Gwenhwyfar - The White Spirit

Lackey's tale is centered around, not surprisingly, Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), the daughter of one of Arthur's kings. It follows her as she grows up in her father's household, becomes a skilled warrior and scout, and as she becomes wrapped up in Arthur's fall as his last queen. Rather than choose between one version of the tale versus another, Lackey essentially chooses that they are all true and runs with them. For most of the book, it's not really about Arthur at all, with the grand scope of the legend serving as incidental background to the story of Gwenhwyfar's education and exploits in the field. Her education as a soldier is well described, as are her exploits in the field. And Lackey does a great job capturing the clash of cultures of the Romans and Celts that took place in (allegedly) Arthurian times. She even mixes in some fae lore and magic to the story, making for an enjoyable, earthy story of a woman making her way in medieval time.