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The Pendragon Prophecy #1
The Chosen Queen: A Novel of the Pendragon Prophecy
Igraine, destined mother of King Arthur, takes center stage for a powerful, feminist retelling of Camelot.
The stories of Camelot do not begin with the sword in the stone—but rather with a twisted chain of murder, magic, and deceit.
Igraine is happily married to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, even though his withdrawal from the Mysteries and the Goddess have created a strain between them, as well as friction between her and her mentor, the Lady of the Lake. While they are visiting Uther Pendragon, King of Britain, at his castle, Uther makes it obvious to the entire court that he desires Igraine to be his queen. Later, he grabs her in the hall, and when Igraine informs Gorlois of what happened, he gathers his people and abruptly leaves the festivities, later declaring war on Uther. England has only recently found peace, and Merlin pleads with Gorlois to pledge allegiance to Uther. But Gorlois’ pride will keep him bent toward war, no matter the cost to his people.
Igraine bravely assumes the role of leader at Tintagel Castle, encouraging the women left behind to continue working the fields to show their devotion to the Goddess and instructing her two daughters to harness their own powers. She plans a grand summer solstice celebration, inviting their allies. On the eve of the solstice, Gorlois unexpectedly returns to Tintagel. But it is only after she lies with who she thinks is her beloved husband that Igraine learns the full extent of the devious plot of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake.
Igraine is chosen by the Goddess, by the Lady of the Lake, by Merlin, by Uther Pendragon . . . but in the end, she will choose her own fate.
The stories of Camelot do not begin with the sword in the stone—but rather with a twisted chain of murder, magic, and deceit.
Igraine is happily married to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, even though his withdrawal from the Mysteries and the Goddess have created a strain between them, as well as friction between her and her mentor, the Lady of the Lake. While they are visiting Uther Pendragon, King of Britain, at his castle, Uther makes it obvious to the entire court that he desires Igraine to be his queen. Later, he grabs her in the hall, and when Igraine informs Gorlois of what happened, he gathers his people and abruptly leaves the festivities, later declaring war on Uther. England has only recently found peace, and Merlin pleads with Gorlois to pledge allegiance to Uther. But Gorlois’ pride will keep him bent toward war, no matter the cost to his people.
Igraine bravely assumes the role of leader at Tintagel Castle, encouraging the women left behind to continue working the fields to show their devotion to the Goddess and instructing her two daughters to harness their own powers. She plans a grand summer solstice celebration, inviting their allies. On the eve of the solstice, Gorlois unexpectedly returns to Tintagel. But it is only after she lies with who she thinks is her beloved husband that Igraine learns the full extent of the devious plot of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake.
Igraine is chosen by the Goddess, by the Lady of the Lake, by Merlin, by Uther Pendragon . . . but in the end, she will choose her own fate.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published June 3, 2025
22 people are currently reading
2090 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
May 22, 2025
That…wasn’t feminist. Please try again.
March 28, 2025
The Chosen Queen is a novel of contradictions—beautifully immersive yet frustratingly sluggish, compelling in concept yet flawed in execution.
Let’s start with the positives: the prose is undeniably lovely. The author paints a vivid, atmospheric world that makes you feel as though you’ve stepped into the misty, mythical past. The descriptions are rich, the setting lush, and the attention to historical detail admirable. If you enjoy slow, immersive reads, you may appreciate this aspect.
However, the pacing is where the book lost me. It drags—a lot. There are long-winded descriptions of things that add little to the plot or character development, making it a struggle to push through. I found myself skimming passages just to move forward, and it took me two weeks to finish simply because I had to force myself to keep going. A tighter edit would have helped tremendously.
Then there’s the portrayal of women. While it touches on important themes like women’s agency over their own bodies, the execution falls flat. The female characters, especially Igraine, feel more like idealized figures shaped by the male gaze rather than fully realized people. Given that this is a first-person narrative from Igraine's POV, it’s especially jarring. It’s understandable to an extent given the story’s premise, but ultimately, it weakens the impact.
Overall, The Chosen Queen had the potential to be a great read, but it gets lost in unnecessary detail. If you have the patience for a slow burn and appreciate elegant prose, you might enjoy it. But if you prefer tighter storytelling and well-rounded female perspectives, you may find this one frustrating.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!
Let’s start with the positives: the prose is undeniably lovely. The author paints a vivid, atmospheric world that makes you feel as though you’ve stepped into the misty, mythical past. The descriptions are rich, the setting lush, and the attention to historical detail admirable. If you enjoy slow, immersive reads, you may appreciate this aspect.
However, the pacing is where the book lost me. It drags—a lot. There are long-winded descriptions of things that add little to the plot or character development, making it a struggle to push through. I found myself skimming passages just to move forward, and it took me two weeks to finish simply because I had to force myself to keep going. A tighter edit would have helped tremendously.
Then there’s the portrayal of women. While it touches on important themes like women’s agency over their own bodies, the execution falls flat. The female characters, especially Igraine, feel more like idealized figures shaped by the male gaze rather than fully realized people. Given that this is a first-person narrative from Igraine's POV, it’s especially jarring. It’s understandable to an extent given the story’s premise, but ultimately, it weakens the impact.
Overall, The Chosen Queen had the potential to be a great read, but it gets lost in unnecessary detail. If you have the patience for a slow burn and appreciate elegant prose, you might enjoy it. But if you prefer tighter storytelling and well-rounded female perspectives, you may find this one frustrating.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!
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July 2, 2025Admitting defeat 22% in because I’m bored out of my mind, tired of Igraine basically believing all women other than her, the Lady of the Lake, and her half-sister (and even then) are dim witted harlots, and really annoyed with her focus on her chest. Like I get it girl, you’re “smart” and got a great rack on you but can you stop yapping and get to the even more boring plot? Yeesh, how is this feminist??
Also, how are we in post-Roman and Saxon invasion of the island and yet we’ve got the name England and knights roaming the countryside??? The history isn’t historying here!!!
And that Goloris is nothing more than a guy who doesn’t really respect is wife and only uses her as an excuse to go to war??? Where is their love story?!
I’m so done with people trying to “remake” tales and myths when they clearly don’t get the sources all because “it doesn’t fit their idea for the story.”
Also, how are we in post-Roman and Saxon invasion of the island and yet we’ve got the name England and knights roaming the countryside??? The history isn’t historying here!!!
And that Goloris is nothing more than a guy who doesn’t really respect is wife and only uses her as an excuse to go to war??? Where is their love story?!
I’m so done with people trying to “remake” tales and myths when they clearly don’t get the sources all because “it doesn’t fit their idea for the story.”
January 11, 2026
I loved reading the story of King Arthur's birth from a woman's POV. I can relate to Igraine in several ways. Igraine is tricked and manipulated into becoming the mother of the Once and Future King, but struggles to maintain autonomy and dignity. This book gave me a very different view of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. The author worked actual historical people or incidents into the mythological story. Knowing the legend of Arthur fairly well, I recognized some of the foreshadowing at the end of the book. I enjoyed this book very much
July 23, 2025
Thank you to RBmedia, NetGalley & Sam Davey for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Genre(s): historical fiction, retelling, magical realism.
Overall impression: this was a very tricky book to rate and I can see why the reviews are so polarised. The parts that I really enjoyed were the history, folklore, magical realism, writing style and endurance of the FMC (Igraine). I would recommend this book to people that enjoy historical fiction with heavy folklore elements. But I would not recommend this to people that are looking for something with romance or a strong feminist FMC that will challenge the patriarchy during an oppressive period in history. The relationships were toxic and abusive, and the FMC was passive and accepting of the abuse for most of the novel - only liberating herself at the very end of the novel once she had served her purpose to the King and his religion. Because of these reasons, I would not describe this as a particularly feminist novel.
Tropes:
➵ Arthurian legend retelling
➵ Set in late 5th - early 6th centuries
➵ Prophecy & scrying
➵ Magical realism
➵ Daughter with strong powers
➵ Patriarchal society
➵ Arranged political marriages
➵ Toxic relationships
➵ Subtle feminism
➵ She saves herself
➵ Open ending
⤷ Plot:
This was my first historical fiction read from the Arthurian time period, so I'm not sure how closely it followed the original story. It felt very authentic though and translated well with some modernisation of dialogue and language structure.
The Chosen Queen was a character-driven story focusing on the prophecy that Igraine would birth a son that would go on to be the next king. Despite Igraine already being married, the king at the time, Uther Pendragon, believed that he was destined to conceive this child with Igraine and started a war to gain control over her body. Igraine was castle-bound for most of the story and had very little say in her own destiny, creating a lot of scenes that were very emotional and difficult to get through. There were a few plot twists towards the end that I hadn't anticipated, and it had an open conclusion with some unanswered questions. I'm not sure if this is the first in a continuous or standalone series, so I'm not sure if the questions will be resolved later.
⤷ Characters:
I would describe Igraine as a quiet feminist. She knew that the world was a cruel place for women in the 5th and 6th centuries, and that religion should not be used to serve the desires of men in power. Unfortunately, she had few resources to fight the patriarchy or religion at the time and spent most of the novel enduring the abuse. Other women in the novel perpetrated these abuses and tried to force Igraine into submission but she knew in her heart that this was unjust. Whilst I wouldn't typically describe someone with her temperament as 'strong', it was clear that she had immense strength and courage to endure what life threw at her until she was in a position to liberate herself at the end. Because of these reasons, I found Igraine to be one of the stronger parts of the book and resonated strongly with her character.
