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Set in Stone
What if Arthur wasn't meant to be king?
Having pulled the sword from the stone, scrawny Arthur has gone from washing dishes to sitting on the throne at Camelot Castle. What he doesn't know is that the scheming witch, Madam Mim, used her magic to help Arthur free the sword, believing the boy would be easy to control once he was made king.
When Arthur proves more capable than she imagined, Mim sends her foster daughter, Guinevere, to put Arthur back in his right place washing dishes.
But Arthur and Guinevere discover Mim's manipulations and forge an unlikely friendship. As they search for a way to outwit Mim and unite the kingdom, they realise that no one's fate is set in stone.
Having pulled the sword from the stone, scrawny Arthur has gone from washing dishes to sitting on the throne at Camelot Castle. What he doesn't know is that the scheming witch, Madam Mim, used her magic to help Arthur free the sword, believing the boy would be easy to control once he was made king.
When Arthur proves more capable than she imagined, Mim sends her foster daughter, Guinevere, to put Arthur back in his right place washing dishes.
But Arthur and Guinevere discover Mim's manipulations and forge an unlikely friendship. As they search for a way to outwit Mim and unite the kingdom, they realise that no one's fate is set in stone.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2023
52 people are currently reading
11802 people want to read
About the author
Mari Mancusi
64 books2,283 followersMari Mancusi grew up where the north wind meets the sea (otherwise known as Massachusetts), but has since made her home in the great state of Texas, mostly due to her love of summer. (And tacos.) A former Emmy Award winning TV news producer, today she is the author of more than two-dozen books for kids, teens, and adults, mostly of the sci-fi/fantasy variety. In addition to writing, Mari loves traveling, video games, and cosplaying. She is also Mom to an eight year old Frozen superfan who, when recently asked by her teacher to describe her hero answered: “My Mom!” (Okay, fine, she said Kristin Bell.)
You can find Mari online at www.marimancusi.com. She knows several Samanthas.
You can find Mari online at www.marimancusi.com. She knows several Samanthas.
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July 31, 2023
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I have loved all the Twisted Tales so far! I wanted to love this, I really did but comparing this retelling to the original Sword in the Stone, it didn’t line up. And while I understand that this is just based loosely around the original, I expected the characters to be similar in a way. For instance, Arthur in the Set in Stone, was too perfect and I mean that when I say he was flawless, he couldn’t do no wrong and had the answer for everything. Which is disappointing when you compare that to the eager to seek the truth and learns from his mistakes Arthur from the original tale.
With the tension between Arthur and Mim building up throughout the book you would expect this huge battle but instead you get an election? The tension was brilliant, and you expect an epic battle, but to end with an election is rather disappointing. Dare I say that this is my least favourite in the series.
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Thank you Scholastic for this book in exchange for an honest review
I have loved all the Twisted Tales so far! I wanted to love this, I really did but comparing this retelling to the original Sword in the Stone, it didn’t line up. And while I understand that this is just based loosely around the original, I expected the characters to be similar in a way. For instance, Arthur in the Set in Stone, was too perfect and I mean that when I say he was flawless, he couldn’t do no wrong and had the answer for everything. Which is disappointing when you compare that to the eager to seek the truth and learns from his mistakes Arthur from the original tale.
With the tension between Arthur and Mim building up throughout the book you would expect this huge battle but instead you get an election? The tension was brilliant, and you expect an epic battle, but to end with an election is rather disappointing. Dare I say that this is my least favourite in the series.
April 28, 2024
3,5 ✨
C'était vraiment régressif à souhait. J'ai adoré retourner dans cet univers qui est un de mes Disney préférés et m'a fait revivre l'animé 💕
C'était vraiment régressif à souhait. J'ai adoré retourner dans cet univers qui est un de mes Disney préférés et m'a fait revivre l'animé 💕
March 17, 2025
I’m reading this book on my way to Disney and it was SO GOOD! Their friendship is absolutely adorable and I love it when these books make it so easy to picture the characters and portray them as they are in their movies! This was a super fun read, and I loved it so much!
September 8, 2023
“They believe you are the one who will take them from the darkness and bring them into the light.”
Having pulled the sword from the stone, scrawny Arthur has gone from washing dishes to sitting on the throne at Camelot Castle. What he doesn't know is that the scheming witch, Madam Mim, used her magic to help Arthur free the sword, believing the boy would be easy to control once he was made king. When Arthur proves more capable than she imagined, Mim sends her foster daughter, Guinevere, to put Arthur back in his right place washing dishes. But Arthur and Guinevere discover Mim's manipulations and forge an unlikely friendship. As they search for a way to outwit Mim and unite the kingdom, they realise that no one's fate is set in stone.
Arthur is certainly a boy king, way in over his head and clearly has a younger way of thinking. He’s always looking to others for guidance and whilst he slowly seemed to think a little more for himself, I wanted a bit more of a progression in his character. I appreciate that he’s still young but he makes grown up decisions as king and actively pursues his romantic inclinations, so I wanted his countenance and overall actions to reflect this. Towards the end, there was a bit more maturity but I still found myself wanting more from him.
Guinevere is someone in a bind. Wanting to do all she can to impress her foster mother, she seeks to take down Arthur’s, supposedly insincere, rule. I think her character was quite interesting. Opposite to Arthur, she felt rather mature for her age and her actions backed this up. I liked the friendly attachment she grew with Arthur and the growth she exhibited over the course of the story, slowly weeding herself from beneath Mim’s thumb. The way she presents herself across the book is very admirable and I think she’s a pretty good character.
Mim and Merlin also feature quite a bit in this story. They’re definitely the angel and the devil, both lobbying their beliefs onto impressionable young people to be evil or good, respectively. I think that perhaps these characters could have been explored more but they were a nice addition.
I’m a big fan of the Disney Twisted Tales series and love reading any new additions to the collection. Being a fan of stories inspired by the Arthurian legend as well, I knew I needed to jump into this one. The plot was rather sound and held my interest throughout. The characters felt engaging and I was interested to see how their stories would play out. Generally, the story was good but I felt it was just lacking in something. It felt easy to read but I didn’t have that connection that I crave when reading. After enjoying the majority of the other Twisted Tales books, I had such high hopes for this one but it just didn’t wow me as I hoped. The ending was okay but I must say I’m not the biggest fan of the inclusion of modern ideas and amenities in what is meant to be medieval Britain - magic or not. It kind of detracted from the story and its aim in my mind.
Overall, Set in Stone is a story that has a lot of promise but just lacks in execution for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Having pulled the sword from the stone, scrawny Arthur has gone from washing dishes to sitting on the throne at Camelot Castle. What he doesn't know is that the scheming witch, Madam Mim, used her magic to help Arthur free the sword, believing the boy would be easy to control once he was made king. When Arthur proves more capable than she imagined, Mim sends her foster daughter, Guinevere, to put Arthur back in his right place washing dishes. But Arthur and Guinevere discover Mim's manipulations and forge an unlikely friendship. As they search for a way to outwit Mim and unite the kingdom, they realise that no one's fate is set in stone.
