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Once & Future #2
Sword in the Stars
In this epic sequel to Once & Future, to save the future, Ari and her Rainbow knights pull off a heist...thousands of years in the past.
Ari Helix may have won her battle against the tyrannical Mercer corporation, but the larger war has just begun. Ari and her cursed wizard Merlin must travel back in time to the unenlightened Middle Ages and steal the King Arthur's Grail---the very definition of impossible.
It's imperative that the time travelers not skew the timeline and alter the course of history. Coming face-to-face with the original Arthurian legend could produce a ripple effect that changes everything. Somehow Merlin forgot that the past can be even more dangerous than the future...
Ari Helix may have won her battle against the tyrannical Mercer corporation, but the larger war has just begun. Ari and her cursed wizard Merlin must travel back in time to the unenlightened Middle Ages and steal the King Arthur's Grail---the very definition of impossible.
It's imperative that the time travelers not skew the timeline and alter the course of history. Coming face-to-face with the original Arthurian legend could produce a ripple effect that changes everything. Somehow Merlin forgot that the past can be even more dangerous than the future...
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2020
120 people are currently reading
9165 people want to read
About the author
A.R. Capetta
21 books894 followersA. R. Capetta (all pronouns), the author of Echo After Echo and The Lost Coast, has lived in Austin and worked as a professional baker and holds a master of fine arts in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. A. R. Capetta is married to author Cory McCarthy, and they live in Vermont with their young baker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 515 reviews
April 7, 2020
I received an ARC of this at Yallfest thanks to the publisher and The NOVL. All opinions are my own.
Sword in the Stars had everything I loved in Once & Future plus even more! The medieval Camelot adventure and all the timeline hopping was both mind-boggling and entertaining to no end! The gang starts their misadventure by time traveling back to the middle ages of Camelot and of course, they are separated right off the bat.
I loved seeing and living the tale of King Arthur through the characters. It was so much fun to see them try to make sure the legend kept following the canon path. I think my favorite thing was the commentary about Camelot and how it was represented in tales that come after that's woven into the novel. Amy & Cory have patriarchy smashing down to a T. Plus Ari & Gwen make my heart melt so much. I love these two so much. But seriously, I love all the characters. Each one brings a unique perspective to the story that is crucial and goes to show how much we need stories as diverse as this.
So many things were finally revealed in this story, but it was perfect. We learn so much about Merlin, his history and relationship to Nin. The lady of the lake was really interesting in this story, and dang did she constantly keep me guessing! My new favorite character is Jordan and she needs her own book because YES SHE IS THAT AMAZING. I wish I had more words to describe how much I love Jordan, but listen she deserves the whole world. Makes puppy eyes. I LOVE HER.
All in all, I was completely satisfied with this ending, even though some of it was bittersweet.
Sword in the Stars had everything I loved in Once & Future plus even more! The medieval Camelot adventure and all the timeline hopping was both mind-boggling and entertaining to no end! The gang starts their misadventure by time traveling back to the middle ages of Camelot and of course, they are separated right off the bat.
I loved seeing and living the tale of King Arthur through the characters. It was so much fun to see them try to make sure the legend kept following the canon path. I think my favorite thing was the commentary about Camelot and how it was represented in tales that come after that's woven into the novel. Amy & Cory have patriarchy smashing down to a T. Plus Ari & Gwen make my heart melt so much. I love these two so much. But seriously, I love all the characters. Each one brings a unique perspective to the story that is crucial and goes to show how much we need stories as diverse as this.
So many things were finally revealed in this story, but it was perfect. We learn so much about Merlin, his history and relationship to Nin. The lady of the lake was really interesting in this story, and dang did she constantly keep me guessing! My new favorite character is Jordan and she needs her own book because YES SHE IS THAT AMAZING. I wish I had more words to describe how much I love Jordan, but listen she deserves the whole world. Makes puppy eyes. I LOVE HER.
All in all, I was completely satisfied with this ending, even though some of it was bittersweet.
June 22, 2020
I'm going to do my best to write my thoughts coherently without being too emotionally charged. This was a bad follow up to a mediocre first novel and overall, felt disrespectful to Arthurian legends.
Characterization
It felt like none of the characters went through any growth. Who they were at the beginning of this novel was who they were at the end, barring Merlin. Ari, Gwen, Val, Jordan, and Lam all felt the same. If we were told about growth, such as in the instance of King Arthur I, that's it - we were told. In particular, with King Arthur, we never got enough page-time to adequately show all the development. I felt nothing when the character's lives were threatened or left behind.
In addition, sometimes it felt like the characters never went beyond how they identified and another trait. Some characters introduced themselves with their sexuality, which would be fine if they ever went any deeper than that. What box you feel comfortable in does not makeup who you are. There were incredibly important conversations in this, such as Ari checking up on how Lam is doing back in Camelot where they are constantly misgendered. However, these were undermined by assuming some identities (there's a stablehand who comes out as trans later, but Lam and Ari assume male pronouns for him because he doesn't like to wear dresses. I am a cis girl and I have never liked to wear dresses) and the constant reminding of the rep that is there. Every page felt like Merlin was reminding us how diverse old England was, but it was never written into who they were interacting with.
Pacing
I am an absolute slut for multiple pov novels. I think they're super interesting and take a lot of talent. In this book, though, it ruined the pacing. Chapters would end on exciting cliffhangers and then it would cut to the other pov. In order to keep the timelines consistent, this would pick up (roughly) right where the last chapter ended. Meaning all the action happened off-page.
There was also no clear passage of time. Instead of saying something akin to "Three weeks later came the day of Arthur's birthday party" it would simply say "The day of Arthur's birthday party came" so you had no idea how long it was actually was. I thought this series took place over a couple of months, but then I was told Ari and Gwen had been married for over two years. They also mentioned sieges that lasted a year last book, that I didn't remember at all. Hell, I couldn't remember what I read a few chapters ago. The flow of this book was not written well and it was not memorable.
General Grievances
These will probably be more spoiler-heavy, so I'll try to tag.
