King Arthur and Her Knights: The Complete Series: Books 1-7

King Arthur and Her Knights #1-7

by K.M. Shea

Long live the King?

When a modern young woman named Britt is pulled by a magical summons back through time she finds herself smack in the middle of the schemes of the surprisingly young and handsome wizard Merlin.

Britt has no interest in the throne, and she definitely doesn't want to pretend she is the legendary King Arthur, but Merline has some bad news. The real Arthur has run off, and the legendary sword in the stone has chosen Britt to take his place.

But Britt quickly learns that life in ancient Britain isn't safe.

The kingdom is fragmented, with enemies on all sides, and there’s little chance for mercy if her real identity and gender is exposed. Britt will soon find herself fighting for her life again and again on behalf of her people and the knights who serve her.

And then there’s Merlin. Focused on his goal to unite Britain, he’s oblivious of Britt’s growing feelings for him. Or so she thinks. But what future can they have in a world that only sees them as monarch and confidant?

Don’t miss this complete collection of the finished King Arthur and Her Knights series. The series is based on Arthurian legends and lore and is sprinkled with humor, love, and more than a dash of magic. If you enjoy strong characters and tales about the Knights of the Round Table, check out the King Arthur series today!

Genres: Fantasy, Time Travel, Audiobook, Young Adult, Adventure, Magic, Fairy Tale Retellings

Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2022

About the author

My pen name is K. M. Shea, but my readers—I prefer to call them Champions—call me Kitty.

I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!

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Reviews

[Carina Shephard · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars // read October 2021

I read the entire series within the space of a few days. Eeep. Prepare yourself to be addicted.

Reasons why you should read King Arthur and Her Knights:

-It’s light-hearted time travel fiction at its best. If you are expecting strict historical accuracy, this is probably not the series for you. If you’re looking for a series that weaves together recognizable Arthurian lore with significant twists and makes you laugh while reading, this is for you. (I especially like this world’s version of Nymue, Morgan, and Mordred.)

-The Lancelot Hate Club. Yes, that is a thing.

-Slow burn romance! I *really* appreciate the fact that the entire series is not predicated on romantic drama. Yes, there are moments when I wanted to knock a certain character on the head, but the romance is sweet and doesn’t wander into “yelling at characters” territory too often.

-Clean! I don’t remember any objectionable language. As it is the Middle Ages, there is quite a bit of references to drinking. Also, the series revolves around a woman pretending to be a man, so be aware of that, although I think it’s handled quite well. A few kisses.

-Bite sized novellas! The endings of the individual books tend to be somewhat abrupt, but they are the perfect size for a quick afternoon snack. The final book is full-length, but that’s necessary to wrap up everything.

-A likeable heroine and strong supporting characters. The one exception to this would be Lancelot: I think his character was supposed to be enigmatic, but it came across more as inconsistent/confusing to me. There’s a focus on family and platonic relationships.

-Also… the Kindle box set is currently on sale for 99 cents!


I’ve read a fair amount of this author’s writing, but this series is by and far my favorite, for all the reasons listed above. Hope you enjoy!

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Video Review: https://youtu.be/fqSv70FN8L8

July 2023 Update: After rereading Enthroned and Enchanted I will not be continuing my reread of the series due to its just not for me anymore. That said I will be leaving my rating of the overall series as four stars even though I lowered the first two books to three stars. Still a good series I would recommend, but it’s just not personally for me anymore.


A great King Arthur retelling with lots of heart and humor! If you want to see my thoughts and content warnings for each book—Enthroned, Enchanted, Embittered, Embark, Enlighten, Endeavor, and Endings—you can find them on each book’s separate page. ☺️ I highly recommend this series!

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SUCH a fun read! Admittedly, I was extremely skeptical about a historical retelling that has a famous male figure remade as female (not my thing)… but it isn’t a rewriting of history to portray modern ideology as I had feared. It’s a funny, lighthearted, and heartwarming story of honor, courage, and knightly quests. I absolutely loved it!

The real King Arthur runs off with a shepherdess right before he’s supposed to pull the sword from the stone. Desperate to carry on with his plans of uniting Britain, Merlin casts a spell to pull a ‘fitting’ person from the future to take his place. This person ends up being a modern young woman named Britt. Taken aback but not deterred, Merlin moves forward with his plans and Britt takes on the role of King Arthur. Equipped with a loose knowledge of the legends to guide her, Britt comes to embrace her role and begins to gather her faithful Knights of Camelot around her.

Highly recommended!

Content:
There’s no foul language or sex. The romance is very clean with only a few kisses late in the series. There is some violence given the battles, but a strong emphasis on the value of life. There are Christian references in regards to the time period, but it’s not really a part of the story and the book doesn’t really speak for or against faith or God.

[Abby Huffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Britt and her Knights

Absolutely loved this collection! It will suck you in and you will not be able to put this series down! Time travel, gender swapped King Arthur, battles, and so much heart.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually finished this a couple days ago and forgot I hadn’t updated Goodreads. I really enjoyed these. I’m glad I had the omnibus with all seven parts together so I could just go from one to the next.

I am a lot like the main character Britt Arthurs in that I never got into all the King Arthur mythology…for much the same reason Britt had for not getting into it. On the one hand my attitude of disinterest bordering on dislike for all things Camelot makes me reluctant to read anything that I know is Arthur related going in. And when I don’t know and only find out mid book, I frequently feel a bit of disappointment or letdown. But on the other hand my disinterest in all things Camelot does give me a high degree of tolerance for authors who want to play fast and loose with the accepted mythology…most of the time I don’t know where they’re veering off, and even when I do know I don’t care all that much so long as the story is good.

I thought the story was good here. Shea is good with plot. She’s great with humor. She does not write overly angst ridden stories, even when her characters are suffering…her characters are resilient. And while sometimes I’ve complained about her character or relationship building, it’s not because she’s unable to do it. She’s great at relationships that build slowly and naturally over time and through shared experiences. Which is much better than instalove. Where she sometimes runs into trouble, in my opinion (fairy tales, I’m looking at you!) is not having enough time in the story or plot for the romance to develop fully. This isn’t a problem in her three book Magiford series, or in the two book Snow Queen series, or (so far) in the projected six book Angelique series. And it wasn’t a problem here in this seven novella or one super long book series.

