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Emry Merlin #1
The Other Merlin
Welcome to the great kingdom of Camelot. Prince Arthur’s a depressed botanist who would rather marry a library than a princess, Lancelot’s been demoted to castle guard after a terrible misunderstanding, and nothing is going according to plan. Then Arthur accidentally pulls the sword from the stone (in his defense, he was drunk and mostly kidding), and now everyone’s convinced he’s some prophesied hero.
Emry Merlin is stuck in her small town. Her father, the legendary court wizard, disappeared years ago, and Emry’s been peddling theater tricks to make ends meet. When a royal messenger arrives summoning her far less talented twin brother to serve as Prince Arthur's right-hand wizard, Emry is understandably upset. But after Emmett becomes indisposed thanks to a bad spell, Emry disguises herself as her brother and travels to the royal court to impersonate him until they can switch.
Studying magic at the castle is everything Emry hoped for. But life in King Uther’s court is full of scandals, lies, and backstabbing courtiers. What’s a teen wizard masquerading as her twin brother to do? Other than fall for the handsome prince, stir trouble with the foppish Lord Gawain, offend Princess Guinevere, and make herself indispensable to the future of Camelot?
When the truth comes out with disastrous consequences, Emry has to decide whether she'll risk everything for the boy she loves, or give up her potential to become the greatest wizard Camelot has ever known.
Channeling the modern humor of A Knight's Tale, bestselling author Robyn Schneider creates a Camelot that becomes the ultimate teen rom-com hotspot in this ultra-fresh take on the Arthurian legend.
Emry Merlin is stuck in her small town. Her father, the legendary court wizard, disappeared years ago, and Emry’s been peddling theater tricks to make ends meet. When a royal messenger arrives summoning her far less talented twin brother to serve as Prince Arthur's right-hand wizard, Emry is understandably upset. But after Emmett becomes indisposed thanks to a bad spell, Emry disguises herself as her brother and travels to the royal court to impersonate him until they can switch.
Studying magic at the castle is everything Emry hoped for. But life in King Uther’s court is full of scandals, lies, and backstabbing courtiers. What’s a teen wizard masquerading as her twin brother to do? Other than fall for the handsome prince, stir trouble with the foppish Lord Gawain, offend Princess Guinevere, and make herself indispensable to the future of Camelot?
When the truth comes out with disastrous consequences, Emry has to decide whether she'll risk everything for the boy she loves, or give up her potential to become the greatest wizard Camelot has ever known.
Channeling the modern humor of A Knight's Tale, bestselling author Robyn Schneider creates a Camelot that becomes the ultimate teen rom-com hotspot in this ultra-fresh take on the Arthurian legend.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published September 21, 2021
114 people are currently reading
14150 people want to read
About the author
Robyn Schneider
14 books2,486 followersRobyn Schneider grew up in Southern California, where she spent her childhood reading fantasy novels and searching for secret passages. She’s a graduate of Columbia University, where she studied creative writing, and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where she earned a Masters of Bioethics. Robyn is the bestselling author of The Beginning of Everything, Extraordinary Means, Invisible Ghosts, and You Don’t Live Here. Her work is available across the world in over a dozen languages. Her newest novel, The Other Merlin, will be published in September 2021. She lives in Los Angeles with her TV producer husband, their tiny puppy, and far too many books. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @robynschneider
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 743 reviews
October 4, 2021
not a fan of the cover and it honestly had me not expecting the best. but im grateful that im incapable of turning down an arthurian retelling because this is honestly a really entertaining story. its fun, lighthearted, and such a unique retelling.
obviously a lot of liberties are taken regarding the original myths and historical time period, but i highly doubt any reader picking this up is looking for faithful accuracy. even with the character changes and modernised feel, this story still oozes the chivalrous charm of camelot with the magic, knights, and court politics.
the characters are amazing - i loved every single one of them. the banter and friendship between arthur, lance, and emry is so adorable. and im glad the plot doesnt exactly follow a particular myth/storyline, and it allows the characters to create their own story. it was really refreshing to see them as they are, each coming of age in court and navigating the world together.
im so excited to see where this series will go but, if this first book is any indication, its going to be a favourite.
↠ 5 stars
obviously a lot of liberties are taken regarding the original myths and historical time period, but i highly doubt any reader picking this up is looking for faithful accuracy. even with the character changes and modernised feel, this story still oozes the chivalrous charm of camelot with the magic, knights, and court politics.
the characters are amazing - i loved every single one of them. the banter and friendship between arthur, lance, and emry is so adorable. and im glad the plot doesnt exactly follow a particular myth/storyline, and it allows the characters to create their own story. it was really refreshing to see them as they are, each coming of age in court and navigating the world together.
im so excited to see where this series will go but, if this first book is any indication, its going to be a favourite.
↠ 5 stars
November 27, 2021
What a book, this was such an easy and enjoyable read for me. The LGBTQ+ representation throughout was so amazing to see in a fantasy book. I fell in love with literally every last character and I will defend them with my life. Everyone has to read this book immediately. Like seriously I am never going to stop talking about this book. I will make this book everyone’s problem until I see it get at least 1K reviews on here. The author is such an amazing person as well, I had an amazing time interviewing her earlier this year.
January 18, 2023
Reread on January 17, 2023: Increasing the rating to 5 stars because I don’t have a single complaint. Can’t wait for the sequel in March. Read via audio (narrated by Rosie Jones).
First read on August 14, 2021:
4.5 stars
Okay, it’s 5 am and I am VIBRATING with excitement. I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. I randomly started the first chapter at midnight and never stopped reading. Recommended for fans of Galavant and A Knight’s Tale. Think sly, anachronistic, compulsively readable, and medieval-set YA fantasy with satirical elements. Not recommended for Arthurian purists, lol. Let's just say it diverges from the source material quite a bit.
We need more fun, frothy, and easy-to-read fantasy. I love SFF, YA and adult. But complex worldbuilding gives me a headache when I'm not in the mood to process so much information. Even if it's not grimdark, it's usually stressful and epic in nature. Sometimes I don't want to concentrate and struggle to retain random details. I want to laugh! I want to breeze through a fantasy novel in four hours and declare it a rollicking ride. THE OTHER MERLIN is a breath of fresh air (lewd jokes! Levity in the face of life-ending stakes!) in comparison to my other reads. And hey, maybe I'm the problem and these books do exist in droves (if so: please recommend them to me because I am ignorant and must have them).
I know “girl disguises herself as a man” is problematic for valid reasons, but this book avoids many of the common pitfalls of the trope execution. Emry is bi and lots of secondary characters are queer (super excited to see the Lancelot/Percival ship become official in the next book). Arthur does lust after Emry when he thinks Emry is a boy, but he's fine with that possibility. Arthur's not like “eww, what’s wrong with me that I’m lusting after men?” (he’s into the idea, and is hurt when he mistakenly believes that his feelings are unreciprocated).