Arthur is certainly a boy king, way in over his head and clearly has a younger way of thinking. He’s always looking to others for guidance and whilst he slowly seemed to think a little more for himself, I wanted a bit more of a progression in his character. I appreciate that he’s still young but he makes grown up decisions as king and actively pursues his romantic inclinations, so I wanted his countenance and overall actions to reflect this. Towards the end, there was a bit more maturity but I still found myself wanting more from him.
Guinevere is someone in a bind. Wanting to do all she can to impress her foster mother, she seeks to take down Arthur’s, supposedly insincere, rule. I think her character was quite interesting. Opposite to Arthur, she felt rather mature for her age and her actions backed this up. I liked the friendly attachment she grew with Arthur and the growth she exhibited over the course of the story, slowly weeding herself from beneath Mim’s thumb. The way she presents herself across the book is very admirable and I think she’s a pretty good character.
Mim and Merlin also feature quite a bit in this story. They’re definitely the angel and the devil, both lobbying their beliefs onto impressionable young people to be evil or good, respectively. I think that perhaps these characters could have been explored more but they were a nice addition.
I’m a big fan of the Disney Twisted Tales series and love reading any new additions to the collection. Being a fan of stories inspired by the Arthurian legend as well, I knew I needed to jump into this one. The plot was rather sound and held my interest throughout. The characters felt engaging and I was interested to see how their stories would play out. Generally, the story was good but I felt it was just lacking in something. It felt easy to read but I didn’t have that connection that I crave when reading. After enjoying the majority of the other Twisted Tales books, I had such high hopes for this one but it just didn’t wow me as I hoped. The ending was okay but I must say I’m not the biggest fan of the inclusion of modern ideas and amenities in what is meant to be medieval Britain - magic or not. It kind of detracted from the story and its aim in my mind.
Overall, Set in Stone is a story that has a lot of promise but just lacks in execution for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
April 19, 2023
I wanted to love this so much, but I was very disappointed in just how perfect Arthur was as a character. He was literally flawless throughout the story, learning nothing at all because he was already the perfect king.
There was also a misunderstanding trope that I rolled my eyes at when I saw it being set up, but thankfully it didn’t last too long.
Instead of ending in an epic battle between Arthur and Mim at the end of the story, the build up leads to a rather lacklustre verbal argument and then an election? But we already know he was going to win, so the tension there was non-existent. And an election in these times with men, women and children voting seemed very strange - the story should have ended with more from Guin and her parents, or just Arthur being a king at his round table rather than this election nonsense that serves no purpose to the overall story.
With all of this being said, the story was entertaining and Mim was written well. I love Archimedes and just wish there was more of him in the story!
There was also a misunderstanding trope that I rolled my eyes at when I saw it being set up, but thankfully it didn’t last too long.
Instead of ending in an epic battle between Arthur and Mim at the end of the story, the build up leads to a rather lacklustre verbal argument and then an election? But we already know he was going to win, so the tension there was non-existent. And an election in these times with men, women and children voting seemed very strange - the story should have ended with more from Guin and her parents, or just Arthur being a king at his round table rather than this election nonsense that serves no purpose to the overall story.
With all of this being said, the story was entertaining and Mim was written well. I love Archimedes and just wish there was more of him in the story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2024
Before reading this I was kind of skeptical about it - not because it didn’t sound good, but because I’ve only seen The Sword in the Stone once or twice in my life and it’s not really one of my favourite Disney films. Despite this though, I can say that the book was really good. Within the first couple of chapters, I got gripped and kept on wanting to read more and more to find out what happened next and got really invested in it. I loved all the different character perspectives too because you got an insight into what each of them were thinking and feeling as events played out, which made the story more well-rounded in my opinion. There’s also a few Disney references in there as well, which I thought were pretty fun. I have to say, I definitely preferred this version of The Sword in the Stone to the original and I’m really glad I read this book because it surprised me in the best way.
November 5, 2024
This was such a fun book to buddy read! And my husband and I rewatched the movie as well since it had been YEARS since either of us had seen it. Rewatching the movie made it easier to spot the “twists” from the original story so that helped a lot. It was also just a fun movie.
I liked seeing Arthur and this book also has chapters following Guinevere, who apparently is a character in the sequel (which I’ve never seen). Guin’s storyline was giving me vibes of Tangled and I really enjoyed those segments.
I’ve decided Madam Mim isn’t a villain per se; she’s more chaotic neutral. She’s definitely up to her old tricks in this book!
Overall it was cute and fun and I had a great time buddy reading it too!
I liked seeing Arthur and this book also has chapters following Guinevere, who apparently is a character in the sequel (which I’ve never seen). Guin’s storyline was giving me vibes of Tangled and I really enjoyed those segments.
I’ve decided Madam Mim isn’t a villain per se; she’s more chaotic neutral. She’s definitely up to her old tricks in this book!
Overall it was cute and fun and I had a great time buddy reading it too!
October 7, 2024
I found this little gem compelty by accident, and I am so glad I did!
I loved the Sword and the Stone, and it was great to jump back into the world right where the film left off.
Funny, cheerful, and full of Arthurian lore, this is a very well written Arthurian tale that anyone who knows Arthuriana should add to their collection! Lots of eluding to various legends and knights from across the board!
What a cheerful treasure this book is!
I loved the Sword and the Stone, and it was great to jump back into the world right where the film left off.
Funny, cheerful, and full of Arthurian lore, this is a very well written Arthurian tale that anyone who knows Arthuriana should add to their collection! Lots of eluding to various legends and knights from across the board!
What a cheerful treasure this book is!
April 5, 2025
Denk dat dit de eerste is van de serie waarvan ik het oprecht een goed verhaal vond!
Denk ook dat de schrijfster af en toe vergat de Arthur en Guinevere pas 14 zijn maar oke
Denk ook dat de schrijfster af en toe vergat de Arthur en Guinevere pas 14 zijn maar oke
February 5, 2025
leuk boek, heb van het leesavontuur genoten
April 10, 2023
From all the Twisted Tales books I've read so far I had always at least seen the movie once. Some a little longer ago and some more recently, but still. However, this movie I've never seen. I will put it on the "catch up with Disney-list" I'm using for my Saturday Nights. I just didn't wanna wait with reading this book until I had seen the movie. Especially because I think that all these books are still a lot of fun without knowing the original.
This book also was a lot of fun without having seen the original movie. I guess that's partly because there is also this original story behind the original animation movie. And maybe the book is in the first place a twisted version of the animation movie, but in a way it also becomes a twisted version of the original tale of Arthur and his knights. And even though the relationships between all the characters get a little messy I think the main idea behind all of it still stands.
I also really loved how the classical characters were spending some time in our world and were confronted with modern ideas. Some of those were absolutely useless for our characters, but I liked how in a way innovation became kind of circular in this one. The old characters were taking some modern innovations and brought them back with them into the past to introduce them there. And somehow the story gets away with it without much issue.
And I guess that's mostly because Arthur still feels very Arthur and I most of all loved Guin in this book. She's the one having to change and grow the most during the story. She's the one learning that she's been lied to her entire life and that loads of things she always believed were truths were actually clever manipulations to turn her into a perfect kind of weapon. Although it's nice to see that Guin eventually turns out to be more than JUST a weapon for Morgana.
Once more a book that keeps the Disney spirit and Disney feel while also adding a few extra layers.
This book also was a lot of fun without having seen the original movie. I guess that's partly because there is also this original story behind the original animation movie. And maybe the book is in the first place a twisted version of the animation movie, but in a way it also becomes a twisted version of the original tale of Arthur and his knights. And even though the relationships between all the characters get a little messy I think the main idea behind all of it still stands.
I also really loved how the classical characters were spending some time in our world and were confronted with modern ideas. Some of those were absolutely useless for our characters, but I liked how in a way innovation became kind of circular in this one. The old characters were taking some modern innovations and brought them back with them into the past to introduce them there. And somehow the story gets away with it without much issue.
And I guess that's mostly because Arthur still feels very Arthur and I most of all loved Guin in this book. She's the one having to change and grow the most during the story. She's the one learning that she's been lied to her entire life and that loads of things she always believed were truths were actually clever manipulations to turn her into a perfect kind of weapon. Although it's nice to see that Guin eventually turns out to be more than JUST a weapon for Morgana.
Once more a book that keeps the Disney spirit and Disney feel while also adding a few extra layers.
November 13, 2024
The Sword in the Stone is one of my favourite Disney movies of all time so I felt compelled to pick this up and this is my first Twisted Tale so let's go.
With this being a Twisted Tale I knew it was going to be a darker what if? Story and for the most part I enjoyed it, I liked that it was essentially an original plot and was cool to see Arthur actually as a king since the movie ends right after he's been crowned and for the most part he still feels like Arthur (who is one of my favourite Disney characters ever) Merlin was also fun and it was interesting to what would have happened had he not made it back on time like he does in the movie, and thankfully he still felt like Merlin. Archimedes wasn't in the book as much as I'd probably liked him to have been and at times he comes off as meaner than he is in the movie, especially considering that this book starts where the movie leaves off (minus Merlin's return) and by that point Archimedes is quite nice to Arthur and somewhat sympathetic to his situation so to me it seemed off. Mim has a much more villainous role which was interesting but it appeared that Mari Mancusi had borrowed a bit from Mother Gothel with Mim kidnapping Guinevere from her parents and raising her as her own which seemed it a bit odd however it does give us what is probably the best character in the book so can't complain too much there and it was interesting to see her more and so wicked though to me it didn't seem fully like her at times (mostly the idea of her even taking in Guin to begin with). Guinevere was the character here however, she had great development and I felt for her and all the guilt she was carrying, I also found her relationship with Arthur very sweet and it was lovely to see them get together and her relationship with Mim allowed for such an interesting dynamic even it was giving me heavy Rapunzel vibes.
So the stuff I didn't enjoy as much. Mancusi went for a much darker approach to Sir Ector and Sir Kay, Arthur's Foster family, of course they weren't particularly nice to him in the movie either but they weren't outright murderous towards him like they were here. I think what bothered me most here was because how much I love the movie I found it difficult to separate even though it's not really related since it's a Twisted Tale and directly conflicts a lot what actually happens in the movie, particularly the movies last 20 minutes. But making them so cruel just rubbed me the wrong way since when Arthur proved he's the one that pulled the sword from the stone Ector in particular is filled with remorse and clearly deeply regretted ever treating him that way and you could see similar feeling's on Kay's face and Arthur dismisses their apologies and forgives them, because that's who he is and part of what would go onto making him a king of legend. That wasn't really present in the book which to me was a shame for me.
The other issue I have and knew going into it is that Arthur isn't the rightful king and infact the sword in the stone (the real one anyway) plays no part in this story, Mim replaces it with a fake one and selects Arthur herself not realising he's Merlin's student which begins to drive the plot and in the beginning I found myself invested but towards the end I found myself running out of steak reading it even with Guin finally standing up to Mim and and Mim transforming into a dragon I just struggled and that's mostly due to the way the sword in the stone in concept wad treated. The point of the sword in the stone was that it could only be pulled by one person, that person in legend being King Arthur, in the Disney movie he is able to pull it out because he the only one to attempt to remove it not for his own need to gain power but because someone else was in need, that being Kay needing a sword for the tournament, it's Arthur's could heart, determination and all around care for others that allows him to pull the sword, which even in the books is explained to he more powerful than both Merlin and Mim and you know when Arthur touched it in the movie the heavens lit up and it was a miracle placed there to restore order to England by higher powers... so this book just chucks all that away at the end because democracy from the future, quite literally the people of England just vote Arthur as king and because Mim sent the actual sword in the stone to, I'm not joking when I say this, Disney World the actual ruler is never found.
Again I understand it's a Twisted Tale and it's not like a canon sequel or something but it did feel like even though Arthur's noble and kind personality is still there a whole chunk of his character just went missing, perhaps that's just me though, the movie it very special to me. There was a bit where Merlin and Arthur were in the 21st century trying to access the interent and Merlin turned Arthur into a mouse which was a highlight because it really felt like them from the movie. But the somewhat political ending that squirmed in towards then end with characters like Merlin, who knows the sword in the stone is more powerful than even he and Mim are, saying that it's silly and sword shouldn't decide who rules because democracy when it's a medieval fantasy just felt odd and almost like a dig at a story that's very old and isn't even about ruling, I mean King Arthur is literally the dude that had a round table so everyone would be equal so the sword clearly knew what it was doing. To me it just seemed weird to ignore the might powerful object sent to help them and imply that the actual Arthur pulling said mighty powerful object out of a stone was wrong but that's just me.
Besides that there's a few minor changes to note from the movie such as, Arthur being 14 when he's a little younger in the movie (pretty sure he's between 11-13 in the movie) and Camelot actually being mentioned which it never is, plus the forest by Ector's Castle having a name which I'm pretty sure it didn't originally and it appears characters can't speak in animal form when they very clearly could in the movie but as I said they're just some minor things you may notice.
Overall it was a fun read and there's elememts I enjoyed, Guin and her relationships to Mim and Arthur in particular but end felt a bit preachy to me and overall it just didn't give me the same spark as the movie does, it could just be that I'm not into dark retellings, I mean I love sword in the stone for the humor, whimsy and characters in it.
Perhaps I'll read a few other Twisted Tales though, just to see what else there is because I can't say the concepts don't interest me. They're defined fun to get you out of a reading slump. 😆
With this being a Twisted Tale I knew it was going to be a darker what if? Story and for the most part I enjoyed it, I liked that it was essentially an original plot and was cool to see Arthur actually as a king since the movie ends right after he's been crowned and for the most part he still feels like Arthur (who is one of my favourite Disney characters ever) Merlin was also fun and it was interesting to what would have happened had he not made it back on time like he does in the movie, and thankfully he still felt like Merlin. Archimedes wasn't in the book as much as I'd probably liked him to have been and at times he comes off as meaner than he is in the movie, especially considering that this book starts where the movie leaves off (minus Merlin's return) and by that point Archimedes is quite nice to Arthur and somewhat sympathetic to his situation so to me it seemed off. Mim has a much more villainous role which was interesting but it appeared that Mari Mancusi had borrowed a bit from Mother Gothel with Mim kidnapping Guinevere from her parents and raising her as her own which seemed it a bit odd however it does give us what is probably the best character in the book so can't complain too much there and it was interesting to see her more and so wicked though to me it didn't seem fully like her at times (mostly the idea of her even taking in Guin to begin with). Guinevere was the character here however, she had great development and I felt for her and all the guilt she was carrying, I also found her relationship with Arthur very sweet and it was lovely to see them get together and her relationship with Mim allowed for such an interesting dynamic even it was giving me heavy Rapunzel vibes.
