The Winter Prince is a retelling of the Arthurian legend, but this book focuses not on Arthur and Merlin but on Arto's two sons: Mordred (called Medraut in this book), the bastard child of incest and Lleu, Arto's legitimate heir. The brothers have a strange relationship- Medraut by turns burningly jealous and fiercely protective of his younger, weaker, brother. Medraut is strong, talented, smart- he would be the perfect prince if not for the strain of his birth. Lleu, bedridden and spoiled, will inherit the kingdom he is not fit to rule, and the knowledge of that eats at Medraut constantly. Yet when Artos asks Medraut to teach his brother the skills he needs to rule, Medraut rises to the task. As with all Arthurian stories, this one holds a mixture of joy and betrayal. One of my favorite books of the year.