Which is not to say that the trope execution is perfect. There are no genderqueer/non-binary characters in the book. Some gender descriptions felt a tinge cisheteronormative. There are likely things I missed, as this is not my field-of-expertise. I imprinted on Song of the Lioness and Mulan retellings as a child, so I'm not unbiased wrt this trope (I love it while fully acknowledging its many missteps). But in my opinion, THE OTHER MERLIN doesn’t drown in cisheteronormativity the way most "girl disguises herself as a man" books do.
One thing I didn't super love -- I wish Emry had more on-page female friendships. We know that her BFF Marion is back at home, but she's not relevant to the plot. Guinevere is a foil until the very end. There's Elaine, the Lady of the Lake, and some spoilery villains... but they aren't friends! For most of the book, Emry is friendly with Arthur, Lancelot, Gawain, her brother Emmett, and her wizard instructor Ambrosius. To be fair, this all-masculine group makes sense because Emry only hangs around people she's forced to talk to (the less people she has to lie to, the easier it is to conceal her identity). Still, I want more female friendships. I would love to see Emry forming a closer bond with Guin and other women in the sequel.
tldr: I super enjoyed myself and forgave any annoyances because I was having so much fun. If you try it, I hope it works for you!
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
First read on August 14, 2021:
4.5 stars
Okay, it’s 5 am and I am VIBRATING with excitement. I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. I randomly started the first chapter at midnight and never stopped reading. Recommended for fans of Galavant and A Knight’s Tale. Think sly, anachronistic, compulsively readable, and medieval-set YA fantasy with satirical elements. Not recommended for Arthurian purists, lol. Let's just say it diverges from the source material quite a bit.
We need more fun, frothy, and easy-to-read fantasy. I love SFF, YA and adult. But complex worldbuilding gives me a headache when I'm not in the mood to process so much information. Even if it's not grimdark, it's usually stressful and epic in nature. Sometimes I don't want to concentrate and struggle to retain random details. I want to laugh! I want to breeze through a fantasy novel in four hours and declare it a rollicking ride. THE OTHER MERLIN is a breath of fresh air (lewd jokes! Levity in the face of life-ending stakes!) in comparison to my other reads. And hey, maybe I'm the problem and these books do exist in droves (if so: please recommend them to me because I am ignorant and must have them).
I know “girl disguises herself as a man” is problematic for valid reasons, but this book avoids many of the common pitfalls of the trope execution. Emry is bi and lots of secondary characters are queer (super excited to see the Lancelot/Percival ship become official in the next book). Arthur does lust after Emry when he thinks Emry is a boy, but he's fine with that possibility. Arthur's not like “eww, what’s wrong with me that I’m lusting after men?” (he’s into the idea, and is hurt when he mistakenly believes that his feelings are unreciprocated).
Which is not to say that the trope execution is perfect. There are no genderqueer/non-binary characters in the book. Some gender descriptions felt a tinge cisheteronormative. There are likely things I missed, as this is not my field-of-expertise. I imprinted on Song of the Lioness and Mulan retellings as a child, so I'm not unbiased wrt this trope (I love it while fully acknowledging its many missteps). But in my opinion, THE OTHER MERLIN doesn’t drown in cisheteronormativity the way most "girl disguises herself as a man" books do.
One thing I didn't super love -- I wish Emry had more on-page female friendships. We know that her BFF Marion is back at home, but she's not relevant to the plot. Guinevere is a foil until the very end. There's Elaine, the Lady of the Lake, and some spoilery villains... but they aren't friends! For most of the book, Emry is friendly with Arthur, Lancelot, Gawain, her brother Emmett, and her wizard instructor Ambrosius. To be fair, this all-masculine group makes sense because Emry only hangs around people she's forced to talk to (the less people she has to lie to, the easier it is to conceal her identity). Still, I want more female friendships. I would love to see Emry forming a closer bond with Guin and other women in the sequel.
tldr: I super enjoyed myself and forgave any annoyances because I was having so much fun. If you try it, I hope it works for you!
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2024
Star Rating: —> 5 Stars
🌟⭐️🌟 ⭐️🌟
This novel isprobably definitely one of my top two favorite Arthurian retellings ever written, and it’s so darn underrated! Add this to your TBRs & buckle up, buttercups, because you’re in for a ride!
A gender-bent Merlin, Gay Lancelot, prose oh so clever, snarky, & laugh out loud funny— I’m telling you, this book is Arthuriana crack! I truly want to go doorstep to doorstep (let’s be honest, I want to jump rooftop to rooftop shouting about it, but I find that’s far less effective) and hand out this book… I love it that much! It offers everything you could want on a silver prose platter; an entirely inventive & creative take, but yet just familiar enough to attract fans of Arthurian retellings, and new readers of the genre, alike— This novel is a clear winner! Pick it up, what have you got to lose?
This Merlin meets Mulan tale is high fantasy in its own right, with an inventively modern take & sense of humour, yet still has a renaissance faire feel, & the mixture is MAGIC, I tell you (quite literally 😉) ! I have bought a copy of this book for most of my friends, near (because psh I’m not loaning one of my favorite books of all time to anyone), and far (because how else are you to get an underrated ‘they’ll thank you later’ book to the top of your closest, busiest reader friends’ TBRs? 😂), and I REGRET NOTHING! I love the author’s brand new take on the story, including sly pop culture references, & the daring take on classic characters, the way she pulls normally quite forgotten (or disliked, even) side characters, and makes them Lovable with a capital L. The LGBTQIA+ rep is so swoony and different, you can’t help but root for those characters every step of the way.
Honestly, beyond that there’s just such a strong story here, with solid sub plots, and just amazing character development, fantastic, & full of whimsy world building, and just so much to love here. I absolutely cherished the tale, and I am waiting with freaking BATED BREATH for the sequel, The Future King.
Penguin Teen, if you’re seeing this, you have my goodreads profile, and I’m on NetGalley— will sell soul for the ARC of the sequel! 😉 If anyone wants to help a girl out, erm… here I am! Lmao 🤣
Pick this one up, friends, you will NOT regret it, this I promise you!
1000/10 recommend! And please do let me know what you think, if you decide to pick this incredible book up! Obviously, I am incredibly invested 😂.
🌟⭐️🌟 ⭐️🌟
This novel is
A gender-bent Merlin, Gay Lancelot, prose oh so clever, snarky, & laugh out loud funny— I’m telling you, this book is Arthuriana crack! I truly want to go doorstep to doorstep (let’s be honest, I want to jump rooftop to rooftop shouting about it, but I find that’s far less effective) and hand out this book… I love it that much! It offers everything you could want on a silver prose platter; an entirely inventive & creative take, but yet just familiar enough to attract fans of Arthurian retellings, and new readers of the genre, alike— This novel is a clear winner! Pick it up, what have you got to lose?
