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btrz7's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
0.25
There is no amount of plot or character development that can justify the size of this book. There are huge stretches where nothing is happening, and I swear the same theological arguments were revisited every 50 pages by the same characters, with nothing new added to it and nothing productive coming out of it. Religion is a big part of the conflict of the book, informing characters' decisions and morals, but it was to the point of exhaustion.
Characters were another thing. The plot of the book spans decades, but throughout it they always feel like the children/teenagers they were at the beginning. No one changes in any meaningful way. I don't mind flawed characters, but Jesus this whole cast was getting on my nerves. Most of the men don't seem to have any personality, and as for the women, they are all hypocrites, who are at turns jealous or disdainful of one another, due to what? Ah yes, the attention of men. Someone is either a pious prude or a wanton whore, and the best thing is, they seem to be both at alternating times, woth no reason to it. Morgaine disdains other women as being shallow and only talking of marriages and babes, but her inner monologue seems to also focus on those subjects and on who's sleeping with whom. Gwen thinks Morgaine is a whore, but then commits adultery throughout the entirety of her marriage, and somehow ends up blaming her husband and her lover for it, and them somehow accusing them of being homosexual/queer (?) and having unpure feelings for each other. That was an unexpected ride. Anyway the thought pattern doesn't differ much with other female characters.
Then the nail in the coffin. Around close to halfway through, there were somethings making mr a but uncomfortable. Sexualization of young women, and women over 20 being considered 'old' (being historical fiction does not excuse this, low life expectancy had a lot to do with high infant mortality, and not so much with people not living after 50). Big age gaps in relationships, most of which are not exactly consensual. And then the thought processes to justify incestuous or pedophiliac relationships. Which on its own is heavy, but I believe that in fiction you do whatever you want. Except then I find out its not really fiction and it is reflecting the author's own practices and that sours everything.
So yeah, I powered through the last few hours so as to not leave it unfinished, but I will actively not recommend this ever to anyone. Its a shame, because I read it as part of a challenge to read the oldest book in my TBR and this was it on GR, but it wasn't worth the wait.
Graphic: Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, War, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
homebodywitch's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Infertility, Sexual assault, Genocide, Death, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Grief, War, Abortion, Sexism, and Violence
prinsessenora4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love the legends of King Arthur, and this retelling is some of the best I have read. We can see the happenings from the women’s point of view, and the story is so sore, beautiful and lifelike that I couldn’t put it down.
I love the feminist and girl power characters, and I love to learn more about the older religions of the British isles. (But I don’t love the rape and incest). This book was amazing, and will stay with me forever <3
Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Sexism, Death of parent, Vomit, and War
unwall's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Pregnancy, Incest, Sexual violence, Blood, Sexual content, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, War, Misogyny, Grief, Religious bigotry, Infertility, Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Death of parent
rae_diant's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Infertility
Moderate: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Ableism, and Gore
Minor: Homophobia
morganrie's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
decembermagpie's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Incest, Infertility, and Infidelity
rachel_here's review
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, and Incest
lydia_arvidsson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Incest, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide
micaelabrody's review against another edition
2.0
but man has it not aged well. even setting aside mzb herself (which i do only for this review. that’s why i’d never intended to reread this), it is 500-700 pages too long (based on the ebook at a whopping 1700!). there’s a lot of arthurian legend to get through but you reach the point when morgaine marries uriens and it feels like that really should be closer to the end but there’s STILL so much more to go! and honestly the ending is such a cop out. morgaine spends the entire book raging on behalf of avalon and the cultural genocide of her people (and she’s right) just to say “oh actually violent christian dominance is good bc they worship mary”? the characters are broadly consistent but moment to moment contradictory - does she love lancelet or not? morgaine switches off even in her own internal monologue with no acknowledgment of the change! - and the pacing is iffy at best.
it’s still okay, but the towering work of fiction i remember is simply not here. it’s just a kind of overwritten historical reimagining and sits nicely on a shelf with outlander. i will always love the version of morgaine she created but i wish that morgaine had been in a better book written by a less gross person.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Rape