Morgana. Morgaine. Morgan le Fay. Evil enchantress and conniving manipulator, who plotted an uprising against her brother, King Arthur, to take the throne of Camelot from him. Well, at least in some versions of the story. Madeleine Holly-Rosing (Boston Metaphysical Society) has a different take on the character. In Morgana Pendragon, she presents us not with a conniving witch, but a complicated heroine.

Twenty years ago, Morgana Pendragon did, indeed, lead an uprising against her brother. Since then, she has left England and is trying to make her own way in the world. She now leads a small band of mercenaries, who win wars for the highest bidder using cunning, skill, and strategy—but not magic. Morgana’s magic is long since gone, and she must rely on her wits to get by in the world. Fortunately, even without magic, she’s generally the smartest one in the room and capable of taking care of herself and those she cares about.

Now, however, the time has come to return to England and face her past. Arthur is dying and will leave the kingdom without an heir. Except, of course, that there IS an heir: Mordred, son of Morgana and her brother. Raised by others since Morgana’s departure, almost no one in England knows of Mordred’s royal bloodline—not even Arthur. There’s already fighting and bloodshed regarding Arthur’s chosen successor, Constantine. If people knew there was an heir, or that he’s the son of the woman they revile as a witch, there would surely be war.

I’m loving this take on the character of Morgana and the Arthurian legend. Much like Boston Metaphysical Society, the story combines fantastical elements with real history and presents familiar characters in a new and different light. Camelot has always been portrayed as a fantasy realm, but here it’s presented in the context of the real world of the 6th century. Likewise, the fantastical Morgana is given more depth and made to seem more real: a flawed character, but one who ultimately wants to make up for her past and do the right thing.

If you like your fantasy stories with a bit of war and political intrigue, you’ll definitely want to check out Morgana Pendragon. I can’t wait to see where things go in the next issue.

Creative Team: Madeleine Holly-Rosing (written and created by), Alden Kaye (art by), Warnia Sahadewa (colors by), Troy Peteri (letters by), Rio Burton (cover art), David Avallone (edited by), Dave Lentz (production design)
Publisher: Queen of Mercia, LLC
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