February 1, 2023
This Arthurian retelling is from the perspective of Nimue, an enchantress disguised as a handmaiden to the queen. The story begins with Arthur's mother, Ygraine. Nimue unwittingly sees the destruction of Ygraine's first marriage by Uther with the aid of Merlin, the infamous wizard. Uther forces Ygraine to marry him and bear Arthur to secure his lineage and throne as high king of Britain. Fulfilling his destiny, Arthur creates Camelot and brings along Ygraine and his half-sister Morgana, who serves Arthur until his marriage to Guinevere. Nimue, meanwhile, serves all three women, connecting their stories and perspectives through the years. This retelling gives cause for the women's choices from the original narrative that many have questioned such as why Morgana tried to kill Arthur and why Guinevere would commit adultery. VERDICT McKenna (The Green Man's Gift) tells a compelling new story from an old tale that is timely, giving the women of Arthur's heroic tale a voice and place in this world. Give to fans of Michael J. Sullivan and David Dalglish who appreciate stories with swordplay, revenge, and medieval adventure.--Leigh Verburg
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February 13, 2023
With this impressive fantasy, McKenna (The Green Man’s Challenge) brings a fresh, female perspective to the story of King Arthur while retaining all the magic and grandeur of the original tale. Nimue is Queen Ygraine’s maidservant, but there’s more to her than meets the eye: like Merlin, Nimue is capable of magic, but unlike him, she refuses to use it to manipulate mortals. As Merlin’s meddling with King Uther Pendragon and his son, Arthur, who was born of rape, sets off political upheaval in Camelot, Nimue, Morgana, and Guinevere navigate shifting alliances and fraught positions in court. When Merlin mysteriously disappears, Arthur becomes increasingly unstable and tensions between kingdoms grow. As the land descends into war, the women fight to stop the bloodshed. The near-immortal Nimue makes a fascinating point-of-entry into this familiar tale, and the unusually dark take on Arthur himself is equally refreshing, though readers who idolize the character may be disappointed to see him so flawed. Fans of Arthurian legend and female-centric retellings like Circe and Ariadne will find much to enjoy. Agent: Max Edwards, Aevitas Creative Management.
March 15, 2023
There are many retellings of King Arthur and the knights of Camelot. The women are there too but are frequently sidekicks without their own stories. McKenna, expert on medieval history and warfare, has given Ygraine, Nimue, Morgana, and Guinevere voices they previously lacked, as they are forced to watch as decisions that impact their lives are taken out of their hands. Nimue, initially an undercover maidservant to Queen Ygraine, has kept her magical abilities under wraps to all except Merlin, with whom she is constantly at odds. The story follows her service to the queen, and it is hard not to sympathize with the number of times she must bite her tongue against injustice and things she does not want to let go for the sake of alliances. The friendships the women strike up help see them through everything, and their steadfast loyalty towards one other makes their less-than-ideal circumstances easier to wade through. McKenna's writing immediately makes readers identify with the characters, and the strength they draw together fights against the weight of helplessness.
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