Scan barcode
A review by paromita_m
The Cleaving by Juliet E. McKenna
3.0
The Cleaving by Juliet E. McKenna is described as a feminist retelling of the Arthurian legend from the point of view (POV) of four titular female main characters - Ygraine, Nimue, Morgana and Guinevere. I am very interested in the Arthurian mythos. Having enjoyed older works such as The Once and Future King by T. H. White, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley as well as more contemporary works such as The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell and Spear by Nicola Griffith, I was very much looking forward to reading this novel.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel though I disagreed with the "feminist" label in the description. I found the novel to be female-centric, certainly, especially giving us the POV of Nimue who is often neglected in Arthurian retellings. However, it fell short of tackling feminist themes for me and that was its main shortcoming, according to me.
Otherwise, The Cleaving is an Arthurian retelling with compelling storytelling, excellent pacing and a comprehensive coverage of the events that led to the fall of Camelot. The magical elements were blended nicely with the main narrative and I enjoyed reading about the power of women's magic and the far-reaching impact it had on destinies. Perhaps the characterisation could have been a more fleshed out.
I enjoyed reading The Cleaving and would recommend this to readers of the Arthurian mythos, historical fantasy and historical fiction, for a different, female-centric take on the Arthurian legend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Angry Robot Books for an electronic Advanced Reading Copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel though I disagreed with the "feminist" label in the description. I found the novel to be female-centric, certainly, especially giving us the POV of Nimue who is often neglected in Arthurian retellings. However, it fell short of tackling feminist themes for me and that was its main shortcoming, according to me.
Otherwise, The Cleaving is an Arthurian retelling with compelling storytelling, excellent pacing and a comprehensive coverage of the events that led to the fall of Camelot. The magical elements were blended nicely with the main narrative and I enjoyed reading about the power of women's magic and the far-reaching impact it had on destinies. Perhaps the characterisation could have been a more fleshed out.
I enjoyed reading The Cleaving and would recommend this to readers of the Arthurian mythos, historical fantasy and historical fiction, for a different, female-centric take on the Arthurian legend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Angry Robot Books for an electronic Advanced Reading Copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.