-
-The Lady of the Lake's motives felt contrived and disrespectful to the original lore
-Sometimes I wondered how much research into the widely accepted canon happened
-All the meta/pop culture references I just hated. So many of Merlin's call-outs were to contemporary events so it made this futuristic/historical novel feel dated
-
-
-Any time diversity was pointed out it never felt natural. The wording used was always clunky and shoe-horned, like they went back to add it. Example: instead of saying any of the enchantresses looked masculine, taller, had deep voices, etc, they simply said "not all looked assigned female at birth."
-The authors forgot that you can wonder about your child's sex without assigning it a gender. Characters would ask for Gwen's baby's "assigned" while also referring to the baby in a gender-neutral way.
-The way they solved Merlin's Benjamin Button syndrome made no sense
-
-One Emotional Conversation Solves All Your Problems and Trauma
-They referred to "water atoms" when water is not an atom and is in fact a molecule
-
-Time travel rules that contradicted themselves
-I didn't know who the antagonist was the entire time so I had no idea why any of the plot was happening
Overall, this series was the biggest disappointment of 2019/2020. I was so excited for this duology and it fell so short. I will not be reading from these authors ever again and cannot recommend them to anyone.
Characterization
It felt like none of the characters went through any growth. Who they were at the beginning of this novel was who they were at the end, barring Merlin. Ari, Gwen, Val, Jordan, and Lam all felt the same. If we were told about growth, such as in the instance of King Arthur I, that's it - we were told. In particular, with King Arthur, we never got enough page-time to adequately show all the development. I felt nothing when the character's lives were threatened or left behind.
In addition, sometimes it felt like the characters never went beyond how they identified and another trait. Some characters introduced themselves with their sexuality, which would be fine if they ever went any deeper than that. What box you feel comfortable in does not makeup who you are. There were incredibly important conversations in this, such as Ari checking up on how Lam is doing back in Camelot where they are constantly misgendered. However, these were undermined by assuming some identities (there's a stablehand who comes out as trans later, but Lam and Ari assume male pronouns for him because he doesn't like to wear dresses. I am a cis girl and I have never liked to wear dresses) and the constant reminding of the rep that is there. Every page felt like Merlin was reminding us how diverse old England was, but it was never written into who they were interacting with.
Pacing
I am an absolute slut for multiple pov novels. I think they're super interesting and take a lot of talent. In this book, though, it ruined the pacing. Chapters would end on exciting cliffhangers and then it would cut to the other pov. In order to keep the timelines consistent, this would pick up (roughly) right where the last chapter ended. Meaning all the action happened off-page.
There was also no clear passage of time. Instead of saying something akin to "Three weeks later came the day of Arthur's birthday party" it would simply say "The day of Arthur's birthday party came" so you had no idea how long it was actually was. I thought this series took place over a couple of months, but then I was told Ari and Gwen had been married for over two years. They also mentioned sieges that lasted a year last book, that I didn't remember at all. Hell, I couldn't remember what I read a few chapters ago. The flow of this book was not written well and it was not memorable.
General Grievances
These will probably be more spoiler-heavy, so I'll try to tag.
-
-The Lady of the Lake's motives felt contrived and disrespectful to the original lore
-Sometimes I wondered how much research into the widely accepted canon happened
-All the meta/pop culture references I just hated. So many of Merlin's call-outs were to contemporary events so it made this futuristic/historical novel feel dated
-
-
-Any time diversity was pointed out it never felt natural. The wording used was always clunky and shoe-horned, like they went back to add it. Example: instead of saying any of the enchantresses looked masculine, taller, had deep voices, etc, they simply said "not all looked assigned female at birth."
-The authors forgot that you can wonder about your child's sex without assigning it a gender. Characters would ask for Gwen's baby's "assigned" while also referring to the baby in a gender-neutral way.
-The way they solved Merlin's Benjamin Button syndrome made no sense
-
-One Emotional Conversation Solves All Your Problems and Trauma
-They referred to "water atoms" when water is not an atom and is in fact a molecule
-
-Time travel rules that contradicted themselves
-I didn't know who the antagonist was the entire time so I had no idea why any of the plot was happening
Overall, this series was the biggest disappointment of 2019/2020. I was so excited for this duology and it fell so short. I will not be reading from these authors ever again and cannot recommend them to anyone.
April 6, 2020
After reading Once & Future, the first book in this amazing queer duology and.. I couldn't resist requesting the sequel as well. Huge thanks to Rock the Boat for providing me with an ecopy of this book to review!
I lost my heart to this mix of sccience fiction and fantasy filled with queer rep so.. prepare for some gushing on my part!
If you didn't know yet, both these books retell the story of King Arthur in the most brilliant way. Set in space, Once & Future already hit a lot of my expectations but I have to say.. Sword in the Stars slayed my new - and somewhat higher - expectations in the best way possible.
Not only are there still plenty of science fiction-elements, the fantasy-ones get bigger and more important in this book. Time-travelling to medieval times, our cast has to overcome new and more challenging hurdles. I never thought I'd enjoy a mix of scifi and fantasy this way, but I've come to love it and can't imagine anything like these two books even existing? [If you know of any, do let me know!]
There is a lot happening in Sword in the Stars. With all the time-travelling, the past and present blurring together at times, you really do have to keep focus. The authors try their best to make it as easy to follow as possible and I'm glad to say they succeed at it too. I never felt confused or like I lost track of the plot. A huge plus if you have some kind of idea how different timelines are woven together. I'm sure I'll be picking up on a lot of new things if I ever have the time to reread these wonderful books!
Let's just take another moment to applaud all the queer rep in this duology. Not only sexuality-wise, but also gender-wise, the authors definitely give a new meaning to queer books. I don't think I ever saw this many diversity in queer rep in one book before and.. It deserves to be mentioned, celebrated and.. more!
The characters.. There are SO MANY FEELINGS concerning those. Especially Merlin, who quickly became one of my favorites - if not the favorite - of the bunch. He's so precious and complicated and amazing and.. worth getting to know! It's hard saying why you should give these books a read solely for the sake of getting to know him without spoiling anything but.. He is the character that threw me on a rollercoaster of emotions all throughout the book. I loved it. I love him. I love how his complicated personality and past makes sense in a way I rarely come across in books.
To simply prove my point, I want to share with you a note I made on my phone while reading: "OMG. WTF. HOW CAN -spoiler-?! THE TWIST. THE AUDACITY. THE.. THE.." I'm sure that.. gets across how invested I was in this story?