I liked the relationship between Britt and Lancelot, probably the most complex relationship in this series, even if it wasn’t the main relationship. I wanted more on this relationship after the book was over, even though questions associated with it were tied up…I still wanted more. I wanted to see where it would go from the point it’s at at the end moving forward. Lancelot is probably the most enigmatic character in the series, and while he’s not the only character to grow, I think he maybe grows the most. And unlike with Ywain, for example, the reader doesn’t really experience the fruits of his growth….I at least would have appreciated more. (It turns out you get a bit more of him in one of the extras that go with this series…I didn’t read any of them until I finished the full series because it wasn’t clear from Shea’s website when in the series each took place. Anyway, I was excited to see a bit of Lancelot again, but he was played for humor, so had more or less reverted to the role he had throughout the series. I was disappointed…I would have traded the humor for real character growth.)

[Smasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content:

Language: None.

Violence: mild. There are a lot of battles between knights, and two wars depicted. While knights both die and get wounded, the description of the wounds is never more than simply stating that they were stabbed or cut with minimal to no blood depicted.

Sexual: Mild. This is almost not there. Honestly, there is almost no kissing or romantic relationships in this until the very end.

Trigger: Animal deaths. Horses die in war, but it is only described as 'the horse was cut out from under him' and nothing more. There is an off screen death of a dog.


I adore this series. Truly adore.

Most King Arthur books are overly dramatic or depressing, or rage-inducing (looking at you Lancelot and Guinevere). This one is all about comradery, friendship, and chivalry.

Oh, and it's ridiculously fun that Arthur is actually a girl. A time-travelling American girl. That would normally turn me off so fast and nope right out of there, but it works. It shouldn't, but it does. I love how K.M. Shea (Kitty) tackled the lore and made it feasible to have not just a time-travelling female Arthur, but a young Merlin as well.

I was cackling at how it was a hook line and sinker situation that they passed her off as having 'faery blood' and that's why Arthur looks so beautiful and graceful. Pardon me while I snicker/cough into my fist. Check that off on hilarious but plausible.

Merlin frequently shape-changes in the lore, so I found it funny as all get out that Merlin admits he showed up to Uther as an old man because he wouldn't have listened to a 14-year-old prodigy magician.

It was so incredibly fun to see the twists put on all the stories, some of which included The Sable Knight, Esclados the Red, The White Hart and Hound, Sir Pelleas and Lady Ettard, Sir Outzlake and Sir Damas, and so many others just weaved seamlessly together but in a new fun way that fits this particular Britain and Camelot.

Britt is buckets of fun, and seeing how a modern woman calls out the middle English absurdities and brings all of the knights and commoners together is delightful. She's a perfect lens to help us see this time period in and makes it fun.

AUDIOBOOK

And if you want a true treat, listen to the audiobook, which is masterfully performed by Nathaniel Priestly. I've listened to it at least 5 times now and he gets better every time. He does all the different British accents, as well as Scottish, Irish, Italian, French, and American. I didn't know it was possible to have a crush on a narration before this. But I do. I'm crushing hard.

GREAT series. AMAZING audio.

Cue my happy sigh.

[Rachel Isaacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the whole, I think this series averages out to 4 stars. I really enjoyed my time here.
I reviewed these books as I finished them in a word document, so bear with me as I get that all in here. Spoilers definitely abound everywhere, so all of it going to be hidden. Just now that, this was my first read by K.M. Shea, and it will not be the last. Very satisfied.

Book 1: 4 Stars (1% - 13% of the read)
All in all, I like the concept behind this story so far and I’m going to keep reading.
We start off in present day, with Britt and her friends visiting England. Which, of course, means they had to go to the exhibit and take a picture holding the sword in the stone. As soon as Britt grabs hold, whoosh! She’s sucked back in time. Turns out, the real Arthur isn’t very reliable in the ways of duty, honor, and loyalty. He’s run off with some fair maiden, ruining Merlin’s plans to try and create a strong and united Britain.
Some things I liked:
Britt: I just really liked her. She’s got a good soul, and the spell that Merlin put on the sword to pull back someone worthy really hit the jackpot when it pulled back her. Even when she still thinks this is all just a dream, she concerns herself with the people that are about to be under her rule.
Ector: Such a sweetheart. What a wonderful fatherly figure. Britt’s against him at first for her own reasons (which I really can’t fault), but I’m happy she turned her opinion around in the end.
Merlin: Just in general, I like him. He’s a cutie, obviously. We get that from Britt’s description of him while he’s not in disguise as an old wise man wizard. But also, he’s clever, cunning, and smart without needing to be an old wise man. He has great hopes for Britain, and he’s determined to see it brought about.
Very, very subtle hints at affection. (On Merlin’s part.): It’s a small thing, but when Merlin pulls his head out of his ass and starts to care more about Britt’s sadness over not being able to go back home, we can see the beginning stirrings of affection there. In particular, she tells him a story about a favorite horse she used to ride. And the very next day, he’s acquired a horse for her that matches the description she gave him to a T. It’s a small and subtle beginning, but it made me smile. (And again, after he pulls his head out of his butt, whenever they are alone or are in trusted company, he reverts to calling her by her given name, Britt. Because that’s who she is, and she resents the fact that in this time, if anyone actually knew she were a woman, no one would follow her. Those that know only follow her now because Merlin has told them to and they trust him. No one knows her true identity, everyone calls her Arthur, and it’s aggravating. And as soon as Merlin wraps his head around that, whenever they’re alone or in trusted company, he calls her by her given name, and it just… makes my heart warm.)
Some things I didn’t like:
Merlin: Yep. For all that I like him, I didn’t appreciate the way in the beginning that he sort of expected at times for Britt to just do whatever he says. Britt, in a sense, is a pawn in Merlin’s master plan to unite the nation. She knows this. But she’s still got her own spirit, her own drive, and when she deviates from Merlin’s plans, he’s just not sure what to do with her. He basically expected her to play the part of a pawn on his predesigned board, but what he got was the queen piece, and he’s not entirely sure how to adapt his plans to that. (Again, this is in the beginning. We quickly get past that, in my opinion.) He also didn’t start off very well with understanding why Britt was upset. Which I honestly find a bit unbelievable. Here he’s used magic to suck her out of the distant future. A future he can’t send her back to, by the way. And when she gets upset or has moments of melancholy, he acts like he can’t fathom why she’s disheartened or restless or can’t sleep. For a wise man, I find that bit a little unbelievable.
Britt’s assumption that it’s a dream: I mean… she gets over this pretty quickly, all things considered. But, and I don’t know about anyone else, but when I’m dreaming, and I suddenly realize I’m dreaming, I can start to control where the dream goes. It’s that space where, yeah, I could wake up if I wanted to and just end it. But why would I do that when I can now participate in this place that my subconscious took me. As soon as Britt thought she was dreaming, and then things still kept happening that she didn’t exactly want to happen or couldn’t change, I would’ve been skeptical.
For all that I do like this series so far, this first book feels more like it could’ve been set to be read at a middle school level in my opinion. (Yes, there are moments when we’re told that they’re blood and gore around, but it’s nothing so graphic that I wouldn’t think a seventh or eighth grader could handle it.) Although… maybe that says more about me and the way I was raised than the book itself. Idk.

