Within the pages of countless novels, the eternal clash between evil and good emerges as a central theme. In The Wicked Day, this battle is vividly embodied by the character Morgause, an embodiment of malevolence. She wreaks havoc purely for the pleasure of chaos, leaving a trail of corruption in her wake, impacting everyone unfortunate enough to cross her path. Although Arthur may not symbolize pure goodness in the traditional sense, he represents the principles of law and order, standing as a bulwark against the encroaching shadows of darkness.

However, even Arthur cannot escape the insidious reach of Morgause's malevolence. Unknowingly, he succumbs to her sinister influence when he shares a forbidden union with his half-sister. This act of betrayal spawns further darkness in the form of Mordred, whose reluctant existence becomes the harbinger of Arthur's downfall and the unraveling of his kingdom. While destiny may be unavoidable, the price for one's misdeeds remains to be paid, ensuring that guilt never escapes its due retribution.

The relentless grip of fate and preordained destiny looms heavily over the narrative of this novel, casting long shadows over every unfolding event. Time and again, Mordred struggles to break free from Merlin’s ominous prophecy, striving with all his might to avoid the destruction of his father. Yet, his path is cruelly steered by a series of seemingly mindless coincidences, which propel him inexorably toward the foretold doom.

Throughout his life, he attempts to outrun this predestined role: first, as a young boy on the road to Camelot, attempting a daring escape; later, in the wake of Gaheris’s tragic death, seeking refuge in the familiar landscapes of his homeland, Orkney; and ultimately, in the climactic chapters where he fights desperately to avert the inevitable confrontation with Arthur. It is in these moments that fate reveals its most merciless face. Though Arthur and Mordred share a deep bond of love, a series of random, senseless occurrences conspire to shatter their mutual affection and trust.

In an earlier encounter with Nimue, the enigmatic prophetess, the pragmatic Mordred vehemently disputes the notion of fate, exclaiming, "This is absurd! The stars! You talk as if men are sheep, and worse than sheep, to be driven by blind fate to do the will of some ill-wishing God!" Nimue, with quiet conviction, counters, "Fate has more than one arrow. The Gods wait behind cloud." As Mordred fumes, "Then they are cruel," she retorts with knowing sorrow, "You know that already, do you not!"

One of the pivotal motifs woven through the tapestry of this narrative is the corrosive nature of power. An insatiable desire for dominance propels Gawain and the Orkney brothers into action. Meanwhile, the allure of authority is what Morgause and her sister Morgan covet most deeply. Ultimately, it is this hunger for control that leads Mordred to commit the errors that cast him as Arthur's adversary.

After hearing of his father's demise, Mordred's initial actions are defensible given the situation. Yet, when he contemplates these actions further, he becomes acutely aware that the intoxicating taste of authority he experienced while serving as Arthur's proxy and presumed successor has forever spoiled him for anything less.

In Stewert's adaptation of the Arthurian legends, the intricate role of fate weaves through the tapestry of both personal lives and the grand movements of history. This theme, borrowed from ancient tales, dances with a modern perspective on magic and witchcraft. Morgause, with her flamboyant declarations of witchery, finds her supposed enchantments fueled more by the fervent imaginations of her victims than any true mystical prowess. In harmony with Stewart's earlier narratives...