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kellys_bookcase's review against another edition
I had to return this to the library, but I am open to trying this book again in the future.
devs_thevintagechaosbat's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
This book was amazing!!
The representation was on point, and I was completely pulled in by the first page.
The authors managed to take a classic story and create a truly magical book, with beautifully written characters, and perfectly timed humor!
10/10, will definitely read again
The representation was on point, and I was completely pulled in by the first page.
The authors managed to take a classic story and create a truly magical book, with beautifully written characters, and perfectly timed humor!
10/10, will definitely read again
winesharksea's review against another edition
2.0
an entertaining read and concept but left me with way more questions than it answered and things became super dicey in the 2nd half...
gabalodon's review against another edition
4.0
Fun rompy take on a very popular classic. The diversity and rep was excellent, the characters were loveable, and it was fast-paced and warm-hearted. I have only two complaints, and one of them is more personal and less objective.
1) The start of the book may have been /too/ fast-paced, which I don't usually see. We get very abruptly jerked from place to place and plot-point to plot-point until the whole gang is together. I would have much rather seen this book split into two, and have the first book dedicated to the gang meeting and finding each other and really building those relationships and executing their first big quest. This would have also helped with me second, more personal complaint...
2) For reasons that completely escape me, one of the most popular King Arthur legend subplots that gets pulled into almost every rewrite is the Gwen/Arthur infidelity thing. It also happens to be my least favorite part of every rewrite. That being said, Once & Future took a very fresh and less exasperating take on this than usual, which was nice. But it still meant I didn't really enjoy their relationship (again, some of this is due to the lack of exposition) and it took me a long time to trust and even begin to like Gwen's character, and it's difficult to fully relate to her until the book is almost over. But at least I found her problematic in new and exciting ways. I just really wish I could have liked and related to her sooner.
I guess that's what book 2 is for! :)
1) The start of the book may have been /too/ fast-paced, which I don't usually see. We get very abruptly jerked from place to place and plot-point to plot-point until the whole gang is together. I would have much rather seen this book split into two, and have the first book dedicated to the gang meeting and finding each other and really building those relationships and executing their first big quest. This would have also helped with me second, more personal complaint...
2) For reasons that completely escape me, one of the most popular King Arthur legend subplots that gets pulled into almost every rewrite is the Gwen/Arthur infidelity thing. It also happens to be my least favorite part of every rewrite. That being said, Once & Future took a very fresh and less exasperating take on this than usual, which was nice. But it still meant I didn't really enjoy their relationship (again, some of this is due to the lack of exposition) and it took me a long time to trust and even begin to like Gwen's character, and it's difficult to fully relate to her until the book is almost over. But at least I found her problematic in new and exciting ways. I just really wish I could have liked and related to her sooner.
I guess that's what book 2 is for! :)
scribe391's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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
3.25
Capetta and McCarthy reimagine the legend of King Arthur, setting it in space.
pinklemon254's review against another edition
3.0
Anti capitalist, lgtbtq Arthurian space travel. I enjoyed it greatly. Give this to a boomer you want to enrage.
Only thought it was a little slow going at parts.
Only thought it was a little slow going at parts.
brakebills42's review
I forget how many chapters I read but I was a third of the way through the book and the only things that had really happened were that Alix pulled Excalibur form the stone and got married to Gwen.
stefhyena's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I mean queer Arthurian space opera!!! I was totally up for that. I liked the beginning and middle despite there being too much obligatory pairing up romance. I don't mind some but this is like over half the book is about that and it simultaneously reifies the "teenagers and young adults are bundles of hormones" AND tries to say that what happens at those ages is meaningful relationships. Like pick one! Their both irritating cliches but they are also contradictory but this book tries to have both.
Then also all the emotions are big emotions, they can never be calm about anything, they always have to be melodramatic. I liked that the "big bad" was capitalism but the silliest part was on p325 where there's a suggestion that if you cut down the leader (in this case the Administrator) then the big bad scatters. That sort of individualism is the soul of capitalism but it's also not true. There is always some scheming other faction quite happy that you did that for them (and ok like 2 chapters later after yet another emotion laden sex scene) the big bad does indeed come back in a slightly different form...which would be less silly without the bit on p325.
I get that the authors want to manipulate the reader's hopes to make the twists more emotional but it becomes a farce when it's all unalleviated big emotion (also that nonsensical). Also it was disappointing that these otherwise queer characters have never heard of polyamory to the point where what could have been some manageable jealousy turned into a BIG DRAMA that added little if anything. And it wasn't completely true to the Arthurian legends either.
Ok so there was a lot of other nonsense. Some of it sort of worked, like you want anachronisms in the future so you make a theme park. It sort of works. I did briefly wonder if it was a Diana Wynn Jones Easter Egg (respect if it was) and I KNOW I saw some Star Wars in one section and...I can't remember what else but there were some things that were repurposed from great works but it's fun because they did it slightly differently.
I liked the 2 mums (moms I think they spelled it) and I would have liked to have seen more of them. I would have liked Jordan to be filled out more too and not be such a background character (I liked her more than some of the foregrounded characters). I kept forgetting that Ari was a girl but maybe that's just me (and my generation, and the fact I have met boys called Ari).
We did need an Arthurian lesbian space opera so props to the authors for making that.
I don't like things ending on a cliffhanger though. If you write a good enough tale I will still keep reading even without the cliffhanger which is unsatisfying at the end of a book...in this case. I don't know. I will see how I go.
Then also all the emotions are big emotions, they can never be calm about anything, they always have to be melodramatic. I liked that the "big bad" was capitalism but the silliest part was on p325 where there's a suggestion that if you cut down the leader (in this case the Administrator) then the big bad scatters. That sort of individualism is the soul of capitalism but it's also not true. There is always some scheming other faction quite happy that you did that for them (and ok like 2 chapters later after yet another emotion laden sex scene) the big bad does indeed come back in a slightly different form...which would be less silly without the bit on p325.
I get that the authors want to manipulate the reader's hopes to make the twists more emotional but it becomes a farce when it's all unalleviated big emotion (also that nonsensical). Also it was disappointing that these otherwise queer characters have never heard of polyamory to the point where what could have been some manageable jealousy turned into a BIG DRAMA that added little if anything. And it wasn't completely true to the Arthurian legends either.
Ok so there was a lot of other nonsense. Some of it sort of worked, like you want anachronisms in the future so you make a theme park. It sort of works. I did briefly wonder if it was a Diana Wynn Jones Easter Egg (respect if it was) and I KNOW I saw some Star Wars in one section and...I can't remember what else but there were some things that were repurposed from great works but it's fun because they did it slightly differently.
I liked the 2 mums (moms I think they spelled it) and I would have liked to have seen more of them. I would have liked Jordan to be filled out more too and not be such a background character (I liked her more than some of the foregrounded characters). I kept forgetting that Ari was a girl but maybe that's just me (and my generation, and the fact I have met boys called Ari).
We did need an Arthurian lesbian space opera so props to the authors for making that.
I don't like things ending on a cliffhanger though. If you write a good enough tale I will still keep reading even without the cliffhanger which is unsatisfying at the end of a book...in this case. I don't know. I will see how I go.