Book 2: 3.5 Stars (13% - 26% of the read)
Really the only reason for the half star drop, is that I don’t like how long it took Britt to figure out that her men were being enchanted, and weren’t just a bunch of love-struck idiots who could be so easily enamored by a pretty face. The rest of it I still really enjoyed whole-heartedly. We got some more of Merlin’s subtle hints at his affections for Britt, and we got a little more from Britt as well. Since we’re in her head most of the time, I almost figured we’d get bombarded by an inner monologue of her affections towards the hot wizard. But we don’t. We just have moments where we see that she does, indeed, like him. But these thoughts don’t consume her all the time, like in some other heavily themed romance books. And don’t get me wrong. I love romance. But I enjoy this for the fact that we get to see that Britt’s life doesn’t allow her to focus for very long or very much on the crush she’s developing. Yes, it’s there, but there are other things she’s having to deal with, and her focus has to be there. Is she crushing? Yes. Does it consume her every thought? No. She’s a mature fifteen-year-old who knows better, and I am here for it. I love her loyalty to her men, and just her way of handling things.

Book 3: 4 Stars (26% - 37 % of the read)
Really enjoyed this one. I was concerned that the unfavorable light that Guinevere and Lancelot end up portrayed in would turn me off from this one more than it did, but it honestly didn’t. I rather enjoyed seeing this version, in which Guinevere is a silly and… yeah, stupid little girl. Her plight is real enough, make no mistake. But when she came at Britt after figuring out her secret, and then threatened to out her if Britt wouldn’t do what she said… oh, heck no! I do not like this simply, stupid, ninny of a princess. And Lancelot? At least, this version of Lancelot? Don’t like him. (We’re not supposed to, so that’s a good thing.) He’s ridiculous, apparently relying on his looks to win over all ladies in the land, and have people eating out of the palm of his hands. He’s not an idiot though. He babbles incessantly to cover up his keen observations. I fear in future books, he’s going to figure out Britt’s secret too and try to use it against him.
But Britt has Merlin. She has a lot of people backing her and who have a lot of faith in her. She’s more than they were expecting to get when the stone pulled her back in time, and they are all better off for it.
But Merlin is by far my favorite. First of all, he’s concerned with anyone getting too close to her or hugging her. You know, because if they hold on long enough or too tight, they might feel that she’s not built like the man she’s pretending to be. But I also think he just doesn’t like other people touching her or hugging her when it’s not him.
I have two favorite moments in this book. Both are romantical because, well, you know me. I’m here for the romance.First: Britt gets herself trapped in Camelgrance. Not her finest moment there. She’s wondering how she’s going to find a way out or keep herself secret while inside, when Merlin appears and drags her into a secluded area. Britt is so relieved, she launches at him and hugs him tight. He makes her feel safe and protected, and when he hugs her back… AH! The man is trying to control himself, but I already know it’s a lost cause. This man is a goner. Second: Then when they’re back in Camelot after all is said and done, and she’s resting in a secluded area to have a moment of peace. Merlin finds her, they talk, and he mentions not seeing her as a girl. Not his smartest moment. He eats his comments after just a moment though, and basically tells her she’s beautiful. Britt smiles at him, says he’s exaggerating, and then Merlin says, “You still don’t know how powerful your smiles are, do you?” AH! Yep. He’s a goner.
Bottom line, really loved this one. Really hope Lancelot gets what’s coming to him though, because in this version of the stories, he seems like a snake to me. I want him gone. Gone, gone, gone.

Book 4: 3 Stars (37% - 49 % of the read)
I didn’t like this one as much. That’s not to say it wasn’t well written or even bad. But on the whole… this is more just a filler story. Nothing major happened, in my opinion. (I mean, okay, the round table is finally in Camelot, and the knights take their oaths around that table. Which is major, but it’s such a small part of the story in the long run for this book.)
Merlin is a jerk. I still like him, I think, for the most part. I still think he’s liked Britt all along and perhaps now is just the first time he’s realizing that’s what it is he’s feeling. But he was a jerk. A complete jerk to her, and he didn’t have to be. Dude basically threw a tantrum, and for a wise wizard, that’s just stupid.
Guinevere is still ditzy and dumb for the most part, but she’s not all bad. I don’t like her, but I don’t hate her. Lancelot is a little shit. I really need someone to figure him out and put him in his place. Like, yesterday, I need this. Still really enjoying the series as a whole, just didn’t like this one as much as the first three. On to the next.