5 / 5
I lost my heart to this mix of sccience fiction and fantasy filled with queer rep so.. prepare for some gushing on my part!
If you didn't know yet, both these books retell the story of King Arthur in the most brilliant way. Set in space, Once & Future already hit a lot of my expectations but I have to say.. Sword in the Stars slayed my new - and somewhat higher - expectations in the best way possible.
Not only are there still plenty of science fiction-elements, the fantasy-ones get bigger and more important in this book. Time-travelling to medieval times, our cast has to overcome new and more challenging hurdles. I never thought I'd enjoy a mix of scifi and fantasy this way, but I've come to love it and can't imagine anything like these two books even existing? [If you know of any, do let me know!]
There is a lot happening in Sword in the Stars. With all the time-travelling, the past and present blurring together at times, you really do have to keep focus. The authors try their best to make it as easy to follow as possible and I'm glad to say they succeed at it too. I never felt confused or like I lost track of the plot. A huge plus if you have some kind of idea how different timelines are woven together. I'm sure I'll be picking up on a lot of new things if I ever have the time to reread these wonderful books!
Let's just take another moment to applaud all the queer rep in this duology. Not only sexuality-wise, but also gender-wise, the authors definitely give a new meaning to queer books. I don't think I ever saw this many diversity in queer rep in one book before and.. It deserves to be mentioned, celebrated and.. more!
The characters.. There are SO MANY FEELINGS concerning those. Especially Merlin, who quickly became one of my favorites - if not the favorite - of the bunch. He's so precious and complicated and amazing and.. worth getting to know! It's hard saying why you should give these books a read solely for the sake of getting to know him without spoiling anything but.. He is the character that threw me on a rollercoaster of emotions all throughout the book. I loved it. I love him. I love how his complicated personality and past makes sense in a way I rarely come across in books.
To simply prove my point, I want to share with you a note I made on my phone while reading: "OMG. WTF. HOW CAN -spoiler-?! THE TWIST. THE AUDACITY. THE.. THE.." I'm sure that.. gets across how invested I was in this story?
5 / 5
December 17, 2023
YES! Awesome ending. Love this duology to death.
March 16, 2020
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm so glad I decided to stick with the Once & Future duology from Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy because it just gets better from where it left off. While the first book was a fun adventure, it didn't quite blow me away like I was hoping it would but Sword in the Stars picks up the slack. It's so much fun and quite a unique retelling at that. The characters have grown quite a bit throughout the course of the story and series. The pacing has also pretty drastically improved from book one, or at least it worked for me more in this case. I particularly loved that we got to see the medieval King Arthur and Camelot and how Merlin, Ari and company interact with them and their world. Plus, there's a heist - a time heist. I knew this was going to go well with that opening quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. If you enjoy that classic comedy along with the tv series Merlin, the movie The Kid Who Would Be King, and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, I have a feeling this duology will be right up your alley.
I'm so glad I decided to stick with the Once & Future duology from Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy because it just gets better from where it left off. While the first book was a fun adventure, it didn't quite blow me away like I was hoping it would but Sword in the Stars picks up the slack. It's so much fun and quite a unique retelling at that. The characters have grown quite a bit throughout the course of the story and series. The pacing has also pretty drastically improved from book one, or at least it worked for me more in this case. I particularly loved that we got to see the medieval King Arthur and Camelot and how Merlin, Ari and company interact with them and their world. Plus, there's a heist - a time heist. I knew this was going to go well with that opening quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. If you enjoy that classic comedy along with the tv series Merlin, the movie The Kid Who Would Be King, and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, I have a feeling this duology will be right up your alley.
May 17, 2020
I have this problem where often, when I love the first book in a series, I'll end up sorely disappointed in the second book. This often makes me very hesitant to pick up any sequels. But because I loved Once & Future, I did really want to read the sequel.
And I'm so glad I did, because this book was at least as fun as the first one. I love how queer and diverse a cast this duology has, and I loved the way it showed that history was a lot more diverse than we're taught.
Where Once & Future is mostly a sci-fi reimaging on the King Arthur stories, Sword in the Stars is an interesting mix of historical fantasy and sci-fi. I thought this genre mix was very well done.
One thing I missed in the first book was seeing the character's personalities fleshed out enough. I was glad to see that this was done more in depth in the sequel, and the book packed more of an emotional punch than the first book did, at least for me.
All in all, this was a really great end to a super fun duology.
And I'm so glad I did, because this book was at least as fun as the first one. I love how queer and diverse a cast this duology has, and I loved the way it showed that history was a lot more diverse than we're taught.
Where Once & Future is mostly a sci-fi reimaging on the King Arthur stories, Sword in the Stars is an interesting mix of historical fantasy and sci-fi. I thought this genre mix was very well done.
One thing I missed in the first book was seeing the character's personalities fleshed out enough. I was glad to see that this was done more in depth in the sequel, and the book packed more of an emotional punch than the first book did, at least for me.
All in all, this was a really great end to a super fun duology.
March 30, 2020
I was enjoying quarantine up until this point.
June 5, 2020
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February 19, 2020
majorly disappointed in this one / horrible pacing and lack of ability to tell a coherent story truly ruined this.
April 1, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for providing and eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm going to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but this is the second (and final book) in this series, so if you haven't read the first - why are you even here?
In Sword in the Stars we're transported to Medieval Camelot. Ari and the knights, and Merlin, obviously, need to retrieve Arthur's chalice and bring it back into the future. I love me some heist stories, so I was hopeful. I got got once again.
While I've noticed some improvement in the overall story telling from the first book, it wasn't enough to warrant a higher rating. The action got more structured, sure, but the time travel aspect was too convoluted and didn't make sense.
Time travel stories are my absolute favourite, so this was a big let down. It's a really difficult thing to get right - there are certain laws that need to be followed. My biggest issue was a certain character appearing in one timeline 3 times and all 3 of them interacting. Now, since there are different ways of viewing time travel, that could be possible and not destroy the universe, but if you want to do that, you set down your laws. Sword in the Stars had none, it just did what it pleased and when it pleased, and well... it did not please me. But it's time to move on.
