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A review by luanagomes
The Cleaving by Juliet E. McKenna
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
What if we could see the story of Arthur through female lenses?
That's the premise for The Cleaving, by Juliet McKenna, which sets out to be a retelling of the Arthurian legend, giving its female characters the chance to tell their part in this saga.
The protagonist here is Nimue, and throughout the story, we also meet and learn from the tales of Ygraine, Morgana and Guinevere. We see through their eyes how Arthur took the stage while Merlin worked his magic from backstage, expanding the new king's power and reach.
The story follows somewhat the same line as the original story, but the twist here is that the main male characters, often in the spotlight for its virtues, are now in it for their failings.
While I liked the book fine, I felt it did not live up to what it set out to be.
It had a feminine gaze for sure, but not a feminist one - there was potential for including important discussions on gender and patriarchy, but they mostly did not happen or were very surface-level ones. I was also expecting some minor discussions on religion, as they were an integral part of the original story, but they were not present there as well, and that made the setting/world-building lacking to me.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but I would only recommend this book to readers that do not know much about the Arthurian legends and looking to ease into this journey. As it does not bring much political and cultural leanings, it really works best for beginners. If you have already read other materials, such as The mists of Avalon, for example, I believe this book would feel very underwhelmed to you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
That's the premise for The Cleaving, by Juliet McKenna, which sets out to be a retelling of the Arthurian legend, giving its female characters the chance to tell their part in this saga.
The protagonist here is Nimue, and throughout the story, we also meet and learn from the tales of Ygraine, Morgana and Guinevere. We see through their eyes how Arthur took the stage while Merlin worked his magic from backstage, expanding the new king's power and reach.
The story follows somewhat the same line as the original story, but the twist here is that the main male characters, often in the spotlight for its virtues, are now in it for their failings.
While I liked the book fine, I felt it did not live up to what it set out to be.
It had a feminine gaze for sure, but not a feminist one - there was potential for including important discussions on gender and patriarchy, but they mostly did not happen or were very surface-level ones. I was also expecting some minor discussions on religion, as they were an integral part of the original story, but they were not present there as well, and that made the setting/world-building lacking to me.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but I would only recommend this book to readers that do not know much about the Arthurian legends and looking to ease into this journey. As it does not bring much political and cultural leanings, it really works best for beginners. If you have already read other materials, such as The mists of Avalon, for example, I believe this book would feel very underwhelmed to you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.