So the stuff I didn't enjoy as much. Mancusi went for a much darker approach to Sir Ector and Sir Kay, Arthur's Foster family, of course they weren't particularly nice to him in the movie either but they weren't outright murderous towards him like they were here. I think what bothered me most here was because how much I love the movie I found it difficult to separate even though it's not really related since it's a Twisted Tale and directly conflicts a lot what actually happens in the movie, particularly the movies last 20 minutes. But making them so cruel just rubbed me the wrong way since when Arthur proved he's the one that pulled the sword from the stone Ector in particular is filled with remorse and clearly deeply regretted ever treating him that way and you could see similar feeling's on Kay's face and Arthur dismisses their apologies and forgives them, because that's who he is and part of what would go onto making him a king of legend. That wasn't really present in the book which to me was a shame for me.
The other issue I have and knew going into it is that Arthur isn't the rightful king and infact the sword in the stone (the real one anyway) plays no part in this story, Mim replaces it with a fake one and selects Arthur herself not realising he's Merlin's student which begins to drive the plot and in the beginning I found myself invested but towards the end I found myself running out of steak reading it even with Guin finally standing up to Mim and and Mim transforming into a dragon I just struggled and that's mostly due to the way the sword in the stone in concept wad treated. The point of the sword in the stone was that it could only be pulled by one person, that person in legend being King Arthur, in the Disney movie he is able to pull it out because he the only one to attempt to remove it not for his own need to gain power but because someone else was in need, that being Kay needing a sword for the tournament, it's Arthur's could heart, determination and all around care for others that allows him to pull the sword, which even in the books is explained to he more powerful than both Merlin and Mim and you know when Arthur touched it in the movie the heavens lit up and it was a miracle placed there to restore order to England by higher powers... so this book just chucks all that away at the end because democracy from the future, quite literally the people of England just vote Arthur as king and because Mim sent the actual sword in the stone to, I'm not joking when I say this, Disney World the actual ruler is never found.
Again I understand it's a Twisted Tale and it's not like a canon sequel or something but it did feel like even though Arthur's noble and kind personality is still there a whole chunk of his character just went missing, perhaps that's just me though, the movie it very special to me. There was a bit where Merlin and Arthur were in the 21st century trying to access the interent and Merlin turned Arthur into a mouse which was a highlight because it really felt like them from the movie. But the somewhat political ending that squirmed in towards then end with characters like Merlin, who knows the sword in the stone is more powerful than even he and Mim are, saying that it's silly and sword shouldn't decide who rules because democracy when it's a medieval fantasy just felt odd and almost like a dig at a story that's very old and isn't even about ruling, I mean King Arthur is literally the dude that had a round table so everyone would be equal so the sword clearly knew what it was doing. To me it just seemed weird to ignore the might powerful object sent to help them and imply that the actual Arthur pulling said mighty powerful object out of a stone was wrong but that's just me.
Besides that there's a few minor changes to note from the movie such as, Arthur being 14 when he's a little younger in the movie (pretty sure he's between 11-13 in the movie) and Camelot actually being mentioned which it never is, plus the forest by Ector's Castle having a name which I'm pretty sure it didn't originally and it appears characters can't speak in animal form when they very clearly could in the movie but as I said they're just some minor things you may notice.
Overall it was a fun read and there's elememts I enjoyed, Guin and her relationships to Mim and Arthur in particular but end felt a bit preachy to me and overall it just didn't give me the same spark as the movie does, it could just be that I'm not into dark retellings, I mean I love sword in the stone for the humor, whimsy and characters in it.
Perhaps I'll read a few other Twisted Tales though, just to see what else there is because I can't say the concepts don't interest me. They're defined fun to get you out of a reading slump. 😆
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2023
'Set in Stone' is one of the many Disney "Twisted Tale Novels" that retells the story of Arthur Pendragon (King Arthur). In this novel however, we are presented with the hypothesis...What if Arthur wasn't meant to be king?
Throughout the book we are thrown between multiple narratives, mainly Arthur and Guinevere as they learn the truth about Arthur's claim to the throne, as well as the intentions from Guinevere's foster mother "Madam Mim"...
I really enjoyed reading this story, yes it is very easy to read, but it is charming and has a good plot progression! And even in a short text like this, there is good character development - particularly with how Guinevere is written 😊
My issues arise with some of the pacing in the book, things happen and are resolved very quickly (towards the end in particular!) However I think this comes with the fact this book is aimed at YA (probably up to around 18 years old) - but I honestly think people of all ages would enjoy reading this one! 😊
It has definitely given me the consideration to read more Twisted Tales books as this was a very pleasant read for my first one! 😁
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Throughout the book we are thrown between multiple narratives, mainly Arthur and Guinevere as they learn the truth about Arthur's claim to the throne, as well as the intentions from Guinevere's foster mother "Madam Mim"...
I really enjoyed reading this story, yes it is very easy to read, but it is charming and has a good plot progression! And even in a short text like this, there is good character development - particularly with how Guinevere is written 😊
My issues arise with some of the pacing in the book, things happen and are resolved very quickly (towards the end in particular!) However I think this comes with the fact this book is aimed at YA (probably up to around 18 years old) - but I honestly think people of all ages would enjoy reading this one! 😊
It has definitely given me the consideration to read more Twisted Tales books as this was a very pleasant read for my first one! 😁
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
June 29, 2023
Ok this is absolutely my favorite twisted Disney tale! Sword in the stone is one of my favourite Disney Movies! The retelling was perfect! It had action, love and friendship! It had all my favourite characters and a new one! It was fast paced and I loved being back in Camelot!!!!
Not related to my review but I had to order this book from the UK because all of a sudden some of the Disney Tales are only being released in the UK! That not really fair to non UK readers if you ask me!
Not related to my review but I had to order this book from the UK because all of a sudden some of the Disney Tales are only being released in the UK! That not really fair to non UK readers if you ask me!
August 11, 2025
such a great read. I absolutely love this series. never has one of these books failed in the page turner department. I love the idea of the what ifs and the twists they put into these tales. what if Arthur wasn't supposed to be king. I also like how they all turn out the way there supposed to in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2024
WHO ARE YOU CALLING "OLD"?
A truly enjoyable novel, with an extraordinary characterization of the protagonists and a remarkable analysis of the relationships between them. I particularly loved the key role played by the bond between Guinevere and Madame Mim, very complex and full of layers.