This Merlin meets Mulan tale is high fantasy in its own right, with an inventively modern take & sense of humour, yet still has a renaissance faire feel, & the mixture is MAGIC, I tell you (quite literally 😉) ! I have bought a copy of this book for most of my friends, near (because psh I’m not loaning one of my favorite books of all time to anyone), and far (because how else are you to get an underrated ‘they’ll thank you later’ book to the top of your closest, busiest reader friends’ TBRs? 😂), and I REGRET NOTHING! I love the author’s brand new take on the story, including sly pop culture references, & the daring take on classic characters, the way she pulls normally quite forgotten (or disliked, even) side characters, and makes them Lovable with a capital L. The LGBTQIA+ rep is so swoony and different, you can’t help but root for those characters every step of the way.
Honestly, beyond that there’s just such a strong story here, with solid sub plots, and just amazing character development, fantastic, & full of whimsy world building, and just so much to love here. I absolutely cherished the tale, and I am waiting with freaking BATED BREATH for the sequel, The Future King.
Penguin Teen, if you’re seeing this, you have my goodreads profile, and I’m on NetGalley— will sell soul for the ARC of the sequel! 😉 If anyone wants to help a girl out, erm… here I am! Lmao 🤣
Pick this one up, friends, you will NOT regret it, this I promise you!
1000/10 recommend! And please do let me know what you think, if you decide to pick this incredible book up! Obviously, I am incredibly invested 😂.
February 20, 2023
Great at the start, mediocre in the middle, and downright boring in the end.
December 19, 2021
This book is a retelling of the legend of King Arthur only now Merlin is Emry Merlin- the daughter of Merlin who disguises herself as her twin brother to go learn magic at court. Studying magic is everything Emry has ever wanted even though pretending to be someone else is dangerous. Unfortunately for Emry life at court is complicated and becomes even more complicated when she falls for prince Arthur.
First off, hate that cover. Second off, hate the actual summary. Everything about this book and the marketing (even the beginning chapter with drunk ass Arthur pulling the sword out of the stone) leads this book to sounding like a fun, wacky story full of comedy. But like... no? It was just another Arthur retelling and it was boring and way too long.
I should have just not read this because apparently I don't actually like King Arthur retellings. This is the third one I have read and I'm just done. At least this wasn't as stupid as the space one though. (Seriously I'm still mad at how dumb that one was.) This one felt like it just took itself too seriously and was trying to be a Tamora Pierce type book and then just ended up being generic and plain, with nothing to actually stand out besides hurr durr Merlin is a girl. Heart pounding and hilarious? I really don't see what is supposed to be funny about this besides I actually spent money on it.
This book also does the thing I fucking hate that literally all female Sherlock Holmes stories do: instead of ACTUALLY BEING THE FUCKING CHARACTER, the female version is just the daughter or sister or other female relative. Like my dude this shit is all fake anyway why can't the Merlin actually just be a girl? Besides the obvious daddy issues, her father didn't have to be Merlin and it added nothing to the story. There is nothing in here that explains why it couldn't have been written as female Merlin, not daughter Merlin.
The entire plot line of pretending to be a boy was done so badly and her brother was even worse. He was an absolute loser and did nothing besides show up a few times and be a waste of words and then leave again while Emry just excuses his bullshit yet again. Why was he even here? Dude did jack shit!!
The effort she put into pretending to be a boy was 2/10. She binds her chest and cuts her hair but that's it? Then of course when Arthur finally learns that she's a girl he's like omg wait I see it now she's a WOMAN. ??? Like at least use magic to change your face or something because all it took for characters to figure out what she was, was just them overhearing and then saying o yea she does in fact look like a girl huh.
But no the magic in this was super lame. Wizards (apparently a gender netural term this time because "witch" and "sorceress" are bad words) cannot use magic on themselves, only just flick a wand, say a spell, and do it to other people. But oh no they actually don't NEED to use wands to channel their powers and they don't even actually have to say the damn magic made up words so why. The spells were lame and while I liked how cocky Emry was about her own power, sis was dumb.
The romance hahahahhahahahahha. No. I don't know why this author was so against gay Merlin / Arthur and then half assed queerness in the story. Like... you can just write Merlin and Arthur gay romance it's fine and it's what everyone wants but okay lol. You gotta make it het even though Emry and Arthur were both supposedly queer for what? Also it was gross that they had kissing before he knew what she was but okay.
I know this book wanted to say something about girls being limited in society and treated like prizes while boys exist and get everything while girls have to work twice as hard to get anywhere but like... why bother when you don't even try to make it fire? Emry has so much not like the other girls mentality and the entire book was full of male characters besides Emry. Then there was another girl but oh no she instantly hates her and then Emry only thinks about Arthur like at all times.
The way Morgana was portrayed was so funny to me because my lady was just spitting facts and Emry was like uR wRoNG and played along with her... by speaking true facts that I guess didn't actually bother her? Idk man I was annoyed for her and by her and she didn't really give a shit. There was no emotion to any of this no joke.
It's okay fanfiction exists bye.
Want to read
April 17, 2021This is everything I’ve ever wanted? Minus the fact that I wish it was gay but I’m always in for comedy, especially if it’s an Arthurian retelling <3
January 28, 2022
It was a fun read, but one thing that became glaringly obvious to me was its lack of stakes. Things would happen and then the consequences of those actions would just fall completely flat. And it stays this way throughout the entire book, which eventually left me really frustrated. Not to mention some of the supporting characters are just “I wish you’d die for character development” levels of annoying.
August 22, 2021
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I am a simp for Arthurian retellings. It's just a fact now.
The Other Merlin is a reimaging of Arthurian Legend where Merlin's twin children are the Merlin to Arthur Pendragon. Emry Merlin has only every wanted to learn more about magic, but as a girl her father gave more attention to her twin brother Emmett. Years after Merlin's disappearance, King Uther demands that his son come to court to become Arthur's wizard. But Emmett becomes indisposed after a bad spell, so Emry agrees to go in his place for a week.
Studying magic at court is everything Emry has ever wanted and as she continues to learn more about Arthur, and Gawain, she finds herself making a home for herself at court. But when her secret gets out, she knows it will spell trouble.
I absolutely loved this retelling so much! I loved the added mystery around Excalibur, Nimue and Morgana. I feel like I was finally able to get a good grasp on who all the characters are in the original Arthur canon, but with way more queer people. I loved seeing Emry learn more about magic and making her own little family at court. I wish we would've gotten to see more friendship between Guinevere and Emry, but I'll keep my hopes up for the sequel!
Rep: Pansexual female MC (possibly demisexual as well), bisexual male side character, gay male side character, questioning love interest, BIPOC side character.
CWs: Abandonment/suspected death of parent, alcohol consumption, blood, misogyny, outing, sexism, violence, sexual content (not graphic).
I am a simp for Arthurian retellings. It's just a fact now.
