The Most Enduring Theme For Fantasy Romance Novels Based In England

By Tanisha Berg


Since the beginning of human history, people have loved a good story. Legends and myths from all over the world deal with themes such as love, war, chivalry and intrigue. Add a dose of magic and creatures such as monsters, dragons and fairies and you have the recipe for a story that will have readers or listeners on the edge of their seat. These elements are timeless and often those old stories influence new stories. For instance, many fantasy romance novels based in England are influenced by the legends of King Arthur.

Fantasy romance, as the name implies, is a blend of two popular genres. Fantasy often revolves around magic and mythical creatures while romance deals with tales of love. In Arthurian legend, these elements combine perfectly to create some of the greatest love stories of all time.

Nobody knows whether King Arthur actually existed. According to legend, he was king of Britain in the fifth or the sixth century. At the time, England was a place of conflict: Anglo-Saxon invasions, the spread of Christianity to the detriment of the old religions, and endless struggles for power. Arthur supposedly brought peace with the help of his knights, who would convene around a round table at his castle, the legendary Camelot.

There are several great love stories in Arthurian legend but the most famous of these is the story of the affair between King Arthur's wife and one of his most trusted knights, who is also a great warrior and dragon-slayer. The beautiful Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot, who grew up in Avalon, a magic realm where the Lady of the Lake raised him, fall deeply in love and this eventually leads to great tragedy.

Love triangles are quite popular in Arthurian legend. Another famous one is the triangle between Tristan, Iseult and King Mark of Cornwall. Tristan is King Mark's nephew and is entrusted with the task of going to Ireland to fetch the king's bride-to-be, Iseult. Then a love potion that makes Tristan and Iseult fall for each other complicates things.

There are also some beautiful stories that have a happy ending. One of these is the tale of Sir Gawain and the Dame Ragnelle. Gawain marries Ragnelle, a truly ugly woman, in order to save Arthur's life. This act partially breaks the spell that destroyed Ragnelle's looks in the first place and Gawain, through his chivalry, eventually breaks the spell completely to restore Ragnelle's beauty.

There are many works based on Arthurian legend, including some that are literary classics. Contemporary writers often use these stories as the basis for their works too. Some set the traditional stories in modern times. Others create reinterpretations of the old stories by telling them from a different point of view.

To find stories based on Arthurian legend in your local bookstore or library, look in the sections marked 'fantasy' or 'romance'. You'll find the older versions under the 'classics'. If you want to make the search much easier, simply go online. This way you can also use the reviews to decide whether a specific novel will be for you.




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