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A review by heathers_reads
The Cleaving by Juliet E. McKenna
3.0
The cleaving is a fantasy / historical fiction novel set in the Arthurian era and loosely based on King Arthur and Camelot. The story is retold from Nimues POV and follows the interconnected lives of three other strong female leads: Guinevere, Morgana and Ygraine.
The book starts before Arthur’s birth and has several time jumps throughout bringing us further into the future. The Cleaving sets out to shine a light on the Violence and oppression caused by the patriarchy, and the women who try to survive in a time where their safety is constantly at stake.
I love fantasy and mythology retellings. I have somehow never been exposed to an Arthurian retelling where King Arthur is shone in a negative light, so this was definitely a new experience for me!
What I would loved to see more of: I would have loved to see more world building and magical elements. I would have loved Nimue to be less passive and use her powers and resources for the good of the people, regardless of the consequences. However I did note the growth of our four women going from naive brutalized young women to strong resourceful and independent heroines.
The ending was extremely climatic with lots of blood, gore, magic and spells. The author spent a lot of time researching for this book and you can feel that through the attention to detail, accuracy of events and visceral descriptions.
I would recommend to those who like to hear tales from a woman’s perspective, dark fantasy retellings, or the Arthurian legend in general. Just don’t expect to read a fairytale, this book dives into some deep, potentially sensitive subject matter, and doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of life from a time long past.
The book starts before Arthur’s birth and has several time jumps throughout bringing us further into the future. The Cleaving sets out to shine a light on the Violence and oppression caused by the patriarchy, and the women who try to survive in a time where their safety is constantly at stake.
I love fantasy and mythology retellings. I have somehow never been exposed to an Arthurian retelling where King Arthur is shone in a negative light, so this was definitely a new experience for me!
What I would loved to see more of: I would have loved to see more world building and magical elements. I would have loved Nimue to be less passive and use her powers and resources for the good of the people, regardless of the consequences. However I did note the growth of our four women going from naive brutalized young women to strong resourceful and independent heroines.
The ending was extremely climatic with lots of blood, gore, magic and spells. The author spent a lot of time researching for this book and you can feel that through the attention to detail, accuracy of events and visceral descriptions.
I would recommend to those who like to hear tales from a woman’s perspective, dark fantasy retellings, or the Arthurian legend in general. Just don’t expect to read a fairytale, this book dives into some deep, potentially sensitive subject matter, and doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of life from a time long past.