Continuing from last time and finishing the series . . .
With (at least) three Arthurs now vying for dominance, Britain (still in the Otherworld) reels from it all. Bridgette, Duncan, and Rose enlist help from a surprising quarter to buy time, but this cannot last forever. Then, Excalibur appears in a stone . . . will the rightful king step forward? And what happens when he does? Will Britain be forever in this nightmare, or can something wipe it all away?
This conclusion was better than the previous volume, which muddied things a good deal. It was mostly satisfying, with interesting twists and good dialogue/art . . . but not entirely great. Reflecting on the series, I enjoyed:
- a unique take on the Arthurian legend ("what if Arthur did return . . . but he wasn't the good guy?")
- fun characters, occasional great dialogue, and solid art
- dabbling in the ramifications of the stories we tell ourselves and how we (perhaps unknowingly) live them out, over and over again
But the things I didn't care for:
- a mystifying volume 4 that introduced (and never answered) a host of questions and characters, ultimately adding chaos and making it hard to tie up loose ends
- the occult elements (though admittedly necessary for some aspects of the story)
- a shift in focus. From the author himself: "Family, the secrets they hold and the damage that causes was always in Once & Future, but the further I got in, the more that became central." I saw some of this early on, but the shift away from 'the power of story' to 'family/secrets can be deadly' was disappointing
- the conclusion was underwhelming. I don't want to spoil it here. It wasn't terrible, but disappointing.
Ultimately, I'm glad I read this, and happy to add it to my collection. It didn't end up being as stellar as its initial promise, but it is solid nontheless.
Rating: B+ (for this volume and the series)
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