Albeit entertaining, the plot was also predictable and - lo and behold - childish. Someone may object: "But what did you expect from a Disney book?" The only answer I could give, alas, is that I may be too old for this... but still struggle to admit it to myself! And so, what Disney book is next?
A truly enjoyable novel, with an extraordinary characterization of the protagonists and a remarkable analysis of the relationships between them. I particularly loved the key role played by the bond between Guinevere and Madame Mim, very complex and full of layers.
Albeit entertaining, the plot was also predictable and - lo and behold - childish. Someone may object: "But what did you expect from a Disney book?" The only answer I could give, alas, is that I may be too old for this... but still struggle to admit it to myself! And so, what Disney book is next?
July 13, 2024
surprisingly my favorite of the whole twisted tales series, so far.
but like all the other books the last chapter almost ruined it for me. but the last pages made up for it and i was like okay, this is still my favorite.
but like all the other books the last chapter almost ruined it for me. but the last pages made up for it and i was like okay, this is still my favorite.
April 26, 2025
This book isn't very twisted, I'd even argue it's mid-lit, but it's GOOD mid-lit. I never knew where the story was going next in a good way. Thank you Mari for providing the 3rd 5 stars of the series.
April 12, 2024
This was such a great retelling, I had such a great time in this world, it was such a great read!
April 3, 2024
C’était mon premier Twisted Tale et j’ai absolument adoré ! Ça m’a donné envie de tous les lire !!
J’ai beaucoup apprécié la plume de l’autrice. Le récit est très prenant et si fluide avec une intrigue juste géniale puisqu’il s’agit d’une suite de l’histoire originelle. J’avais vraiment du mal à refermer le livre.
Il y a beaucoup d’action et de rebondissements avec toujours de très beaux messages à la clef, comme on en attendrait d’un Disney.
On passe vraiment un très bon moment avec des personnages bien développés et construits pour lesquels je me suis beaucoup attachée.
Vraiment une lecture coup de cœur que je ne peux que vous conseiller !
J’ai beaucoup apprécié la plume de l’autrice. Le récit est très prenant et si fluide avec une intrigue juste géniale puisqu’il s’agit d’une suite de l’histoire originelle. J’avais vraiment du mal à refermer le livre.
Il y a beaucoup d’action et de rebondissements avec toujours de très beaux messages à la clef, comme on en attendrait d’un Disney.
On passe vraiment un très bon moment avec des personnages bien développés et construits pour lesquels je me suis beaucoup attachée.
Vraiment une lecture coup de cœur que je ne peux que vous conseiller !
October 8, 2023
This is more like a 4.5 rounded up. I really liked this one! This is the first Mari Mancusi book I've read, and I kind of liked her writing style! It did read a little younger than a lot of the other Twisted Tales, but that didn't bother me too much.
I really liked Arthur and Guin's relationship in this book, and I thought she wrote their scenes together so well. Their friendship is so wholesome to me. This was kind of friends to lovers, which I loved because that is my favorite trope. The only thing that got me was that I didn't know how old they were. Arthur is constantly being referred to as "a child," and by the end he was calling Guinevere the girl he'd "fallen in love with." I would have just gone with how old he was in the movie, but in the movie, he's like sixteen or something. For a sixteen-year-old to be talking about loving someone felt a bit unrealistic to me. Mancusi could have aged him a little bit for the book, but the fact that their age is never specified kept me from going with it entirely. (The romantic scenes were really cute, though! I do love them together).
I thought Madam Mim as a villain was written pretty well. I liked that her motivations were just that chaos was fun for her, because that is kind of how she seemed in the movie. I loved that she turned Guin against Merlin because that misunderstanding was able to continue throughout most of the book—even when Guinevere saw that Arthur wasn't evil, she still thought Merlin was, and that he was deceiving Arthur. I don't really have an opinion on misunderstandings in general, but I thought this one was really well done.
I will say that I thought the climax/resolution felt kind of rushed. Like in the execution scene, everything was building up really well and felt apprehensive, and then all the sudden Mim turns into a dragon with nothing but "ROAR!" I think it would have worked a bit better if she replaced that one dialogue line with something like "a roar came from the balcony" or something, because just saying "ROAR!" felt kind of cringey, honestly.
Overall I really liked this Twisted Tale and I thought it was a good addition to the series! It wasn't life-changing or mind-blowingly good, but I liked it all the same. It's one of those books that I think of a bit fondly, kind of like a good friend that hasn't quite reached best-friend status. This was a good debut Twisted Tale for Mari Mancusi, and I can't wait to see if she goes on to write any more!
I really liked Arthur and Guin's relationship in this book, and I thought she wrote their scenes together so well. Their friendship is so wholesome to me. This was kind of friends to lovers, which I loved because that is my favorite trope. The only thing that got me was that I didn't know how old they were. Arthur is constantly being referred to as "a child," and by the end he was calling Guinevere the girl he'd "fallen in love with." I would have just gone with how old he was in the movie, but in the movie, he's like sixteen or something. For a sixteen-year-old to be talking about loving someone felt a bit unrealistic to me. Mancusi could have aged him a little bit for the book, but the fact that their age is never specified kept me from going with it entirely. (The romantic scenes were really cute, though! I do love them together).
I thought Madam Mim as a villain was written pretty well. I liked that her motivations were just that chaos was fun for her, because that is kind of how she seemed in the movie. I loved that she turned Guin against Merlin because that misunderstanding was able to continue throughout most of the book—even when Guinevere saw that Arthur wasn't evil, she still thought Merlin was, and that he was deceiving Arthur. I don't really have an opinion on misunderstandings in general, but I thought this one was really well done.
I will say that I thought the climax/resolution felt kind of rushed. Like in the execution scene, everything was building up really well and felt apprehensive, and then all the sudden Mim turns into a dragon with nothing but "ROAR!" I think it would have worked a bit better if she replaced that one dialogue line with something like "a roar came from the balcony" or something, because just saying "ROAR!" felt kind of cringey, honestly.
Overall I really liked this Twisted Tale and I thought it was a good addition to the series! It wasn't life-changing or mind-blowingly good, but I liked it all the same. It's one of those books that I think of a bit fondly, kind of like a good friend that hasn't quite reached best-friend status. This was a good debut Twisted Tale for Mari Mancusi, and I can't wait to see if she goes on to write any more!
December 24, 2023
* You can read the Twisted Tales as standalones.
Having pulled the sword Excalibur from the stone, Arthur has assumed his role as the King of England. But he desperately misses the help of his mentor Merlin, who has been missing for a while. The evil witch Madame Mim tries to manipulate him, but Arthur is on to her and turn her away. This angers Madame Mim, as she set Arthur up to be king and she conspires with her daughter Guinevere to force Arthur to obey her. But an unlikely friendship between Arthur and Guinevere grows and they set out to find Merlin themselves, leaving England open to the destructive force of Madame Mim's hunger for chaos.
Pro's:
+ This is a fun alternate story and the scenes where Arthur and Guinevere go to the future to find Merlin are just plain funny. It was also fun to see there are some modern ideas that they take back to their time and implement there.