The male characters aren't even worth mentioning.
⤷ World-building:
The magical realism was a highlight of the novel. It was readily accessible to all of the female characters, who could use scrying bowls or mirrors to see the future. It was a nice change from 'the chosen one' trope, where only one character would have access to such strong power. I also enjoyed the lore where the future was not set in stone - which gave the practice of scrying more purpose, and the women an equally as important role in war as the male soldiers.
Whilst most of the story was set in one location, the description of the castle, clothing, daily activities and religious symbols helped me get a sense of life back in the 5th and 6th centuries. I could feel how turbulent of a time it was with regular land feuds and the emergence of the new religion (i.e. missionaries, crosses) which was at odds with the old religion (i.e. scrying bowls, protection charms).
⤷ Writing:
Despite being set so long ago, I found the language to be really easy to follow. It had been modernised but not to the extent that it was jarring to read. It flowed nicely and translated well to audio. I would definitely continue the series if Sam Davey released another book in The Pendragon Prophecy.
⤷ Everything else:
Anna Burnett was the narrator of the RBmedia edition. She was a great representation of Igraine and it truly felt like it was the character talking to us and explaining the atrocities she had experienced at the hands of feuding men. Anna's voice was very clear, lyrical and emotive - which was very apparent in some of the more triggering or devastating scenes. I would strongly recommend interested readers to try the audiobook version because I think the tone of the story is a lot more compelling in this format.
Statistics:
➵ Date read: 11/07/2025-15/07/2025 (5 days).
➵ Page count: 11 hrs 44 mins.
➵ Type: audiobook.
➵ Volume: series.
➵ Special: NetGalley ARC.
Social Media Links:
Instagram | TikTok | Threads
Follow for reviews, unboxings and book aesthetic videos.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Genre(s): historical fiction, retelling, magical realism.
Overall impression: this was a very tricky book to rate and I can see why the reviews are so polarised. The parts that I really enjoyed were the history, folklore, magical realism, writing style and endurance of the FMC (Igraine). I would recommend this book to people that enjoy historical fiction with heavy folklore elements. But I would not recommend this to people that are looking for something with romance or a strong feminist FMC that will challenge the patriarchy during an oppressive period in history. The relationships were toxic and abusive, and the FMC was passive and accepting of the abuse for most of the novel - only liberating herself at the very end of the novel once she had served her purpose to the King and his religion. Because of these reasons, I would not describe this as a particularly feminist novel.
Tropes:
➵ Arthurian legend retelling
➵ Set in late 5th - early 6th centuries
➵ Prophecy & scrying
➵ Magical realism
➵ Daughter with strong powers
➵ Patriarchal society
➵ Arranged political marriages
➵ Toxic relationships
➵ Subtle feminism
➵ She saves herself
➵ Open ending
⤷ Plot:
This was my first historical fiction read from the Arthurian time period, so I'm not sure how closely it followed the original story. It felt very authentic though and translated well with some modernisation of dialogue and language structure.
The Chosen Queen was a character-driven story focusing on the prophecy that Igraine would birth a son that would go on to be the next king. Despite Igraine already being married, the king at the time, Uther Pendragon, believed that he was destined to conceive this child with Igraine and started a war to gain control over her body. Igraine was castle-bound for most of the story and had very little say in her own destiny, creating a lot of scenes that were very emotional and difficult to get through. There were a few plot twists towards the end that I hadn't anticipated, and it had an open conclusion with some unanswered questions. I'm not sure if this is the first in a continuous or standalone series, so I'm not sure if the questions will be resolved later.
⤷ Characters:
I would describe Igraine as a quiet feminist. She knew that the world was a cruel place for women in the 5th and 6th centuries, and that religion should not be used to serve the desires of men in power. Unfortunately, she had few resources to fight the patriarchy or religion at the time and spent most of the novel enduring the abuse. Other women in the novel perpetrated these abuses and tried to force Igraine into submission but she knew in her heart that this was unjust. Whilst I wouldn't typically describe someone with her temperament as 'strong', it was clear that she had immense strength and courage to endure what life threw at her until she was in a position to liberate herself at the end. Because of these reasons, I found Igraine to be one of the stronger parts of the book and resonated strongly with her character.
The male characters aren't even worth mentioning.
⤷ World-building:
The magical realism was a highlight of the novel. It was readily accessible to all of the female characters, who could use scrying bowls or mirrors to see the future. It was a nice change from 'the chosen one' trope, where only one character would have access to such strong power. I also enjoyed the lore where the future was not set in stone - which gave the practice of scrying more purpose, and the women an equally as important role in war as the male soldiers.
Whilst most of the story was set in one location, the description of the castle, clothing, daily activities and religious symbols helped me get a sense of life back in the 5th and 6th centuries. I could feel how turbulent of a time it was with regular land feuds and the emergence of the new religion (i.e. missionaries, crosses) which was at odds with the old religion (i.e. scrying bowls, protection charms).
⤷ Writing:
Despite being set so long ago, I found the language to be really easy to follow. It had been modernised but not to the extent that it was jarring to read. It flowed nicely and translated well to audio. I would definitely continue the series if Sam Davey released another book in The Pendragon Prophecy.
⤷ Everything else:
Anna Burnett was the narrator of the RBmedia edition. She was a great representation of Igraine and it truly felt like it was the character talking to us and explaining the atrocities she had experienced at the hands of feuding men. Anna's voice was very clear, lyrical and emotive - which was very apparent in some of the more triggering or devastating scenes. I would strongly recommend interested readers to try the audiobook version because I think the tone of the story is a lot more compelling in this format.
Statistics:
➵ Date read: 11/07/2025-15/07/2025 (5 days).
➵ Page count: 11 hrs 44 mins.
➵ Type: audiobook.
➵ Volume: series.
➵ Special: NetGalley ARC.
Social Media Links:
Instagram | TikTok | Threads
Follow for reviews, unboxings and book aesthetic videos.
June 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The author crafts a richly atmospheric world that immerses you in a misty, mythical past. The prose is lush, the setting vividly rendered, and the historical detail is clearly well-researched. If you're drawn to slow, immersive narratives, this aspect may be particularly appealing.
However, the pacing ultimately let the story down for me. The narrative often drags, weighed down by lengthy descriptions that do little to advance the plot or develop the characters.
Another issue lies in the portrayal of women. While the book attempts to explore meaningful themes, such as women's agency over their own bodies, the execution falls short. The female characters, particularly Igraine, come across more as idealized figures shaped by the male gaze than as fully fleshed-out individuals. This is especially disconcerting given that the story is told from Igraine's first-person perspective. Though the premise might justify some of these choices, the result weakens the narrative's emotional impact.
In the end, The Chosen Queen had the potential to be a compelling read, but it gets bogged down by excessive detail and underdeveloped character work. If you enjoy lyrical prose and don’t mind a slow burn, this book may still resonate with you. But if you're looking for tighter storytelling and nuanced female perspectives, you might come away disappointed.
The author crafts a richly atmospheric world that immerses you in a misty, mythical past. The prose is lush, the setting vividly rendered, and the historical detail is clearly well-researched. If you're drawn to slow, immersive narratives, this aspect may be particularly appealing.
However, the pacing ultimately let the story down for me. The narrative often drags, weighed down by lengthy descriptions that do little to advance the plot or develop the characters.
Another issue lies in the portrayal of women. While the book attempts to explore meaningful themes, such as women's agency over their own bodies, the execution falls short. The female characters, particularly Igraine, come across more as idealized figures shaped by the male gaze than as fully fleshed-out individuals. This is especially disconcerting given that the story is told from Igraine's first-person perspective. Though the premise might justify some of these choices, the result weakens the narrative's emotional impact.
In the end, The Chosen Queen had the potential to be a compelling read, but it gets bogged down by excessive detail and underdeveloped character work. If you enjoy lyrical prose and don’t mind a slow burn, this book may still resonate with you. But if you're looking for tighter storytelling and nuanced female perspectives, you might come away disappointed.
June 7, 2025
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Diversion Books and Sam Davey for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
2.5 Star Rating.
I absolutely adored the sound of this book, as I’m a huge lover of historical fiction and I hadn’t read anything around this time period before!
A positive to this novel was the feminist twist to the Pendragon prophecy. I was very pleased with the ending, as I did get worried about where it was heading during the last quarter.
The author also gives some beautifully detailed descriptions of the setting, which you can envision very easily because of this. I really enjoyed some side characters, such as Elaine, Jago and Bennath, as they had a certain sense of agency to them.
However, personally this felt like it could have been edited a little more to include less bulk. Whilst the story is a good one, there’s so much text here and some moments went by very slowly. I just felt that it needed a tighter finish overall to make it more enjoyable to read. This unfortunately meant that I kept losing concentration, which took away from the flow.
The only other thing that I felt uncomfortable with was Lady Vivian’s manipulation (although this is definitely the point of her character), but I hated that Uther went along with such an evil plan. Igraine lost everything and in the end, was almost forced into a marriage just so that she had a future. However, it made me feel very claustrophobic, which does show a clever writing style. I did also feel that Morgan’s character felt way older than four, although I appreciate that she is supposed to be full of wisdom and magic beyond her age.
