richardscheel's review against another edition
1.0
This book was the worst. Imagine you don’t understand economics or morality. Now imagine you feel intellectually superior and you believe laws and morality are the same thing. Now imagine you have no idea what romance even is. Now, you create completely unbelievable lustful arcs, get preachy about your amorality, and end the book on such a completely unsatisfying note that no one would ever want to read book two; if this sounds good, this is the book for you!
magicofthepages's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
hilsaa's review against another edition
4.0
4.5. This was so good, I cried. I especially liked the romance.
sheilaokeefe's review against another edition
1.0
I tried to listen to this while under a lot of stress at work due to the Corona virus pandemic. I gave up after about 8 hours out of 16 or so. I just didn't care about the characters at all. Plus it seemed to be a lot of dramatic language and descriptions with very little plot or action. Maybe at a better time, I would have gotten involved in the story. Or maybe if I read it by eye, I could skim a lot of the overly dramatic proclamations and the story would be worth reading.
christiek's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the plot and the intrigue, but I often found that Pike failed to properly motivate the characters. I found their choices difficult to believe inside the book she'd written. I might continue with the series, or I might not.
aprilyvonne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"The Lost Queen" by Signe Pike was an incredible historical fantasy about a forgotten queen from the 6th century in ancient Scotland. It was quite the story, full of myths and superstitions, violence and love. Reading a book set during medieval times was magical and truly interesting. Pike was able to tell Languoreth's story with dignity and grace. Languoreth was also the twin sister of Lailoken - who inspired the character known as Merlin. As with many historical accounts, women are often left out. Pike sought to bring this narrative to the forefront - no longer forgotten. I especially appreciated this effort.
The story is told from the point of view of Languoreth and spans many generations; from the time she is but a child until she is a mother. From her bond as a twin, to the teachings in the old pagan ways, to finding herself conflicted with love, Languoreth uses her intelligence, boldness, and bravery to make the best of her destiny. Despite the complicated world of war, colonization, and the persistence of Christianity threatening those ancient beliefs, Languoreth and her family attempt to keep that which is sacred without losing themselves.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel. I'm definitely eager to continue reading the trilogy.
If you enjoy history and fantasy, than this book might be a perfect choice.
Happy reading! 📚
"The Lost Queen" by Signe Pike was an incredible historical fantasy about a forgotten queen from the 6th century in ancient Scotland. It was quite the story, full of myths and superstitions, violence and love. Reading a book set during medieval times was magical and truly interesting. Pike was able to tell Languoreth's story with dignity and grace. Languoreth was also the twin sister of Lailoken - who inspired the character known as Merlin. As with many historical accounts, women are often left out. Pike sought to bring this narrative to the forefront - no longer forgotten. I especially appreciated this effort.
The story is told from the point of view of Languoreth and spans many generations; from the time she is but a child until she is a mother. From her bond as a twin, to the teachings in the old pagan ways, to finding herself conflicted with love, Languoreth uses her intelligence, boldness, and bravery to make the best of her destiny. Despite the complicated world of war, colonization, and the persistence of Christianity threatening those ancient beliefs, Languoreth and her family attempt to keep that which is sacred without losing themselves.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel. I'm definitely eager to continue reading the trilogy.
If you enjoy history and fantasy, than this book might be a perfect choice.
Happy reading! 📚
sarahthereader's review against another edition
4.0
One of my 22 in 22 items is to read 22 books I own instead of just having the books I own sit on my shelves unread forever. I made a lot of progress in April and have read 15 books I own so far. The Lost Queen by Signe Pike popped up on my radar thanks to the Currently Reading Podcast and the Indie Press list (one of the great things about being a bookish friends). And oh how I loved this big chunker of a book–historical fantasy that I could not put it down. I put book 2 on my wish list right away.
_groovyginger_'s review against another edition
2.0
**2.5 stars** The Lost Queen is full of beautiful and poetic pieces of prose. From the beginning, the writing is insightful and lyrical. That's probably the most positive thing I can say about the book.
Languoreth is such a passive and reactive character. I wanted to root for her, but she doesn't actually do much or do anything of her own accord. She's almost weak, but with such a fiery temperament you wouldn't think this would be the case. I wanted to like her, and I did at times, but it never really lasted. This book has far greater characters who would have made great narrators. Languoreth doesn't seem like she's at the forefront of her own story, when the author could have chosen to make her be. If her story is truly so 'lost' and unknown, the author absolutely has the power to make her more of a hero in her own tale. It seems like I was just watching the men's actions through Languoreth's eyes. This book also seems too YA for me.
