NetGalley Review: Queen of None by Natania Barron

Hey all, Sam here.

Apparently we’re going from a YA book that features an online game based on Arthurian legend to a fantasy romance that is a twist on Arthurian legend. So that’s fun. Anyway, I’m really trying to get some posts prepped and written and scheduled. No promises that we’ll be able to stay consistent longer than the next week, but I’m really hoping it happens.

Today’s book review is for a book just released on May 21st in the US, so you can snag your own copy now, which is very exciting. All right, let’s get started.

First in a sumptuous, female-led Arthurian Fantasy Romance trilogy

When Anna Pendragon was born, Merlin “Through all the ages, and in the hearts of men, you will be forgotten.”

Married at twelve, and a mother soon after, Anna – the famed King Arthur’s sister – did not live a young life full of promise, myth, and legend. She bore three strong sons and delivered the kingdom of Orkney to her brother by way of her marriage. She did as she was asked, invisible and useful for her name, her status, her dowry, and her womb.

Twenty years after she left her home, Anna returns to Carelon at Arthur’s bidding, carrying the crown of her now-dead husband, Lot of Orkney. Past her prime and confined to the castle itself, she finds herself yet again a pawn in greater machinations and seemingly helpless to do anything about it.

Anna must once again face the demons of her her sister Morgen, Elaine, and Morgause; Merlin and his scheming Avillion priests; and Bedevere, the man she once loved. To say nothing of new court visitors, like Lanceloch, or the trouble concerning her own sons.

Carelon, and all of Braetan, is changing, though, and Anna must change along with it. New threats, inside and out, lurk in the shadows, and a strange power begins to awaken in her. As she learns to reconcile her dark gift, and struggles to keep the power to herself, she must bargain her own strength, and family, against her ambition and thirst for revenge.

My Thoughts

Rating: 4 stars

After how quickly I read the book before this one, the pace for this one slowed me down immensely. I’m not saying that as a negative, but the overall pacing was considerably slower. Anna is an observer, being mostly on the outskirts of things for a good chunk of the book, and we get to see her thoughts and opinions and feelings towards not just the people around her but also the events of the court.

Honestly a lot of this book is thought and memory and planning. If you’re looking for an action-packed Arthurian adventure…this is not that book. But if you’re looking for a thoughtful, calculating, drawn-out introspection on a different viewpoint towards what you know about Arthurian legends and tales, then this is a nice book to enjoy for a few hours.

There is so much going on with all of the various characters and how the stories all intertwine and blend and either collide or drift apart.

Oh, and it should absolutely be pointed out that there is queer rep in this story as well. No definitive labels are given for the characters, but several could be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or possibly pansexual.

There are a LOT of characters in this story too, and many stories from the expansive Arthurian lore get mentioned or hinted at, so if you’re already a fan of these stories and characters, there’s plenty of little Easter eggs to keep you entertained.

Even with this being a slower paced story, I still did enjoy the reading experience, and I am very curious to see how the sequels play out. I like seeing this female-focused twist on Arthurian lore, where the women try to play the game in a world where men are seen to have the power. I like seeing how they manipulate the system to eke out whatever power and benefits they can.

This wasn’t the usual fantasy story I tend to read. Normally I read faster-paced stories, and ones that have a whole lot more action and adventure going on. So there was something wonderfully different about this one, about slowing down and being a little more introspective.

Not my favorite book ever, or even of this year, but still a very solid reading experience over all.

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All right, well that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.