The Other Merlin is a reimaging of Arthurian Legend where Merlin's twin children are the Merlin to Arthur Pendragon. Emry Merlin has only every wanted to learn more about magic, but as a girl her father gave more attention to her twin brother Emmett. Years after Merlin's disappearance, King Uther demands that his son come to court to become Arthur's wizard. But Emmett becomes indisposed after a bad spell, so Emry agrees to go in his place for a week.
Studying magic at court is everything Emry has ever wanted and as she continues to learn more about Arthur, and Gawain, she finds herself making a home for herself at court. But when her secret gets out, she knows it will spell trouble.
I absolutely loved this retelling so much! I loved the added mystery around Excalibur, Nimue and Morgana. I feel like I was finally able to get a good grasp on who all the characters are in the original Arthur canon, but with way more queer people. I loved seeing Emry learn more about magic and making her own little family at court. I wish we would've gotten to see more friendship between Guinevere and Emry, but I'll keep my hopes up for the sequel!
Rep: Pansexual female MC (possibly demisexual as well), bisexual male side character, gay male side character, questioning love interest, BIPOC side character.
CWs: Abandonment/suspected death of parent, alcohol consumption, blood, misogyny, outing, sexism, violence, sexual content (not graphic).
April 2, 2023
This was so much fun!
I laughed out loud, I swooned, I had the time of my life fulfilling that little part of my heart that adores Arthurian retellings oh so much.
Honestly, this book was the perfect amount of amusement, adorable romance and fascinating fantasy vibes - plus some great lgbtq+ rep. Really glad I read this, I absolutely flew through it. It was just such good writing!!
Highly recommended - thank you to Ash for making me read this!
I laughed out loud, I swooned, I had the time of my life fulfilling that little part of my heart that adores Arthurian retellings oh so much.
Honestly, this book was the perfect amount of amusement, adorable romance and fascinating fantasy vibes - plus some great lgbtq+ rep. Really glad I read this, I absolutely flew through it. It was just such good writing!!
Highly recommended - thank you to Ash for making me read this!
October 19, 2022
my heart is saying five stars but I’ll sleep on it. I NEVER read fantasy and man I loved this. Was it perfect? Maybe not. Did I read 430 pages in a day? Yeah I did.
Could a more seasoned fantasy reader poke a few holes in the magic system? I’m sure. You know what? It still gets five stars. This book made me feel like I was in high school again in the best way.
For fans of the TV show Merlin, this is absolutely a book to read. I found this story super engaging, I loved the main characters, and the magic made sense to me, which is all I can ask for.
A bisexual wizard? A reluctant king? A prophecy? A skosh of court politics? You know, sign me up. I really enjoyed the pacing of this (I mean, it’s a bit of a slow burn but that’s to be expected), and I thought the world was just so fun. I love Arthurian retellings.
I don’t want to make it seem like this is a perfect book. While this book is a queer Arthurian retelling, it did feel at times that the character’s sexualities were kind of an afterthought? And it was a bit confusing whether their society was allowing and supportive of queer people or punishing of them? Just a lot of contradictory info on that front.
But I think on the whole, this is a super fun and cozy story about Merlin’s twin sister. I’d recommend!
Could a more seasoned fantasy reader poke a few holes in the magic system? I’m sure. You know what? It still gets five stars. This book made me feel like I was in high school again in the best way.
For fans of the TV show Merlin, this is absolutely a book to read. I found this story super engaging, I loved the main characters, and the magic made sense to me, which is all I can ask for.
A bisexual wizard? A reluctant king? A prophecy? A skosh of court politics? You know, sign me up. I really enjoyed the pacing of this (I mean, it’s a bit of a slow burn but that’s to be expected), and I thought the world was just so fun. I love Arthurian retellings.
I don’t want to make it seem like this is a perfect book. While this book is a queer Arthurian retelling, it did feel at times that the character’s sexualities were kind of an afterthought? And it was a bit confusing whether their society was allowing and supportive of queer people or punishing of them? Just a lot of contradictory info on that front.
But I think on the whole, this is a super fun and cozy story about Merlin’s twin sister. I’d recommend!
May 25, 2022
here we go lol
i feel like maybe i’m biased but i tried really hard to like this book, but i just couldn’t.
i have many thoughts but i guess in summary: for a book that promotes itself as a queer retelling of the arthurian legend….i was really very disappointed. it felt like the queerness was tokenism just so that it could be marketed as “queer”. i understand what it was trying to do especially with lancelot but it felt lacking and just kind of…there.
it also felt very cliche in the way it portrays guinevere, and even emry, it felt like their entire personalities were “i’m a woman so i have no choices but secretly i’m clever and different and Fun”.
i feel like i’m being probably too harsh but this book just wasn’t there for me, also i liked some of the comedy but mostly it just fell flat.
oh well, rest in peace i guess.
i feel like maybe i’m biased but i tried really hard to like this book, but i just couldn’t.
i have many thoughts but i guess in summary: for a book that promotes itself as a queer retelling of the arthurian legend….i was really very disappointed. it felt like the queerness was tokenism just so that it could be marketed as “queer”. i understand what it was trying to do especially with lancelot but it felt lacking and just kind of…there.
it also felt very cliche in the way it portrays guinevere, and even emry, it felt like their entire personalities were “i’m a woman so i have no choices but secretly i’m clever and different and Fun”.
i feel like i’m being probably too harsh but this book just wasn’t there for me, also i liked some of the comedy but mostly it just fell flat.
oh well, rest in peace i guess.
July 28, 2021
WELL. KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE meets TWELFTH NIGHT. Yes. Give me all the (k)night mashups. This book is amazing. Fast paced plot, character driven narrative. Some of the best witty and clever dialogue you will ever read with full and satisfying character arcs. YOU HAVE NEVER EVER SEEN AUTHUR LIKE THIS. EVER. Robyn has a natural fantasy voice that is compulsive and has you FLYING THROUGH THE PAGES.
May 15, 2023
Is there a worse feeling than liking a book quite a bit at the start, then slowly feeling it betray you? I quite enjoyed the first quarter of this, in which Emry Merlin has to disguise herself as her wastrel brother Emmett and take his place at court as trainee wizard. Emry-as-Emmett develops a cute relationship with Prince Arthur, who in this is quite bookish (fun!) and only recently possessed of the sword he has pulled from the stone. The dialogue is nice and bantery without being overdone, and through the trip to Avalon I was thoroughly on board, despite some niggling warning signs.
Such as: the world building makes little sense. When is this set? If one is pretending at a historical Arthur who has to unite Britain, then why is London a flourishing metropolis full of fancy homes and in fact the king's seat?
Why do social attitudes toward homosexuality seem to shift as plot-convenient? Emry is bi (excellent), Lancelot and Percival are gay, and the latter two seem fairly comfortable referencing this openly. On the other hand, Lance's tragic backstory at the novel's start is that he was stripped of his position of squire because he was caught in flagrante with Arthur's cousin; the cousin lied and said Lance attacked him because he feared his parents' homophobia. Emry also says in narration that she's felt horribly othered and alone because she likes girls as well as boys, but then again, other characters are casually and openly queer whenever, I guess, it is cute and flirty for them to be so? I'm not saying there's no way to reconcile this, just that the novel never attempts to. Instead, the queer content feels like set dressing. Similarly: Schneider makes reference to many of the characters in Uther's court being non-white, but in that colorblind casting way where it almost deliberately must not affect the plot -- or their characterization, their experiences. (And of course, all of the mains are still white.)