One of the biggest critiques I have is that so much is left out of this book. This is a trilogy, right? That should mean there's enough room and time to include more of a complete and well-rounded story. From the beginning, I wish there could have been more scenes or flashbacks with Languoreth's mother. But the more I read, the more I realized so much is left out and skipped over just to be recounted in short, bland summaries. Why not just include it? The departure of Ariane, for example. Ariane was one of the best characters and best aspects of this book, only for the author to write her off abruptly. I mean, the goodbye between her and Languoreth happens off page! Why?!
I'm sure (at least I hope) Ariane shows up in the other books in the series because she was so intriguing and I almost hoped she was a time traveler. This book was compared to Outlander, after all. But Ariane just leaves, and the rest of the book makes almost nothing of it.
This book is almost bloated with dialogue; there are certainly more talking scenes than action scenes. My favorite part was during the mid summer celebration where Languoreth was able to have a little more freedom with her lover. That was well done, but it didn't last. The book falls off again after this section.
Finally, Part Four begins with a 17 YEAR (!!) time jump, with only about two pages of a recap. Two pages to reorient the reader after 17 years. There were just a couple sentences to say goodbye to some truly great characters who died off-page in that 17 year period. I had grown to love some of the characters who died in that time, only to be robbed of any real closure. If this is truly a trilogy of Languoreth's whole life, surely there is room enough for everything. I expected a small time jump, that certainly happens in novels often, but nothing like this. If there was nothing 'interesting' that happened in those 17 years, why not rewrite Languoreth's story so there would have been?
The author took too few liberties and I honestly think Languoreth is still the 'lost queen' because her story hasn't been told to satisfaction yet. I don't think she would be pleased to be presented so passive and boring. I truly hope the subsequent books are better, but I'm not sure I'll be reading them.
Also, one last thought. The Lost Queen is NOTHING like any of the books it's been compared to: Outlander and The Mists of Avalon. These feature strong women, and in the case of Mists of Avalon, female Arthurian characters who have their story told in a more active and empowering way. The Lost Queen can hardly be compared to any great works of Arthurian legend, unless the other books in the trilogy get better.
Languoreth is such a passive and reactive character. I wanted to root for her, but she doesn't actually do much or do anything of her own accord. She's almost weak, but with such a fiery temperament you wouldn't think this would be the case. I wanted to like her, and I did at times, but it never really lasted. This book has far greater characters who would have made great narrators. Languoreth doesn't seem like she's at the forefront of her own story, when the author could have chosen to make her be. If her story is truly so 'lost' and unknown, the author absolutely has the power to make her more of a hero in her own tale. It seems like I was just watching the men's actions through Languoreth's eyes. This book also seems too YA for me.
One of the biggest critiques I have is that so much is left out of this book. This is a trilogy, right? That should mean there's enough room and time to include more of a complete and well-rounded story. From the beginning, I wish there could have been more scenes or flashbacks with Languoreth's mother. But the more I read, the more I realized so much is left out and skipped over just to be recounted in short, bland summaries. Why not just include it? The departure of Ariane, for example. Ariane was one of the best characters and best aspects of this book, only for the author to write her off abruptly. I mean, the goodbye between her and Languoreth happens off page! Why?!
I'm sure (at least I hope) Ariane shows up in the other books in the series because she was so intriguing and I almost hoped she was a time traveler. This book was compared to Outlander, after all. But Ariane just leaves, and the rest of the book makes almost nothing of it.
This book is almost bloated with dialogue; there are certainly more talking scenes than action scenes. My favorite part was during the mid summer celebration where Languoreth was able to have a little more freedom with her lover. That was well done, but it didn't last. The book falls off again after this section.
Finally, Part Four begins with a 17 YEAR (!!) time jump, with only about two pages of a recap. Two pages to reorient the reader after 17 years. There were just a couple sentences to say goodbye to some truly great characters who died off-page in that 17 year period. I had grown to love some of the characters who died in that time, only to be robbed of any real closure. If this is truly a trilogy of Languoreth's whole life, surely there is room enough for everything. I expected a small time jump, that certainly happens in novels often, but nothing like this. If there was nothing 'interesting' that happened in those 17 years, why not rewrite Languoreth's story so there would have been?
The author took too few liberties and I honestly think Languoreth is still the 'lost queen' because her story hasn't been told to satisfaction yet. I don't think she would be pleased to be presented so passive and boring. I truly hope the subsequent books are better, but I'm not sure I'll be reading them.
Also, one last thought. The Lost Queen is NOTHING like any of the books it's been compared to: Outlander and The Mists of Avalon. These feature strong women, and in the case of Mists of Avalon, female Arthurian characters who have their story told in a more active and empowering way. The Lost Queen can hardly be compared to any great works of Arthurian legend, unless the other books in the trilogy get better.
dena_lea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0