The Stolen Lake is a children's novel

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 by Joan Aiken

Joan Aiken

Joan Delano Aiken MBE was an English novelist. She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, American poet Conrad Aiken , her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge and her brother John Aiken Joan Delano Aiken MBE (4 September 1924 – 4 January 2004) was an English novelist....

, first published in 1981

1981 in literature

The year 1981 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction given for the first time...

. Taking place in an alternate history

Alternate history (fiction)

Alternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It can be variously seen as a sub-genre of literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction; different alternate...

, the story follows the adventures of Dido Twite in a fictionalized version of South America.

The novel is the fourth in the Wolves Chronicles, a series of books set during the fictional 19th century reign of King James III. In this world, part of South America is occupied by Ancient British (Celtic) colonists following an invasion hundreds of years before.

Plot

After her adventures in Nightbirds On Nantucket, Dido Twite is travelling back to England on the HMS Thrush. En route, she befriends the ship's open-minded steward, Holystone. The ship changes course, landing on the coast of New Cumbria. Bound by ancient treaties between Britain and New Cumbria, they are given orders to assist Ginevra, the Queen. Travelling to Bath, the capital city, the crew learn that Ginevra wants them to help her recover a lake, which she claims has been stolen by New Cumbria's neighbour, Lyonesse. It seems that she is the same immortal Ginevra, or Guinevere, of myth and has waited centuries for the return of her king, Arthur. Unfortunately, she has attained immortality by cannibalistic vampirism, murdering and consuming local maidens. It then transpires that Holystone is an incarnation of Arthur, who for a thousand years had lain in suspended animation on an island in the missing lake. But this Arthur is not at all pleased at the monstrosity his ancient spouse has become.

Characters

• Dido Twite, the protagonist of the novel
• Captain Hughes, the captain of the H. M. S. Thrush, which brought Miss Twite to Roman America from Nantucket
• Queen Ginevra, the "White Queen" of New Cumbria
• Holystone, the steward of the Thrush; later discovered to be Ginevra's Rex Quondam
• Elen, a princess of Lyonesse, rescued by Miss Twite