I started to sour on this book a bit when I realized it was never going to be as Gender as I wished. Emry masquerades as a boy but definitely isn't one; and that's fine! Congrats to her on her Cis+ card! But we are also reassured constantly that she's -- you guessed it -- Not Like Other Girls. She's a Cool Girl, not a stupid "pink princess" (actual quote). So we see the classic double bind in action: one must be definitely a girl, and able to look flawless in a borrowed French gown at a ball -- but not too girly, like you actually tried or anything. SCREAMING CRYING GNASHING MY TEETH.
Also: from about a quarter through to very near the end, this book forgets to have a plot. The narrative meanders from scene to scene, with occasional moments of interest, such as a sword-fighting tournament, but the threat is not clearly established until the very end, and barely even then. And it feels so long...so much time spent in characters' heads as they angst, so little tension and action. When things do happen, they are often resolved off stage, so you get, for example, And like of course: this novel is the start of a series. Duology, trilogy, idk, but clearly if it's this drawn out, it should have been one book.
Needless to say, I am not tempted to read any further, because clearly Schneider does not have anything to say about gender, sexuality, or the roles of women that interests me.
Such as: the world building makes little sense. When is this set? If one is pretending at a historical Arthur who has to unite Britain, then why is London a flourishing metropolis full of fancy homes and in fact the king's seat?
Why do social attitudes toward homosexuality seem to shift as plot-convenient? Emry is bi (excellent), Lancelot and Percival are gay, and the latter two seem fairly comfortable referencing this openly. On the other hand, Lance's tragic backstory at the novel's start is that he was stripped of his position of squire because he was caught in flagrante with Arthur's cousin; the cousin lied and said Lance attacked him because he feared his parents' homophobia. Emry also says in narration that she's felt horribly othered and alone because she likes girls as well as boys, but then again, other characters are casually and openly queer whenever, I guess, it is cute and flirty for them to be so? I'm not saying there's no way to reconcile this, just that the novel never attempts to. Instead, the queer content feels like set dressing. Similarly: Schneider makes reference to many of the characters in Uther's court being non-white, but in that colorblind casting way where it almost deliberately must not affect the plot -- or their characterization, their experiences. (And of course, all of the mains are still white.)
I started to sour on this book a bit when I realized it was never going to be as Gender as I wished. Emry masquerades as a boy but definitely isn't one; and that's fine! Congrats to her on her Cis+ card! But we are also reassured constantly that she's -- you guessed it -- Not Like Other Girls. She's a Cool Girl, not a stupid "pink princess" (actual quote). So we see the classic double bind in action: one must be definitely a girl, and able to look flawless in a borrowed French gown at a ball -- but not too girly, like you actually tried or anything. SCREAMING CRYING GNASHING MY TEETH.
Also: from about a quarter through to very near the end, this book forgets to have a plot. The narrative meanders from scene to scene, with occasional moments of interest, such as a sword-fighting tournament, but the threat is not clearly established until the very end, and barely even then. And it feels so long...so much time spent in characters' heads as they angst, so little tension and action. When things do happen, they are often resolved off stage, so you get, for example, And like of course: this novel is the start of a series. Duology, trilogy, idk, but clearly if it's this drawn out, it should have been one book.
Needless to say, I am not tempted to read any further, because clearly Schneider does not have anything to say about gender, sexuality, or the roles of women that interests me.
September 18, 2021
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was such a fun book! I love Robyn Schneider’s voice--she’s so funny and is great at picking up on the best aspects of teen rom-coms. I only know the basics of Arthurian legend from reading other Arthurian retellings, but I loved how she integrated the classic story into Emry’s story. Even though this book takes place during a medieval era in London, it still felt so modern and fresh in so many ways.
I also adored these characters. Arthur and Lance’s friendship is so pure and adorable. I love how fiercely they love each other and how obvious it is that they would defend and protect each other to their death. Arthur and Emry’s relationship was also really sweet and I loved Robyn Schneider’s take on this “She’s The Man” concept of the male love interest falling in love with the female main character disguised as a boy and accepting the fact that he’s queer instead of trying to queerbait the audience. The ending also definitely brought up so many questions that I hope will be answered in Book 2, which I have so many hopes for. I hope Emry & Arthur and Emmett & Guin are able to be happy and I hope Lance finds someone who loves him as much as he loves them, and I’m (surprisingly) excited to see Gawain return too. Overall I’d give this 4 stars!
This was such a fun book! I love Robyn Schneider’s voice--she’s so funny and is great at picking up on the best aspects of teen rom-coms. I only know the basics of Arthurian legend from reading other Arthurian retellings, but I loved how she integrated the classic story into Emry’s story. Even though this book takes place during a medieval era in London, it still felt so modern and fresh in so many ways.
I also adored these characters. Arthur and Lance’s friendship is so pure and adorable. I love how fiercely they love each other and how obvious it is that they would defend and protect each other to their death. Arthur and Emry’s relationship was also really sweet and I loved Robyn Schneider’s take on this “She’s The Man” concept of the male love interest falling in love with the female main character disguised as a boy and accepting the fact that he’s queer instead of trying to queerbait the audience. The ending also definitely brought up so many questions that I hope will be answered in Book 2, which I have so many hopes for. I hope Emry & Arthur and Emmett & Guin are able to be happy and I hope Lance finds someone who loves him as much as he loves them, and I’m (surprisingly) excited to see Gawain return too. Overall I’d give this 4 stars!
August 19, 2021
Really enjoyed this genderbent King Arthur YA fantasy novel!
Emry is such a fun herione, I love her guts and ambition, and the way she keeps fighting agains't the kingdom's outdated views on traditional gender roles. Her relationship with Arthur is a joy to read, their banter and friendship slowing turning into romance was really fun.
And Lancelot is so great! I love the bisexual rep in this book, the way they just don't care about someone's gender is fabulous. Princess Guinevere took a while to grow on me, but I liked how her character developed, and the found family that formed with everyone by the end of the book. I did think Morganna could have been given a better role- I really thought she would have sympathized with Emry more, and cared about her child more.
Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Emry is such a fun herione, I love her guts and ambition, and the way she keeps fighting agains't the kingdom's outdated views on traditional gender roles. Her relationship with Arthur is a joy to read, their banter and friendship slowing turning into romance was really fun.
And Lancelot is so great! I love the bisexual rep in this book, the way they just don't care about someone's gender is fabulous. Princess Guinevere took a while to grow on me, but I liked how her character developed, and the found family that formed with everyone by the end of the book. I did think Morganna could have been given a better role- I really thought she would have sympathized with Emry more, and cared about her child more.
Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
September 25, 2021
I liked this twist on the classic more than I expected to. While it might take too many liberties for an Arthurian purist I liked the fresh angles that were explored. I also loved the heavy dose of feminism and splashes of queer characters. The timelines are a little shifted but Arthur’s wizard isn’t going to be Merlin he’s long gone but luckily he left behind two twin children. Only the king sends for Emmett who is indisposed so Emery goes dressed as her brother until they can switch places. Of course Emery also has more skill with magic and more dedication to learning. This part reminded me of Tamora Pierce’s Alanna series, but I liked it the same. Emery is a great main character and I found myself really rooting for her. I also liked this version of Arthur a lot more than I typically do. Despite pulling the sword from the stone he prefers the library to battle. I am definitely going to be reading the rest of this series.
February 14, 2023
not awful just… not really good either is it
October 24, 2021
I have been waiting for ~ 2 years for this book to come out so I could finally read it and I'm so happy that it not only met, but also exceeded my expectations
September 20, 2021
I went back and forth on my rating for this one before I realized I was comparing it to more serious, high-fantasy stories unfairly. This is a fun, quick, comedic rom-com which happens to be a contemporary Arthurian retelling, and judging it on those parameters, it's a wonderful fun story.
Emry is a feminist leading lady without it being too preachy or in-your-face, and her natural talent for magic compared to her brother is handled incredibly well. Arthur is an awkward bumbling boy who never expected to be king and has no idea what to do with his newfound glory, which is the best possible way to write him. Lancelot is a flirty bisexual disaster in the best way, which was unexpected and also wonderful. Gawain and Guinevere are more minor but equally enjoyable familiar characters whose roles in the story I was pleased to see.
With all the casual queer representation in the book, the cis-heteronormativity of Arthur questioning his attraction to Emry while she was disguised as a boy was a little disappointing, but not egregious enough to really dampen the story, especially when we're given Emry's own bisexuality as prominently as we are.
The humor of this book was crass and at times almost childish, but remembering that this is a story about teens written for teens makes it justifiable. The sex jokes and nearly constant drunken debauchery may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it fits the setting and tone of the story excellently.
Of course, the main draw of this book is the inevitable romance between Arthur and Merlin, and it happens just as clumsily and awkwardly as you'd hope.
One downside of this book is the length and pacing - if this were simply a rom-com and nothing more, the story may have started and ended much quicker. But instead, we get a few moments of exposition and info-dump to set up for what ultimately becomes a villain reveal towards the final 1/4th of the book, which seemed late in the story until you realize this is the start of a series.
Overall, a funny and romantic read, and the start of a potentially great series for those looking for fantasy but not wanting a super serious story.
Emry is a feminist leading lady without it being too preachy or in-your-face, and her natural talent for magic compared to her brother is handled incredibly well. Arthur is an awkward bumbling boy who never expected to be king and has no idea what to do with his newfound glory, which is the best possible way to write him. Lancelot is a flirty bisexual disaster in the best way, which was unexpected and also wonderful. Gawain and Guinevere are more minor but equally enjoyable familiar characters whose roles in the story I was pleased to see.
With all the casual queer representation in the book, the cis-heteronormativity of Arthur questioning his attraction to Emry while she was disguised as a boy was a little disappointing, but not egregious enough to really dampen the story, especially when we're given Emry's own bisexuality as prominently as we are.
The humor of this book was crass and at times almost childish, but remembering that this is a story about teens written for teens makes it justifiable. The sex jokes and nearly constant drunken debauchery may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it fits the setting and tone of the story excellently.
Of course, the main draw of this book is the inevitable romance between Arthur and Merlin, and it happens just as clumsily and awkwardly as you'd hope.
One downside of this book is the length and pacing - if this were simply a rom-com and nothing more, the story may have started and ended much quicker. But instead, we get a few moments of exposition and info-dump to set up for what ultimately becomes a villain reveal towards the final 1/4th of the book, which seemed late in the story until you realize this is the start of a series.
Overall, a funny and romantic read, and the start of a potentially great series for those looking for fantasy but not wanting a super serious story.
April 11, 2023
I kinda hate myself for reading this so soon. I wanted to savor every word because I loved it so much and didn't want it to end. Now I will have to wait for forever until I can read the next book. And then forever and ever after that for the final book of the planned trilogy.
I loved loved loved this gender bent Merlin retelling. So much humor along with the sexual tension...plus all the LGBTQ+ representation.
I will for sure reread this closer to when the sequel is to be released.
I loved loved loved this gender bent Merlin retelling. So much humor along with the sexual tension...plus all the LGBTQ+ representation.
I will for sure reread this closer to when the sequel is to be released.
June 24, 2022
This was such a fun Arthur retelling! Emry Merlin disguises herself as her brother Emmet and answers a summons to apprentice to be the wizard for Prince Arthur. What could go wrong? ;)
I loved all the characters! I adore how Lancelot (Lance) was portrayed and I hope we get a lot more of him in book 2.
Arthur is kind and bookish, the perfect man. 🤣
Emry is seriously such a great female lead. She's sassy and funny and brave. 💗
Its a little more character driven, in my opinion, but I tend to prefer those types of books.
I loved all the characters! I adore how Lancelot (Lance) was portrayed and I hope we get a lot more of him in book 2.
Arthur is kind and bookish, the perfect man. 🤣
Emry is seriously such a great female lead. She's sassy and funny and brave. 💗
Its a little more character driven, in my opinion, but I tend to prefer those types of books.
March 25, 2023
ITS GAY AND IT SLAYS
December 29, 2021
I want to begin this review saying that even though I'm giving this one two stars, if it seems like a book you'd enjoy you should still probably give it a shot. It was rough to get through at times, but I thought it was entertaining on the whole. If I stumbled across book two in the library I'd probably pick it up - I do anticipate continuing the series.
I'm an absolute sucker for the tropes in this book. The whole Arthurian Legend + gender swapping characters is a set-up I'm specifically hooked on thanks to K.M. Shea, whose "King Arthur and her Knights" and "Robyn Hood" books delighted me to an absurd degree. Essentially, I'm constantly chasing the high of the amusement and heart-stopping tension of those two series. Unfortunately, though I tried to lower my expectations for this book, I still expected too much.
Initially, the book was hard to get into. I disliked Arthur and Emry both for being kind of whiny. Thankfully, both grew more likeable as the story progressed, and I did root for them by the end. The friend dynamic between them and Lance in this book is absolutely its best feature, and I really did feel like the main squad in this story had great chemistry.