Book 5: 4 stars (49% - 61 % of the read)
Wow. Just wow. A lot happened, despite the short length of the book. I figured the knights wouldn’t figure out Britt’s secret until the end of everything… but I can see how this works better. Even now, after they’ve accepted it at the end, there is still tension and wariness about them now. Not even necessarily because she’s a woman, but because of the lie she told. The lie she ‘had’ to tell them.
I like Merlin a bit more than I did in the last book. He’s slowly coming back around. He had a pretty big moment in which he could’ve let Britt go and tried to run things himself in order to achieve his united Britain. But he didn’t. It was a huge risk to take, because not taking over left all of Camelot at risk of falling apart. But he waited. He waited and had faith that Britt would return. That she was the best choice to rule Britain, and that there really was no one else who could unite Britain the way he wanted it to be, except for her. He cares about her a lot, though he’s super slow to realize that’s what it is. But if nothing else, he has a tremendous amount of faith in her, and I loved seeing that.
Britt is awesome, as usual. She’s learned a lot. I’m not even mad that she still ended up going into the woods when she’d promised Kay she wouldn’t. She didn’t really have a choice. Lancelot, the little shit, didn’t give her one since he went where he shouldn’t have and nearly got himself killed or kidnapped.
Seriously, Lancelot needs to go. That ungrateful, dishonorable, selfish, stupid little brat. I can’t believe he’s still around by the end of this book. I hate it. Hate, hate, hate it. I want him gone. Gah!
I both enjoyed and disliked how the knights all reacted to figuring out Britt was a girl. For one, she lied to them, and that caused a lot of shock, anger, and distrust on their part. This is all believable, and I’m honestly glad that this wasn’t just brushed over or that they all just magically accepted her to still be their ruler. We had varying degrees of emotions depending on which knights we were looking at. Only those who already knew really still stand behind her from the start. Others are either too hurt to think about following her at first, or are so angry that they lose their common sense for a bit. (Ywain. I was so disappointed in Ywain’s reaction. I understand it, but I was still so disappointed.)
I disliked all of this though because… while I understand that their king lying to them is a big deal, the first four that figured it out, as soon as they figured it out, they completely forgot that Britt was hurt. They forgot she was injured. They even forgot that Lancelot, that pig, was the one who hurt her, and in such a dishonorable way that his knighthood should’ve been stripped from him. They could only see that she was a woman, and her pain and suffering was immediately cast aside. All she’d already done for them was completely forgotten for a time, and they just… they basically dismissed her as a woman. Being mad I understand, but these men are supposed to be knights. She’s held them to a higher standard, and I really wanted that to stick in spite of the lie she told. It didn’t. The only reason Britt ends up alright, is because Morgan found her.
I really enjoyed meeting Arthur. It took me a minute, which I was shocked about, to realize who he really was. That was just nice to see. And Sir Ector has obviously kept in contact with him! Haha!
Really looking forward to the next book. What the heck is Mordred going to stir up now that he’s arrived? Oooooo, I can’t wait.

Book 6: 4 Stars (61% - 72 % of the read)
Another excellent edition to King Arthur and Her Knights. Despite all the loss that is discussed coming her way as her knights get older and marry and start to take charge of their lands, it was heartwarming to hear Merlin describe how they will always be dedicated to her, even if they cannot constantly be present in her court. She has their hearts and loyalty as the knights she made them, and that will never change, and I loved hearing that. These books do a really good job of covering a wide spectrum of emotions and situations revolving around Arthur and the tales of Camelot that I’d never taken into consideration before.
I’m anxious to get into the last book, but am dreading this ride being over. I’m also not looking forward to watching Merlin act like a dunce while he tries to woo Vivien to distract her from attacking Britt.
On a more positive note, we finally got a kiss! AH! Been waiting six books for that. Everything’s on the table between them, sort of, since it has to be obvious now that Merlin feels the same for her as Britt feels for him. As glad as I am it happened, it was also such a bittersweet moment, and I wish they could’ve both enjoyed it more. Really hope things clear up reasonably quickly in the last book.
It’s also interesting to see the side effects of Britt’s mortality being taken from her. She’s not aging, which we figured out in the previous book. (I think.) She’s not really aware of it, but it’s interesting to see how it’s effecting her even though she doesn’t know. Time sort of seems to stand still for her, making her not really realize just how much time is passing before her. Ywain got married, and she thought he was still too young for that! I’m interesting in seeing if she figures this out on her own, or if someone else tells her.
Also interested in seeing if Merlin will pull his head out of his butt and just let himself be with her eventually. He thinks he doesn’t deserve her. And yes, he’s part of the cause of her pain and suffering, since he is the reason she was dragged back in time. But her heart is also set on him, and as such, something he could do to make her happy is to be with her, even if it has to remain in secret so no one figures out she’s a woman.
Mordred doesn’t seem so bad. Lancelot is still terrible. And Vivien is a snake. Mordred might still end up being an enemy though, and I really want to see all of these wicked people get what’s coming to them.

Book 7: 4.5 Stars (72% - 100% of the read)
I am so sad that this is over. So sad! But also, so happy with how everything ended up going down.
The Vivien problem wasn’t actually solved until about halfway through, but that was alright, because we actually didn’t have to see Merlin around her very often. It was told to us, and shown to us a few times as an example, but we didn’t have to put up with it for 50% of this last book, which suited me just fine. I also really enjoyed that there was never any miscommunication on that point between her and Merlin. He told her straight up what he was going to do, pretending to fall for Vivien’s magic. Britt was still jealous, but she wasn’t mad at Merlin. She knew why. Even appreciated his doing it for her, but she still hated it all the same. All of which, I understand and can totally get behind.
I read a review that seemed to suggest that everyone went on a bunch of side-quests for half the book and couldn’t see the connection, but I didn’t feel that way. There was one quest in there that didn’t have anything to do with preparing for Rome. Just one, but that was it. The rest of what happened in the book flowed or related to in some way either someone trying to get back at Britt for something, or in relation to preparing for war with Rome. And even though that side-quest didn’t relate to that, I still felt that it flowed pretty well. Considering knights roam around Britain all the time just looking for situations in which to help and manage to find it more often than not, it felt perfectly believable to me that, while they were figuring out plans for Rome, they happened upon a situation in which they needed to take time to help a fellow knight in need while on their journey.
And in that journey, I loved how we all know… WE KNOW… that Merlin only knows Britt ends up wearing the necklace because he feels himself become obsessed with her as a result of the magic involved with the necklace. He had resistance to not lose his mind because he’s a wizard, but the second she stepped into the room with him, he knew and that’s because he already loves her. AH! I loved that part!
I love… just so much about this whole series. But mostly, I love the fact that Britt did get to come back to her own time, and that Merlin… crafty, cunning, clever, wonderful Merlin… found a way to get himself and several others to the future with her. AND figured out how to make them all ageless with her, so she would never be alone. And he refused to let her go once he finally had her again. Loved it.

