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A review by sapphistoire
Sword in the Stars by A.R. Capetta, Cory McCarthy
4.5
So, in the sequel we're transported back in time to Medieval Earth and we get to meet the very first King Arthur. I was so excited to be in this time period - I grew up with the BBC Merlin adaptation and so I'm a sucker for Medieval fantasy novels! To add to this, I loved the new characters we got! The original Arthur is only about fifteen in this novel, and he was such a sweetheart, I adored him! We also get to see old Merlin who is almost obsessed with King Arthur, and also a little power hungry. A few other well known characters were also sprinkled in, including Gwaine and Morgause, who I was very excited to see!
The pacing issue I had with the first book, I'm glad to say, was resolved in this one. The pacing was perfect and I was on the edge of my seat on numerous occasions. The intrigue and the sense of urgency among the characters was done so well, so I must say that, if you were put off by the pacing of the first book, then definitely pick up the sequel!
My main issue with this book, and why it didn't get the full five stars (although it was very close!) was, unfortunately, the world building. I loved the world building in the first book but I really felt it was lacking here. I know that this book is ultimately character and plot based, but it really didn't feel like we were in Medieval England at all. If you removed the knights, we really could have been anywhere at all. It was a real disappointment.
That being said, this book was a wild ride and I really enjoyed this series overall. The ending of Sword in the Stars made me cry and I loved all the references to other Arthur retelling (and the fourth wall break) that we got at the end. This series is witty and just so much fun and I really urge you to pick it up!
The pacing issue I had with the first book, I'm glad to say, was resolved in this one. The pacing was perfect and I was on the edge of my seat on numerous occasions. The intrigue and the sense of urgency among the characters was done so well, so I must say that, if you were put off by the pacing of the first book, then definitely pick up the sequel!
My main issue with this book, and why it didn't get the full five stars (although it was very close!) was, unfortunately, the world building. I loved the world building in the first book but I really felt it was lacking here. I know that this book is ultimately character and plot based, but it really didn't feel like we were in Medieval England at all. If you removed the knights, we really could have been anywhere at all. It was a real disappointment.
That being said, this book was a wild ride and I really enjoyed this series overall. The ending of Sword in the Stars made me cry and I loved all the references to other Arthur retelling (and the fourth wall break) that we got at the end. This series is witty and just so much fun and I really urge you to pick it up!