Overall, though, this read like a debut novel, even though the author has written SEVERAL books before this one, so I'm more inclined to judge it harshly. The plot holes and inconsistent worldbuilding were maddening, with the book constantly uncertain if its characters were hatefully un-woke or not. It was genuinely confusing. Do people in Uther's court condemn/care if someone is bisexual?? It depended on the chapter. Despite the fact that oppression was a major discussed facet of the book, I never actually witnessed it. Ever. And virtually everyone was openly bi. Please just write out the oppression and let everyone be happy. I understand that this book wanted to make big statements about gender and sexuality, but if oppression doesn't exist in this world then just let it not exist! It's okay to not make that a struggle, we have other plot points! It makes a statement to let people live joyfully, too!
Despite the statements in the story about gender, I was pretty miffed about the lack of strong women - or any women - in this book. By making the MC bisexual, she saw pretty much all other attractive women as conquests or airheads, and it really offended me. It was especially bad for the first half of the book. Only in the second half did we hear from ANY other women at all, and they still weren't really explored as characters. Sorry, I guess the court ladies are too pretty to be seen as real people with emotions and ambitions and as anything besides romantic or sexual partners.
Besides the worldbuilding stuff, I was bored with a lot of the humor in this book. Look, sex jokes are really funny sometimes, but they simply can't be the sole main form of humor in a book (for me personally). I laughed out loud a few times, which was great, however, the rest of the time I just sort of grimaced at how gross the quips were.
While I have some scathing things to say about this book, I do think it has some heart to it. Like I said, the friendship dynamic, once it was developed (something that felt awkwardly rushed at first - clearly the author knew it was key) was great. I also liked the messages about identity and potential the story went for.
Truth be told, I almost called it quits on this story at around page 100. But, I finished it, and I thought it was alright. It's a nice book to read between intense reads, maybe one to read when you can't sleep and can't get too involved in a story. If I spot book two, I'll try it out. I'm not sure if I'll finish it, (there were some things in the finale of this one that irked me lol) but I'll try it out and see!
I'm an absolute sucker for the tropes in this book. The whole Arthurian Legend + gender swapping characters is a set-up I'm specifically hooked on thanks to K.M. Shea, whose "King Arthur and her Knights" and "Robyn Hood" books delighted me to an absurd degree. Essentially, I'm constantly chasing the high of the amusement and heart-stopping tension of those two series. Unfortunately, though I tried to lower my expectations for this book, I still expected too much.
Initially, the book was hard to get into. I disliked Arthur and Emry both for being kind of whiny. Thankfully, both grew more likeable as the story progressed, and I did root for them by the end. The friend dynamic between them and Lance in this book is absolutely its best feature, and I really did feel like the main squad in this story had great chemistry.
Overall, though, this read like a debut novel, even though the author has written SEVERAL books before this one, so I'm more inclined to judge it harshly. The plot holes and inconsistent worldbuilding were maddening, with the book constantly uncertain if its characters were hatefully un-woke or not. It was genuinely confusing. Do people in Uther's court condemn/care if someone is bisexual?? It depended on the chapter. Despite the fact that oppression was a major discussed facet of the book, I never actually witnessed it. Ever. And virtually everyone was openly bi. Please just write out the oppression and let everyone be happy. I understand that this book wanted to make big statements about gender and sexuality, but if oppression doesn't exist in this world then just let it not exist! It's okay to not make that a struggle, we have other plot points! It makes a statement to let people live joyfully, too!
Despite the statements in the story about gender, I was pretty miffed about the lack of strong women - or any women - in this book. By making the MC bisexual, she saw pretty much all other attractive women as conquests or airheads, and it really offended me. It was especially bad for the first half of the book. Only in the second half did we hear from ANY other women at all, and they still weren't really explored as characters. Sorry, I guess the court ladies are too pretty to be seen as real people with emotions and ambitions and as anything besides romantic or sexual partners.
Besides the worldbuilding stuff, I was bored with a lot of the humor in this book. Look, sex jokes are really funny sometimes, but they simply can't be the sole main form of humor in a book (for me personally). I laughed out loud a few times, which was great, however, the rest of the time I just sort of grimaced at how gross the quips were.
While I have some scathing things to say about this book, I do think it has some heart to it. Like I said, the friendship dynamic, once it was developed (something that felt awkwardly rushed at first - clearly the author knew it was key) was great. I also liked the messages about identity and potential the story went for.
Truth be told, I almost called it quits on this story at around page 100. But, I finished it, and I thought it was alright. It's a nice book to read between intense reads, maybe one to read when you can't sleep and can't get too involved in a story. If I spot book two, I'll try it out. I'm not sure if I'll finish it, (there were some things in the finale of this one that irked me lol) but I'll try it out and see!
August 23, 2023
"the sword had been waiting for hundreds of years, and to be honest, it was bored."
this was a bucketload of fun. i loved all the magical hijinks, likable characters, and snarky humor. i loved emry. when people are disguised in books it always makes me anxious - i'm just waiting for their true selves to be revealed, and this was no exception. i desperately wanted emry to be happy.
i love the whimsical little found family/cast of characters that emry meets. they all have their own arcs and goals and flaws. they were so much fun. especially lance i love him my child alfdjkasf
"'i guess i owe you one,' he said. 'you owe me six hundred and twenty-three,' said lance, 'but who's counting?'"
and the romance... the romance was a tad too much for me. it wasn't that it was too spicy or too adult, it was very ya, it just tended to seep into pretty much all of emry's thoughts which was a bit frustrating. but that's just ace & arospec life lmao. (it sucks but it's true.)
however i'm very glad it wasn't instalove! that's a win in my book. the intro scene where emry and arthur meet without knowing who each other are... chef's kiss. adorable. we love. i feel like rereading that scene now.
although this was definitely a light read, there was some not-so-subtle social commentary thrown in there, about homophobia, classism and sexism in the world today. and we stan the lgbtqia+ rep! bisexual merlin is superior and that is simply the truth.
“screw being sensible. being trouble is so much more fun.”
i definitely enjoyed the story, but it wasn't perfect. more often than not the snarky jokes landed, but occasionally the humor felt forced. more irritatingly, especially nearing the end of the book i felt like certain phrases were repeated over and over again which caught my attention and brought me out of the story a bit.
overall this was a sweet ya-fantasy-romcom-adventure. i recommend for ya fantasy lovers who need a bit of a palate cleanse/something lighter, people who love arthurian retellings, or people who love snarky characters and sweet romance. as for me, i did get rather attached to the characters and i'll be looking forward to the next book in the series!
“but how will we learn from our mistakes if we don't make any?”
this was a bucketload of fun. i loved all the magical hijinks, likable characters, and snarky humor. i loved emry. when people are disguised in books it always makes me anxious - i'm just waiting for their true selves to be revealed, and this was no exception. i desperately wanted emry to be happy.
i love the whimsical little found family/cast of characters that emry meets. they all have their own arcs and goals and flaws. they were so much fun. especially lance i love him my child alfdjkasf
"'i guess i owe you one,' he said. 'you owe me six hundred and twenty-three,' said lance, 'but who's counting?'"
and the romance... the romance was a tad too much for me. it wasn't that it was too spicy or too adult, it was very ya, it just tended to seep into pretty much all of emry's thoughts which was a bit frustrating. but that's just ace & arospec life lmao. (it sucks but it's true.)
however i'm very glad it wasn't instalove! that's a win in my book. the intro scene where emry and arthur meet without knowing who each other are... chef's kiss. adorable. we love. i feel like rereading that scene now.
although this was definitely a light read, there was some not-so-subtle social commentary thrown in there, about homophobia, classism and sexism in the world today. and we stan the lgbtqia+ rep! bisexual merlin is superior and that is simply the truth.
