ecidnac's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
samm_14's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
arsilyn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
lbperdan's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars
This review is WAY overdue as I finished the book back in September, but guys.... you gotta read this.
A story about the children King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were never supposed to have. That alone should hook you, and it sure hooked me! Anwil and Ari are twins, incredibly close but vastly different, struggling to live up to their father's legacy. Anwil would rather spend his days locked away in the library (same, bro) than rule the kingdom. Ari wants to be more than just a princess that's married off; she wants to be a knight of the round table. However, when it seems that an old foe might be back to seek revenge on the kingdom, they both have to put their own desires aside to save Camelot or lose everything their father fought for.
Chelsea Banning did a fantastic job weaving together different POVs and storylines throughout her book. The political intrigue kept me guessing till the very end (THAT ENDING THOUGH). You can tell Chelsea did her research with the combat scenes, and I felt like I was right there with the characters in the midst of each fight. The banter and humor was reminiscent of the BBC Merlin TV show, and the world building and descriptions allowed me to visualize everything that was happening as if I was watching the show again.
And I'm STILL thinking about that ending. Prepare yourselves; this will be the adventure of a lifetime, and I can't wait to see where the series goes!
This review is WAY overdue as I finished the book back in September, but guys.... you gotta read this.
A story about the children King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were never supposed to have. That alone should hook you, and it sure hooked me! Anwil and Ari are twins, incredibly close but vastly different, struggling to live up to their father's legacy. Anwil would rather spend his days locked away in the library (same, bro) than rule the kingdom. Ari wants to be more than just a princess that's married off; she wants to be a knight of the round table. However, when it seems that an old foe might be back to seek revenge on the kingdom, they both have to put their own desires aside to save Camelot or lose everything their father fought for.
Chelsea Banning did a fantastic job weaving together different POVs and storylines throughout her book. The political intrigue kept me guessing till the very end (THAT ENDING THOUGH). You can tell Chelsea did her research with the combat scenes, and I felt like I was right there with the characters in the midst of each fight. The banter and humor was reminiscent of the BBC Merlin TV show, and the world building and descriptions allowed me to visualize everything that was happening as if I was watching the show again.
And I'm STILL thinking about that ending. Prepare yourselves; this will be the adventure of a lifetime, and I can't wait to see where the series goes!
stephnsketch's review against another edition
4.0
This is coming from the perspective of a dark ya fantasy lover who usually reads fast-paced, romantic-subplot stories.
The author really loves Arthurian legends, and you can definitely tell by her craft! It feels like you’ve stepped back into that time period.
The story dives into King Arthur’s children, Anwil and Ariadne, as they deal with the remnants of their parents’ history as they’re coming of age. The two do not fit into their projected destinies. The princess yearns to be a knight of the round table, while her brother would love nothing more than to sit in the library and pour over maps and stories. And while the two are very different, their relationship is strong, and the reader quickly wants to root for them.
I thought the story would be only from their perspectives, kind of like a compare and contrast, and I was surprised to find more pov’s within the narrative, though it’s necessary to the plot.
I definitely loved how likable the characters were. It was relaxing and felt wholesome, with a sword-wielding princess, a scholarly prince, and a rising enemy that threatens all that the characters hold dear. Though the book itself was slower-paced than what I usually read, with more narrative than dialogue at some points, I will say the author does not back down from dealing hard blows to the main characters. The last half of the book had me sitting more and more on the edge of my seat wondering what would befall our characters next. I found it super refreshing.
I definitely will be reading the rest of this series!
The author really loves Arthurian legends, and you can definitely tell by her craft! It feels like you’ve stepped back into that time period.
The story dives into King Arthur’s children, Anwil and Ariadne, as they deal with the remnants of their parents’ history as they’re coming of age. The two do not fit into their projected destinies. The princess yearns to be a knight of the round table, while her brother would love nothing more than to sit in the library and pour over maps and stories. And while the two are very different, their relationship is strong, and the reader quickly wants to root for them.
I thought the story would be only from their perspectives, kind of like a compare and contrast, and I was surprised to find more pov’s within the narrative, though it’s necessary to the plot.
I definitely loved how likable the characters were. It was relaxing and felt wholesome, with a sword-wielding princess, a scholarly prince, and a rising enemy that threatens all that the characters hold dear. Though the book itself was slower-paced than what I usually read, with more narrative than dialogue at some points, I will say the author does not back down from dealing hard blows to the main characters. The last half of the book had me sitting more and more on the edge of my seat wondering what would befall our characters next. I found it super refreshing.
I definitely will be reading the rest of this series!
anniebroakley's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
beaubooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.75
I need to preface my review by saying I'm not a big fantasy reader, and that I know next to nothing about Arthurian legends. Like many others, I found this author because one of her tweets went viral.
That being said, I'm happy to have read this. We get multiple POVs in this book and I liked the way the characters were fleshed out. The twins (Ariadne and Anwil) are a nice twist on the classic 'brave knight' and 'damsel in distress' concept, Ariadne is in fact one of the bravest heroines I've read about in a while.
This story takes quite some time to get into, mainly because there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I found that things started to go quicker around the 50% mark though. The action scenes are written very well in my opinion. The only element I would want to change are the detailed descriptions of the clothing and armour people are wearing, because I tended to lose my focus while reading those. I think the author said she's planning to tone these down a bit in the next book anyway, so that's promising.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and I can't wait to see what happens next in the series!
That being said, I'm happy to have read this. We get multiple POVs in this book and I liked the way the characters were fleshed out. The twins (Ariadne and Anwil) are a nice twist on the classic 'brave knight' and 'damsel in distress' concept, Ariadne is in fact one of the bravest heroines I've read about in a while.
This story takes quite some time to get into, mainly because there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I found that things started to go quicker around the 50% mark though. The action scenes are written very well in my opinion. The only element I would want to change are the detailed descriptions of the clothing and armour people are wearing, because I tended to lose my focus while reading those. I think the author said she's planning to tone these down a bit in the next book anyway, so that's promising.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and I can't wait to see what happens next in the series!
kmconrad37's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first adventure into the world of King Arthur and Camelot, and I have to say I rather enjoyed it.
Without really knowing too much about King Arthur, the Lady of the Lake, Camelot, etc., I still found the story to be easy to follow. I appreciate the fact that I didn't need to be an expert on the subject to fully understand and enjoy the story. There is a decent enough summary of what you need to know within this book to explain events of the past.
I came across this book thanks to the author posting on Twitter about a book signing where nobody showed up, and I'm glad that I took the chance in buying this book! I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Without really knowing too much about King Arthur, the Lady of the Lake, Camelot, etc., I still found the story to be easy to follow. I appreciate the fact that I didn't need to be an expert on the subject to fully understand and enjoy the story. There is a decent enough summary of what you need to know within this book to explain events of the past.
I came across this book thanks to the author posting on Twitter about a book signing where nobody showed up, and I'm glad that I took the chance in buying this book! I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
runreadwine's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Found the author via a Twitter post that went viral. Pleased that it happened as I would have otherwise never known that I'm fond of the Arthurian Fantasy genre. Banning did a great job of character building and I was really fond of one minor character in particular, may she rest in peace. There are so many loose ends to tie up, can't wait for the next book!