[M.L.]

Recently having purchased a Kindle Unlimited subscription, I was pleased to find something Arthurian to sink my teeth into.

I read this book as the Kindle boxset, so didn’t really pay much attention to when one book ended and the next began (though, when I did, each instalment seemed a little short, often with a seemingly abrupt ending, and had I bought each book separately I may have felt shortchanged). Happily, however, I could read them all at once, and I really enjoyed the whole series. It is light, and MC Britt was appropriate-amounts witty/appropriate-amounts serious in her unexpected role of King of all Britain, and in places the humour reminded me of T. H. White’s 'The Once and Future King'.

Clearly not to be taken too seriously (plenty of 'historical inaccuracies', here, but who cares), King Arthur and Her Knights is a great series with interesting characters and lots of fun. The author’s reinvention of the Arthurian legends is fresh and interesting, and though this series has plenty of new twists to the legend, it clearly arose from a Camelot-ton of Arthurian research.

Though I liked the dynamic between Britt and the knights, and found Britt to be a believable and well-imagined leader, her ingrained dislike of Lancelot and Guinevere seemed a little more than a plot device, and was somewhat never-ending. Lancelot, also, was a terribly confused character with very odd motives (sketchy for the sake of being sketchy), and was unfortunately quite 2D until the end. Despite that, the rest of the book was very engaging, with exciting battle scenes, an immersive arc, and even a satisfying (if "what?"-inducing) end (timey-wimey space stuff).



The end of this series, however? A multi-billion dollar corporation with immortal shareholders looking to take over the world? Just a little bit sinister…

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

reimagining King Arthur as a modern woman

3.5 stars for the whole series

It is a fun, clean series about a 20-year-old girl, Britt Arthur’s, who is transported back through time when she puts her hand on the sword in the stone. The real king Arthur ran off to marry a shepherdess and Merlin enchanted the sword to find the right person to take King Arthur’s place.

I liked most of the books but I was disappointed by the way the ending wrapped up so perfectly and abruptly.

Overall a fun, clean read.

[Aleena Grosjean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wasn't sure what to think when I started this series or if I would even like the idea of a female King Arthur, but I LOVED this series! It was an interesting story line and the ending was perfect. Highly recommend.

[Lisa Fürbaß · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leichte Lektüre für zwischendurch. Nette Story und Charaktere, angenehm geschrieben.

[Torri Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great K. M.Shea series

What an interesting version of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable! Such a great read and empowering to women. Great job!

[Stephanie Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorable and quirky twist on the Arthurian legend. KM Shea’s world building and characters are absolutely brilliant. I think I’ve now read most of her books, and I’m just so sad to be finished. Definitely recommend this series for girls with adventurous hearts who dream of being kings. ;)

[Quincy Felix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stars, I love this series so much. Review to come.

[Sairaika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating series!

Book 1

A fascinating read!

After posing with a rusty sword for a photo in a British graveyard, she is pulled through time all the way back to the age of King Arthur where the shockingly young and handsome wizard is waiting for her...

This was a fascinating read because although she time travelled, a girl is Arthur and is King! You can read the book to find out the reasons why she was pulled through time.

I have greatly enjoyed reading the first book and I'm so glad I stumbled upon this series although it was sitting unread in my kindle for a few years or so.

Full of magic, time travel, wizards, knights, secrets, honour, action and war.

Perfect for readers of historical fantasy novels/Arthurian retellings.

Book 2

An enchanting read!

To win back her men, she will have to make costly sacrifices, survive attempts against her life, and gain the loyalties of the eldest son of her enemy...

Let me just say this: was not expecting that. A surprise but a pleasant and welcomed one. Sorry, can't say more as it is spoilers.

Full of magic, enchantress, wizards, knights, secrets, loyalty, action and sacrifices.

Perfect for readers of historical fantasy novels/Arthurian retellings.

Book 3

An embittered read!

Does she really need to do battle on behalf of a greedy man and his daughter whom she knows will bring ruin to Camelot?

Huh! I have been waiting to officially meet these two characters to see how the author has portrayed them. Hint: read the blurb so you know which two characters I'm talking about. I really like how the author has portrayed these characters.

That ending truly hooked me because I now want to find out how everthing pans out. Thankfully, I already have the rest of the series.

Full of magic, battles, wizards, knights, secrets, loyalty, action and champions.

Perfect for readers of historical fantasy novels/Arthurian retellings.

Book 4

An embarking read!

Can she survive the upheaval and establish the Round Table as a place of honor and chivalry?

Humour at its finest...the part with the arrival of a certain lady and table. I don't think I laughed as hard as I did at that scene.

Full of magic, quests, wizards, knights, secrets, loyalty, action and honour.

Perfect for readers of historical fantasy novels/Arthurian retellings.

Book 5

An enlightening read!

While she flees for the safety of London and her knights wallow in anger at Camelot, help comes in the most unexpected of forms...

I have expecting this for some time and it finally happened! They found out finally which made it all the more interesting to see how things would work out.

Full of magic, quests, wizards, knights, truths, loyalty, action, forgiveness and honour.

Perfect for readers of historical fantasy novels/Arthurian retellings.

Book 6

An endeavouring read!

Can she reclaim her knights’ loyalty?
Will he finally realize how much Britt means to him?

Gah! This slow burn of a romance. On book 6, and nothing has not happened yet with them. Nothing. Nada. I want to cry and scream at them to express their feelings...(well for her to say it again, he has not said anything as yet because I don't think he fully realises what he is feeling yet).

That ending! Oh my heart. Thank god, I had the box set. Would not have survived waiting for it.

Full of magic, quests, wizards, knights, love, loyalty, action and honour.

