A review by charlottereadshistory
Queen of Fury by Natania Barron

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring medium-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? Yes

4.0

Queen of Fury is the second in Natania Barron’s Queens of Fate series - brilliant feminist retellings of Arthurian legends. 

This story is based on Gawain and the Green Knight but centres on the princess of Avillion, Hwyfar. She is thrust from being an unwanted sister carousing through Arthur’s court to acting as regent for her failing father as war threatens their farthest border. 

Gawain and his knights are sent by Arthur to support his sister-in-law, but not all is as it seems. What follows is an epic quest with an even more epic love story. 

What I enjoyed most about this book was the emotional connection and vulnerability Hwyfar and Gawain had together, and how that connection supported them to navigate and ultimately overcome loss and pain that they’d suffered as pawns in a hyper hierarchical and patriarchal court. As Barron mentions in her acknowledgement, “patriarchy and toxic chivalry does not just break women, but men, too.” I felt that Hwyfar’s sensuality and her rebelliousness were key elements of her character that weren’t moulded to fit a romantic ideal. 

I also loved the exploration of the agency of women in the story - how so many of the strong women in Arthurian legend worked in the shadows, influencing and weaving the future with their magic but also their knowledge of what had come before and their ability to share with each other. I thought it was key that the women of the story seemed to disregard physical borders - that the lines drawn by men meant little to women sharing working across a different realm to protect humanity. 

I can’t wait to see what comes next as Barron tackles the most famous of the Arthurian women - Morgen Le Fay. 

My thanks to the author and Jess at @rebellionpublishing / Solaris Books for a proof of this epic story. Queen of Fury is out now!