The Serpent and the Grail, written by A.A. Attanasio tells the story of mankind where the Ancient Arthorian tradition is merged with the latest technology and Science. The story is laid on the strong base of prose, literature and character making the series and narration realistic. The author tells the epics of the adventure of Merlin when Lailoken, the descendants of the Demon Lucifer and other demons meets out forming out mankind who live previously of time. In strong lyrical irony he tells of the body forms becoming younger as time goes. Merlin on the outset casts out the evil ways and helps Arthor in uniting British Isles under the protection of God and Christianity. This leads to the fury of the other Gods and leads to a battle between them including Fire Gods, Nine Queens of Avalon and Elfin Daione Sid. The readers are fazed around the historical, sociological, psychological and religious strands as the story progresses. The narration is based on strong lyrical literature that heaves the imagination of the reader making them almost a part of each scene.
Arthor has been made the most featured character in the prose and the genesis of the tale begins even before the mankind marked its beginning. Pandemonium is the foundation of time and the story begins here. The author takes it through the galaxies and universe where immortals are present. The basic concept of the earth being the hub of the sleeping dragon which is in turn associated with other planet hubs of dragons makes the story difficult to believe and follows a path of a mystical fiction. The characters are almost like God and have the superficial power to foretell the future and also prevent the hazards which might affect the human beings. Each immortal being has their own power to change the future resulting in battles and this is the spine of the whole chronicle. As each phase of the story moves from one perspective to other, the reader moves onto a confusion trying to decipher the story from each character’s view point. Although the Fisher King makes a mark in the story, Arthor is still left with his injury making the fictitious story even more superficial.
The Series has a great blend of literature though it becomes difficult to follow the Author’s path if it is not followed up from the beginning of the Series. Each Scene has been made exceptionally long and narrative, while the whole essence of the story begins to slip away from the reader’s mind throughout the narration. The epic set backs from perfectly traditional front to a sudden leap into the modern terms of life by the Author to keep the reader interested. The classic is phased by the modern era and their ideologies and this is reflected in the way the narrator tries to stick on to the modern age and their thoughts. The Arthor tale is described in perfect lines and characterized but this might make the basic beginner of the series difficult to follow the flow in philosophy and mystery. The Author relates the epic in a wholly confusing manner and sometimes this won’t be sensitive enough for a basic reader to grasp the core.The book tells of Gods, Demons, Battles, Faeries and a mystery approach to the future of mankind. The characters are told as God being related as a hermit; Lucifer as an exile; the old ladies by the lake; the scientific theories of universe explained as sleeping dragons under the earth and the birth of Merlin, the demon, by unprecedented methods and several other mystical relations. This shows that the book cannot be read as a mere relaxation or cannot be for enjoyed by all types of readers.
“What if I were to tell you that evil is itself a dispensation of good? And that good has no authority without evil?”