Therefore, I’m giving this a rating of 2.5, as I enjoyed it but also felt that it wasn’t 100% what I was expecting! A really interesting plot though, so I recommend reading if you like a detailed story and love a bit of medieval history with a feminist twist!
2.5 Star Rating.
I absolutely adored the sound of this book, as I’m a huge lover of historical fiction and I hadn’t read anything around this time period before!
A positive to this novel was the feminist twist to the Pendragon prophecy. I was very pleased with the ending, as I did get worried about where it was heading during the last quarter.
The author also gives some beautifully detailed descriptions of the setting, which you can envision very easily because of this. I really enjoyed some side characters, such as Elaine, Jago and Bennath, as they had a certain sense of agency to them.
However, personally this felt like it could have been edited a little more to include less bulk. Whilst the story is a good one, there’s so much text here and some moments went by very slowly. I just felt that it needed a tighter finish overall to make it more enjoyable to read. This unfortunately meant that I kept losing concentration, which took away from the flow.
The only other thing that I felt uncomfortable with was Lady Vivian’s manipulation (although this is definitely the point of her character), but I hated that Uther went along with such an evil plan. Igraine lost everything and in the end, was almost forced into a marriage just so that she had a future. However, it made me feel very claustrophobic, which does show a clever writing style. I did also feel that Morgan’s character felt way older than four, although I appreciate that she is supposed to be full of wisdom and magic beyond her age.
Therefore, I’m giving this a rating of 2.5, as I enjoyed it but also felt that it wasn’t 100% what I was expecting! A really interesting plot though, so I recommend reading if you like a detailed story and love a bit of medieval history with a feminist twist!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2025
2.5/5 ☆
Thank you to NetGalley, Diversion Books, and Sam Davey for the ARC!
I typically enjoy myths and retellings however this was a miss for me. Davey’s writing is immersive and descriptive but sometimes so much so that it felt too long. The pacing was also too slow and I found myself skimming through most of the book. I also didn’t feel connected to any of the characters nor did I feel invested in the plot.
Overall this may be better suited for those who enjoy immersive, rich descriptions and less focus on plot.
Thank you to NetGalley, Diversion Books, and Sam Davey for the ARC!
I typically enjoy myths and retellings however this was a miss for me. Davey’s writing is immersive and descriptive but sometimes so much so that it felt too long. The pacing was also too slow and I found myself skimming through most of the book. I also didn’t feel connected to any of the characters nor did I feel invested in the plot.
Overall this may be better suited for those who enjoy immersive, rich descriptions and less focus on plot.
March 2, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy! True rating is 3.5 ⭐
Sam Davey weaves a beautifully narrated story of Igraine, the mother of King Arthur, wife to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall and mother to Morgause and Morgan. I wasn't really that engaged with her lore prior to picking up this ARC and I have to say that I was truly mesmerized by the knowledge the author held of the era, the etiquette, the magic system and the everyday ins and outs of women in the Athurian circle. It was a book that I did find entertaining after a long and stressful day, and I couldn't
stop reading to see what Uther was going to do and how Igraine would act since I didn't know at all her story.
As with many retellings, my main "complaint" if I'm to use this word, is that they focus only on 'retelling' the story, not reimagining it, dissecting it in a way that does justice to the hidden messages and meanings behind the original myth so to stand out in the current publishing trend. While I loved every single scene in this book, even if sometimes it felt slower than needed, I did want to see an extra layer of the myth, a new insight or something very uniquely made by the author. The ending got me at the edge of my seat, but I missed the grounding/more narrative time to digest what happened and its potential aftermath. It was, though, a very educational read for me both as a reader fascinated by Arthurian lore and as a writer of myth and folklore (albeit Greek).
"The Chosen Queen" raises important issues about the women's agency over their bodies in the medieval world, forced and chosen motherhood, attraction and female rivalry. With delicious foreshadowing of the events in the Arthurian circle after Igraine's story, it's a slow-burn, historical fantasy read that's bound to entertain fans of the genre.
Sam Davey weaves a beautifully narrated story of Igraine, the mother of King Arthur, wife to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall and mother to Morgause and Morgan. I wasn't really that engaged with her lore prior to picking up this ARC and I have to say that I was truly mesmerized by the knowledge the author held of the era, the etiquette, the magic system and the everyday ins and outs of women in the Athurian circle. It was a book that I did find entertaining after a long and stressful day, and I couldn't
stop reading to see what Uther was going to do and how Igraine would act since I didn't know at all her story.
As with many retellings, my main "complaint" if I'm to use this word, is that they focus only on 'retelling' the story, not reimagining it, dissecting it in a way that does justice to the hidden messages and meanings behind the original myth so to stand out in the current publishing trend. While I loved every single scene in this book, even if sometimes it felt slower than needed, I did want to see an extra layer of the myth, a new insight or something very uniquely made by the author. The ending got me at the edge of my seat, but I missed the grounding/more narrative time to digest what happened and its potential aftermath. It was, though, a very educational read for me both as a reader fascinated by Arthurian lore and as a writer of myth and folklore (albeit Greek).
"The Chosen Queen" raises important issues about the women's agency over their bodies in the medieval world, forced and chosen motherhood, attraction and female rivalry. With delicious foreshadowing of the events in the Arthurian circle after Igraine's story, it's a slow-burn, historical fantasy read that's bound to entertain fans of the genre.
June 21, 2025
The Chosen Queen by Sam Davey
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
Recommended for: Fans of Arthurian retellings, historical fantasy, immersive stories
This Arthurian retelling focuses on Igraine, a woman caught between duty and destiny. Her marriage to Gorlois has soured due to his retreat from the Mysteries and Goddess. This personal rift is mirrored in larger conflicts—both with her mentor, the enigmatic Lady of the Lake, and with the encroaching ambitions of Uther Pendragon, the new High King of Britain.
Davey does an amazing job with the worldbuilding - everything is detailed, painted with words. It’s as if you are living in the book.
As the MC, Igraine is not just a token FMC in a larger game. She navigates love, power, and loss in a world continuously changing for men and those in power.
If anything, it seems that the plot tends to drag at times. I wish there are also more unique points added to the original myth.
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
Recommended for: Fans of Arthurian retellings, historical fantasy, immersive stories
This Arthurian retelling focuses on Igraine, a woman caught between duty and destiny. Her marriage to Gorlois has soured due to his retreat from the Mysteries and Goddess. This personal rift is mirrored in larger conflicts—both with her mentor, the enigmatic Lady of the Lake, and with the encroaching ambitions of Uther Pendragon, the new High King of Britain.
Davey does an amazing job with the worldbuilding - everything is detailed, painted with words. It’s as if you are living in the book.
As the MC, Igraine is not just a token FMC in a larger game. She navigates love, power, and loss in a world continuously changing for men and those in power.
If anything, it seems that the plot tends to drag at times. I wish there are also more unique points added to the original myth.
August 11, 2025
2.0/5
I think we've finally reached the point where we have too many different Arthurian retellings.
From Arthur's POV? Good
From other knights of the table POVs? Good
From Morgan's POV? Good
From Arthur's mother? Yeah, that's about enough.
Also, where's the supposed feminism in here? Cause every time a woman tries to speak up the FMC refuses all sorority and shuts them down.
And while this book is very descriptive in a good way, it stretches so damn long that I felt like nothing happened until the last 100 pages where a couple of important things develop.
It is well written but I wouldn't recommend this even to fans of the tale.
I think we've finally reached the point where we have too many different Arthurian retellings.
From Arthur's POV? Good
From other knights of the table POVs? Good
From Morgan's POV? Good
From Arthur's mother? Yeah, that's about enough.
Also, where's the supposed feminism in here? Cause every time a woman tries to speak up the FMC refuses all sorority and shuts them down.
And while this book is very descriptive in a good way, it stretches so damn long that I felt like nothing happened until the last 100 pages where a couple of important things develop.
It is well written but I wouldn't recommend this even to fans of the tale.
June 7, 2025
The Chosen Queen by Sam Davey flips the Arthurian legend on its head by giving voice to Igraine, the often-overlooked mother of King Arthur. Instead of being a side character, Igraine takes center stage as a powerful, intelligent woman navigating love, loyalty, magic, and politics.
Raised in Avalon and married to Gorlois of Cornwall, Igraine's story begins with genuine love but quickly spirals into tension as old magic clashes with new power. When King Uther sets his sights on her, Igraine is thrust into a dangerous game of manipulation and destiny, one that could change everything. This is a rich, feminist retelling full of court intrigue, goddess worship, and strong female bonds.
Raised in Avalon and married to Gorlois of Cornwall, Igraine's story begins with genuine love but quickly spirals into tension as old magic clashes with new power. When King Uther sets his sights on her, Igraine is thrust into a dangerous game of manipulation and destiny, one that could change everything. This is a rich, feminist retelling full of court intrigue, goddess worship, and strong female bonds.
July 9, 2025
I love a retelling of a mythical story but this one just wasn’t what I hoped it to be. The pacing of the story dragged and the long-winded descriptive language did nothing to push the plot or characters forward, and I often found myself tuning out.
I’m also disappointed by the way the women were written. There were great glimpses of autonomy and choice throughout this story but the ultimate execution and autonomy given to female characters was lacking.
This book is great for readers who enjoy lyrical descriptions and mythical retellings that stick to the original script.
Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC.