Perfect for readers of historical fantasy novels/Arthurian retellings.

Book 7

A satisfying read!

She must achieve he's greatest ambition and unite all of Britain...
Will she succeed, or will she fall on the battlefield?

I just finished and honestly I had to take a moment because I wanted to cry. It's been so long since I was able to start and finish a series until this series.

It reminded me of why I read, of why I enjoy books. It has made me able to breath again. So thank you to the author.

I was her and her knights but I'm so happy with how the story turned out.

Full of magic, quests, wizards, knights, love, loyalty, action and war.

Perfect for readers of historical fantasy novels/Arthurian retellings.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a…fair series. As an attempt at turning the Arthurian legends on their heads, it works. A gender-bent Arthur certainly makes for an interesting what-if. Having that person transported from modern day to pre-Norman Britain allows for some use of anachronism and comparing modern versus medieval thoughts and attitudes.

Unfortunately, the introduction of anachronism causes problems of its own. At one point, it is made very clear that Brit cannot read Old English, so she hands all documents to Merlin to read. Yet she understands and is able to speak the language with no difficulty. Not only is this difficult to get beyond, but the action had to take place prior to the mid-400’s as Rome was seen as a viable threat to the Isles. This means that the more likely language to be spoken was Britthonic, a Celtic language, since the Anglo-Saxon invasion and its German influence was not until post-Roman Britain. I understand that this is a work of fiction, but the point is also repeated that Brit is a college graduate. It would stand to reason that if she could then speak a language spontaneously, reading would follow. This plot point felt like an attempt to justify Brit handing documents of state to her advisor rather than giving them her own due attention.

Another head-scratcher is how the Sword managed to select probably the only expert at medieval sword fighting who had zero interest and almost that much knowledge in the Arthur legends. This allowed the author to slip a character into a slot without the need to have them fail in order to succeed. In fact, Brit is so good that she only loses when attacked from behind. Very fortunate that someone that naturally skilled with fighting in an actual life-or-death situation should be found so many years after fight recreations were done with blunted swords and certainly not with the grace described in the story.

Again, not all is bad in the book. The story managed to keep me entertained for over 27 hours of audio. Character dimensionality improved ad the series went on, and most of the “important” events of legend are at least touched upon, and from different sources. Nods to TH White with Pellinore’s questing beast, Disney with the facial hair antics of Ector and Kay, Chretien de Troyes with the very French Lancelot, and modern cinema with the setting of a Britain between Roman occupations. I appreciate the effort taken to implement these nods, intentional or not, because it brings many ways of telling the stories into one narrative.

Improvements in dimensionality for characters, though, is not as impressive when they start as flat. Even Brit doesn’t show really more than passing growth through her time in Camelot. She has certain prejudices about characters based on her own, limited knowledge of the Legends. Rather than these attitudes evolving, they stay mired in her character and interactions with those others. Each character has a specific set of reactions to scenarios that change little through the series. Only characters like Modred really bring mystery and interest.

Were it not for the convenience plot points of the “can speak but not read” and the expert swordswoman in the era that invented what she was trying to recreate, I might have sprung for an extra star. Ok, maybe a half of a star. There was just too much pulling me away from the story to truly take me into an England ruled by a female King Arthur. Too bad, I could have really enjoyed getting to know her had she grown some more and emulated the surprising Modred more.

[savage_book_review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur's run off with a shepherdess, Merlin's a young hottie and the Once and Future King is now... a 21st Century American? Oh, and a girl too? With a vague knowledge of the Arthurian legends, a deep dislike of Guenivere and Lancelot and knowledge of the future, Britt Arthurs must sit on the throne of Camelot and unite the country in the ways of honour, chivalry and respect in order to face down threats from both within and without.

This was lighthearted, funny, a bit tongue-in-cheek and very well done. Each of the seven books is relatively short, making it a really easy reading experience; even if you do occasionally go 'WTF?!', it's such a joy you just go with it!

For the purists out there, this actually does quite well at keeping a large number of the characters you would recognise in play (I definitely remember reading most of the names in 'The Once and Future King') and respecting the lore. But as you'd expect, the main plot point adds some inevitable twists and turns. While much of the outcome is predictable, it is a great pleasure to watch the author's imagination get you there and the payoff at the end is lovely.

It also feels like it would make a good foil to the BBC TV series 'Merlin'. While the storylines do differ, to me they have that same underlying comedic lightness that mean they compliment each other really well. Indeed, I have to assume the author was a fan, if only because there's a little inside joke early on that only someone who knows that show would get! And inevitably when she says 'young, hot Merlin', Colin Morgan is definitely who you picture!

From a British reader's perspective, as soon as was able to frame my mind to get over the 'American-ness' of the writing (which happened very quickly), I could sink into the book, accept the anachronistic language as part of the main character's vocabulary and just enjoy the ride. It sounds like it should be awful, but it's brilliant!

I can't say the writing is sophisticated or that it's the best written book on the planet, and nor can I say that it's particularly deep or complex. But for pure escapist enjoyment, this gets a top rating without a doubt.

[Amanda Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time travel.

American Britt Arthurs is travelling with her friends in England visiting historic locations when she's accidentally drawn back in time.

Britt is persuaded by her friends to pose for a picture trying to draw Arthurs sword from its stone. The sword freely moves and her life is irrevocably changed.

With no love for the tales of the knight's of the round table she's horrified to find that she's been dragged back to medieval times and is being hailed as King Arthur the boy king who will unite Britain under one rule. Her knowledge is limited but for one area sword play for Britt has trained from childhood in the art.

Merlin has been desperate to replace Arthur after he ran off with a milkmaid casting a powerful spell to draw a worthy replacement from the future he's now got to work out how to hide the new King Arthur's gender and get her to turn around the fate of the country.

She's reluctant, she's biased by her limited knowledge of the era and desperate to return to the time she knows. But with the help of Sir Ecton and Sir Kay, Ywain, Griflet, Guinivere, Nymue and many more she finds her way through various challenges and indeed does unite the country against the influx of the Roman army.