I thought, since we're in Medieval Camelot, we'd get to see some of it and get a feel for how life was back then. Nope. The world building is minimal, and all we're really told is how terrible those times were because people didn't understand sexuality and assumed your gender. I get it, you're really trying to drive the point accross on every page and in every sentence, and identity is SUPER important, but it's too much. One of the characters even tries to teach those medieval folk about the importance of pronouns etc. All while probably messing up with the future BIG TIME.
Speaking of characters. I honestly liked the story of Nin and how she became the big evil enchantress. Merlin was alright for most of the book. Everyone else stayed as much of a caricature of themselves as possible. What bothered me the most was how Kay was addressed. While reminiscing (though very rarely) about him, everyone treated him like a clown (Kay was annoying, awkward, got drunk and did embarrassing things etc. And not in an endearing way) and Kay from the past was a wannabe villain. What was that about?
I'm going to end this review on two things. Sometimes authors try to convey info by telling the readers, instead of showing, because it's the only way to do it. The main message of this book was identity. The amount of times we were told about it all really made me think the authors think their readers are idiots. It gets to a point where when a new character is introduced, the dialogue goes something like this:
"Introductions?"
"This is Yazmeen, everyone."
"Mostly Yaz. She/Her. I'm a good ole lesbian."
And only a paragraph or two later we find out she's Ari's cousin.
People are so much more than that...
And secondly... the slight shade thrown at Merlin the TV show at the end of the book? Excuse me, but... no. Just no.
Rant over. I tried to be eloquent but the dumb comes out when I'm frustrated. 2/5 stars.
I'm going to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but this is the second (and final book) in this series, so if you haven't read the first - why are you even here?
In Sword in the Stars we're transported to Medieval Camelot. Ari and the knights, and Merlin, obviously, need to retrieve Arthur's chalice and bring it back into the future. I love me some heist stories, so I was hopeful. I got got once again.
While I've noticed some improvement in the overall story telling from the first book, it wasn't enough to warrant a higher rating. The action got more structured, sure, but the time travel aspect was too convoluted and didn't make sense.
Time travel stories are my absolute favourite, so this was a big let down. It's a really difficult thing to get right - there are certain laws that need to be followed. My biggest issue was a certain character appearing in one timeline 3 times and all 3 of them interacting. Now, since there are different ways of viewing time travel, that could be possible and not destroy the universe, but if you want to do that, you set down your laws. Sword in the Stars had none, it just did what it pleased and when it pleased, and well... it did not please me. But it's time to move on.
I thought, since we're in Medieval Camelot, we'd get to see some of it and get a feel for how life was back then. Nope. The world building is minimal, and all we're really told is how terrible those times were because people didn't understand sexuality and assumed your gender. I get it, you're really trying to drive the point accross on every page and in every sentence, and identity is SUPER important, but it's too much. One of the characters even tries to teach those medieval folk about the importance of pronouns etc. All while probably messing up with the future BIG TIME.
Speaking of characters. I honestly liked the story of Nin and how she became the big evil enchantress. Merlin was alright for most of the book. Everyone else stayed as much of a caricature of themselves as possible. What bothered me the most was how Kay was addressed. While reminiscing (though very rarely) about him, everyone treated him like a clown (Kay was annoying, awkward, got drunk and did embarrassing things etc. And not in an endearing way) and Kay from the past was a wannabe villain. What was that about?
I'm going to end this review on two things. Sometimes authors try to convey info by telling the readers, instead of showing, because it's the only way to do it. The main message of this book was identity. The amount of times we were told about it all really made me think the authors think their readers are idiots. It gets to a point where when a new character is introduced, the dialogue goes something like this:
"Introductions?"
"This is Yazmeen, everyone."
"Mostly Yaz. She/Her. I'm a good ole lesbian."
And only a paragraph or two later we find out she's Ari's cousin.
People are so much more than that...
And secondly... the slight shade thrown at Merlin the TV show at the end of the book? Excuse me, but... no. Just no.
Rant over. I tried to be eloquent but the dumb comes out when I'm frustrated. 2/5 stars.
August 30, 2020
stories were never just a string of pretty words on a page or attractive strangers on a screen. They climbed inside your head, reordered things. Tore up parts of you by the roots and planted new ideas.
Magic, really.
(Page 344)
This sequel to once & future is a book filled with hope and love and emotions. After the events of the first books, the group is once again faced with the almost impossible task to save each other and the whole universe.
To avoid spoilers I obviously can’t say much else about the plot itself, but the way the story came together was masterful.
Just like the first book it was hilarious and a lot of fun and filled with different references. I wish we could all just live in this future (you know apart from the whole having to save the universe from an evil corporation part.) The references to other Arthurian legend related stories (ahum the show Merlin) were particularly great and relatable.
But what really really made me love the story was of course the characters. I felt so attached to all of them. Merlin has such amazing development. I loved seeing his story as he learns to accept himself. There’s a lot of amazing stuff about the impact the world has had on him and how hard his lonely life has been. I just want to hug him!
Relating to the quote I started this review with, stories are important. They change your worldview and that can be absolutely amazing. I think this one was like that. However the quote in context actually refers to the complete opposite. Stories can make it seem like the world is supposed to be a certain way and you have to live up to that. It does a great job of showing how people can feel like they are not good enough or not ‘normal’ enough just because of the stories they’ve been told their whole lives. Especially reading the acknowledgments I geared up about this.
If you didn’t know, this series includes a main romance between two girls, it features a non-binary character, a Demi boy, a romance between two men, an aromantic/ asexual character and several people of color (including the main character.) and all of these characters really have a great dynamic and great personalities. I did personally want for Jordan to have a bigger part in this, but the parts she was there she did make an impact on the storyline.
I honestly want more! I wish this was an endless series. This needs ALL THE HYPE honestly.
This year is really giving me SO MANY new favourites it’s getting insane. Love love love.
He’d started out on a path that was as lonely as any he could imagine. Yes, there had been dark patches. True, he’s made as many mistakes as there were stars in the cosmos. But he’d fought to the other side of it.
So much hope for a near-perfect world. And a great found-family!
Magic, really.
(Page 344)
This sequel to once & future is a book filled with hope and love and emotions. After the events of the first books, the group is once again faced with the almost impossible task to save each other and the whole universe.
To avoid spoilers I obviously can’t say much else about the plot itself, but the way the story came together was masterful.
