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anelru's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I loved it but not sure if I would recommend due to the Sexual violence and mysogyny and homophobia in the plot. I can see the author is showing you a terrible place that hopefully a hero will come and sort out but some of it is difficult to read even when it happens off the page. However I really enjoyed the story and characters and the slow burn romance which picks up in book 2. I'm on book 3 now and still enjoying the series. The world is very interesting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Sexual assault
lover97's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 ⭐️
It's been a while since I've read a series that's a true slow burn, I've missed it. This is definitely giving all the vibes of a romance that's going to take a while to develop.
I wasn't expecting this to be a camelot reimagining, but I enjoyed that aspect, and lancelet quickly became a character I liked. Morgan having that female friendship is important in showing us a bit more of her personality and providing some lighter moments.
As far as the plot goes, I felt this was really well paced. Sometimes books with a journey in can drag, but there's enough happening that i never felt bored.
I thought i had predicted the plot twist, but then that last chapter happened now. I can't wait to pick the next one up. I'm hoping we're going to get some much needed world building on the magic system going forward as it's unclear at the moment.
I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
It's been a while since I've read a series that's a true slow burn, I've missed it. This is definitely giving all the vibes of a romance that's going to take a while to develop.
I wasn't expecting this to be a camelot reimagining, but I enjoyed that aspect, and lancelet quickly became a character I liked. Morgan having that female friendship is important in showing us a bit more of her personality and providing some lighter moments.
As far as the plot goes, I felt this was really well paced. Sometimes books with a journey in can drag, but there's enough happening that i never felt bored.
I thought i had predicted the plot twist, but then that last chapter happened now. I can't wait to pick the next one up. I'm hoping we're going to get some much needed world building on the magic system going forward as it's unclear at the moment.
I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
mj_86's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death, Physical abuse, and Slavery
emilygibbs's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
rowanhill's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Features:
- Loose retelling of Arthurian legend with fae a dark twist
- Slow burn, enemies to lovers romance; not much spice
- Excellent world building
- Cliffhanger ending that will leave you begging for more
This loose retelling of Arthurian legend turns everything on its head and was a wild ride I totally didn’t expect! There are a lot of intriguing ideas introduced to this version of Camelot that makes it feel unique and fresh. Boleyn constructs this world in such an engaging way that the hunger to know more about it kept me reading through an otherwise slow start to the story. Once the real adventure starts, the plot really takes off and it becomes hard to put down. Though I loved the story overall, I still felt like there was some untapped potential, especially in the character department. If you are looking for a true retelling of Arthurian legend and/or a steamy romance, you will probably be disappointed. However, if an engaging, action packed fae fantasy with an Arthurian flavor sounds like your kind of book, I would definitely recommend this read!
Pro: Camelot reimagined
The world building in this book definitely makes it stand out. The story takes place in Camelot, but it is a Camelot like you have never seen it before. It has been shown that fae lore and magic fit comfortably into the context of Arthurian legend, but Boleyn takes it even further than expected. This world has a true sense of history and culture that has evolved, in part, through a long and tenuous relationship with the fae. Morgan’s complicated position at the beginning of the story is due in large part to how she fits (or doesn’t) into this established cultural identity and the success of the world building makes everything she experiences feel more poignant. Honestly, this has such a unique identity that it really wouldn’t be Camelot if all of the names were suddenly changed. For me, this really made the rest of the story work.
The Breakdown: An uncomplicated character in a complicated world
This book follows the story of Arthur’s older sister, Morgan. Due to having fae blood, Morgan was passed over for the crown and finds herself in the odd situation of being royalty while also being part of a group society looks down upon. As a result, she is often overlooked and experiences both freedom and vulnerability as a result. Despite all of the wonderful world building and the complicated situation Morgan finds herself in, I thought she was an uncomplicated character.
Having lived a sheltered life, Morgan is naturally naive about a lot of things. However, some of this naivety is more extreme than what is fitting for the character and her experiences. There are some moments of brilliance in how Morgan processes and questions what is happening around her, so it is sad when things become more ‘cookie cutter’ and prevent these deeper, more intriguing developments to flourish. This issue is even more prominent with the other characters and the end result individuals that feel one note in an otherwise complicated world. This improves as the story develops, but I was still left feeling like there was a lot of untapped potential.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism and Murder
allisonamber's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Definitely a slower pace but because of that it helps the world building. A different spin on Arthur and the knights of the round table mixed with fae. The FMC is very innocent and naive so not always relatable or a character with a lot of depth but I’m sure that will help develop throughout the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
page_keeper's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder
manaledi's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Very strandard quest fantasy. Not as dark as the title makes it seem. Not really sure what's Arthurian other than the names. Not bad but not particularly memorable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and War
madelinel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Waaayyy too violent for me. The only character I liked was Lancelet and she was barely in the story. Would not classify as a romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment
daniellereadslikealot_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Arthurian legend, but make it fae? Count me in! I really enjoyed this book! I love reinterpretations of Camelot and all its main players and I especially love ones about Morgan. I thought the way she was written here was pretty fantastic. She was strong, but also had her vulnerabilities that made her relatable and complex. The court at Camelot was incredibly intriguing and I am 100% here for King Arthur as a ruthless king. I also really loved how Merlin, Lancelet, Kaye and Galahad were interpreted. Draven, I took some time warming up to and I’m still not fully there, but I’m very interested to see where his story goes. I did think it slightly dragged in the middle, but not so much so that I lost interest. The ending confused me slightly, but I think book two will clear it up. Overall, I very much enjoyed this fae fantasy twist on Arthurian legend and can’t wait to read the rest!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Child abuse