I’m also disappointed by the way the women were written. There were great glimpses of autonomy and choice throughout this story but the ultimate execution and autonomy given to female characters was lacking.
This book is great for readers who enjoy lyrical descriptions and mythical retellings that stick to the original script.
Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC.
December 5, 2025
an interesting arthurian retelling. a little old school though. I wish the FMC had a bit more agency
June 8, 2025
I really enjoyed The Chosen Queen—it’s such an interesting and refreshing experience to see this world through Igraine’s eyes. I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily. Sam Davey does a great job giving her a voice that feels both powerful and personal. She’s not just a figure in the background like in so many Arthurian stories—here, she’s front and center, and it makes for a really compelling read.
The mix of myth, politics, and personal struggle kept me turning the pages. The writing is vivid, the characters feel real, and the world feels lived-in without being overly complicated.
The mix of myth, politics, and personal struggle kept me turning the pages. The writing is vivid, the characters feel real, and the world feels lived-in without being overly complicated.
June 21, 2025
This is a deep story of a woman at the mercy of men, religion, love, and duty. As told from the point of view of King Arthur’s mother, you must keep reading this one even as you have a deep feeling in your heart how it is going to end. Despite the mystery, betrayal, and murder, you cannot help but pity those who have been made to be pawns in a bigger game. Even in the toughest of moments in the hardest of times, the FMC stands strong – and in the end, chooses her own destiny. The prose and inner thoughts of the FMC are enlightening and add such an emotive quality to the work. Simply stunning.
The narrator has such a wise voice. She brought to life the heartbreaking story of King Arthur’s mother. Yet, through the heartbreak, there is empowerment. This is very well captured by the narrator – as a woman standing strong as the winds of a storm try to topple her to the ground.
The narrator has such a wise voice. She brought to life the heartbreaking story of King Arthur’s mother. Yet, through the heartbreak, there is empowerment. This is very well captured by the narrator – as a woman standing strong as the winds of a storm try to topple her to the ground.
June 20, 2025
Once upon a time I read “The Mists of Avalon” and fell in love with the women behind the stories of Kind Arthur. No shocker then, that I jumped at the chance to receive an ARC for The Chosen Queen.
In this retelling, we get the story of King Arthur’s mother, Igraine, herself born a princess with magical powers. The book centers around war and conflict, and how Igraine responds.
The good: the author is a great novelist. She took a complex story with an overload of characters, and created something surprisingly easy to read with clear understanding.
The not-so-good: what I think was supposed to be a story showcasing amazing women and the power within each of them, was overshadowed by the male characters and their storylines. And while I enjoyed the writing, the story really dragged for me at points throughout the book.
I really wanted to love this book but ultimately it fell short. It was fine, but with the potential to be great, fine was disappointing.
I received a free, advance review copy from Books Forward. All opinions are my own.
In this retelling, we get the story of King Arthur’s mother, Igraine, herself born a princess with magical powers. The book centers around war and conflict, and how Igraine responds.
The good: the author is a great novelist. She took a complex story with an overload of characters, and created something surprisingly easy to read with clear understanding.
The not-so-good: what I think was supposed to be a story showcasing amazing women and the power within each of them, was overshadowed by the male characters and their storylines. And while I enjoyed the writing, the story really dragged for me at points throughout the book.
I really wanted to love this book but ultimately it fell short. It was fine, but with the potential to be great, fine was disappointing.
I received a free, advance review copy from Books Forward. All opinions are my own.
July 20, 2025
Loved this book and can’t wait for the second one!
February 14, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for this ARC ♥️✨
I love myths and legends, so really thought I’d enjoy a retelling of the story from Igraine’s point of view.
Pros:
- I enjoyed the immersive nature of the story, I really felt like I was in the rolling hills of a medieval Brittany.
- I liked the use of foreshadowing and visions to give insight into the plot
- I thought the mother daughter relationships were very well done
Cons:
- The pacing was very very slow, and then other elements too fast
- There was a lot of focus on in-depth explanations of scenes and locations, so much so that I ended up skipping through sections
- There was a lot of lengthy dialogue and speeches. This felt more forced than courtly and I struggled to read all of the dialogue
I think this book took an element of the Arthurian legend and drew it out too long. There isn’t as much in that part of the legend to fill a whole book, and the best/most poignant part was right at the latter end of the book. It felt like the author was writing for the sake of filling a book rather than driving the story forward.
I wish it had told us more of the Arthurian legend and spent less time on seemingly menial things. There was no action and the tension around Uther that was built fell very flat in my opinion. I enjoy books where there is peaks and troughs which grab at your attention, this one didn’t have that pull, and I really struggled to feel incentivised to read.
I think the story had great potential, and there was some parts of the story that felt much better paced (like the scenes with her husband) but overall it was lack lustre.
I love myths and legends, so really thought I’d enjoy a retelling of the story from Igraine’s point of view.
Pros:
- I enjoyed the immersive nature of the story, I really felt like I was in the rolling hills of a medieval Brittany.
- I liked the use of foreshadowing and visions to give insight into the plot
- I thought the mother daughter relationships were very well done
Cons:
- The pacing was very very slow, and then other elements too fast
- There was a lot of focus on in-depth explanations of scenes and locations, so much so that I ended up skipping through sections
- There was a lot of lengthy dialogue and speeches. This felt more forced than courtly and I struggled to read all of the dialogue
I think this book took an element of the Arthurian legend and drew it out too long. There isn’t as much in that part of the legend to fill a whole book, and the best/most poignant part was right at the latter end of the book. It felt like the author was writing for the sake of filling a book rather than driving the story forward.
I wish it had told us more of the Arthurian legend and spent less time on seemingly menial things. There was no action and the tension around Uther that was built fell very flat in my opinion. I enjoy books where there is peaks and troughs which grab at your attention, this one didn’t have that pull, and I really struggled to feel incentivised to read.
I think the story had great potential, and there was some parts of the story that felt much better paced (like the scenes with her husband) but overall it was lack lustre.
December 25, 2025
This book approaches the legend of King Arthur and his knights a bit like the novel the Mists of Avalon, focusing on a diary-like internal monologue of the women in the tale; in this instance, Igraine.
For those not familiar with the legends, King Arthur is born when Uther goes to war because he falls in love with his war duke’s wife, Igraine. Igraine’s husband is killed and Uther uses Merlin’s magic to appear to Igraine as her husband when Igraine’s husband is already dead, wearing his face, which is when Arthur is conceived. Some retellings approach this as a great love story between Uther and Igraine, while others present it as it sounds.
This is a leisurely book that goes nowhere fast; we start with Igraine and her husband in Camelot where Uther falls in love with Igraine, and the book ends with him appearing with Igraine’s husband’s face and with Arthur being born.
There’s a lot of reflection in this book and ‘this is what I did today’ prose, with the plot pushed away for more moments where Igraine sits in a room by herself in silence. The author tries to deal with the psychological fallout Igraine goes through after having her husband murdered by and being tricked into sleeping with Uther, but the book is filled with too many contradictions for it to hold weight.
Uther is described as a fearsome warlord who slits the throats of babes and lets his men violate women. Great emphasis is put on the fact that Igraine will need to remove her two daughters from their home to prevent them from being murdered like the tales she has heard. Yet when Uther does appear and reveal himself, Morgan is still with Igraine, and Igraine goes for the ‘fight’ response - spitting in Uther’s face and slapping him - behaviour which doesn’t circle her ingrained fear that he will murder her children (despite this, she still kind of has the hots for him). It felt like an unrealistic reaction, particularly since to that point Igraine’s main concern had been safeguarding her two children. Uther’s benevolence in the face of her refusal then makes all the aforementioned rape and infanticide in the book gratuitous — because what did it add to the story? It did not affect Uther and Igraine’s interaction in relation to her own children: Igraine was behaving as if she only had herself to consider.
Another thing I disliked about this book was the thin world building with regard to religion. Igraine worshipped the goddess (described as free love and matriarchal power) yet the society they lived in is heavily shadowed by what I guess is the author’s own patriarchal slant - Igraine is already the perfect ‘Christian wife’ despite railing against her husband’s adoption of the new, ‘Risen god’, despite being trained on Avalon herself (from what I can tell, in this book, to be trained on Avalon means to be childish). There’s also a great song and dance made about Igraine’s husband taking all the men off to war and leaving the fields and crops untended and the animals uncared for - what are we supposed to think the women of that time were doing? Sitting at home embroidering? Just raising the children? Apparently so, because much of the book is about Igraine’s bright idea to have the women work the fields (as if they wouldn’t be already) — I mean, what? It all felt so incredibly 21st-century: the men go off to work and provide the food, while the women sit at home twiddling their thumbs.
The diary-entry prose was slow, even though the prose was atmospheric and descriptive. I liked the characters of Morgan and Morgause. Apart from that, most of the book was Vivienne (the Lady of the Lake) and Merlin monologuing at Igraine about how childish and incompetent and ungrateful she was.
This book could have gone so much farther and been so much richer and gone so much deeper. I honestly don't know whether to 1 or 2 star it. It wasn’t for me.
For those not familiar with the legends, King Arthur is born when Uther goes to war because he falls in love with his war duke’s wife, Igraine. Igraine’s husband is killed and Uther uses Merlin’s magic to appear to Igraine as her husband when Igraine’s husband is already dead, wearing his face, which is when Arthur is conceived. Some retellings approach this as a great love story between Uther and Igraine, while others present it as it sounds.