Just like the first book it was hilarious and a lot of fun and filled with different references. I wish we could all just live in this future (you know apart from the whole having to save the universe from an evil corporation part.) The references to other Arthurian legend related stories (ahum the show Merlin) were particularly great and relatable.
But what really really made me love the story was of course the characters. I felt so attached to all of them. Merlin has such amazing development. I loved seeing his story as he learns to accept himself. There’s a lot of amazing stuff about the impact the world has had on him and how hard his lonely life has been. I just want to hug him!
Relating to the quote I started this review with, stories are important. They change your worldview and that can be absolutely amazing. I think this one was like that. However the quote in context actually refers to the complete opposite. Stories can make it seem like the world is supposed to be a certain way and you have to live up to that. It does a great job of showing how people can feel like they are not good enough or not ‘normal’ enough just because of the stories they’ve been told their whole lives. Especially reading the acknowledgments I geared up about this.
If you didn’t know, this series includes a main romance between two girls, it features a non-binary character, a Demi boy, a romance between two men, an aromantic/ asexual character and several people of color (including the main character.) and all of these characters really have a great dynamic and great personalities. I did personally want for Jordan to have a bigger part in this, but the parts she was there she did make an impact on the storyline.
I honestly want more! I wish this was an endless series. This needs ALL THE HYPE honestly.
This year is really giving me SO MANY new favourites it’s getting insane. Love love love.
He’d started out on a path that was as lonely as any he could imagine. Yes, there had been dark patches. True, he’s made as many mistakes as there were stars in the cosmos. But he’d fought to the other side of it.
So much hope for a near-perfect world. And a great found-family!
May 10, 2020
I really loved this book it was the perfect ending to one of the best duologies I have ever read. I really loved the characters especially Ari,Gwen,Val and Merlin. I really loved the romance between Ari and Gwen this is the kind of love you think of when you think of one true love. I also really loved Merlin and his struggles and the twist I did not expect I also really loved the romance of him and Val. I just really loved all of the characters I really loved seeing all of them again I really loved who was back at the end. I really loved the plot it starts with the group stuck in the original Arthurian story with each of them having a role to play. I really liked how the story moved from there I loved the ending most of it was picturesque and best possible ending the story could of ever had. So overall I loved this book I would read more by these authors for sure.
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February 8, 2020A gorgeous, hopeful conclusion to this duology, and an excellent addition to the Arthurian canon.
Ari, Merlin, and the knights of the rainbow get up every time the Big Baddies (both the tangible villains of the story, and the intangible, insidious forces of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia etc.) knock them down and never once is their triumph assumed, keeping the stakes high and the victories feeling all the more sweet. The relationships between the characters we know from O&F are strained and tested by both the events of the previous book and by the setting at the start of the second, but ultimately the bonds of love and trust formed between Ari and Gwen and Jordan and Val and Merlin and Lam are the true heroes of the story and the driving force that saves the world. The story wasn't without its flaws: like book one, I felt that the story was on hyperdrive at times, though the pacing was far less distracting in SitS than it was in O&F for me. Additionally, I thought some large problems were resolved far too easily given the build up they got throughout the duology.
But regardless, I really enjoyed it. I'm struggling so much to not spoil the whole book in this review, mostly because I want EVERYONE to know it and read it and get the same joy from it I did. Come April, GRAB YOURSELF COPY PLEASE! Future you will thank you.
Ari, Merlin, and the knights of the rainbow get up every time the Big Baddies (both the tangible villains of the story, and the intangible, insidious forces of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia etc.) knock them down and never once is their triumph assumed, keeping the stakes high and the victories feeling all the more sweet. The relationships between the characters we know from O&F are strained and tested by both the events of the previous book and by the setting at the start of the second, but ultimately the bonds of love and trust formed between Ari and Gwen and Jordan and Val and Merlin and Lam are the true heroes of the story and the driving force that saves the world. The story wasn't without its flaws: like book one, I felt that the story was on hyperdrive at times, though the pacing was far less distracting in SitS than it was in O&F for me. Additionally, I thought some large problems were resolved far too easily given the build up they got throughout the duology.
But regardless, I really enjoyed it. I'm struggling so much to not spoil the whole book in this review, mostly because I want EVERYONE to know it and read it and get the same joy from it I did. Come April, GRAB YOURSELF COPY PLEASE! Future you will thank you.
March 27, 2020
I love love love everything about this book. It was the escape I absolutely needed right this week. It was beautiful and funny. It is literally my favorite Arthurian retelling ever.
I got a free review copy from NetGalley. I probably will eventually post a longer review here and/or on my blog, but right now, I don't have the words to properly express how awesome his was.
I got a free review copy from NetGalley. I probably will eventually post a longer review here and/or on my blog, but right now, I don't have the words to properly express how awesome his was.
May 9, 2022
This was kind of wild from start to finish.
I mean, wow. SO many twist and turns and breath-holding here.
I mean, wow. SO many twist and turns and breath-holding here.
August 21, 2022
It got a little murky and weird in the middle there - but once everything happened and all was revealed it was a nice, fun story!
July 21, 2021
This caps off the duology and fills my little queer heart. There is great rep, futuristic space times, time travel, and women with muscles.
The only downside was not getting to see a particularly chaotic character that was featured in book 1.
The only downside was not getting to see a particularly chaotic character that was featured in book 1.
October 22, 2020
The whole going back to the Middle Ages thing was what sold me on this one, but the amount of depth we got to our characters in this book... wow.
This book was definitely a great addition to this world and really helped the story wrap up so nicely and we got answers to all the questions we had. I was thrilled, to be honest.
Sure, some parts were a bit cheesy and some thing played out too easily, but this was a good book. There was a lot of depth added to the storyline both surrounding the main characters and surrounding the original Arthurian legend.
I'm so glad that this version of the king Arthur tales exists.
This book was definitely a great addition to this world and really helped the story wrap up so nicely and we got answers to all the questions we had. I was thrilled, to be honest.
Sure, some parts were a bit cheesy and some thing played out too easily, but this was a good book. There was a lot of depth added to the storyline both surrounding the main characters and surrounding the original Arthurian legend.
I'm so glad that this version of the king Arthur tales exists.
April 8, 2020
This duology has done a number of things really well, and those things are particularly difficult to strike a balance with. The representation within this book is incredibly diverse, but perhaps more impressive was the development of relationships, which all feel very real rather than a quintessential cookie-cutter friendship or romance. Unfortunately, something also felt a bit off.
