The Lyonesse Trilogy

First published:Suldrun’s Garden (1983; also published as Lyonesse, 1984), Lyonesse: The Green Pearl (1985; also published as The Green Pearl, 1986), and Lyonesse: Madouc (1989; also published as Madouc, 1990)

Type of work: Novels

Type of plot: Fantasy—high fantasy

Time of work: Early in the Middle Ages

Locale: The Elder Isles

The Plot

Although magic exists in the Elder Isles, Murgen, the most powerful wizard, has decreed that no magician can aid a kingdom. The kings must use their own wiles to advance their goals.

Suldrun, the daughter of King Casmir of Lyonesse, is ignored by her parents. She grows up as a free spirit and finds happiness in her private garden. Eventually, however, she gets caught up in her father’s political ambitions and schemes. He intends to have her wed Faude Carfilhiot, the lord of a strategic castle. Suldrun, sensing evil in Carfilhiot, flees to her garden, thus embarrassing her father. As punishment, Casmir exiles her to her garden for the rest of her life.

While Suldrun lives in her garden, Prince Aillas of Troicinet, a kingdom at war with Lyonesse, goes on a journey with his cousin Trewan, the heir apparent. During the trip, Trewan learns that his own father has died and that Aillas now is in direct line for the throne. Trewan tosses Aillas overboard. Aillas is washed up on the shores of Suldrun’s garden. She rescues him, and they fall in love. Planning to escape, they force a priest to marry them. The priest, however, betrays them to Casmir, who imprisons Suldrun and throws Aillas into a deep pit.

Nine months later, Suldrun gives birth to a son. With the help of her old nurse, she hides the boy. Casmir discovers that Suldrun has given birth and searches for the child. Unknown to him, the boy, Dhrun, has been snatched by a fairy and a changeling, Madouc, put in his place. Casmir brings the changeling home to rear as his granddaughter. Suldrun kills herself. Aillas eventually escapes Casmir’s well, only to be captured by the Ska, another of the peoples of the Isles. He eventually escapes again and continues on the quest to find Dhrun.

Dhrun grows up in the fairy shee much faster than he would in mortal time. The fairies eventually expel him but give him several gifts. He also is tricked into being cursed with seven years of bad luck. He goes on a journey and enjoys several adventures with his companion Glyneth. A dryad curses him with blindness, and Glyneth and Dhrun try to find someone to help cure him. They eventually join Dr. Fidelius, a disguised Shimrod, a young wizard wronged by Faude Carfilhiot. They travel the fairs looking for a cure for Dhrun and vengeance for Shimrod. They eventually have the curse removed from Dhrun, and Shimrod discovers that it was Carfilhiot who wronged him. Carfilhiot kidnaps Glyneth and Dhrun, taking them to his castle.

Aillas finds Shimrod searching for the two children and realizes that his son is one of them. They fail to catch Carfilhiot, and Aillas is forced to return to Troicinet to claim the crown. Once he does, he returns as king of both Troicinet and South Ulfland. He lays siege to Carfilhiot’s castle. With the help of Shimrod, Aillas succeeds. After he is reunited with his son and kills Carfilhiot, he returns to Troicinet.

The story continues in Lyonesse: The Green Pearl. The first several sections are dedicated to an evil green pearl, the remnants of the magic of Faude Carfilhiot. It brings only ill to those who touch it. Eventually, it gets buried in a wood.

The story moves to the ambitions of Casmir and Aillas, each of whom tries to get an advantage over the other. Casmir uses spies in Aillas’ court, but Aillas discovers the fact and takes the traitors with him to South Ulfland. There, he consolidates his rule and raises an army. He eventually comes in conflict with the Ska. He attacks the castle where he once was a slave and captures Tatzel, the daughter of his captor. They have several adventures before Aillas and Tatzel reach North Ulfland. Aillas gives Tatzel back to her father and becomes king of North Ulfland. He drives the Ska out of the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Casmir, on the advice of the evil wizard Tamurello, sends the sorcerer Visbhume to Troicinet to find out information about Dhrun. Visbhume captures Glyneth and takes her to another dimension. Shimrod, with the help of the wizard Murgen and Aillas, sends a construct to free her. Eventually, she is freed, and Aillas realizes that he loves her. Tamurello destroys Visbhume and claims the green pearl, but Murgen captures both Tamurello and the pearl.

The focus of the third novel, Lyonesse: Madouc, is the changeling princess of Lyonesse. As Madouc grows up, a young maid questions her birth, and Madouc begins a search for her “pedigree.” While lost in the forest, she learns that her mother is the fairy Twisk but remains ignorant of her father’s identity. She returns to Lyonesse, where King Casmir has included her in his ambitions. She manages to thwart him. He then declares a quest for holy relics, including the Holy Grail, offering her hand in marriage as a reward. Madouc goes on a quest to find her father and takes a stableboy with her. Sir Pom-pom, as Madouc calls him, goes with her so he can look for the grail.

They eventually come to her mother’s fairy shee. Madouc questions her about her father and eventually learns the name “Sir Pellinore.” She, along with Sir Pom-pom and another companion, go to an ogre for information. Madouc learns nothing, but Sir Pompom finds the Holy Grail. They return to Lyonesse. Madouc discovers Casmir’s plan to assassinate Prince Dhrun to thwart a prophecy. She travels with him to a neighboring kingdom and stops his attempts, exposing his plans to all. He denounces her, but Aillas and Dhrun rescue her.

Casmir eventually starts a war involving most of the kingdoms. Aillas stops Casmir and his plans, and the Elder Isles are united under Aillas. At the celebration, Madouc invites her fairy mother and finally discovers the identity of her father.