This is a leisurely book that goes nowhere fast; we start with Igraine and her husband in Camelot where Uther falls in love with Igraine, and the book ends with him appearing with Igraine’s husband’s face and with Arthur being born.
There’s a lot of reflection in this book and ‘this is what I did today’ prose, with the plot pushed away for more moments where Igraine sits in a room by herself in silence. The author tries to deal with the psychological fallout Igraine goes through after having her husband murdered by and being tricked into sleeping with Uther, but the book is filled with too many contradictions for it to hold weight.
Uther is described as a fearsome warlord who slits the throats of babes and lets his men violate women. Great emphasis is put on the fact that Igraine will need to remove her two daughters from their home to prevent them from being murdered like the tales she has heard. Yet when Uther does appear and reveal himself, Morgan is still with Igraine, and Igraine goes for the ‘fight’ response - spitting in Uther’s face and slapping him - behaviour which doesn’t circle her ingrained fear that he will murder her children (despite this, she still kind of has the hots for him). It felt like an unrealistic reaction, particularly since to that point Igraine’s main concern had been safeguarding her two children. Uther’s benevolence in the face of her refusal then makes all the aforementioned rape and infanticide in the book gratuitous — because what did it add to the story? It did not affect Uther and Igraine’s interaction in relation to her own children: Igraine was behaving as if she only had herself to consider.
Another thing I disliked about this book was the thin world building with regard to religion. Igraine worshipped the goddess (described as free love and matriarchal power) yet the society they lived in is heavily shadowed by what I guess is the author’s own patriarchal slant - Igraine is already the perfect ‘Christian wife’ despite railing against her husband’s adoption of the new, ‘Risen god’, despite being trained on Avalon herself (from what I can tell, in this book, to be trained on Avalon means to be childish). There’s also a great song and dance made about Igraine’s husband taking all the men off to war and leaving the fields and crops untended and the animals uncared for - what are we supposed to think the women of that time were doing? Sitting at home embroidering? Just raising the children? Apparently so, because much of the book is about Igraine’s bright idea to have the women work the fields (as if they wouldn’t be already) — I mean, what? It all felt so incredibly 21st-century: the men go off to work and provide the food, while the women sit at home twiddling their thumbs.
The diary-entry prose was slow, even though the prose was atmospheric and descriptive. I liked the characters of Morgan and Morgause. Apart from that, most of the book was Vivienne (the Lady of the Lake) and Merlin monologuing at Igraine about how childish and incompetent and ungrateful she was.
This book could have gone so much farther and been so much richer and gone so much deeper. I honestly don't know whether to 1 or 2 star it. It wasn’t for me.
June 26, 2025
**ARC reader**
well well, where to start?
This was a 3 star read for me. The story held much promise, but there were quite a few things I found rather infuriating with the heroine of the book and as well as with the way the story ended up going.
Quick disclaimer; this review will contain spoilers.
*
*
The Chosen Queen is an historical fiction novel that serves up courtly drama, royal romance, and more than a touch of betrayal.
The story opens up to our main character Igraine, a mother of two girls and wife of a husband she loves (but as of recently has more than a few clashes with due to a difference in religious beliefs), attending a royal banquet where it becomes clear that she is the object of affection to the king himself. The king later attempting to force himself on her ends up starting the biggest conflict between himself and Igraines husband.
Up until this point the story flows well, and I rather enjoyed the writing and all the characters involved, but things take a rather downward turn. After the would-be-violation attempt, Igraine and her husband quickly return home to Cornwall where they do their best to prepare for the war that their apparent disrespect of leaving had started.
Igraine spends much of this time both angry at her husband for not wanting to bow down and apologize to the king, which I to some extent can understand as she does not wish to bring war to her people, but where it really rubs me the wrong way is in the way she keeps describing the king and her attraction to him.
There are scenes in this book describing what atrocities the king has allowed -and even ordered - his own men to commit towards women and children, scenes described as Igraine reflects on what he might do to her own children should he get his hands on them, and yet she stills shows attraction to this man.
Even as events unfold, and she learns that not only has the king used magic to impersonate her husband to sleep with (and impregnate) her, but has also murdered said husband, Igraine is then confined, isolated and gaslit for months until she eventually manages to convince one of her captors to grant her freedom in the form of a self-imposed exile in exchange for the child she carries.
I'd say that if you go into this expecting any form of romance, you will be severely disappointed.
The story feels more like a terrifying reality of the horrors women can and do suffer during wartimes, and should probably come with a few more trigger warnings than it did. Our main character is stripped of home, family and autonomy, forced to go through an unwanted pregnancy and at the end of it, the closest she gets to a "victory" is the privilege of getting to not marry the man who took advantage of her (even when this comes at the cost of ever seeing either of her children again).
There is way too little rage on Igraines part for my liking, and the trauma of everything she suffers isn't addressed nearly enough.
All in all, I'd say this is a worthwhile read for as long as you are well aware of what you are getting yourself into. Unfortunately I was not as there weren't any trigger warnings to prepare me for some of the events in the book.
well well, where to start?
This was a 3 star read for me. The story held much promise, but there were quite a few things I found rather infuriating with the heroine of the book and as well as with the way the story ended up going.
Quick disclaimer; this review will contain spoilers.
*
*
The Chosen Queen is an historical fiction novel that serves up courtly drama, royal romance, and more than a touch of betrayal.
The story opens up to our main character Igraine, a mother of two girls and wife of a husband she loves (but as of recently has more than a few clashes with due to a difference in religious beliefs), attending a royal banquet where it becomes clear that she is the object of affection to the king himself. The king later attempting to force himself on her ends up starting the biggest conflict between himself and Igraines husband.
Up until this point the story flows well, and I rather enjoyed the writing and all the characters involved, but things take a rather downward turn. After the would-be-violation attempt, Igraine and her husband quickly return home to Cornwall where they do their best to prepare for the war that their apparent disrespect of leaving had started.
Igraine spends much of this time both angry at her husband for not wanting to bow down and apologize to the king, which I to some extent can understand as she does not wish to bring war to her people, but where it really rubs me the wrong way is in the way she keeps describing the king and her attraction to him.
There are scenes in this book describing what atrocities the king has allowed -and even ordered - his own men to commit towards women and children, scenes described as Igraine reflects on what he might do to her own children should he get his hands on them, and yet she stills shows attraction to this man.
Even as events unfold, and she learns that not only has the king used magic to impersonate her husband to sleep with (and impregnate) her, but has also murdered said husband, Igraine is then confined, isolated and gaslit for months until she eventually manages to convince one of her captors to grant her freedom in the form of a self-imposed exile in exchange for the child she carries.
I'd say that if you go into this expecting any form of romance, you will be severely disappointed.
The story feels more like a terrifying reality of the horrors women can and do suffer during wartimes, and should probably come with a few more trigger warnings than it did. Our main character is stripped of home, family and autonomy, forced to go through an unwanted pregnancy and at the end of it, the closest she gets to a "victory" is the privilege of getting to not marry the man who took advantage of her (even when this comes at the cost of ever seeing either of her children again).
There is way too little rage on Igraines part for my liking, and the trauma of everything she suffers isn't addressed nearly enough.
All in all, I'd say this is a worthwhile read for as long as you are well aware of what you are getting yourself into. Unfortunately I was not as there weren't any trigger warnings to prepare me for some of the events in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2025
A novel penned from the perspective of Lady Igraine, the woman who will one day become the mother of King Arthur, that tells her little-known story.
Igraine is content with her life married to Duke Gorlois of Cornwall. One day when they are visiting King Uther of Britain, the King makes it clear that he favors Igraine despite the fact that she is already married. Igraine tries to politely decline his advances, but Uther is a persistent man who will not take no for an answer. Gorlois and Uther engage in a heated battle for the hand of the fair Lady Igraine. Meanwhile, Igraine is doing everything in her power to please the Goddess despite her husband's lack of faith. In doing so, she begins to train her young daughters Morgause and Morgan in the arts of the mystic. Everyone tries to control her life, but in the end, Igraine will pave her own path to peace and freedom.
I am always up to reading more stories about King Arthur and the kingdom of Camelot, so when this one popped up on my radar, I figured I might as well apply for it. My request to read this one was granted and I found myself on an educational deep dive into the life of Igraine and the beginning of a classic legend.
I didn't find this one to be super entertaining, but I did find that it shone a light on many aspects of the legend that I knew little about. I knew nothing about Igraine except her name going into this one, so it is no surprise I learned a ton. One of the things that this one cleared up is Morgan's existence and how she comes to one day fall in love with her half-brother, Arthur. This book also gave me some background on King Uther and how Arthur was taken by Merlin and hidden away from the world.
This one reads a bit like a textbook, which wasn't the worse thing due to the subject matter. It is certainly slow paced and got a bit repetitive at times though. All of the war politics were super boring to me and I found myself skimming through many of these parts of the book. The dialogue was a bit stilted too, which really reminded me of reading a textbook rather than a fictional story.
Igraine's relationship with her daughters was my favorite part of this book by a landslide. Baby Morgan is honestly quite frightening, and it was fun to see just how powerful she is as a young girl. The magic of Avalon is cool, so I was the most absorbed by the parts of the book that featured it.