“screw being sensible. being trouble is so much more fun.”
i definitely enjoyed the story, but it wasn't perfect. more often than not the snarky jokes landed, but occasionally the humor felt forced. more irritatingly, especially nearing the end of the book i felt like certain phrases were repeated over and over again which caught my attention and brought me out of the story a bit.
overall this was a sweet ya-fantasy-romcom-adventure. i recommend for ya fantasy lovers who need a bit of a palate cleanse/something lighter, people who love arthurian retellings, or people who love snarky characters and sweet romance. as for me, i did get rather attached to the characters and i'll be looking forward to the next book in the series!
“but how will we learn from our mistakes if we don't make any?”
September 25, 2021
LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!
To preface, I did receive an ARC of The Other Merlin but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
When I say I rarely read fantasy, I mean it. I typically find it difficult to get through the first 50-150 pages and begin a new book instead. However, that was absolutely not the case with this book! Even though it still took me longer to read than most contemporary novels, I was consistently picking up this book. No week-long breaks in between, no reading slump as a result. I am so so happy that this is a series and we will be seeing more of these characters! (Also, if anyone from Penguin Teen is reading this, please let me know when the ARCs for the sequel are available, I beg of you.)
This historical fiction retelling of King Arthur was everything I could have hoped for and more. For one, I was not expecting to enjoy the multiple perspectives as much as I did! Dual POV in romance books is always amazing, but this book provides the POV of other side characters at times as well. It was incredibly well-done and I was never bored during any of the perspectives. The characters were just so interesting and fun. I especially loved the witty banter.
Also, the queer representation?! Can I hear you say BI VISIBILITY??
Basically I love this book and want everyone I know to read it. Historical fantasy, romance, queer rep, magic—this book has it all!
To preface, I did receive an ARC of The Other Merlin but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
When I say I rarely read fantasy, I mean it. I typically find it difficult to get through the first 50-150 pages and begin a new book instead. However, that was absolutely not the case with this book! Even though it still took me longer to read than most contemporary novels, I was consistently picking up this book. No week-long breaks in between, no reading slump as a result. I am so so happy that this is a series and we will be seeing more of these characters! (Also, if anyone from Penguin Teen is reading this, please let me know when the ARCs for the sequel are available, I beg of you.)
This historical fiction retelling of King Arthur was everything I could have hoped for and more. For one, I was not expecting to enjoy the multiple perspectives as much as I did! Dual POV in romance books is always amazing, but this book provides the POV of other side characters at times as well. It was incredibly well-done and I was never bored during any of the perspectives. The characters were just so interesting and fun. I especially loved the witty banter.
Also, the queer representation?! Can I hear you say BI VISIBILITY??
Basically I love this book and want everyone I know to read it. Historical fantasy, romance, queer rep, magic—this book has it all!
January 18, 2022
Quite a fun book with an interesting though not a totally unique premise. I wasn’t a huge fan of how Morgana was portrayed so stereotypically and my favorite characters were probably Gawain and Guinevere. The book was genuinely quite fun to read though. I really enjoyed the first half but was a little let down by the second.
3.75 stars
3.75 stars
October 22, 2023
Having only the synopsis so far... this sounds like my new favourite book :|
April 28, 2023
Dang, this was adorable. I'm a sucker for king/mage pairings.
November 24, 2021
AHHHHHHH this is my New Favorite Book. it's so so late so i will have a full review up tomorrow/thursday!!!
edit 11.24: Thank God for TikTok. If it didn't exist, I would never have heard of this book. And I would never have found my new favorite YA fantasy.
A young adult retelling of Arthurian legend has always been and will always be directly up my alley. It takes absolutely no convincing whatsoever after you've said the words "it's about King Arthur" to get me to read a book. This one in particular is about Emry Merlin, daughter to the great wizard Merlin and twin sister to Emmett Merlin, who has received a royal summons to replace their late father as court wizard in Camelot. Unfortunately, Emmett ends up...indisposed, and Emry decides to disguise herself as her twin brother and take his place until Emmett is well enough to make the switch back.
and hilarity ensues.
Robyn Schneider's versions of these characters that we all know and love might be some of my favorite of all time - second only to BBC Merlin's Arthur and Merlin, and directly above the characters from Netflix's adaptation of Cursed.
I loved everything about The Other Merlin. The pacing was perfect, the characters were endearing, and the romance had me close to throwing the book a couple of times - in a good way. The conflict is fantastic, and at no point while reading was I ever questioning whether or not something worked or made sense. Schneider says in the acknowledgements that she spent years writing this book, and it's clear that all of that hard work paid off.
I loved that we got multiple POVs, so we could see the story unfold from everyone's perspective - - and be privy to just enough vital information to keep me wanting to devour more of the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves YA fantasy which is equal parts plot and romance, whether you've consumed Arthurian literature prior to this or not. These characters and their story will worm their way into your heart regardless.
I'm so excited for the sequel, which is apparently out fall 2022!
edit 11.24: Thank God for TikTok. If it didn't exist, I would never have heard of this book. And I would never have found my new favorite YA fantasy.
A young adult retelling of Arthurian legend has always been and will always be directly up my alley. It takes absolutely no convincing whatsoever after you've said the words "it's about King Arthur" to get me to read a book. This one in particular is about Emry Merlin, daughter to the great wizard Merlin and twin sister to Emmett Merlin, who has received a royal summons to replace their late father as court wizard in Camelot. Unfortunately, Emmett ends up...indisposed, and Emry decides to disguise herself as her twin brother and take his place until Emmett is well enough to make the switch back.
and hilarity ensues.
Robyn Schneider's versions of these characters that we all know and love might be some of my favorite of all time - second only to BBC Merlin's Arthur and Merlin, and directly above the characters from Netflix's adaptation of Cursed.
I loved everything about The Other Merlin. The pacing was perfect, the characters were endearing, and the romance had me close to throwing the book a couple of times - in a good way. The conflict is fantastic, and at no point while reading was I ever questioning whether or not something worked or made sense. Schneider says in the acknowledgements that she spent years writing this book, and it's clear that all of that hard work paid off.
I loved that we got multiple POVs, so we could see the story unfold from everyone's perspective - - and be privy to just enough vital information to keep me wanting to devour more of the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves YA fantasy which is equal parts plot and romance, whether you've consumed Arthurian literature prior to this or not. These characters and their story will worm their way into your heart regardless.
I'm so excited for the sequel, which is apparently out fall 2022!
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