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acrosstheskyinstars's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored this book! It's going on my list of top books of 2024. This is a feminist retelling of the King Arthur story from the perspective of The Lady of Shalott. I've been trying to find this again ever since I read Avalon High in high school. I loved this take on the story and I honestly loved the character of Elaine. I found her relatable, as someone with a tendency to not let others get too close. I can't recommend this enough to anyone who loves retellings!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, War, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
kelleyannelyse's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The legend is well known -- Arthur will be crowned King of Camelot, only to be abandoned by his sister, the sorceress Morgana, and betrayed by his wife Guinevere and his right-hand knight, Lancelot. As his oracle and adviser, Elaine Astolat, the Lady of Shalott, alone carries the burden of knowing that this is the future that awaits them, and how one day, they will all turn against each other. Through the past, present, and future tense, new life is breathed into Arthurian myth. In which, Guinevere, Morgana, and most of all Elaine, claim their agency and hold the power to reshape legends -- for the future is never set in stone until it becomes the past.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
brynncar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
writingcaia's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love to go back to Camelot and Avalon! And, it was no different here, it was actually pretty amazing seeing it all through the eyes of a new character, one rarely mentioned on the story tales, Elaine, the Lady of Chalot.
When young she feels cursed by her ability to see the future, her mother stifles it fearing for her as magic, which only the fae or fae descendants have, is banned from the kingdom by Uther Pendragon, father of Arthur and Morgana, who have been long away from the court of Camelot raised by the fae in Avalon with their two friends Lancelot and Guinevere. Until, one day Morgana, in a visit to court, meets Elaine and convinces her she’s blessed and should go back with her to Avalon.
You all know of Arthur being the foretold king, of his mad witch sister Morgana, of Guinevere and Lancelot’s betrayal, of Merlin, but not like it’s told in this tale.
Here the women have voices, have reasons, they’re the force of the tale, specially our lady of Chalot, and love and betrayal, going mad or sad is not as simple as you may think.
The narrative is complex as it’s being told solely by Elaine, it starts as the friends are about to leave Avalon in their twenties finally returning to Camelot to fulfil their destinies. And, it starts with her knowing all the events that will come to pass in their near future, and they’re not good, not at all, then she goes back to the past to explain how it all started, their friendships, Arthur and Gwen’s love story, Morgana’s magic, and Lancelot… but, then she’s having a vision into the future in the past, then in the present, the visions are always similar but evolving, as Nimue, the lady of the lake, has taught her the future changes, but as you follow Elaine back and forth, they don’t really seem to, and she knows it all. Living and loving with the knowledge she has is not easy, the decisions she has to make harder still, and that’s mostly the plot of the book, the arc of this one character as she juggles how to lead Arthur to his destiny without the “bad” things having to happen even though she doesn’t see a way to avoid them.
I really enjoyed the book, but the strange narrative the going back and forth, the repetitive visions, knowing only the other characters by how she sees them and tells them (not shows) was sometimes a bit too much, still if that doesn’t bother you I definitely recommend it.
It was a refreshing take on the mythical stories of these characters, if dark and sad.
When young she feels cursed by her ability to see the future, her mother stifles it fearing for her as magic, which only the fae or fae descendants have, is banned from the kingdom by Uther Pendragon, father of Arthur and Morgana, who have been long away from the court of Camelot raised by the fae in Avalon with their two friends Lancelot and Guinevere. Until, one day Morgana, in a visit to court, meets Elaine and convinces her she’s blessed and should go back with her to Avalon.
You all know of Arthur being the foretold king, of his mad witch sister Morgana, of Guinevere and Lancelot’s betrayal, of Merlin, but not like it’s told in this tale.
Here the women have voices, have reasons, they’re the force of the tale, specially our lady of Chalot, and love and betrayal, going mad or sad is not as simple as you may think.
The narrative is complex as it’s being told solely by Elaine, it starts as the friends are about to leave Avalon in their twenties finally returning to Camelot to fulfil their destinies. And, it starts with her knowing all the events that will come to pass in their near future, and they’re not good, not at all, then she goes back to the past to explain how it all started, their friendships, Arthur and Gwen’s love story, Morgana’s magic, and Lancelot… but, then she’s having a vision into the future in the past, then in the present, the visions are always similar but evolving, as Nimue, the lady of the lake, has taught her the future changes, but as you follow Elaine back and forth, they don’t really seem to, and she knows it all. Living and loving with the knowledge she has is not easy, the decisions she has to make harder still, and that’s mostly the plot of the book, the arc of this one character as she juggles how to lead Arthur to his destiny without the “bad” things having to happen even though she doesn’t see a way to avoid them.
I really enjoyed the book, but the strange narrative the going back and forth, the repetitive visions, knowing only the other characters by how she sees them and tells them (not shows) was sometimes a bit too much, still if that doesn’t bother you I definitely recommend it.
It was a refreshing take on the mythical stories of these characters, if dark and sad.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
tc_booksandmore's review
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Infidelity and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual content
mackenziem12's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
amandabw425's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
shadesofkate26's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
rstegema's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The first few hundred pages are a little slow and the non-linear timeline does take a little getting used to, but it's a very interesting take on the classic Authurian legend/folklore story. I appreciated the strong female leads and the diversity of the issues they faced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Gore and War
the_book_griffin's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book had some elements that provided interesting social commentary about issues in feminism, and how a society that doesn't treat women with respect can impact female friendships. The author did put some creative spins on the original myth, but unfortunately, her treatment of issues related to mental health as a plot element were extremely off-putting. Any story where suicide is treated as a character defining moment of a woman choosing her own path, and where it is also a plot answer solution to the character's problems is a very dangerous message to be giving young women. I think the good elements of this book were ruined by this glaring oversight. I'm really not sure how it got by the sensitivity readers. I understand that the death of the original Lady Shalott was an unavoidable obstacle in the author's attempt to rehabilitate this character as a modern heroine, but maybe some characters should be left as they were. Elaine is not the model we need.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Toxic relationship