Once upon a time, the son of King Arthur betrayed his father, pressing his claim and demanding the realm surrender to his rule. There is a fixed point in time, a battle known as the Strife of Camlann, from which this legend descends. The villainous son has had many names through the centuries, but history knows him as the traitorous Sir Mordred.
After the Grail Quest's completion, Arthur branded Sir Mordred an outlaw before discovering the truth of his heritage. Now, Sir Mordred is in desperate need of allies to survive. Meanwhile, his legendary mother, Morgan Le Fay, conspires to crown her son, though otherworldly forces may stand against them. Can their fate be avoided?
In this surreal retelling, Grant Piercy explores questions around Camelot's inevitable fall and the circumstances around its legendary adversary. What drove Sir Mordred to rise in rebellion? Could he have been a better man? How could someone love a villain so reviled of history?
Piercy weaves multiple forms into the legend of Sir Mordred, intercutting chapters with imaginative "shadows" of other stories, alternative tellings exploring the "house of form and fable."