+ Even though the beginning is a bit hard to get into, the story soon picks up speeds and becomes incredibly easy to read. The lay-out of the book also makes it easy to read through, there is quite a lot of spacing, making it also great for younger readers.
Con's:
- This story is very bland, like stuff is happening but it never goes very deep into reasons or backgrounds. I still don't know why Madame Mim has her goals and this medium would the THE way to explain more. Also, I still have questions and I find that the biggest problem of this book.
This was a hard book to review. There were some fun elements, but I still have a lot of questions after reading this book. Like, where is the 'real' stone with Excalibur now and why wasn't it retrieved to determine the real king? What if someone pulls it out in the future? Like, there is still a lot left open and as this story never goes into any detail it was a bit hard to follow in the beginning. It is easy to read and the open spacing makes it very suitable for younger readers, but I find this entry in the Twisted Tale series one of the less fun ones.
Having pulled the sword Excalibur from the stone, Arthur has assumed his role as the King of England. But he desperately misses the help of his mentor Merlin, who has been missing for a while. The evil witch Madame Mim tries to manipulate him, but Arthur is on to her and turn her away. This angers Madame Mim, as she set Arthur up to be king and she conspires with her daughter Guinevere to force Arthur to obey her. But an unlikely friendship between Arthur and Guinevere grows and they set out to find Merlin themselves, leaving England open to the destructive force of Madame Mim's hunger for chaos.
Pro's:
+ This is a fun alternate story and the scenes where Arthur and Guinevere go to the future to find Merlin are just plain funny. It was also fun to see there are some modern ideas that they take back to their time and implement there.
+ Even though the beginning is a bit hard to get into, the story soon picks up speeds and becomes incredibly easy to read. The lay-out of the book also makes it easy to read through, there is quite a lot of spacing, making it also great for younger readers.
Con's:
- This story is very bland, like stuff is happening but it never goes very deep into reasons or backgrounds. I still don't know why Madame Mim has her goals and this medium would the THE way to explain more. Also, I still have questions and I find that the biggest problem of this book.
This was a hard book to review. There were some fun elements, but I still have a lot of questions after reading this book. Like, where is the 'real' stone with Excalibur now and why wasn't it retrieved to determine the real king? What if someone pulls it out in the future? Like, there is still a lot left open and as this story never goes into any detail it was a bit hard to follow in the beginning. It is easy to read and the open spacing makes it very suitable for younger readers, but I find this entry in the Twisted Tale series one of the less fun ones.
December 29, 2023
A good book that provides an interesting sequel to Sword in the Stone. Following the idea that Mim replaced Excalibur to put Arthur on the throne for her own mischievous reasons. Tagging along as a protagonist is new character, Guin, based on Guinevere from legend.
The plot of the story focuses on Guin and Mim trying to remove Arthur from the throne, and what ensues is many failed attempts and a lot of doubt.
Guin was sadly the biggest let down in this story. I understand that she’s been raised by Mim, which means she will have a warped view of things (e.g. Merlin), but she is just so dumb it was cringe-worthy and annoying. She wants to help England prosper – admirable – and thinks Mim wants the same – understandable based on upbringing. However, she constantly overlooks Mim’s obvious evil intentions and ignores Arthur’s good ones. For example, Arthur aims to achieve peace with the Saxons, but she still sides with Mim because it could be a trap (after a lot of side-stepping the question). This girl is plain dumb, because even though she does question things, she refuses to see what is right in front of her.
Arthur was only a bit better, as he was so sweet and honest. However, he also didn’t question things that much, such as why Guin thought he wasn’t meant to be king. Like, seriously, she provided no evidence that it was a trick, so why believe her?! He also almost believed her about Merlin being evil. Why would he think that?!
The other characters were very true to the movie, and far more interesting.
Overall, a good book though the characters need work.
The plot of the story focuses on Guin and Mim trying to remove Arthur from the throne, and what ensues is many failed attempts and a lot of doubt.
Guin was sadly the biggest let down in this story. I understand that she’s been raised by Mim, which means she will have a warped view of things (e.g. Merlin), but she is just so dumb it was cringe-worthy and annoying. She wants to help England prosper – admirable – and thinks Mim wants the same – understandable based on upbringing. However, she constantly overlooks Mim’s obvious evil intentions and ignores Arthur’s good ones. For example, Arthur aims to achieve peace with the Saxons, but she still sides with Mim because it could be a trap (after a lot of side-stepping the question). This girl is plain dumb, because even though she does question things, she refuses to see what is right in front of her.
Arthur was only a bit better, as he was so sweet and honest. However, he also didn’t question things that much, such as why Guin thought he wasn’t meant to be king. Like, seriously, she provided no evidence that it was a trick, so why believe her?! He also almost believed her about Merlin being evil. Why would he think that?!
The other characters were very true to the movie, and far more interesting.
Overall, a good book though the characters need work.
January 22, 2025
Plot 4.25/5
Characters 4.25/5
Ending 4/5
Interest 4.75/5
Overall 4.25/5
-This was the first twisted tale book I read and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It was really fast paced, I was able to finish it in one sitting without really seeing the time fly by. I have to admit that I don’t really know the original tale very well so I can’t really compare it to this book. I can’t truly say what changed and what didn’t but as a whole, I still really enjoyed this book. It definitely felt very much like reading a fairy tale and it did read quite young but I don’t mind that. The plot itself was intriguing with the different sorcerers wanting different things and acting differently to get what they want. I also loved some small references to other Disney tales.
-I really liked these characters. They were all quite bubbly and fun to follow throughout the story and even Madam Mim was greta and I loved reading her point of view as well. The biggest issue I had is that it sometimes felt that Guin and Arthur weren’t really their ages. They are both young teenagers and I feel like that is the hardest age range to write. At times they would be acting and talking like grown adults and then other times they would act and play like children. Adding to that, the romance was really cute but again, they are really young so falling in love is a bit odd (plausible but odd) but I like the idea of a crush.
-The ending really did feel like a Disney fairy tale. It was all happy and perfectly ended which is expected for these types of books relating to classic Disney tales. I’m not sure how I feel about the whole democracy thing in their time period but it was definitely fun to see these characters react to certain modern and contemporary elements that are common to us.
Ending 4/5
Interest 4.75/5
Overall 4.25/5
-This was the first twisted tale book I read and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It was really fast paced, I was able to finish it in one sitting without really seeing the time fly by. I have to admit that I don’t really know the original tale very well so I can’t really compare it to this book. I can’t truly say what changed and what didn’t but as a whole, I still really enjoyed this book. It definitely felt very much like reading a fairy tale and it did read quite young but I don’t mind that. The plot itself was intriguing with the different sorcerers wanting different things and acting differently to get what they want. I also loved some small references to other Disney tales.
-I really liked these characters. They were all quite bubbly and fun to follow throughout the story and even Madam Mim was greta and I loved reading her point of view as well. The biggest issue I had is that it sometimes felt that Guin and Arthur weren’t really their ages. They are both young teenagers and I feel like that is the hardest age range to write. At times they would be acting and talking like grown adults and then other times they would act and play like children. Adding to that, the romance was really cute but again, they are really young so falling in love is a bit odd (plausible but odd) but I like the idea of a crush.
