Really 4.5 stars but rounding up because I have very few qualms about this book.

I adore historical fiction, stories about strong women, and raising up women's tales from the darkness of lost history, so this was right up my alley. A little longer than it truly needs to be, and could have been faster-paced at times, but this is a character-driven novel moreso than a plot-driven one. We experience Arthurian legend from the perspective of a woman closest to the man who would become the great wizard Merlin - or Myrddin, once known as Lailoken. The woman is his twin sister Languoreth, a powerful queen in her own right, and a keeper of the pagan old ways.

I enjoyed Languoreth's character - she wasn't perfect, she was quick to judge and jump to anger and feel resentment, but these are all human qualities and I liked that she was flawed yet strong all the same. Pike had clearly done a great deal of research into the time period, histories, and women's roles of the age, and it shows. So rarely do we get to hear about the lives of women in this time period, and this book should be a welcome addition to the canon.

Docking half a star because of the romance, which is rather ridiculous - love at first sight, and then pining for one another for seventeen years. Seventeen years! And they never saw or even spoke to one another in that time. Give me a break. Still, the strengths of the book were enough to overcome this eye-rolling aspect. Romance doesn't feature too heavily into the story, so it's manageable.

I loved this book so much! I haven’t shut up about it since finishing it. I’ve since purchased a physical copy and gifted it to others for the holidays.

Enjoyed this book , the story line was interesting and very well written, need to read the follow up book.

The Lost Queen brings to life some intriguing yet little-known history surrounding the Arthurian legend, one of the most enduring and beloved tales of all time. With rich characterization and world-building, Pike plunges us into an era of magic, politics, and forbidden love. This is a Merlin origin story unlike any we’ve ever seen before.

I absolutely love this book! It drew me in from the beginning. I highly recommend this for all those scottish or authurian lovers out there. The character of Languoreth was so understandable, and I appreciated the flaws and development. The author created a fascinating world filled with beautiful words. I especially loved the forbidden romance and the magic elements. I am so glad that I read it. I was well worth the time. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

Five stars: I’m absolutely obsessed.

Prose: My favorite thing might be the prose. The language is immersive and readable. Sentences are beautifully balance and flow with a stunning cadence. Overall, the tone is unique and very pretty.

People: My second favorite thing was how much I cared about the characters. They are perfectly flawed humans with beautiful names and relationships that resonate.

Place: The world-building felt thoughtfully researched, logical, and yet utterly singular. A history I felt I should know, but had scarcely dreamed existed. The lore and fantastical elements made sense within the story and fed the story sparingly without overpowering the plot or the characters.

Plot: Despite multiple time jumps, the plot made sense and was completely compelling. The emotional hits were hard, but resolutions, when given, were satisfying, but it left a lot open for the next book. No memorable plot holes or dead ends to detract from the impact. Everything was there for a reason without feeling overly convenient.

Pacing: No noticeable lags or tangents. It held my attention throughout and I finished a just a few days.

Will recommend. Will re-read. Will buy multiple copies, even though the Audible is FANTASTIC.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-historical fiction
-pre-arthur retelling
-feminist vibes
-forbidden romance
-a bit of magic

Such an absorbing and feminist story. I'm excited to dive into the next book.

This is historical fiction from with an imperfect female main character in 6th century Scotland based on an almost unknown historical figure. It’s so well-researched and the writing is immersive. I didn’t feel like some of the characters were as developed, but it’s not their story. 😄 It’s long but engaging. I’m looking forward to jumping into book 2 of this trilogy.

Scottish history lovers rejoice, look no further for a fun read to learn a wee bit about medieval Scotland's history. This story follows Languoreth, twin to the man that inspired the legend of Merlin, from 10-mid thirties as she grows up and becomes a woman in 6th century Scotland. She is bound by duty and thus sacrifices her desires for the good of her people. There's love, betrayal, and magic. The Lost Queen is a fast-paced, well written historical fiction novel.

I liked the writing style. I like to learn new words and expand vocabulary knowledge, and this book certainly offers new big words to learn. The Lost Queen offers a unique and original take on Scottish historical fiction. The fast pace of the novel kept my attention and desire to read until the end. The author's notes at the end of the story give a good look at the inspiration and some sources behind the historical basis of the characters, which I appreciate. Languoreth has a few lines throughout the story that I felt were very iconic and makes her a loveable character.

