Dear Mr. Cornwell,
I finished reading your Warlord trilogy a couple of weeks ago, and I thought all three books were very moving. I’ve read quite a few versions of the Arthurian legend at this point, and I would probably rank yours as my favorite along with T.H. White’s. Thank you for such an enjoyable reading experience.
While I loved all of your characters, I must say that for me, the three prominent women in the books (Guinevere, Ceinwyn, and Nimue) really shone. It seemed to me that they were all very cognizant of the restrictions by which they were bound in the patriarchal society in which the story takes place, and you depicted quite brilliantly the very different, but very compelling ways each one responds. I especially loved the end of “Enemy of God,” when Nimue gives Derfel quite a powerful–even feminist, I thought–lecture of sorts when he says something insensitive (hope this doesn’t spoil it for those who haven’t read yet!). Did you write these three wonderful characters with this feminist perspective in mind? Did you write them as complex and as empowered as they are mostly to appeal to modern sensibilities (I personally found all three relatable at different points and in different ways), or do you think women in their positions at that time could really have responded as they did?
Forgive me if this has been asked before, but I’m very curious as to the thought process behind these awesome female characters!
Dana