fell in love with the Lady Vivien, a fifteen-year-old girl, and then carelessly taught her everything he knew about magic. Then Lady Vivien betrayed Merlin and trapped him in a stone tomb forever. But Merlin totally deserved that.

Also, what the heck happened to Sir Launcelot? He made no appearance whatsoever. It wasn’t until literally the last page that Pyle wrote a note saying that one day he would write more stories about the other knights, including Sir Launcelot, Sir Percival, and Sir Galahad.

All in all, this novel was only a fraction of the Arthurian legend. Nevertheless, it was an interesting adventure.