After a betrayal however her life is put in mortal danger and her magical friends have only one hope left to save her, to try and return her to the future.

It's not Shea's best work. It is entertaining enough but not without a few plot holes and a rather underwhelming reveal at the end when she miraculously returns to the exact time and place grievously injured. At this point it becomes a little less well done and the rush to end it on a positive note whizzes it along with a few jumps that lack the thoroughness of the rest of the book and ends a little bit too conveniently. Hence the meh rating.

[Laura Cheever · Rating 5 out of 5]

King Arthur and Her Knights has quickly become a beloved comfort series for me and one that I return to again and again!

First off, the premise of a time traveling girl-king is familiar enough that it feels comfortable, but is executed brilliantly and still feels fresh. The constant quips and references to modern day things inside an Arthurian legend are hilarious.

The FMC is an incredibly strong character, but not in an annoying, girl boss, I-don't-need-no-man type of way. Yes, she is an incredible swordsman, but Brit's greatest strength lies in the way she loves, builds up, and relies on her men. She is strong in all the ways you want a character to be strong, and fragile in all the ways you'd hope for a character to be fragile. She is inspiring and funny, but certainly still makes enough mistakes that she also feels real.

Merlin, the knights, the sorceresses, and the fae are wonderful. Each character (though there are many) feels unique, real, and lovable.

The quests range from ridiculous and goofy to heartfelt and touching, and the alliances formed in this story really leave you feeling like nearly any difference can be overcome.

The romance is one of my all-time favorites, which is a testament to the author's writing and character development because it takes SO MANY BOOKS before they both admit their feelings. There's also only about 3-4 sort, non descriptive kisses throughout the series, so I'd rate it safe for any spice-free reader.

The ending is just *chef's kiss* and every time I finish this series, I'm left feeling a little... lost, I guess? It makes me sad to part from these characters, which just goes to show how great these books are!

10/5 for me, folks.

[Stephanie Bogard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun mix of modern-day sass and Aurthurian lore.

I’ve come to love K.M. Shea’s writing in recent days. The characters are fun, the mythology intriguing, and the action is very well written (as it must be very well researched). The love can be flowery as it is supposed to be modeled after the romance of times past, but it is artfully kept PG.
The main character Britt Arthurs has a long-burn, slightly unacknowledged love with the mythical Merlin after she is called back in time—upon touching the sword in the stone. The culture shock is slightly lessoned by past (in the future) studying of sword-fighting and horse-back riding. Also, a translation spell is used to make Britt understand the language of the day. The author’s love of animals (which I share) is apparent in all of her books, as well as a love for mythology and magic.
If you like fantasy, romance and moral chatacters fighting for good; I recommend any of her books that I have read so far, which include:
Timeless Fairy Tales Series, The Fairy Tale Enchantress Series (not yet finished—to my dismay), Hall of Blood and Mercy Series, and Court of Midnight and Deception series. I started her books with The Hall of Blood and Mercy and I’m still looking forward to more. Some of her books are available in a pack of Kindle books rather than buying the individuals; and I believe all of them are included in Kindle Unlimited (though I do not have that—so I am not sure). Happy reading!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely fell in love with this series! Everything from the story-line to the interactions between characters endeared me completely. Before reading this series I had very little knowledge of the legend of King Arthur past the loosely based Disney movie of 'Sword in the Stone', however I quickly gained a fascination for the legend. Stories of knights, honour, love, loss, magic, and loyalty are the stories that I am drawn to and 'King Arthur and Her Knights' has all of that and so much more. One of my favourite aspects was the true adaptation of the original legend within the story. Even though much of the legend was changed due to the main character-King Arthur-being female, so many other aspects were closely related to the actual story. As for the characters themselves, they felt very real and acted as many would expect considering each circumstance that they were in. The characters quickly became friends of my heart and will continue to hold a special place within me.
I am always nervous when it comes to reading books by new authors as I am not sure exactly what is contained between the pages, however as soon as I opened up the book it became clear that I had found a new favourite author. The way that each books was written was perfect and I highly recommend this series to anyone who would listen.

[Madelyn- The Squeaky Clean Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long Live King Britt Arthurs 🥳🥳🥳🥳

Having all 7 books in one box set means it's very easy to just read the marvelous adventure that is this King Arthur retelling.

Some of my favorite things about this series/box set
- The gender swapped King Arthur! So fun and I love Britt's sword skills
- Hot Merlin! Totally cool to have a young Merlin and I reaallyyy love his character growth in the series *chef's kiss*
- The fact that there is no Lancelot seducing Guinevere!! Ugh I hate that part of the legend and I love the way it's handled in this series
- The fun adventures! There are so many fun little adventures and loveable things in this story as Britt tries to create the Legend of King Arthur.
- The Side Characters! I absolutely adore the side characters and each of their little growth curves!


The writing- I love that this story focuses on Britt, but that we also get little glimpses into side characters and how they're feeling. I loved seeing the growth built into the story both with the great way the passing of time was handled, as well as all the little stories that build up Britt and her round table of knights. The way the soft magic is woven into the story keeps things mystical and magical and the way a fun fantasy focused on characters should be.

Long live this series as a favorite of mine!!

[Cecily · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. So so good. Read this!

Why was it so good?

The writing was amazing. I love how in all K.M Shea’s books her choices of words are so vast and diverse and really just add the perfect touch of character. Not to mention, this serious never got boring. It is almost 1,000 pages of story but the plot was quick moving and always changing, while not feeling rushed. The touch of Romance in this serious was beautiful although there wasn’t quite enough of it. The characters were all very sweet but were still very different.

Next, the part I think K.M. Shea did exceptional on.

This book focused greatly on King Arthur and HER knights. If you do not know what happens in the story basically a 21st century girl gets transported back in time to Arthurian times and must become King Arthur. What I think K.M. Shea did exceptionally well was portraying Britt’s (Arthur’s) femininity. She did not down play men, but she still held Britt in high praise. This was by no means a book on feminism and for that I am glad of, because she managed to uplift both genders. I also liked that Britt was not ashamed of her femininity. Altogether I think Shea wrote this part of the story perfectly!

I also love a good reveal so this serious was peak!