I have to take a moment to mention just how creepy both Gorlois and Uther are. I pity the fact that Igraine is forced to be with either of them. Gorlois is a controlling husband and Uther is a freak who sticks his tongue between people's knuckles. I'm glad that Igraine eventually gets to escape these two, but I shudder to think she had children with both of them.
Overall, "The Chosen Queen" was an educational read that taught me a ton about Camelot and the origin of King Arthur. I knew nothing about Igraine at the start of this book, so I certainly learned a bunch. I'm not sure if I'm overly inclined to read the rest of the books in this series, but I'm also not opposed to learning more about Camelot either. If you are a fan of slow-paced historical fiction brimming with magic, war, and politics, this one might be a great fit for you.
Igraine is content with her life married to Duke Gorlois of Cornwall. One day when they are visiting King Uther of Britain, the King makes it clear that he favors Igraine despite the fact that she is already married. Igraine tries to politely decline his advances, but Uther is a persistent man who will not take no for an answer. Gorlois and Uther engage in a heated battle for the hand of the fair Lady Igraine. Meanwhile, Igraine is doing everything in her power to please the Goddess despite her husband's lack of faith. In doing so, she begins to train her young daughters Morgause and Morgan in the arts of the mystic. Everyone tries to control her life, but in the end, Igraine will pave her own path to peace and freedom.
I am always up to reading more stories about King Arthur and the kingdom of Camelot, so when this one popped up on my radar, I figured I might as well apply for it. My request to read this one was granted and I found myself on an educational deep dive into the life of Igraine and the beginning of a classic legend.
I didn't find this one to be super entertaining, but I did find that it shone a light on many aspects of the legend that I knew little about. I knew nothing about Igraine except her name going into this one, so it is no surprise I learned a ton. One of the things that this one cleared up is Morgan's existence and how she comes to one day fall in love with her half-brother, Arthur. This book also gave me some background on King Uther and how Arthur was taken by Merlin and hidden away from the world.
This one reads a bit like a textbook, which wasn't the worse thing due to the subject matter. It is certainly slow paced and got a bit repetitive at times though. All of the war politics were super boring to me and I found myself skimming through many of these parts of the book. The dialogue was a bit stilted too, which really reminded me of reading a textbook rather than a fictional story.
Igraine's relationship with her daughters was my favorite part of this book by a landslide. Baby Morgan is honestly quite frightening, and it was fun to see just how powerful she is as a young girl. The magic of Avalon is cool, so I was the most absorbed by the parts of the book that featured it.
I have to take a moment to mention just how creepy both Gorlois and Uther are. I pity the fact that Igraine is forced to be with either of them. Gorlois is a controlling husband and Uther is a freak who sticks his tongue between people's knuckles. I'm glad that Igraine eventually gets to escape these two, but I shudder to think she had children with both of them.
Overall, "The Chosen Queen" was an educational read that taught me a ton about Camelot and the origin of King Arthur. I knew nothing about Igraine at the start of this book, so I certainly learned a bunch. I'm not sure if I'm overly inclined to read the rest of the books in this series, but I'm also not opposed to learning more about Camelot either. If you are a fan of slow-paced historical fiction brimming with magic, war, and politics, this one might be a great fit for you.
August 3, 2025
𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄: The Chosen Queen
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: Sam Davey 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: The Pendragon Prophecy #1
𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑: Harper Voyager
𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: June 3 2025
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Feminist Retelling
Thank you so much Goodreads Giveaways
{𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒}
The Chosen Queen is a rich, feminist retelling of the Arthurian legend centered around Igraine, a character often sidelined in traditional stories. Sam Davey gives Igraine depth and agency, focusing on her life at Tintagel, her marriage to Gorlois, and the complex dynamics with powerful figures like Uther Pendragon and Merlin. The book weaves history and fantasy skillfully, highlighting themes of power, identity, and the strength of women in a patriarchal world.
I was drawn in by the compelling narrative and the feminist lens, especially the portrayal of Igraine as a leader and mother navigating political intrigue and mystical forces. The prose is thoughtful, and several scenes were genuinely gripping. However, the pacing at times felt uneven, with certain chapters disrupting the flow and slowing momentum. The chapter divisions occasionally felt arbitrary and may have benefited from tighter editing.
Despite these flaws, the novel’s ambition and layered storytelling make it a worthwhile read for fans of character-driven fantasy who appreciate social commentary and nuanced portrayals of legendary figures. The Chosen Queen succeeds in carving out a unique space for Igraine, making her a formidable protagonist in the saga of Camelot.
#TheChosenQueen #SamDavey #ArthurianFantasy #FeministRetelling #HistoricalFantasy #WomenInPower #CamelotLegends
{𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒} Igraine, destined mother of King Arthur, takes center stage for a powerful, feminist retelling of Camelot.
The stories of Camelot do not begin with the sword in the stone—but rather with a twisted chain of murder, magic, and deceit.
Igraine is happily married to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, even though his withdrawal from the Mysteries and the Goddess have created a strain between them, as well as friction between her and her mentor, the Lady of the Lake. While visiting Uther Pendragon, King of Britain, at his castle, Uther openly desires Igraine to be his queen. This sparks a war that threatens the fragile peace in England.
Igraine assumes leadership at Tintagel Castle, encouraging the women left behind to work the land and teaching her daughters to harness their powers. But deception and dark plots unravel around her, forcing Igraine to choose her own fate amid magic and political turbulence.
She is chosen by many—the Goddess, the Lady of the Lake, Merlin, and Uther—but ultimately, Igraine must decide who she will become.
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: Sam Davey 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: The Pendragon Prophecy #1
𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑: Harper Voyager
𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: June 3 2025
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Feminist Retelling
Thank you so much Goodreads Giveaways
{𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒}
The Chosen Queen is a rich, feminist retelling of the Arthurian legend centered around Igraine, a character often sidelined in traditional stories. Sam Davey gives Igraine depth and agency, focusing on her life at Tintagel, her marriage to Gorlois, and the complex dynamics with powerful figures like Uther Pendragon and Merlin. The book weaves history and fantasy skillfully, highlighting themes of power, identity, and the strength of women in a patriarchal world.
I was drawn in by the compelling narrative and the feminist lens, especially the portrayal of Igraine as a leader and mother navigating political intrigue and mystical forces. The prose is thoughtful, and several scenes were genuinely gripping. However, the pacing at times felt uneven, with certain chapters disrupting the flow and slowing momentum. The chapter divisions occasionally felt arbitrary and may have benefited from tighter editing.
Despite these flaws, the novel’s ambition and layered storytelling make it a worthwhile read for fans of character-driven fantasy who appreciate social commentary and nuanced portrayals of legendary figures. The Chosen Queen succeeds in carving out a unique space for Igraine, making her a formidable protagonist in the saga of Camelot.
#TheChosenQueen #SamDavey #ArthurianFantasy #FeministRetelling #HistoricalFantasy #WomenInPower #CamelotLegends
{𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒} Igraine, destined mother of King Arthur, takes center stage for a powerful, feminist retelling of Camelot.
The stories of Camelot do not begin with the sword in the stone—but rather with a twisted chain of murder, magic, and deceit.
Igraine is happily married to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, even though his withdrawal from the Mysteries and the Goddess have created a strain between them, as well as friction between her and her mentor, the Lady of the Lake. While visiting Uther Pendragon, King of Britain, at his castle, Uther openly desires Igraine to be his queen. This sparks a war that threatens the fragile peace in England.
Igraine assumes leadership at Tintagel Castle, encouraging the women left behind to work the land and teaching her daughters to harness their powers. But deception and dark plots unravel around her, forcing Igraine to choose her own fate amid magic and political turbulence.
She is chosen by many—the Goddess, the Lady of the Lake, Merlin, and Uther—but ultimately, Igraine must decide who she will become.
May 12, 2025
Book Review: The Chosen Queen: A Novel of the Pendragon Prophecy by Sam Davey
Sam Davey’s The Chosen Queen reimagines Arthurian legend through a fresh, character-driven lens, blending historical fantasy with political intrigue. As the first installment in The Pendragon Prophecy series, the novel introduces a mythic yet grounded take on Camelot, centering on a queen whose destiny intertwines with prophecy, power, and personal agency. Davey’s prose is lush and immersive, offering a balance of action, emotional depth, and thematic resonance that will appeal to fans of retellings like BBC’s Merlin and The Mists of Avalon.
Content and Themes
The story follows an original protagonist navigating the treacherous world of Pendragon politics. Davey explores themes of fate versus free will, the weight of leadership, and the tension between duty and desire. The novel’s strength lies in its nuanced characterizations, particularly the queen’s internal struggles as she grapples with her role in a prophecy that could alter the kingdom’s future.
Strengths
Rich Worldbuilding: Davey crafts a vivid Arthurian landscape, weaving familiar lore with inventive twists.
Complex Protagonist: The queen’s perspective adds depth to the traditional legend, emphasizing female agency in a male-dominated narrative.
Pacing and Plot: The balance of court intrigue, battle scenes, and mystical elements keeps the narrative dynamic.
Areas for Improvement
Clarity of Originality: Without spoilers, it’s unclear how drastically the prophecy deviates from established myths; more distinct innovation could elevate its appeal.
Secondary Characters: Some supporting roles feel underexplored, potentially limiting emotional investment in subplots.