-The ending really did feel like a Disney fairy tale. It was all happy and perfectly ended which is expected for these types of books relating to classic Disney tales. I’m not sure how I feel about the whole democracy thing in their time period but it was definitely fun to see these characters react to certain modern and contemporary elements that are common to us.
November 18, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this. The characters felt like those from the film. The added Guiniever character, I liked how her character progressed. It was less so her development (as she didn'treally change), but more her eyes were opened to the truth.
Even though the divine right to rule as ascribed via the sword was altered and taken away. I did like that they were showing that Arthur had the desired qualities for the kingship. I just think it would have been nice to also stick with the story of having him being the only one worthy to draw the sword from the stone.
Guin, being raised by Mim, seemed completely out of character and illogical to the Mim of the film. I soon moved past this as the story progressed, as it was a major plot point and required really for the ending. I was hoping for more of a battle with Mim than there was. But it still worked with what the story had been pushing all along.
When Guin and Arthur were in the future. The thought came instantly that there was no way they (medieval english speaking) would be able to communicate with modern people. Other than that, it didn't feel jarring. It was described that both sides were confused by each other, rightly so.
I liked the ending of Arthur wanting to be a good king and doing what was best for his people, even if that meant giving up his crown. But I did miss the Excalibur story of him being worthy of the sword and the ruling of England. And of Sir Ector and Kay being awed by this revelation. Someone else could have been disgruntled and challenged Arthur. It was disappointing to break their character development, but is this more real? I don't know.
Even though the divine right to rule as ascribed via the sword was altered and taken away. I did like that they were showing that Arthur had the desired qualities for the kingship. I just think it would have been nice to also stick with the story of having him being the only one worthy to draw the sword from the stone.
Guin, being raised by Mim, seemed completely out of character and illogical to the Mim of the film. I soon moved past this as the story progressed, as it was a major plot point and required really for the ending. I was hoping for more of a battle with Mim than there was. But it still worked with what the story had been pushing all along.
When Guin and Arthur were in the future. The thought came instantly that there was no way they (medieval english speaking) would be able to communicate with modern people. Other than that, it didn't feel jarring. It was described that both sides were confused by each other, rightly so.
I liked the ending of Arthur wanting to be a good king and doing what was best for his people, even if that meant giving up his crown. But I did miss the Excalibur story of him being worthy of the sword and the ruling of England. And of Sir Ector and Kay being awed by this revelation. Someone else could have been disgruntled and challenged Arthur. It was disappointing to break their character development, but is this more real? I don't know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2023
Not bad. I enjoyed a lot in this novel, mainly Arthur's character. He was such a sweet, trusting boy who wanted to do right by everyone. Being called King hadn't changed him but made him more nervous about making his kingdom better and left in doubt if he was the right boy for the job.
In this version, Mim actually made Arthur pull the stone from a rock she switched over for the real one and so she believes he will make for a great puppet king. Alas, Arthur is not one for chaos and likes to rely on the lessons he'd recieved from Merlin which set Mim all the more against him. Her attempts at taking him down made for an interesting story.
My real issue was with Guinevere. He was SO gullible! I get Mim raised her but if she was supposedly SO good, how come she never questioned the evil things her "mother" did? How come she was so angry from one lie of omission from Arthur, but she justified lying to him over and over? Even after knowing him, she tried to turn him against his tutor instead of figuring out why the stories were so different. Her behavior and thought process just seemed ridiculous. But at least she was helpful at the end haha
Cute story overall. Also fun to see these kids react to modern world ideas and clothing and inventions lol
Gotta point out the straight up plagiarism of the King Solomon's story too tho, since no one mentioned that lol
The author showed Arthur's kind nature and smart thinking in other ways in the story. I'm sure she could have come up with another scenerio to show his "wisdom" too haha
In this version, Mim actually made Arthur pull the stone from a rock she switched over for the real one and so she believes he will make for a great puppet king. Alas, Arthur is not one for chaos and likes to rely on the lessons he'd recieved from Merlin which set Mim all the more against him. Her attempts at taking him down made for an interesting story.
My real issue was with Guinevere. He was SO gullible! I get Mim raised her but if she was supposedly SO good, how come she never questioned the evil things her "mother" did? How come she was so angry from one lie of omission from Arthur, but she justified lying to him over and over? Even after knowing him, she tried to turn him against his tutor instead of figuring out why the stories were so different. Her behavior and thought process just seemed ridiculous. But at least she was helpful at the end haha
Cute story overall. Also fun to see these kids react to modern world ideas and clothing and inventions lol
Gotta point out the straight up plagiarism of the King Solomon's story too tho, since no one mentioned that lol
The author showed Arthur's kind nature and smart thinking in other ways in the story. I'm sure she could have come up with another scenerio to show his "wisdom" too haha
July 28, 2025
3.75
même si il n y’a pas eu des sous intrigue comme je l’aurais espéré ( quand j’ai vu l’identité de Morgane (quoiqu’il eut été plus logique que ce soit Viviane, j’ai espéré un sous plot romance Mim Merlin) MAIS j’ai aimé qu’on mette Mim sur un autre niveau de machiavélisme. Mim se traine la réputation de méchante pas forcément maline, sous fifre de Miss Tic et là elle prend une autre ampleur. Sa relation avec Guenievre est intéressante mais pas vraiment creusée. On aurait pu avoir des développements plus complexes. Ce qui eut été possible si l’intrigue avait duré sur un temps plus long.
Ça aurait permis plus de crédibilité dans le développement des sentiments entre Arthur et Guenievre, d’une part parce que leur âge rend ça un peu cringe (on peut pas les traiter d’enfant et les opposer aux adultes et leur faire débiter des declarations sentimentales de cet ordre) d’autre part parce que ça arrive en un claquement de doigts et c’est….pas crédible.
Le passage de la limace était en soit sûrement écrit pour être drôle mais je l’ai trouvé… en dessous de ce que cela aurait dû être avec une sorcière assez maline pour échanger les épées.
Merlin… merlin il ne sert pas à grand chose🤣 et vu sa repartie sur le pouvoir de l’amour, je pense que les gamins ont ramené Albus par erreur.
Mais dans l’ensemble j’ai trouvé ça mignon. Et pas si mal. Mais ç’aurait été beaucoup mieux si l’intrigue avait été placée dans un temps long (2/3ans)
même si il n y’a pas eu des sous intrigue comme je l’aurais espéré ( quand j’ai vu l’identité de Morgane (quoiqu’il eut été plus logique que ce soit Viviane, j’ai espéré un sous plot romance Mim Merlin) MAIS j’ai aimé qu’on mette Mim sur un autre niveau de machiavélisme. Mim se traine la réputation de méchante pas forcément maline, sous fifre de Miss Tic et là elle prend une autre ampleur. Sa relation avec Guenievre est intéressante mais pas vraiment creusée. On aurait pu avoir des développements plus complexes. Ce qui eut été possible si l’intrigue avait duré sur un temps plus long.