Whilst this is every bit the satisfying conclusion to the story so far, there were some issues with pacing and chaotic story telling which really diluted the quality of that conclusion. The story jumps straight in to a time hop, and this made me feel so lost. I felt as though Sword in the Stars was sort of floating out to sea and I was desperately holding on to it as a life-raft, trying to clamber back on board. Honestly, I had to start again because I thought I'd missed something integral to my understanding. Turns out I hadn't, it just wasn't really explained.
So Ari, Merlin and their perfect band of likeable square pegs and round holes have found themselves travelling back to the time when Arthur was King. This means there are multiple story arcs occurring at once and multiple Merlin's! I liked the concept of Ari hunting down a chalice and trying to save Merlin from his backwards aging dilemma, but the execution felt a bit haphazard. I equally loved that the friendships, romances (and pregnancies) continue to develop unapologetically in this book. The authors have a fantastically brazen approach to dialogue, cultural references and general humour which absolutely shouts from the page; their writing style is nothing short of hilarious and utterly compelling.
Ultimately, despite how much I genuinely enjoy the way these authors build characters and fun into their stories, I couldn't help but spend most of my time with this book feeling lost, grasping for a firmer hold on the plot, so it was a middle of the road book for me.
ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Whilst this is every bit the satisfying conclusion to the story so far, there were some issues with pacing and chaotic story telling which really diluted the quality of that conclusion. The story jumps straight in to a time hop, and this made me feel so lost. I felt as though Sword in the Stars was sort of floating out to sea and I was desperately holding on to it as a life-raft, trying to clamber back on board. Honestly, I had to start again because I thought I'd missed something integral to my understanding. Turns out I hadn't, it just wasn't really explained.
So Ari, Merlin and their perfect band of likeable square pegs and round holes have found themselves travelling back to the time when Arthur was King. This means there are multiple story arcs occurring at once and multiple Merlin's! I liked the concept of Ari hunting down a chalice and trying to save Merlin from his backwards aging dilemma, but the execution felt a bit haphazard. I equally loved that the friendships, romances (and pregnancies) continue to develop unapologetically in this book. The authors have a fantastically brazen approach to dialogue, cultural references and general humour which absolutely shouts from the page; their writing style is nothing short of hilarious and utterly compelling.
Ultimately, despite how much I genuinely enjoy the way these authors build characters and fun into their stories, I couldn't help but spend most of my time with this book feeling lost, grasping for a firmer hold on the plot, so it was a middle of the road book for me.
ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2020
This was such a disappointing book for me that had a lot of missed opportunities and was incredibly disjointed in the narrative. It tells the continuing story of Ari, the 42nd reincarnation of King Arthur, as she attempts to retrieve a magical cup from Camelot.
The Positives: The cast of characters is very diverse, which is always great to see.
The Negatives: The plot was just all over the place and it was hard to keep things straight because the action jumps from one thing to the next with little build up or explanation. The characters seem forced in their behaviours and just don't have much authenticity. This could have been a really fun fish-out-of-water scenario with people from the future being transplanted into the Medieval past, but instead, they didn't seem to struggle to adjust at all, which was a massive missed opportunity. The writing was disjointed and hard to follow.
Overall, I really didn't enjoy this book and wouldn't recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Positives: The cast of characters is very diverse, which is always great to see.
The Negatives: The plot was just all over the place and it was hard to keep things straight because the action jumps from one thing to the next with little build up or explanation. The characters seem forced in their behaviours and just don't have much authenticity. This could have been a really fun fish-out-of-water scenario with people from the future being transplanted into the Medieval past, but instead, they didn't seem to struggle to adjust at all, which was a massive missed opportunity. The writing was disjointed and hard to follow.
Overall, I really didn't enjoy this book and wouldn't recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 13, 2020
I wanted so badly to enjoy this book despite its flaws, the way I did with Once and Future. Unfortunately, it was a tough sell.
Book 1 tended to be a little preachy about queer politics, but you see so little positive representation that I could look past it. Sword in the Stars began with so much of this that I wanted to skip through the first quarter of the book- positive representation can be done without destroying narrative...the choir’s already heard it and it is so heavy-handed that I can only imagine it driving away those who need to hear the message most.
That said, the adaptation of Arthurian legend was absolutely amazing. When McCarthy and Capetta get into it, it’s really fantastic. Ari and Gwen are even more heroic than ever, the complex time travel isn’t muddy, and there are so many heartwarming and heart-wrenching surprises. .
Overall, you can probably let O&F be your only foray into the duology...but keep an eye on these writers.
Book 1 tended to be a little preachy about queer politics, but you see so little positive representation that I could look past it. Sword in the Stars began with so much of this that I wanted to skip through the first quarter of the book- positive representation can be done without destroying narrative...the choir’s already heard it and it is so heavy-handed that I can only imagine it driving away those who need to hear the message most.
That said, the adaptation of Arthurian legend was absolutely amazing. When McCarthy and Capetta get into it, it’s really fantastic. Ari and Gwen are even more heroic than ever, the complex time travel isn’t muddy, and there are so many heartwarming and heart-wrenching surprises. .
Overall, you can probably let O&F be your only foray into the duology...but keep an eye on these writers.
January 2, 2022
i dnfed this around 17% and refuse to finish it solely because i refused for my fond memory of the first book and its characters to be tainted.
i don’t know what happened with this book, because i absolutely LOVED the first one. but this one did not have the same magic that “once and future” had. and here are my general grievances.
- the pacing felt super odd and i found myself getting confused a lot
- am i the only one who found it weird 19-year-old gwen married a 13 year old arthur and, knowing this, ari asked if they had ever been intimate? sure this is the Middle Ages and maybe this was less weird then, but ari and gwen are certainly NOT from that time period
- i skimmed most of the rest but?!??? merlin being gwen and kay’s biological son? where did that come from?? it really sucks because it diverges from the lore so much and really makes it feel like the whole found family amongst queer individuals trope i love was erased.
i choose to believe book 1 is the only book to exist
i don’t know what happened with this book, because i absolutely LOVED the first one. but this one did not have the same magic that “once and future” had. and here are my general grievances.