However, one of the description lines likens it to the Outlander series, which I think is misleading. The similarities of this book to Outlander include a strong, stubborn main (woman) lead, living in historical Scotland, who is familiar with herbal healing remedies. The love triangle could be considered a similarity, but the story of Languoreth's love does not compare to the love conflict of Outlander, to me. Also, The Lost Queen has no time travel aspect, so if that is something you're looking for this is not that, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I think this story stands independent from Outlander in a good way, and comparing it in that way was a determent rather than helpful.

Overall, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical fiction/fantasy combination stories. It is well written and researched by the author and makes for an engrossing read that keeps the reader turning the pages.

*Some spoilers below this. These are some of the things that take the reader OUT of the novel mid-read. *

The love that Languoreth shares with her lover Maelgwn relies heavily on the idea of "love at first sight" and seems to be mostly based in lust/passion throughout the book. Their love is missing a few more in person meetings that don't involve a spicy interaction, for me. In the story, Languoreth acknowledges that love is "more than just passion," but does not ever elaborate on the aspects of her husband that she must have grown to love over the seventeen-year span we see of their marriage.

I was confused by the time jump and the pregnant after the first encounter of Languoreth and her lover. Additionally, to skip the wedding scene entirely and not have more specific markers of time passing makes this part of the story muddy for me. Either their first encounter results in the pregnancy, or they (Languoreth and lover) have another meet up after her marriage? Unclear. The passing of two years in between these parts of the story muddle this aspect.
An event that irked me at the end of this story is the random appearance of an unnamed groom character who becomes a messenger for Languoreth. According to Languoreth, her family "took him in when [she] was little, and he has always been loyal in return." The lack of attention to this detail seemed to prove that this occurrence was just made to further the plot. He doesn't even have a name, just "my groom." If it was mentioned in Part I of the story, it wasn't memorable, because he doesn't even have a name. It just came off as an obvious, easy way to solve the problem at the end of the story.

As a history person, one thing the front of the book (e-book version) was missing for me was a map. I hope the print editions of this book include a map in the beginning of the book, as I think it would have been immensely helpful for understanding the lay of the land.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-book copy of this book.

I have read plenty of Scotland based romances and mystery, but nothing like this book.

There's plenty of intrigue, romance, religious and political strife to read about, layered with superstitions and druids. Merlin, the heroines brother, takes the back seat in this book.

Descriptive and enjoyable to read.

Phenomenal! I’ve never read this author before, and what an introduction. Intriguing world-building where I was easily pulled in, able to visualize the characters and their surroundings. I’m usually not big on political fiction, but the author made it so easy to follow and understand without boring me. Languoreth won my heart as a young girl who wanted so much more than what was offered to and expected of women at the time. I can’t wait to move on with the series! Thanks so much for introducing this author and world to me!

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike was a beautifully written story!
The settings described are lush and beautiful, but it is the people who draw us into the intrigue!

Beautiful writing. It was a little slow to get into at the start, but thoroughly enjoyable to read. If you enjoy Arthurian fantasy, this is a good one for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC of this novel in 2020 in exchange for an honest review. My deepest apologies for my review being so egregiously late.

For some reason 2024 is the year of King Arthur’s resurgence in my reading selections. Earlier this year I read Legendborn, which is a young adult fantasy King Arthur reimagining, and now I’ve just finished this novel which narrates the story of those adjacent to Pendragon. There is something so whimsical and heartbreaking about historical fiction. It draws me in so deeply I have a hard time finding my way back to the present.

We follow one character through her journey from girlhood to teenager, to a mother in her early thirties. Languoreth’s world is full of interesting characters; some who fleetingly pop in and out of her tale, and others who remain steadfast in their ties to her. As the daughter of a king she is at the center of it all, and watches how the world changes around her with a birds eye view.

I loved watching Languoreth and her twin brother (as well as their cousins) grow up throughout this novel. Getting to see these characters go from wryly children in the woods, to adults struggling under the weight of the world, made me so much more empathetic to their causes.