Score Breakdown (Out of 5)
Originality & Fresh Perspective: 4/5
Character Development: 4.5/5
Worldbuilding & Atmosphere: 5/5
Plot Cohesion & Pacing: 4/5
Thematic Depth: 4.5/5
Overall Rating: 4.4/5
The Chosen Queen is a compelling entry into Arthurian fiction, offering both escapism and intellectual engagement. Davey’s reinvention of Camelot’s lore feels timely, resonating with contemporary discussions of power and identity. Fans of the genre will eagerly await the next installment.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to NetGalley and Sam Davey for providing an advance copy of The Chosen Queen: A Novel of the Pendragon Prophecy. This review reflects my honest engagement with the text and appreciation for its contribution to Arthurian literature.
Sam Davey’s The Chosen Queen reimagines Arthurian legend through a fresh, character-driven lens, blending historical fantasy with political intrigue. As the first installment in The Pendragon Prophecy series, the novel introduces a mythic yet grounded take on Camelot, centering on a queen whose destiny intertwines with prophecy, power, and personal agency. Davey’s prose is lush and immersive, offering a balance of action, emotional depth, and thematic resonance that will appeal to fans of retellings like BBC’s Merlin and The Mists of Avalon.
Content and Themes
The story follows an original protagonist navigating the treacherous world of Pendragon politics. Davey explores themes of fate versus free will, the weight of leadership, and the tension between duty and desire. The novel’s strength lies in its nuanced characterizations, particularly the queen’s internal struggles as she grapples with her role in a prophecy that could alter the kingdom’s future.
Strengths
Rich Worldbuilding: Davey crafts a vivid Arthurian landscape, weaving familiar lore with inventive twists.
Complex Protagonist: The queen’s perspective adds depth to the traditional legend, emphasizing female agency in a male-dominated narrative.
Pacing and Plot: The balance of court intrigue, battle scenes, and mystical elements keeps the narrative dynamic.
Areas for Improvement
Clarity of Originality: Without spoilers, it’s unclear how drastically the prophecy deviates from established myths; more distinct innovation could elevate its appeal.
Secondary Characters: Some supporting roles feel underexplored, potentially limiting emotional investment in subplots.
Score Breakdown (Out of 5)
Originality & Fresh Perspective: 4/5
Character Development: 4.5/5
Worldbuilding & Atmosphere: 5/5
Plot Cohesion & Pacing: 4/5
Thematic Depth: 4.5/5
Overall Rating: 4.4/5
The Chosen Queen is a compelling entry into Arthurian fiction, offering both escapism and intellectual engagement. Davey’s reinvention of Camelot’s lore feels timely, resonating with contemporary discussions of power and identity. Fans of the genre will eagerly await the next installment.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to NetGalley and Sam Davey for providing an advance copy of The Chosen Queen: A Novel of the Pendragon Prophecy. This review reflects my honest engagement with the text and appreciation for its contribution to Arthurian literature.
June 16, 2025
Igraine's life has been mapped out for her from the start. As a second child of nobility, she was destined to be trained in the Mysteries of Avalon, dedicating herself to the Goddess. An arranged marriage to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall makes her a Duchess. Igraine loves her people, serves her Goddess and finds love in her marriage. Gorlois has been a faithful fighter to King Uther Pendragon. Now, finally in a time of peace, Uther attempts to take Igraine for himself. To Gorlois, this is an act of war. However, the strings are being pulled behind the scenes by Vivian, Lady of the Lake and Merlin to fulfill a prophecy about Igraine's son. Igraine has two daughters, Morgause and Morgan; however, with Gorlois turning his back to the Mysteries and choosing to worship one God, Vivian and Merlin no longer see Gorlois fit to father the King of their prophecy. After the war in her name, Igraine learns of the layers of deceit and her role as a pawn for Vivian and Merlin and decides to take her future into her own hands.
The Chosen Queen is a historical fantasy that explores the origins of King Arthur from his mother's perspective. Dimensional characters and expert world building bring to life Igraine, Gorlois, Vivian, Uther, Merlin, Morgan and Morgause as well as their home in Tintagel. The writing is rich in detail and has a strong atmosphere. Igraine is strong and powerful, a born leader but is used by Vivian and Merlin simply as a vessel to bring forth Arthur. I wish that I could have seen Igraine as the leader she envisioned herself as. I was entranced by Igraine and Gorlois' relationship as well, they seemed so in love with one another despite growing differences in their faith. The Mysteries of Avalon were also intriguing to me as well as Igraine's complete faith in her teachers, Vivian and Merlin, to lead her personal life despite their directions to be in opposition to Igraine's needs. I enjoyed Igraine's time in charge of her own castle, leading women with purpose and teaching her children skills they would soon need. I especially loved the rituals and her bonds with the women and men left at the castle. While Igraine may not have been able to choose every step of the way, she showed immense strength while being manipulated by those she trusted.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Chosen Queen is a historical fantasy that explores the origins of King Arthur from his mother's perspective. Dimensional characters and expert world building bring to life Igraine, Gorlois, Vivian, Uther, Merlin, Morgan and Morgause as well as their home in Tintagel. The writing is rich in detail and has a strong atmosphere. Igraine is strong and powerful, a born leader but is used by Vivian and Merlin simply as a vessel to bring forth Arthur. I wish that I could have seen Igraine as the leader she envisioned herself as. I was entranced by Igraine and Gorlois' relationship as well, they seemed so in love with one another despite growing differences in their faith. The Mysteries of Avalon were also intriguing to me as well as Igraine's complete faith in her teachers, Vivian and Merlin, to lead her personal life despite their directions to be in opposition to Igraine's needs. I enjoyed Igraine's time in charge of her own castle, leading women with purpose and teaching her children skills they would soon need. I especially loved the rituals and her bonds with the women and men left at the castle. While Igraine may not have been able to choose every step of the way, she showed immense strength while being manipulated by those she trusted.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
March 2, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Diversion Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I am honestly a sucker for the Arthurian ledgend and everything medieval. So, when I was accepted to be an ARC Reader for THE CHOSEN QUEEN by Sam Davey, I was more than ecstatic to sink my teeth into a feminist Arthurian retelling, told from the POV of Arthur's mother, Igraine.
Therefore, I say with a heavy heart that this was a hard one for me, because I didn't enjoy reading this book as much as I thought I would.
I liked some parts of this novel. I thought Davey successfully painted a vivid picture of a magical world, morally complex people, and devastating events within the narrative.
The plot itself was enchanting and had great potential. However, there are a few things that I just didn't vibe with while reading.
For starters, the exposition was so bogged down by flowery language, repetition, and excessive details that it was—at times—hard to follow what was going on and keep track of all the characters and their relationships to one another. I found myself speed reading through the last few chapters as they dragged on.
Additionally, I felt like the FMC had little to no character development and kinda seemed to move through the story as a plot device rather than the protagonist. What’s more, I am not a big fan of dramatic irony and found the plot twist slightly predictable, making me feel annoyed at the FMC's naivete.
Having considered all of this, I give this book 3.5⭐️ rating because I believe there are readers out there who might find a deeper appreciation for this story than I did.
This novel would be great for readers who enjoy retellings, historical fantasies, Celtic folklore/mythology & druidic culture, fated mates, love triangles, forced proximity, magic v. religion, women leadership, and fighting for what you believe in.
I am honestly a sucker for the Arthurian ledgend and everything medieval. So, when I was accepted to be an ARC Reader for THE CHOSEN QUEEN by Sam Davey, I was more than ecstatic to sink my teeth into a feminist Arthurian retelling, told from the POV of Arthur's mother, Igraine.
Therefore, I say with a heavy heart that this was a hard one for me, because I didn't enjoy reading this book as much as I thought I would.
I liked some parts of this novel. I thought Davey successfully painted a vivid picture of a magical world, morally complex people, and devastating events within the narrative.
The plot itself was enchanting and had great potential. However, there are a few things that I just didn't vibe with while reading.
For starters, the exposition was so bogged down by flowery language, repetition, and excessive details that it was—at times—hard to follow what was going on and keep track of all the characters and their relationships to one another. I found myself speed reading through the last few chapters as they dragged on.
Additionally, I felt like the FMC had little to no character development and kinda seemed to move through the story as a plot device rather than the protagonist. What’s more, I am not a big fan of dramatic irony and found the plot twist slightly predictable, making me feel annoyed at the FMC's naivete.
Having considered all of this, I give this book 3.5⭐️ rating because I believe there are readers out there who might find a deeper appreciation for this story than I did.
This novel would be great for readers who enjoy retellings, historical fantasies, Celtic folklore/mythology & druidic culture, fated mates, love triangles, forced proximity, magic v. religion, women leadership, and fighting for what you believe in.
March 5, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC!
Igraine is the wife of Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall, and while his withdrawal from the Mysteries and interest in Christianity has created some tension between them, she is still very much his dutiful wife. Her mentor, the Lady of the Lake, who taught her on the isle of Avalon, disapproves of her husband and hints of King Uther Pendragon’s interest in her. Uther himself makes his interest plain at a feast when he makes it obvious to the whole court that he desires Igraine – both as his wife, and as his queen. He then later tries to take Igraine by force, but she resists him. When Gorlois finds out what happened, they leave the festivities and then declares war on Uther, citing his disrespect towards Cornwall and his wife as the reason. England’s newfound peace is thrown into chaos by this declaration, and despite Merlin trying to reason with him, Gorlois proudly refuses to bend the knee to Uther. Igraine assumes the role of leader at Tintagel Castle, encouraging the other women left behind to continue worshipping the Goddess and taking on the men’s work as well as instructing her two daughters, Morgause and Morgan, in magic. She plays a grand summer solstice celebration, which many attend, including her beloved husband Gorlois, unexpectedly returned from the battlefield. But Gorlois seems changed, more attentive, more appreciative of her efforts and opinions…
I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy character-driven historical fantasy and love Arthurian legends (any other Merlin fans reading this? Give me your Arthurian legend retelling recommendations! For The Love Of Camelooooooooot!).