- the pacing felt super odd and i found myself getting confused a lot
- am i the only one who found it weird 19-year-old gwen married a 13 year old arthur and, knowing this, ari asked if they had ever been intimate? sure this is the Middle Ages and maybe this was less weird then, but ari and gwen are certainly NOT from that time period
- i skimmed most of the rest but?!??? merlin being gwen and kay’s biological son? where did that come from?? it really sucks because it diverges from the lore so much and really makes it feel like the whole found family amongst queer individuals trope i love was erased.
i choose to believe book 1 is the only book to exist
December 11, 2021
i’m conflicted about this whole duology; it has a lot of interesting and entertaining elements, but something in the execution of it all feels lacking.
as an arthurian fan the way they connected past and present was interesting; but it also left the actual medieval arthurian part at the end…unfinished and not making much sense.
i figured out i’m probably not that much of a fan of sci-fi and time travelling loop stories, so this time i’ll just suspend disbelief in moments that feel like plot holes to me…
this was a very queer positive story and i love that! but at times the way they talked about queer discussions felt…performative or forced imo.
still an enjoyable read and probably great for young queer arthurian fans!
as an arthurian fan the way they connected past and present was interesting; but it also left the actual medieval arthurian part at the end…unfinished and not making much sense.
i figured out i’m probably not that much of a fan of sci-fi and time travelling loop stories, so this time i’ll just suspend disbelief in moments that feel like plot holes to me…
this was a very queer positive story and i love that! but at times the way they talked about queer discussions felt…performative or forced imo.
still an enjoyable read and probably great for young queer arthurian fans!
August 11, 2020
I had to force myself to stop guessing what was going to happen because I just couldn't get it right, at all. Damn this sequel was bloody good. I love Ari and Gwen... and their family.
March 14, 2020
3.5 stars
Let’s start with what I liked. I really liked the unique story, characters, and plot twist. I was not a huge fan of the execution of it all.
Idk what happened but the writing was amateurish, kinda bad, and hard to follow sometimes. I’m really disappointed because I really enjoyed Once & Future. The book read like it had too much necessary content cut from it, which threw the flow of the narrative off. Occasionally the authors tried to come to the rescue a few times by doing a massive amount of telling (via dialogue—🙄). If they didn’t however I was just like—screw it.
Things need to be explained in depth especially in a sci-fi. This book failed to do that and left me with too many questions so 3.5 starts.
Let’s start with what I liked. I really liked the unique story, characters, and plot twist. I was not a huge fan of the execution of it all.
Idk what happened but the writing was amateurish, kinda bad, and hard to follow sometimes. I’m really disappointed because I really enjoyed Once & Future. The book read like it had too much necessary content cut from it, which threw the flow of the narrative off. Occasionally the authors tried to come to the rescue a few times by doing a massive amount of telling (via dialogue—🙄). If they didn’t however I was just like—screw it.
Things need to be explained in depth especially in a sci-fi. This book failed to do that and left me with too many questions so 3.5 starts.
August 26, 2021
Whereas part one could have been better but was at least entertaining, this book was terrible. The concept could've been so cool but literally everything about this book was a disappointment. The characters turned into flat and annoying versions of themselves, the plot was falling apart, the setting was as well researched as your average social media post, everything was told instead of shown, and I couldn't have cared less about the dramatic events and plot 'reveals' because none of it was given room to land or breathe, turning supposedly tragic scenes almost comical. I was gritting my teeth near the end in order to finish this book and then as a treat to top off all the nonsensical references to media from 'our time' they had to add in their meta commentary on some other Arthur adaptations....I am so completely done.
January 28, 2025
In times like this its important to have books that drive home the danger of censorship and of rewriting history to serve the interests of the elite.
Stories are their own kind of magic.
Stories are their own kind of magic.
June 16, 2020
Sword in the Stars is a brilliantly schemed sequel to Once & Future and entertaining conclusion to this duology. I mentioned that I was a Arthur and Merlin fan in my review of the first novel and due to this I was incredibly pleased when I realised majority of the sequel would be based in the exact era the Arthurian legend derives from! The sequel takes place almost instantly after the ending of Once & Future, it’s fast paced and full of action, and takes place in Camelot itself. In the first book we matched up the characters to their Arthurian counterparts whereas in this sequel it’s up to these characters to now act out their parts in the legend to secure their trip forward in time to their own timeline.
Similar to the first novel, Sword in the Stars was so fun to read, I really enjoyed Merlin’s sarcastic comments about the very uneducated Middle Ages, he could lighten any mood! Practically every character we meet in these books are queer and I particularly loved how even people from the Middle Ages were LGBTQ+, to show that there have been queer people throughout all of history. I definitely thought the characters had a bit more depth to them in the sequel, their personalities were expanded and given more room to grow. I love each and every one of the main characters in this series, Ari & Merlin could possibly be my favourites but I would happily befriend every single one!
I think to enjoy this series you would definitely have to like historical fiction as well, as the sequel is obviously leaning more towards historical with sci-fi characters rather than a Space themed location. I really enjoyed the change in location and time, there was also occasional flashbacks or flashforwards to other timelines and I do love switching up the timeline, so we received rare glimpses of that futuristic setting we got to know in Once & Future.
I’m very pleased that Sword in the Stars was just as good and just as queer as Once & Future and also just as enjoyable! I would definitely recommend this series to any Arthurian legend fans as I found it to be wonderfully entertaining, especially as the famous tale unfolded around these charming characters.
Similar to the first novel, Sword in the Stars was so fun to read, I really enjoyed Merlin’s sarcastic comments about the very uneducated Middle Ages, he could lighten any mood! Practically every character we meet in these books are queer and I particularly loved how even people from the Middle Ages were LGBTQ+, to show that there have been queer people throughout all of history. I definitely thought the characters had a bit more depth to them in the sequel, their personalities were expanded and given more room to grow. I love each and every one of the main characters in this series, Ari & Merlin could possibly be my favourites but I would happily befriend every single one!
I think to enjoy this series you would definitely have to like historical fiction as well, as the sequel is obviously leaning more towards historical with sci-fi characters rather than a Space themed location. I really enjoyed the change in location and time, there was also occasional flashbacks or flashforwards to other timelines and I do love switching up the timeline, so we received rare glimpses of that futuristic setting we got to know in Once & Future.
