Legendary

by Amelia Kibbie, Benjamin B. White (Editor)

"""A rousing story of love and sacrifice."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""I'll admit, this isn't the sort of M/M story that I'd normally seek out. The main relationship is already established, and you learn about mid-way through the story how they became a couple when they were younger, and if you're set on your M/M stories being hot and heavy, this is much more focused on the plot and character connections than heat on the page - but oh that plot, these characters, how it all comes together at the end. Legendary indeed! I was initially intrigued by the connections to Arthurian Legend, as a lifelong fan of those stories, and the parallels here are handled very uniquely and tongue in cheek in a really satisfying way. James and Arthur embark on their own quest to solve a mystery that brings up the past, welcomes new friends, and threatens to upset the balance of trying to live a quiet life in a time that it was very dangerous to be homosexual. There's tension, I cried, I sighed relief, I shouted for joy, and at the end, all the tidbits that I thought would have obvious conclusions still ended up surprising me in the best way. Especially with the epilogue that just left me warm and fuzzy and excited for Kibbie's next tale. A definite recommend for those looking for M/M stories driven by plot and character relationships over time in the bedroom, especially if you enjoy King Arthur, historical romance, and post-WWII England in particular."" -- Amanda Meuwissen, M/M Romance - Paranormal Romance - Urban Fantasy author"

276 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2019

Reviews

[Ripley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Pride month! I need more people to read this book because it was ridiculously good. If you love King Arthur, gay lit, and historical fictions like I do then this one is perfect for you! I was so incredibly impressed with the Kibbie’s subtle and not so subtle nods to the Arthurian legends. According to Google this was her first novel and she in my humble opinion—-servedddddd. I loved how everything came full circle and all of the threads throughout the book were tied together. There were even moments that I began to tear up. I don’t want to give anything away because that would spoil the fun, but I’m so pleased with how this book ended—-I was afraid it was going to honor the original source material too closely, but Kibbie gave the happily ever after that these characters deserve along with the mentioning of an incredibly important and devastating time in gay history.

[Amanda Meuwissen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit, this isn't the sort of M/M story that I'd normally seek out. The main relationship is already established, and you learn about mid-way through the story how they became a couple when they were younger, and if you're set on your M/M stories being hot and heavy, this is much more focused on the plot and character connections than heat on the page - but oh that plot, these characters, how it all comes together at the end. Legendary indeed!

I was initially intrigued by the connections to Arthurian Legend, as a lifelong fan of those stories, and the parallels here are handled very uniquely and tongue in cheek in a really satisfying way. James and Arthur embark on their own quest to solve a mystery that brings up the past, welcomes new friends, and threatens to upset the balance of trying to live a quiet life in a time that it was very dangerous to be homosexual.

There's tension, I cried, I sighed relief, I shouted for joy, and at the end, all the tidbits that I thought would have obvious conclusions still ended up surprising me in the best way. Especially with the epilogue that just left me warm and fuzzy and excited for Kibbie's next tale.

A definite recommend for those looking for M/M stories driven by plot and character relationships over time in the bedroom, especially if you enjoy King Arthur, historical romance, and post-WWII England in particular.

[Lena Barsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a bit of time to get through this, but I heartily enjoyed! The post-WWII setting in England was really fascinating in terms of a Gay History education for me, and I loved how James and Arthur's journey evolved over time as they carried out their deceased friend's wishes. The romance was so tender and the found family that the two men began to build for themselves over the course of the book was so, so special to me. AND THE EPILOGUE? A FLASH-FORWARD? MY HEARTTTT!!!

What puts this at a 4 instead of 5 stars for me is my own personal predilection for magical realism and timey-wimey reincarnation-soul bond shit!!! And this book does have some of those elements VERY MUCH -- i.e., the way James and Arthur become friends in childhood during their time at a Great House to escape the London bombings during WWII -- but my god I would've eaten up sooo much more of that. Are they actually Arthur and Gwen reincarnated? What's the tea! Give me the magic weirdness!!!

But in all seriousness, this book is a unique and slow-paced yet heart-filled historical M/M romance that deserves a much wider audience. Highly recommend for any gay folks out there who want a British historical setting that isn't Ye Olden Times or Regency.

[Casey Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling story with well written characters.

[Myth-Teacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legendary was a pleasure to read. It delighted my Mythology and British Literature students with its updated address of stories from the Arthurian canon and of contemporary gender concerns.