…Merlin?❤️

Oh and the happy ending! Made me so happy!


Please read this! So good and comforting!

[Natalie Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Read This Whole Series In One Sitting

And I don’t regret a bit of it. Holy cow.

I’m not usually one for Arthurian legend, the (various) canon(s) or the modern remakes. People forget that by and large, the tales of Arthur and his knights were tragedies, at least most of the versions that made it to us today. Even the ones that aren’t ... we see the end. We know what will happen to their shining land. I always have a hard time enjoying the stories with that knowledge of impending doom and ruin hanging over me. No matter how things change, the reader knows events will have to follow that path, or spin off to rewrite “history” and end up a little shallow somehow, usually. Like the meat of the story was replaced by candy floss. But this! This manages to take things in a whole new direction!

I love the character arcs, and I love the happy ending, and I love the way it all fits without really messing with canon even though it goes in a totally different direction. I love the split timeline take, and the “time changes all” cover for it. It felt like this managed to hold onto the depth of Arthur’s legend even while changing things for the happier.

[Spinneretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Read the entire story of Britt Arthurs and her Knights in this omnibus edition of the tale.

Britt, recent college graduate, is on a tour of England, when she finds herself zapped through time after touching the Sword in the Stone.
Meeting a surprisingly young Merlin, she finds herself being paraded in front of one and all, as the famed King Arthur, who united the kingdoms of Great Britain.

This omnibus edition features all of the stories, how she met her Knights, went on quests, founded the Order of the Knights of the Round Table, and united the country.
It’s a great series of books, enjoyable fantasy, with a hint of (clean) romance, plenty of magic, and Arthurian politics galore.
I loved how the book stayed (mostly) true to the most popular tales, getting rid of my least liked one (yep, Lancelot and Guinevere was definitely that for me too), and getting it all to fit somehow, while making for an absorbing and enjoyable read.
Readers might need a hankie near the end, but any way you look at it, this was a most enjoyable read (if a hefty one).

Highly recommended for K.M. Shea fans, and romantasy, fantasy, and adapted mythology fans.

[Shawna Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modern retelling of King Arthur where our Arthur is actually a recent college graduate named Britt Arthurs is yanked back in time upon touching a replica sword in the stone in a crumbling old graveyard in England. It turns out the original Arthur fell in love with a local peasant and eloped, leaving Merlin and his cohorts scrambling for a replacement puppet ruler.

As time goes from Britt being crowned King up until a united Britain goes to war against the Roman invasion, we meet a long line of Knights from the Round Table, coming and going as the story progresses and once squires become knighted and begin questing. Most are well-written as lovingly as our lead characters, and with a cast this big that says a lot about an author’s strengths.

Through the course of the series you will spend time with a wide range of characters and stories from the Arthurian legends- though they’ve all been tweaked to fit within the storyline. It’s enjoyable having these not be a strict retelling as the stories read fresh and entertaining.

There is a bit of jumping between moments with no segue, but even that works in this format.

If you want a clean and fun take on Arthur give this a shot.

[Isabella Catlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much! It's six short stories and a full-length novel about a twenty-first century woman transported through time by Merlin to be the new King Arthur. It avoids annoying tropes such as the protagonist being overly attached to her phone and technology. She's not a teenager either, which is refreshing with this style of story.

This story balances humor, character development, thought-provoking questions about themes such as sexism, moral codes, personal integrity, human connection, gender identity, overcoming prejudice, love as a strength vs weakness, leadership and more, some more subtle than others. It can be read as a lighthearted tale or picked apart for deeper meaning that is teeming just beneath the surface.

The formatting of short stories and a novel, while somewhat unconventional, fits the story that is being told very well. It is also a very, very funny series. Its wacky and fantastical, heartfelt and emotionally charged. It tackles more interesting issues as it progresses, and the author is not obsessed with maintaining the status quo.

[Charissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Britt Arthurs is a normal, contemporary young adult whose life completely changes when she tours England and her friend forces her to take hold of Excalibur for a picture. Britt is sucked back through time to medieval England where Merlin, the wizard, has brought her to be King Arthur, since the real one has run off with a shepherdess to escape his responsibilities. Britt, thinking she's having a fantastical dream, plays along for a while, but when months pass, and she gets injured, she begins to realize her life in medieval England is all too real.

This was a fun series. Britt is a strong heroine who I grew to love as she picked up the responsibilities of being a king and uniting the people of Britain, while battling preconceived notions of certain characters she knows about from the future. I grew to love so many of the characters in this one--Merlin, of course, Sir Kay, Sir Ector, Lancelot, Guinevere, the Lady of the Lake, and many more. It was a great series, filled with humor, action, honor, and kingdom building!

[Kennedyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got bored so again, sense I love all of km shea’s books that I’ve read so far, I decided to pick this one up. I was a bit confused at first mainly cuz I’m not into the Arthur thing😂 I didn’t even know the story of King Arthur and had no clue about a round table or who Lancelot was. In any case, once I got into the books I really enjoyed them. These books didn’t include any of the usual worries about time loops and ruining time(which I’m kinda glad cuz it gets so annoying with time travel books) although you can see how all of it worked out at the end with them being with her past self making her into the girl she is with her future self in the past…if that made any sense.(it did in my head) I love Merlin and Britt I thought they were so cute! and I loved Lancelot’s redemption arc. Overall I just really enjoyed these books despite being confused at the beginning. Km shea still hasn’t disappointed!!

[schniefelise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very skeptical about a King Arthur re-telling even though the premise of a female Arthur from the future sounds fun. Only reason I gave this a chance was that I recently stumbled upon this author and loved every single thing she wrote so far. King Arthur and her Knights did not disappoint me either. The writing is really good, the story never gets boring and best of all it works perfectly with the original King Arthur stories we grew up with. I was honestly amazed how well this is done. I was worried about the ending as I couldn't imagine an outcome that would not disappoint me in one way or the other but I should never have doubted KM Shea. She is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors with her funny and fascinating fantasy stories.
This is an absolute recommendation to read King Arthur and her Knights (or and of KM Sheas other books) - it shouldn't work but it does SO WELL!