A review by just_one_more_paige
The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 
As should be well established by now, I am a sucker for a King Arthur retelling. And oh my goodness some of my favs ever are of this *very* sub-genre (The Lost Queen, Legendborn, and in pre-blogging years, The Mists of Avalon and The Once and Future King). I'm pretty flexible on the style of these retellings, I just love them. And when I'm in the mood for one...they're like a warm and cozy blanket. Enter this queer YA variation, which turned out to be everything I was hoping for and more. 
 
Just as Emmett Merlin is summoned to court to train as the wizard for the young King Arthur (who has done very little of renown since pulling the famous sword from the stone a year or so ago), he becomes indisposed after a spell-gone-wrong encounter... His twin sister, Emry (who just happens to be chafing at the small town life she's living and has always been way better at magic than her brother anyways), figures to save their family reputation she will head to court disguised as her brother. It's just for a week, til he gets better and they can switch out. But a week turns into...indefinitely...and Emry has honestly never been happier: learning magic, becoming friends with the nerdy prince, his dishonored best friend Lancelot, the snooty Lord Gawain, and generally being annoyed by the ladylike Guinevere. As with all secrets though, Emry's imitation game is eventually uncovered...and the consequences might mean the end of what had been shaping up to be a very good thing, for everyone. 
 
Look, this was just absolutely delightful. I haven't had this much straight-up fun reading a book in...a while. The writing was great - smooth and well-paced and the dialogue was *chef's kiss.* There was actually a lot in the writing style that reminded me of My Lady Jane (and that whole series of historical fiction spoofs); just really light and easy, but still smart. The voices of each character were unique, fitting both their characterization historically and for this individual story, and they each interacted with each other in ways and tones that genuinely fit within that. I was also really appreciative of how all these characters and their stories started in slightly different places than their “historically accurate” counterparts, and yet the relationships and connections are developed into something as close to and strong as they’re traditional representations. Honestly it was really nicely done. Plus, I enjoyed lots of the little Easter eggs from the "original" mythology that were sprinkled in, even if they weren't main parts/characters (or at least not yet). 
 
The plot itself, like I said, was well-paced. Close enough (ish) to the source material to be very much recognizable, but with lots of new aspects and original inclusions that made it feel fresh as well as familiar. Like I said, it was well-paced too, so I was invested throughout and turning pages as fast as my eyes and brain could make it happen. And oh my goodness the queerness (and general openness about sex and sexuality) all over this was just, everything I could have wanted it to be. I mean, the bisexual gender-flipped Merlin was enough to get me excited all on its own, but it was even better than that. And yes, there were some policies and characters that weren't as accepting, but the general vibes were very sex/queer-positive. 
 
Y'all, this was just enjoyable AF. Spectacular fun. I just fell right into this story and I will not apologize for how much I loved this freaking retelling. Go see for yourself! 
 
“The sword had been waiting for hundreds of years, and to be honest, it was bored.” 
 
“It was so confusing, having feelings for someone regardless of their gender, and realizing not everyone felt the same way.” 
 
“It shouldn’t matter that you’re a girl […] Things like that – your gender, or who you love, or where you come from – they shouldn’t matter. / Yet somehow, they matter the most to the wrong people. […] And I’m out of time. I can’t keep waiting for the world to change. / Which is why we’re going to change it ourselves.” 
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