Full review and thoughts here on the blog!
https://thegrimmlibrarian.com/2025/03/05/the-chosen-queen-by-sam-davey-review/
Igraine is the wife of Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall, and while his withdrawal from the Mysteries and interest in Christianity has created some tension between them, she is still very much his dutiful wife. Her mentor, the Lady of the Lake, who taught her on the isle of Avalon, disapproves of her husband and hints of King Uther Pendragon’s interest in her. Uther himself makes his interest plain at a feast when he makes it obvious to the whole court that he desires Igraine – both as his wife, and as his queen. He then later tries to take Igraine by force, but she resists him. When Gorlois finds out what happened, they leave the festivities and then declares war on Uther, citing his disrespect towards Cornwall and his wife as the reason. England’s newfound peace is thrown into chaos by this declaration, and despite Merlin trying to reason with him, Gorlois proudly refuses to bend the knee to Uther. Igraine assumes the role of leader at Tintagel Castle, encouraging the other women left behind to continue worshipping the Goddess and taking on the men’s work as well as instructing her two daughters, Morgause and Morgan, in magic. She plays a grand summer solstice celebration, which many attend, including her beloved husband Gorlois, unexpectedly returned from the battlefield. But Gorlois seems changed, more attentive, more appreciative of her efforts and opinions…
I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy character-driven historical fantasy and love Arthurian legends (any other Merlin fans reading this? Give me your Arthurian legend retelling recommendations! For The Love Of Camelooooooooot!).
Full review and thoughts here on the blog!
https://thegrimmlibrarian.com/2025/03/05/the-chosen-queen-by-sam-davey-review/
April 9, 2025
Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and Diversion Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As someone who is very intruiged by fiction based on Arthurian legend, I was very excited and grateful to receive an arc of this novel - my first ever ARC, in fact!
Unfortunately, I did not connect with this one as much as I had hoped I would.
'The Chosen Queen', although clearly well-researched, lacked a substantial plot. There is a large portion of this book that felt very sluggish and repetitive, and I began to lose interest. There were lots of desriptive moments that I did not feel were necessary, but then parts I found more interesting were brushed over. I also found Davey's writing style hard to get used to, in the beginning, as it felt very clunky and lacked flow. Past the 50% mark, I did see an improvement with this - but this could just have been me getting used to the writing style.
I am a reader who loves to feel connected to characters and felt that what this book needed was a real connection between reader and Igraine. We needed to feel her anger, feel the injustice and burn with rage alongside her, however I just ... didn't. I empathised with her, but I found her unengaging as a character. Igraine comes across as very passive and, frankly, dull in the earlier chapters of this book. I was hoping to see a huge character arc for her where she finds her inner fire and wows us all, however I just found her ... meh. This is such a shame as I think this story really had the potential to pack the punch.
Overall, I believe this novel would benefit from some tighter editing (especially in the earlier chapters) to balance out the pace and smoothen the flow.
If you enjoy historical fiction, witchy elements, and a character-driven story, you may enjoy this one - it just needs a polish first!
As someone who is very intruiged by fiction based on Arthurian legend, I was very excited and grateful to receive an arc of this novel - my first ever ARC, in fact!
Unfortunately, I did not connect with this one as much as I had hoped I would.
'The Chosen Queen', although clearly well-researched, lacked a substantial plot. There is a large portion of this book that felt very sluggish and repetitive, and I began to lose interest. There were lots of desriptive moments that I did not feel were necessary, but then parts I found more interesting were brushed over. I also found Davey's writing style hard to get used to, in the beginning, as it felt very clunky and lacked flow. Past the 50% mark, I did see an improvement with this - but this could just have been me getting used to the writing style.
I am a reader who loves to feel connected to characters and felt that what this book needed was a real connection between reader and Igraine. We needed to feel her anger, feel the injustice and burn with rage alongside her, however I just ... didn't. I empathised with her, but I found her unengaging as a character. Igraine comes across as very passive and, frankly, dull in the earlier chapters of this book. I was hoping to see a huge character arc for her where she finds her inner fire and wows us all, however I just found her ... meh. This is such a shame as I think this story really had the potential to pack the punch.
Overall, I believe this novel would benefit from some tighter editing (especially in the earlier chapters) to balance out the pace and smoothen the flow.
If you enjoy historical fiction, witchy elements, and a character-driven story, you may enjoy this one - it just needs a polish first!
July 20, 2025
This is definitely in my top 5 arthurian retellings/re-imaginings and ARTHUR ISN'T EVEN IN IT. I am always a fan of commonly told myths and legends told from the perspective of a lesser represented character and this was perfection. I've never seen or read anything that shed so much light on Igraine and her story so it was a very refreshing and frustrating read, if you know her story you know why. If you don't here is a snapshot: Egraine is the mother of King Arthur who was essentially tricked into sleeping with Uther Pendragon as he was glamoured to look like her husband who lay dead on the battlefield, then she becomes pregnant and the baby is taken by Merlin to be raised and to eventually come back as an adult to be the once and future king, meanwhile the widowed Igraine is married to Uther and becomes queen.
This story focuses soley on Igraine and her marriage to Gorlois, her two daughters, and all that went into her husband going to war against Uther, adding a layer to that deception, and making a slight change to the ending.
Spoilers:
I wasn't sold on her sort of wishy washiness early on around wether she was attracted to Uther or not, and I wish that would have been left out as to me it didnt serve any purpose other than to potentially weaken her stance as a victim of the Pendragon. I was happy when in this story she didnt defer and marry him at least. My only other issue was all those people seeing her husband hanging out for like 2 days when it was really Uther, and then still somehow calling her a whore and blaming her for getting knocked up by him, I feel like either make his visit only seen to her, or explain it was some magic by Merlin, it just didnt make sense, but this was a minor issue for my overall enjoyment and I will definitely be checking out book 2.
This story focuses soley on Igraine and her marriage to Gorlois, her two daughters, and all that went into her husband going to war against Uther, adding a layer to that deception, and making a slight change to the ending.
Spoilers:
I wasn't sold on her sort of wishy washiness early on around wether she was attracted to Uther or not, and I wish that would have been left out as to me it didnt serve any purpose other than to potentially weaken her stance as a victim of the Pendragon. I was happy when in this story she didnt defer and marry him at least. My only other issue was all those people seeing her husband hanging out for like 2 days when it was really Uther, and then still somehow calling her a whore and blaming her for getting knocked up by him, I feel like either make his visit only seen to her, or explain it was some magic by Merlin, it just didnt make sense, but this was a minor issue for my overall enjoyment and I will definitely be checking out book 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2025
This book tells the story of Igraine, known to most as King Arthur's Mother and usually cast aside in retellings to be a background character.
The book focuses on her marriage to Gorlois and their life at Tintagel Castle alongside their daughters Morgan and Morgause. Everything changes for the family when they attend Uther's Court and the King falls in love with Igraine, attempting to assault her which results in Gorlois & Igraine leaving Court in fury without Uther's consent and so begins War between the two Men.
The myths are pretty well known so I won't go further into the details of what happens next, but suffice to say Uther is a monster who I feel actually gets a sympathetic ARC in this book, as do Merlin and Vivian.
I feel the 'feminist retelling' is a bit of a stretch, there's not much the Author can do with this tale to change Igraine's story without destroying the Myths, she is repeatedly used and hurt, her children are taken and she loses the Man she loves. So while it's great to have a telling from Igraine's perspective, it's also pretty loyal to the tale we've all been told.
The prose is beautiful, the descriptive passages of Tintagel are gorgeous, Tintagel is one of my favourite places - it truly does feel magical when you're there and this book took me straight there in my mind every time it was described.
Overall I felt this was an enjoyable read, a couple of points where it dragged but not enough to spoil the reading experience.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read and review this ARC.
The book focuses on her marriage to Gorlois and their life at Tintagel Castle alongside their daughters Morgan and Morgause. Everything changes for the family when they attend Uther's Court and the King falls in love with Igraine, attempting to assault her which results in Gorlois & Igraine leaving Court in fury without Uther's consent and so begins War between the two Men.
The myths are pretty well known so I won't go further into the details of what happens next, but suffice to say Uther is a monster who I feel actually gets a sympathetic ARC in this book, as do Merlin and Vivian.
I feel the 'feminist retelling' is a bit of a stretch, there's not much the Author can do with this tale to change Igraine's story without destroying the Myths, she is repeatedly used and hurt, her children are taken and she loses the Man she loves. So while it's great to have a telling from Igraine's perspective, it's also pretty loyal to the tale we've all been told.
The prose is beautiful, the descriptive passages of Tintagel are gorgeous, Tintagel is one of my favourite places - it truly does feel magical when you're there and this book took me straight there in my mind every time it was described.
Overall I felt this was an enjoyable read, a couple of points where it dragged but not enough to spoil the reading experience.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read and review this ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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