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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
This one was, dare I say, boring. I'll be the first to admit that my only real exposure to the King Arthur myth is Monty Python (which my brother, a history nerd, assures me is actually embarrassingly accurate), so I can't speak to any of the subtle hints or nods to the "source material." That being said, I was bored. If I hadn't switched to audio 1/3 of the way through, I doubt I would have been able to finish it. (On the plus side, narrator Elizabeth Knowelden has a lovely, soothing voice with an even tone and great command of accents without sounding ridiculous.)
Guinevere suffers from serious impotence in her own story. Very little that she does seems to have any effect on anyone. So much time is dedicated to the description of Arthur's glorious reign and all the amazing changes he made to Camelot blah blah blah. I wanted magic and swordplay and, I dunno, deception. Instead, I got a girl in way over her head who doesn't even know why she's doing what she's doing or who she's acting against or anything.
The only saving grace of this entire book is Lancelot (and I'll leave that at that)
{Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}
Guinevere suffers from serious impotence in her own story. Very little that she does seems to have any effect on anyone. So much time is dedicated to the description of Arthur's glorious reign and all the amazing changes he made to Camelot blah blah blah. I wanted magic and swordplay and, I dunno, deception. Instead, I got a girl in way over her head who doesn't even know why she's doing what she's doing or who she's acting against or anything.
The only saving grace of this entire book is Lancelot (and I'll leave that at that)
{Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
I found The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein to be a bit more polished and enjoyable, but this was also an interesting showcase of Kiersten White’s strengths. The characters and their nuances carry the sometimes slow plot, and really make you feel Guinevere’s strain when she is forced to make decisions that concern them. I also always love a YA book where the focus is on finding purpose/belonging/selfhood, rather than solely on romance.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was much too drawn out. Interesting twist at the end, but the fogginess of the main character nort remembering or knowing her life is a bit too convenient.
This has a slow beginning and I think could have benefited from maybe 50 more pages. Dindrane was a great character but could have been fleshed out more, for example. Still, I'm giving this 5 stars because this overall delighted me and I feel like it laid groundwork for an amazing trilogy of books.
I love Arthurian mythology but I'm also picky about it (kind of like Greek mythology.) Kiersten White made several choices, though, that I feel like blew the story wide open and had me seeing it in a new way. Having "Guinevere" as a changeling child who takes the place of OG Guinevere in order to fulfill a mission? Amazing.
The original Arthurian mythos - especially the oldest stories - are a fascinating liminal space. The British isles aren't Roman anymore, but not solidly in the fantasy realm of Ye Olde Medieval England quite yet. The Romans don't come up here, but this books mines that clash over what Camelot should/could be. There's a theme of nature/chaos versus rules/stability, and both sides make their cases well. I loved orderly Camelot and how it's engineered so that rivers and waterfalls replenish it. But I also loved this book's take on magic; everything from its practical implications to
Guinevere is great. I love stories of people dealing with culture clash in a royal court, and this is a fun take on the trope. She's resourceful and vulnerable and I liked her a lot. Liked this take on Arthur, too. Usually Arthur is a means to an end for me, but here I only wanted good things for him. Mordred is also a lot of fun and it's interesting to see a version where he's not Arthur's son. Also I loved, loved, loved that the mistreatment of Igraine is so crucial to the plot. It's such a horrifying part of mythology and I was glad to see it given the proper weight it deserved.
So yeah, I greatly enjoyed this book, and I'll even forgive it for doing my problematic fave sir Kay so dirty. Trust me that's high praise. :P
I love Arthurian mythology but I'm also picky about it (kind of like Greek mythology.) Kiersten White made several choices, though, that I feel like blew the story wide open and had me seeing it in a new way. Having "Guinevere" as a changeling child who takes the place of OG Guinevere in order to fulfill a mission? Amazing.
Spoiler
Making Lancelot into a woman was also so inspired and wow suddenly I care about Lancelot/Guinevere for the first time ... ever? I don't know if the book will go there but the two of them had a shit ton of chemistry and it feels like Guinevere/Arthur and Guinevere/Mordred won't pan out. But I'll see. Her Lada series did some unexpected and fun things with relationships, too.The original Arthurian mythos - especially the oldest stories - are a fascinating liminal space. The British isles aren't Roman anymore, but not solidly in the fantasy realm of Ye Olde Medieval England quite yet. The Romans don't come up here, but this books mines that clash over what Camelot should/could be. There's a theme of nature/chaos versus rules/stability, and both sides make their cases well. I loved orderly Camelot and how it's engineered so that rivers and waterfalls replenish it. But I also loved this book's take on magic; everything from its practical implications to
Spoiler
that nightmarish scene with the vengeful trees.Guinevere is great. I love stories of people dealing with culture clash in a royal court, and this is a fun take on the trope. She's resourceful and vulnerable and I liked her a lot. Liked this take on Arthur, too. Usually Arthur is a means to an end for me, but here I only wanted good things for him. Mordred is also a lot of fun and it's interesting to see a version where he's not Arthur's son
Spoiler
the plot twist with him had me going "curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal."So yeah, I greatly enjoyed this book, and I'll even forgive it for doing my problematic fave sir Kay so dirty. Trust me that's high praise. :P
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
8,5/10
Me hubiera gustado que tenga diferentes puntos de vista y que la escritura no sea tan básica. Sentí que siempre describía o intruducia cosas de la misma manera. Tampoco me gusto que le protagonista me repeliera lo mismo 107399000 veces. Sacando todo eso, el libro lo disfrute muchísimo.
Me encanto que hable de la importancia de la lealtad, sacrificio y los valores de cada personaje. También, que trate sobre la sociedad, el hombre y como quiere apoderase de cosas que están fuera de su control, el progreso del mundo, las generaciones, como la naturaleza es libre y más ventajas/desventajas que eso trate. Debería ser la naturaleza pura o un orden establecido?
pd: Team arturo
Me hubiera gustado que tenga diferentes puntos de vista y que la escritura no sea tan básica. Sentí que siempre describía o intruducia cosas de la misma manera. Tampoco me gusto que le protagonista me repeliera lo mismo 107399000 veces. Sacando todo eso, el libro lo disfrute muchísimo.
Me encanto que hable de la importancia de la lealtad, sacrificio y los valores de cada personaje. También, que trate sobre la sociedad, el hombre y como quiere apoderase de cosas que están fuera de su control, el progreso del mundo, las generaciones, como la naturaleza es libre y más ventajas/desventajas que eso trate. Debería ser la naturaleza pura o un orden establecido?
pd: Team arturo