I’m very pleased that Sword in the Stars was just as good and just as queer as Once & Future and also just as enjoyable! I would definitely recommend this series to any Arthurian legend fans as I found it to be wonderfully entertaining, especially as the famous tale unfolded around these charming characters.
November 6, 2019
This book. Oh my heart. This book. I had WAY too much fun with this book. Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy truly outdid themselves and exceeded my wildest hopes by creating the most epic and perfect conclusion to this journey. First things first, and before I gush any further, Sword in the Stars is a sequel and should be read after Once and Future. Quick recap: Once & Future is Arthurian legend fantastically reimagined in space–hilarious, sexy, endlessly creative, and marvelously gay. In Capetta and McCarthy’s retelling, Merlin is a newly minted teenager stuck in a tormenting cycle of failed Arthur reincarnations as he ages backwards. Ari is the newest and 42nd reincarnation, the first female Arthur, and quite possibly Merlin’s last chance to get things right and break the cycle before he ages backwards into infancy. Gwen is the queen of Lionel–a medieval planet straight out of a Renaissance Festival–and Ari’s old flame from Knight Camp. Rounding out the group are a vibrant and incredibly diverse cast of characters who make up the rest of the knights of the round table. Together they must figure out a way to defeat Mercer, the evil corporation controlling the entire galaxy, rescue Kay and Ari’s moms who have been illegally imprisoned, figure out how to lift the barrier that’s keeping Ari’s home planet in exile, and unite all of humankind in peace.
I’m so incredibly grateful to jimmy patterson books for giving me the chance to read and review this book. I dropped everything the day it arrived and read it in less than 48 hours, enjoying every single moment. I highly recommend this duology to everyone and I so hope that Capetta and McCarthy write more books together soon!
I’m so incredibly grateful to jimmy patterson books for giving me the chance to read and review this book. I dropped everything the day it arrived and read it in less than 48 hours, enjoying every single moment. I highly recommend this duology to everyone and I so hope that Capetta and McCarthy write more books together soon!
March 18, 2020
Wow wow wow wow wow.
I've never read a book like Once and Future, I've never read a conclusion like Sword in the Stars. This duology is so good, and so important for spreading diversity in a genre that unfortunately doesn't see much of it. There's so much representation in these books, so much love, power, and determination sprinkled on every page. It makes me wish there was more for me to read, more books to anticipate, but, honestly, Sword in the Stars is the perfect end to this epic journey across space and time to save the universe.
Ari and her friends, including backwards-aging Merlin, all return in this sequel with the intent to stop Mercer once and for all--the power-hungry company ruling the known universe (I personally picture them as Amazon but with spaceships). They need to go back to the past if they have any hope at saving the future.
I was honestly worried when I saw time travel would be involved in a duology where in Once and Future each character, no matter their identity, is allowed to live fully out and proud without any fear (well, being afraid of Mercer, but Mercer wants to kill them for various reasons, none of which involve how the characters identify). Refreshing! Obviously untrue in the past (and ... present). I did really like how their time in the past was handled, though; no truth was brushed over, but a lot of hope was given in the past as well.
I do wish Sword in the Stars had dug a little farther into its characters. There's an amazing cast here, filled with people who genuinely care for one another and the universe even if they each have their own spectacular flaws. At times, something would happen that wouldn't just be shocking, but devastating, and only a line or two would be spared for the characters' feelings before . . . it would never be mentioned again. I'm an emotional person, and often feel better connected when reading if I have a good understanding of where the main characters are emotionally. None of that was ever really touched on. The plot was excellent; I liked the different beats the story hit, but at times it felt like emotional arcs were sacrificed in order to tie up plot points.
That being said, for someone sitting on the fringes of sci-fi and only just beginning to get into the genre, I loved the world and story built here. The plot was complex and a little convoluted, but not difficult to follow. I loved the journey the characters take, and the conclusion more than satisfied me (okay, yes, I shed a few tears at the end. SUE ME. That was an emotional beat that hit!). I can't wait to read more from these authors. I also can't wait to see the diverse stories that are published in the future (our future, not a Mercer hundreds-of-years-from-now future) because YA readers were inspired by books like Once and Future and Sword in the Stars.
I've never read a book like Once and Future, I've never read a conclusion like Sword in the Stars. This duology is so good, and so important for spreading diversity in a genre that unfortunately doesn't see much of it. There's so much representation in these books, so much love, power, and determination sprinkled on every page. It makes me wish there was more for me to read, more books to anticipate, but, honestly, Sword in the Stars is the perfect end to this epic journey across space and time to save the universe.
Ari and her friends, including backwards-aging Merlin, all return in this sequel with the intent to stop Mercer once and for all--the power-hungry company ruling the known universe (I personally picture them as Amazon but with spaceships). They need to go back to the past if they have any hope at saving the future.
I was honestly worried when I saw time travel would be involved in a duology where in Once and Future each character, no matter their identity, is allowed to live fully out and proud without any fear (well, being afraid of Mercer, but Mercer wants to kill them for various reasons, none of which involve how the characters identify). Refreshing! Obviously untrue in the past (and ... present). I did really like how their time in the past was handled, though; no truth was brushed over, but a lot of hope was given in the past as well.
I do wish Sword in the Stars had dug a little farther into its characters. There's an amazing cast here, filled with people who genuinely care for one another and the universe even if they each have their own spectacular flaws. At times, something would happen that wouldn't just be shocking, but devastating, and only a line or two would be spared for the characters' feelings before . . . it would never be mentioned again. I'm an emotional person, and often feel better connected when reading if I have a good understanding of where the main characters are emotionally. None of that was ever really touched on. The plot was excellent; I liked the different beats the story hit, but at times it felt like emotional arcs were sacrificed in order to tie up plot points.
That being said, for someone sitting on the fringes of sci-fi and only just beginning to get into the genre, I loved the world and story built here. The plot was complex and a little convoluted, but not difficult to follow. I loved the journey the characters take, and the conclusion more than satisfied me (okay, yes, I shed a few tears at the end. SUE ME. That was an emotional beat that hit!). I can't wait to read more from these authors. I also can't wait to see the diverse stories that are published in the future (our future, not a Mercer hundreds-of-years-from-now future) because YA readers were inspired by books like Once and Future and Sword in the Stars.
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