Isolde: Queen of the Western Isle - Rosalind Miles

Rating: 4
Read for: Arthurian Challenge 2008

This is the first in a trilogy of books retelling the classic tale of Tristan and Isolde. The beautiful Isolde is Princess of the Western Isle, a follower of the Old Ways and the daughter of a passionate but misguided Queen. Isolde first encounters Tristan as a wounded pilgrim, but a bond quickly forms between the pair, and she is heartbroken when she discovers that he has been lying to her. On his return to Cornwall, Tristan’s uncle, King Mark charges him with returning to Ireland and bringing Isolde back to be Mark’s wife and the Queen of Cornwall. The bitter Isolde agrees to the marriage and journeys to Cornwall, while she and Tristan confront and consummate their true feelings for each other. Upon her coronation as Queen of Cornwall, events begin to spiral out of control, in a tale of betrayal, loss and true love.

Other figures from the Arthurian world appear in this novel, including Merlin, Queen Igraine, Arthur himself, his Knights of the Round Table and his beautiful wife Guenevere, a girlhood friend of Isolde.

Partially true to the original tale and partly a retelling, Miles’ Tristan and Isolde are believable characters, caught up in their own passion and naivety. I enjoyed the book more than I expected to, the most enjoyable parts being set in Ireland, with the always-intriguing Merlin, and with Isolde’s trials in Cornwall. I myself have a great passion for the water, and especially the sea, so the tale often resonated deeply with me. The novel does depart from the main story at one point, with the appearance of a potential illegitimate son for Arthur, a sidebar that I felt detracted from the main focus of Tristan and Isolde’s story, but may be relevant later in the trilogy. I was a little confused at the end, as the story is most definitely left wide open for a sequel, with no definitive conclusion.

However, it is the Lady of the Sea that caught my attention most. I am by no means well read in the Arthurian legend, and my only knowledge of such a woman is the Lady of the Lake. The Lady of the Sea was quite something else for me, enchanting, kind and yet somehow so very sad. I would gladly read an entire series of books on her! For that reason alone, I would read the next book in the series, but I am also curious to see what Miles’ makes of Tristan and Isolde’s fate.