Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - Once & Future

Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Once & Future by Cory McCarthy, A.R. Capetta

15 reviews

lastcomment314's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It was almost so good. I love me a good gay Arthurian fantasy, and this one had a cool twist with being set in space, and some nice found family vibes, but the overall delivery on this one held it back. Stylistically, it wasn't quite my cuppa tea. There were also certain scenes that seemed forced, and the focus on sex and bodily functions was a bit much for my tastes. To summarize discussion with group I read this with, we don't care about Merlin relieving himself in the crystal cave, we care about the quest to overthrow the unjust, tyrannical ~~king~~ company.

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Look y'all. It's looking like 2023 is the year of King Arthur retellings for me. Specifically, awesomely queer YA retellings. I loved The Other Merlin a few weeks ago and, while I'm waiting for my library to *hopefully* get the second book in that duology, I decided to go ahead and pick up this duology as well. Thankfully, both of these books are already at the library, so I can binge the entire thing without a waitt.

This is a queer YA retelling of King Arthur...in space. In the future, after Old Earth has long been broken and abandoned, Ari and her brother, Kay, find themselves on the surface of the old planet after making an escape from the tyrannical corporation, Mercer, that runs their post-post-capitalist world. While there, Ari pulls a sword from an old tree and restarts the most recent cycle of "the one true king to take down the great evil and unite the world." But this is the first time the sword has ever chosen a girl, and it's also one of Merlin's last chances to successfully complete his mission of guiding Arthur to success, so everything about this iteration of the story is different and the stakes have never been higher. Ari and Merlin must bring together the "knights" and navigate the complicated interpersonal dramas that keep replaying amongst them (this time with added teen hormones), while also saving Ari and Kay's parents from an planet-prison, expose the evils of the Mercer corporation, face down ancient magical beings like the Lady of the Lake, and contend with a myriad other magical and political threats.

Alright, this was great fun. But also, if I'm being honest, definitely not as good as The Other Merlin. There are a couple reasons for this. And I'm going to start with those, so you know what they are, and then close with the good things. Because there were quite enough of those that I am totally planning to pick up book two as soon as possible. First, the writing itself had a choppiness to it. In both the dialogue and the unfolding of events (sequence and plot development), there was just a lack of smoothness and connectivity. Now, this is something that I moved past more or less without issue, because this was a fast and entertaining read and I chose not to get bogged down in the holes between details and to just enjoy the ride. But if that would be a bigger turn-off for you, just be aware. The second issue I had is mostly related, actually, but felt worth a separate mention to me. Some of the capitalism references and euphemisms and critiques are a bit too on the nose, like manhandled into the text. I mean, I agree with them. But it was clunkily done. However, again, I'm choosing to give leeway because this is for a YA audience. And I chose to read quickly and move past these flow issues.

I did enjoy the mix of more serious issues and lighter entertainment vibes that this retelling had. I always love a future world where issues of discrimination based on sex/gender/sexuality are a thing of the past, and this novel had that in spades. Almost all the characters were queer in some way and it was bittersweet in all the best ways to see how Merlin, the only one of them to have lived through myriad generations of Old Earth's murderous prejudice on this front, was able to find his own freedom in this more accepting future. Loved that. So basically, all the sex positivity (in an ace inclusive way) and queer love was *chef's kiss.*

Though it is very in your face, I am team "take down capitalist overreach" so that facade for the "big evil" is one I can get behind taking down. There was always some action going on as well, whether it was the fighting kind or the prisonbreak kind or the relationship kind, that kept things moving at a good clip throughout. And I appreciated, as always, the ways this both lined up and diverged from the "original" story. That's the reason I come back to retellings: the creative ways the author's put new spins on these stories, keeping things fresh but familiar. There was also some very sweet and very snort-level funny sprinkled throughout this book, that are lovely in their different ways and keep the entertainment level high. Of note, let me just say lolz, I see you with Ari being Arthur 42.

Anyways, reading this was totally diverting. The fun escapist ride I was looking for. With where the story left off, I am invested in seeing where the second book takes us (and by "where it takes us," I mean the plot and the characters' developments, because it's very clear where in space/time we're going!). I'm hoping for a fun and fulfilling conclusion, with all the same complicated young romance, King Arthur Easter eggs, corny jokes and throwbacks to "old" Earth, and taking-down-the-bad-guys action as this first one.

“Because too many people believe that difference is the enemy of unity.”

“The path humans took through time was less the mythical arrow of progress, and more of a squiggle that doubled back on itself, curling and looping. A roller coaster designed by a drunkard.”

“The greatest power is a hand on your shoulder, a whisper in your head, gentle but insistent. These people don’t want to see what’s happening, so they don’t see it.”

“That’s what resistance looks like, Merlin. It’s not one glorious, shining victory. It’s a torch that you keep burning, no matter what.”

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miles's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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mitzee's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Loved this story of reincarnated court of King Arthur.

I am dying to know what happens next and am very happy it seems to be a series.

I loved all the queer and diverse characters in this space opera future. It’s TRULY sci-fi fantasy.

If theres anything I didn’t like about this book it’s that the love and sex scenes feel a bit heavy-handed or gratuitous sometimes, but they do help me envision the emotional relationships between characters.

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lim's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.25

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maplewrites's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

jkdfqojfoqwjfoiw
the ending. I did not like the ending
I liked everything else. i loved the characters. I loved the plot. I loved the story. I loved the conflict. I loved how emotions were a very important part of the story. I loved the pacing.
I did not like the ending.

Look, look. the ending was just. UGH. No. I get it, setting up the sequel. But no. That's just not how you destroy monopolies. The best thing to do at the meeting of the round table would be to look at the systems in place that the Mercer company was using and then break it up between the planets that they were taking resources from. Give it to the individual governments of those planets to do with as they see fit. To put them in charge of helping each other. Not just... trying to build everything new from the ground up. Invent the systems that prevent monopolies. One of those systems is how to break up monopolies if they ever should occur, break up Mercer based on those systems. I just.

the whole book, Ari complained about pageantry and how bullshit it was. And yet, she was playing their game. It is a bullshit chess game that the Mercer company is playing. And Ari was acting like anything they had to say had any meaning. Like, a lot of the power the Mercer company had after the figure head died was the power to lie. Ari's job in those moments should have been to go "no, that's not the game we're playing. Right now, what we're doing is using the resources that you have stolen and giving them to the people that need them. I have killed your guy in charge because that was the only way to gain footing, also he was genocidal." Because she does not need to play by their rules. I get it, she doesn't know how to run a government. But she does know how to use her resources. She has a lot of resources. She can use them!! She can use them to make sure that the planets can be reliant on each other and sustain each other.

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