I am no expert in this time period or setting in history, and did struggle to keep a lot of the players organized in my mind as the novel progressed. It was incredibly easy to be on Languoreth’s side of things, and to distinguish who was friend, foe, or ally. However some of the political discussions between characters oftentimes felt a bit overwhelming, and I allowed the information to go in one ear and out the other. This story has piqued my interest, and I’d love to have a better grasp of the time period. I think it would heighten my love for this book even more, and make it a more well rounded reading experience overall.

I go back and forth between labeling this novel as historical fiction or historical fantasy. The fantasy elements included are simply the ideologies of the time and people. Spirits of the woods, signs and signals from the animals and the wind that can alert the witness of great change. Making tinctures and potions for healing from the plants surrounding the keep. Having visions of future events or glimpses of otherworldly beings. I’ll leave the fantasy or fiction distinction up to other readers, as I am too torn to definitively label it myself.

Throughout the novel Languoreth encounters her one great love. These moments were incredibly sweet, and had my own heart racing at each interaction. Their first intimate moment together is a fade to black scene, while their second does get just a smidge more graphic. Despite this novel showcasing Languoreth’s love for another, their romance is not the driving force of the story. Although I loved the romantic undertones, I think many romance readers could come out of this novel a bit disappointed.

Remember when I said historical fiction can be as whimsical as it is heartbreaking? This novel not only showed the true reality of a princess being married off to a man who is not her lover, but it also showed her making some incredibly challenging decisions for her children. The last few chapters of this novel left me sobbing right alongside Languoreth as she once again did what she thought would be best not for herself, but for her people, and in order for the Old Ways she sought to protect through her influence and power, to survive.

Languoreth’s story is one I will not soon forget, and I’m genuinely terrified to start book two (I say already 52 pages into it). I need to know what will happen next. I need there to be a happily ever after. And even though I need these things, I do not expect to see them in the coming pages. Languoreth’s story so far was one of hard truths, love and loss, family and enemies. I am frightened to know what disastrous outcomes will arise as her story continues to unfold. But I am even more frightened to be left in the dark wondering.

I can't explain it, but I just cannot get interested in this book. I have tried several times but keep putting it down in favor of another book. I'm not certain why, the summary sounds great, but this just isn't a book for me. I think, perhaps it might appeal to others who like historical fiction. Maybe I'll try again in the future, but I'm very much a mood reader and just couldn't get into this book.

(Rounded up from 3.5 stars)

When historical fiction is done right, it can be very, very good and you can learn a lot. That’s how I felt while reading The Lost Queen by Signe Pike. It’s a long book, over 500 pages, but it was worth it. At one point, I thought about skimming to get to the end, but then I'd read something that made me keep going and so I wound up reading the whole book eventually. The story takes place from about 550 to 575 AD in what is now the Glasgow area in Scotland. The story follows Langoureth, from when she is ten years old, the daughter of a local king (but not the “high king”). Her twin brother is Lailoken, who shows talent and will be groomed as a Wisdom Keeper (Druid), as well as being trained as a warrior. Their relationship is very close and Langoureth feels the limitations that being female AND the daughter of royalty mean for her future.

This was a time of change in the area, with Christians starting to take over from the “old ways” of the Britons. There are a lot of references to what will eventually become the Arthurian legends. The author’s note at the end was quite informative.

While I received the eARC from NetGalley (quite some time ago!), I wound up bouncing between the ebook and listening to the published audiobook by Simon & Schuster Audio. The narrator, Toni Frutin, did an excellent job with the many voices. It really helped to hear how so many personal names and place names were pronounced!

The Lost Queen was published in 2018 and the next book in the trilogy, The Forgotten Kingdom, was published in 2020, so perhaps the third and final book will be published not be too long in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I am rather late to it. All opinions are my own.

Signe Pike is now one of my favorite auto-buy authors. The world she creates in The Lost Queen is engrossing and I look forward to more titles from this series.

As someone that loves Arthurian Legend, I was super excited for this book. I enjoyed that the focus was on a figure that is not as well known, especially a woman. I highly recommend this to readers that enjoy medievalism and Arthurian legend. It was a beautiful read.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one. I am a historical fiction fan, but this one just didn't do it for me. I also wasn't aware of how violent it ended up being. Just not for me.

*Thank you @atriabooks for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

This book is great. I really enjoyed the plot, the world building and the characters. I liked how descriptive it was and how it gripped me.