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A review by klaartjesmits
The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike
5.0
The Forgotten Kingdom continues the fictionalised story of Languoreth, a 6th century Brittonic queen in what we now call Scotland. She's known as the twin sister of Lailoken, one of the men who might have inspired the myth of the wizard Merlin. In this second book Languoreth's culture and native religion are not only threatened by Christians but by invading Saxons as well. On top of that there is also a war going on between the kingdom of her own family and the kingdom she has recently become queen of by having to marry a prince who is more sympathetic to Christians. This war supposedly prompted Languoreth's brother Lailoken, a druid, to flee to the Caledonian forest and 'go mad'.
This second installment in the trilogy is even more profound and immersive than the first book, partly because it not only follows Languoreth but also her daughter - who possesses the gift of sight - and Lailoken in alternating POV chapters. I will never forget Lailoken's spiritual journey as a druid, and Pike's reimagination of his so-called 'madness' is extremely well done. The battle scenes too are some of the most memorable and heartbreaking parts of the book because they revolve around the emotions of the characters first and foremost. Lastly, how the author handles the addition of a new people - the Picts - proves again how well she can make cultures we know so little about come to life.
I want to include this note from Pike herself: "(...) I would ask readers to consider this: If a Christian character in a historical novel believes in the power of prayer and imagines they see a result, the work is still deemed historical fiction. If a pre-Christian character does the same, the work is deemed historical fantasy."
This second installment in the trilogy is even more profound and immersive than the first book, partly because it not only follows Languoreth but also her daughter - who possesses the gift of sight - and Lailoken in alternating POV chapters. I will never forget Lailoken's spiritual journey as a druid, and Pike's reimagination of his so-called 'madness' is extremely well done. The battle scenes too are some of the most memorable and heartbreaking parts of the book because they revolve around the emotions of the characters first and foremost. Lastly, how the author handles the addition of a new people - the Picts - proves again how well she can make cultures we know so little about come to life.
I want to include this note from Pike herself: "(...) I would ask readers to consider this: If a Christian character in a historical novel believes in the power of prayer and imagines they see a result, the work is still deemed historical fiction. If a pre-Christian character does the same, the work is deemed historical fantasy."