Ça aurait permis plus de crédibilité dans le développement des sentiments entre Arthur et Guenievre, d’une part parce que leur âge rend ça un peu cringe (on peut pas les traiter d’enfant et les opposer aux adultes et leur faire débiter des declarations sentimentales de cet ordre) d’autre part parce que ça arrive en un claquement de doigts et c’est….pas crédible.
Le passage de la limace était en soit sûrement écrit pour être drôle mais je l’ai trouvé… en dessous de ce que cela aurait dû être avec une sorcière assez maline pour échanger les épées.
Merlin… merlin il ne sert pas à grand chose🤣 et vu sa repartie sur le pouvoir de l’amour, je pense que les gamins ont ramené Albus par erreur.
Mais dans l’ensemble j’ai trouvé ça mignon. Et pas si mal. Mais ç’aurait été beaucoup mieux si l’intrigue avait été placée dans un temps long (2/3ans)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
3.5
J’ai aimé certains point originaux comme et globalement j’ai trouvé ça assez fun. Je trouve qu’il y a quand même beaucoup d incohérences et surtout ça me gêne cette semi sexualisation de gamins a qui on se réfère comme des enfants.
Toute la partie romance semblait correspondre à des personnages plus young adult et le récit se serait placé 2 ou 3 ans plus tard (ils auraient eu entre 15 et 16) ça ne m'aurait pas dérangé, cependant là à 13 et 14 quand la narration ne cesse de rappeler qu'ils sont enfants, les scènes de romance semblaient un peu déplacées par leur nature. Quelque chose de plus innocent aurait peut-être été plus approprié. Peut-être que c'est prude, je ne sais pas, mais la dichotomie entre scène poussée dans la romance adolescente et le rappel constant de leur statut d'enfants m'a profondément dérangée. De plus, ils ne faisaient pas vraiment leurs âges.
Le récit en lui même manquait parfois de cohérence et se contredisait parfois trois paragraphes plus loin, ce qui est dommage. Beaucoup de TGCM aussi. Je peux accepter une certaine dose parce que c'est jeunesse et c'est Disney mais... y a des incohérences qui sont quand même un peu grosses et c'est pas parce que c'est jeunesse que ça doit être dénué de sens.
Mis à part ça, j'ai retrouvé l'ambiance du dessin animé et j'ai quand même passé un bon moment de lecture.
J’ai aimé certains point originaux comme et globalement j’ai trouvé ça assez fun. Je trouve qu’il y a quand même beaucoup d incohérences et surtout ça me gêne cette semi sexualisation de gamins a qui on se réfère comme des enfants.
Toute la partie romance semblait correspondre à des personnages plus young adult et le récit se serait placé 2 ou 3 ans plus tard (ils auraient eu entre 15 et 16) ça ne m'aurait pas dérangé, cependant là à 13 et 14 quand la narration ne cesse de rappeler qu'ils sont enfants, les scènes de romance semblaient un peu déplacées par leur nature. Quelque chose de plus innocent aurait peut-être été plus approprié. Peut-être que c'est prude, je ne sais pas, mais la dichotomie entre scène poussée dans la romance adolescente et le rappel constant de leur statut d'enfants m'a profondément dérangée. De plus, ils ne faisaient pas vraiment leurs âges.
Le récit en lui même manquait parfois de cohérence et se contredisait parfois trois paragraphes plus loin, ce qui est dommage. Beaucoup de TGCM aussi. Je peux accepter une certaine dose parce que c'est jeunesse et c'est Disney mais... y a des incohérences qui sont quand même un peu grosses et c'est pas parce que c'est jeunesse que ça doit être dénué de sens.
Mis à part ça, j'ai retrouvé l'ambiance du dessin animé et j'ai quand même passé un bon moment de lecture.
Read
October 12, 2023Honestly, deeply disappointing. Seems like a rush job and could really have used some more editing. I'm most upset by how completely incurious Mancusi appears to be about the practical difficulties of being king and politics in general. I realise it's a book for kids, but if you want to read a story that handles political machinations while respecting its young audience, read Mirror, Mirror: A Twisted Tale by Jen Calonita. It's excellent, and an example of executing this series' conceit much better. Still, I mostly had fun with the parts of this book that are concerned with the characters and plot rather than the politics.
*** Some more specific grievances, including mild spoilers ***
Archimedes, the obnoxious, persnickety word nerd of an owl, uses the phrase "I could care less" where he clearly meant "I couldn't care less", and that is pure character assassination which I will not abide.
This book also uses the "oh no we have to kiss to avoid attention" trope and it's between two actual children. Thanks, I hate it.
*** A slightly more major spoiler ***
The character of Guinevere makes no sense. No child raised by Madam Mim could possibly turn out normal and nice. Simply not possible.
*** Some more specific grievances, including mild spoilers ***
Archimedes, the obnoxious, persnickety word nerd of an owl, uses the phrase "I could care less" where he clearly meant "I couldn't care less", and that is pure character assassination which I will not abide.
This book also uses the "oh no we have to kiss to avoid attention" trope and it's between two actual children. Thanks, I hate it.
*** A slightly more major spoiler ***
The character of Guinevere makes no sense. No child raised by Madam Mim could possibly turn out normal and nice. Simply not possible.
January 10, 2024
To be honest, I have never really formed an opinion about this particular version of the King Arthur legend. I used to watch and love Merlin, but that was far from being the original version, and I do remember watching Disney's "Sword in the Stone", but the only thing I remember about it is that it was a rather dark movie.
That is it.
So when I began listening to this, I did not know what to expect.
But Madam Mim trying to cheat at the contest, only to making the rightful heir of the throne, Arthur, king of England, and feeling bad about it, so sending her foster daughter (who Mim stole from her king and queen parents in a rather Gothel-esque fashion) to get rid of Arthur?
It was really good.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The foster daughter was obviously Guinivere, and Arthur being Arthur, he promply fell for her. Thankfully, his feeling weren't one sided, and after learning the truth about Madam Mim, she had a chance of heart and helped Arthur.
Oh, this book also had time travel, because Mim trapped Merlin in the 21st century. Arthur and Guinivere went to retrieve him and their adventure in the 21st century were really fun!
It was also really fun that Arthur learned about democracy when he time traveled and he held an election, so that the people of England would be ruled by whoever they wanted, but they obviously chose Arthur in the end.
That is it.
So when I began listening to this, I did not know what to expect.
But Madam Mim trying to cheat at the contest, only to making the rightful heir of the throne, Arthur, king of England, and feeling bad about it, so sending her foster daughter (who Mim stole from her king and queen parents in a rather Gothel-esque fashion) to get rid of Arthur?
It was really good.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The foster daughter was obviously Guinivere, and Arthur being Arthur, he promply fell for her. Thankfully, his feeling weren't one sided, and after learning the truth about Madam Mim, she had a chance of heart and helped Arthur.
Oh, this book also had time travel, because Mim trapped Merlin in the 21st century. Arthur and Guinivere went to retrieve him and their adventure in the 21st century were really fun!
It was also really fun that Arthur learned about democracy when he time traveled and he held an election, so that the people of England would be ruled by whoever they wanted, but they obviously chose Arthur in the end.
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