Not a book I enjoyed. It had its moments but the writing didn’t keep me engage for some reason. Still, it was an interesting read.

I read these out of order, thought maybe that was the cause for my confusion. Either way, I didn't enjoy it.

i never ended up downloading this, i've been reading other reviews on this and it sounds pretty good, so i might go get it~

I didn’t like this as much as the first one. One of the main reasons is Moralynn’s change and actions; there’s also the author’s attempt to be politically correct so now all the faes are they or them, not he or she. I’m sorry but the term King is masculine, so the god-king Oberon is he, if she wanted to make it they, them she should have made him the god-creator. These are just two of the many issues I had with this second installment.

**2/5 STARS: I received a free digital ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest, unbiased review. I sincerely thank Netgalley, author and/or publisher for giving me this opportunity.**

I am always on the look out for King Arthur retellings and inspired books. When I found this book I was very excited because of the premise about the lady of the lake before she becomes that character. I enjoyed Vivanne as a character and the overall plot. I am looking forward to more from this author.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This is book about Viviane before she was Lady of the Lake. It is her life among her people as she creates the sword that became Excalibur. I enjoyed the book and I was not sure if it was part of the Phoenix Sucession series when I first heard about but I see that it is a whole new series. It gives us some background on a little strange of a character. I want more.

This book was very hard to read. It tried to blend old world dialect into the story but it just came off feeling really jumbled and the word usage feels off. The world building aimed at creating an entirely new world which had the potential to be fascinating but sadly was simply confusing and hard to understand. I feel the dialect is really mostly to blame because that was hard to follow so it complicated the ability to fully understand a world with nothing familiar as a reference. I was left generally wondering what was supposed to be going on and trying to imagine a world not fully realized by theses inconsistencies.

The heroine/protagonist, is a powerful Fae creature named Viviane but the woman on the cover looks human and does not fit the description of Vivian. The girl pictured the cover is NOT Viviane in the book so either her description is lacking to portray her human appearance or they never explained who the woman is so I found that confusing as most covers have a main character on the cover. I do have to say I love the artwork just can’t connect it to the overall story.

There was a lot going on that wasn't explained and I was completely lost. I don't know what a foci is, I didn't understand all the comings and goings of characters. I think this could have benefitted from a more distinctly clear setting of the scene and a better feel or interpretation of the creatures within it. Again the dialect is what makes it so hard to understand. It’s a shame because I believe with some changes the book has the potential to be a great story. Everything feels very abstract as Viviane refers to any creature other than her as "they" and that was not enough to make a distinct connection to what kind of creature Viviane is talking about.

I think this book would be enjoyable to someone who likes their fantasy a bit off the wall and completely original because it at least does have that going for it. I have never read anything like it before. It's also set around the legend of King Arthur, so fans of that genre may also enjoy it but again the dialect doesn’t fit the era correctly.

The world-building could really be fascinating with some reworking and the originality of the overall story has a great deal of potential. I really tried to like this but it wasn’t for which is unfortunate because this is the type of world and story I generally love to read about. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

A really tough read. This is set in a world completely unfamiliar that leaves you baffled trying to figure out what's going on. Our protagonist, is a powerful fae creature named Viviane. The girl pictured the cover is NOT Vivianne, she can't be. Viviane has black eyes, two sets of eyelids, fins, flippers, gills and tentacles. It would have helped to have her on the cover though because I was struggling to picture what she would look like the whole way through.

There was a lot going on that wasn't explained and I was completely lost. I don't know what a foci is, I didn't understand all the comings and goings and I didn't really enjoy it very much. I think this could have benefitted from a clear setting of the scene and nature of the creatures within it, and word to make the story more understandable. Everything feels very abstract, not least as Viviane refers to any creature other than her as "they" and hard to connect with.

I think this is one for those who like their fantasy off the wall and completely original. I've not ready anything like it before. It's also inspired by a "what if" story set around the legend of King Arthur, so fans of that genre may also enjoy.

If the tales of King Arthur were true, given how much trouble and woe has come to the world, what crisis would it take for King Arthur to return? Stories like Lady Leaves the Lake, The Phoenix Grail, and Sword in the Throne, expand the Arthurian legend, not simply by retelling but continuing the story centuries later in modern times, as we approach King Arthur's return. While we follow our modern day problems we start to learn how the legend truly unfolded. The story channels a variety of influences: Oberon and Titania rule the Fae as Gods, Creator, and Fate.

There is a heavy emphasis on life, rebirth, and the soul's journey, as the concepts of reincarnation are central to the conflict between the humans, who reproduce, and the Fae, who are reborn. The author has a unique variation of the legends of Excalibur, Arthur and Viviane. This is the story of Viviane Llyn, a smith of her aquatic people, and the creation of the sword, Excalibur. Viviane appeared in The Phoenix Grail, but this is her story from when she becomes a smith, to when she creates the fabled sword which will become Excalibur.

To when she becomes the Lady of the Lake. This is a brutal world. Oberon's heralds are hunting those who are smiths called Llehfin. All matter of mythical creatures like myrial, komodrian, dwarves, demions, seraphs, and Elves occupy this universe. War ravages the fae wilds, leaving main character Viviane and their companions to the task of forging magical weapons and artifacts to save their realm. After losing her mentor Escal, Viviane is hopelessly lost. Her only real friend is Gasperion, a dwarf who also appears in The Phoenix Grail, asks her to make a sword. A sword called Escalibor.

The world-building is fascinating, a perfect blend of familiar tropes, original concepts, and clever twists that fall halfway between. As the story moves through phases in her exiles and wandering to find where she will belong, she becomes a caravan guard with the name of Nimue, hiding her past identity. Mercenaries become her world and when she has tired, she is given the job of defending against the "Heralds who carry enormous lethal hammers with their seraphim elite. They bear the messages of death and war. Finally taking her last job she had refused, she stands before the Heralds.

Books by the author that have either been released, or will be:

The Phoenix Succession

The Phoenix Grail
Sword in the Throne
Accepting the Mantle

Faerie Forge Chronicles

Lady Leaves the Lake
Camelot Crumbles

Sorry, I really tried to like this but it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t keen on the writing style, the characters felt a bit flat and two dimensional, just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion