TRIGGER WARNING: captivity, gore, war, rape, slavery

After reading The Lost Queen, I couldn't wait to dive into this book. It picks up right where the last book left off - with Languoreth kept captive in her bed chamber as her husband and oldest son go off to attack her brother and his men. Her youngest daughter is in the custody of her brother, training to become a Wisdom Keeper.

The story is told from three points of view, that of Languoreth, Lailoken, and Angharad, which allows the reader to see the story unfold from different perspectives. It does jump back and forth in time a bit, with certain chapters being told out of sequence. At first it threw me for a loop, but each chapter is clearly marked with the point of view and time period. Each character is struggling with their own issues - Languoreth is facing her feelings of powerlessness, frustration, and fear for her loved ones who are on differing sides of the conflict, Lailoken has his own frustration, anger, and guilt, and Angharad deals with the aftermath of exposure to trauma and abandonment.

It was a riveting story that I couldn't put down. I read the entire book in a single day, even as I promised myself that I would try to read it slower and make it last. The amount of historical research is incredible and comes together to make a realistic and detailed story. I could empathize with the characters and the horrifically difficult situations that each were forced to confront. The characters are realistic, well-rounded, and perfectly imperfect, making it easy to empathize with them.

There is a lot of action in the story, and it centers around war and battles. There is a lot of gore and scenes of war, but there's also a focus on healing, family, forgiveness, and nature. I love the series, the character, the setting, and feeling like I've been immersed into 6th century Scotland. I've only just finished the book and I am already looking forward to the final book in the trilogy!

I have to confess I struggled a little to finish this book. I wanted to like it, but I couldn't care less about many of the characters. I was looking forward to reading the chapters told from the perspective of Angharad. But everything else was kind of dragging. Anyway, if you like historical fiction you might like this. I liked Mists of Avalon, but I was not a huge fan of this particular book.

I fell in love with the Lost Queen trilogy from the start. The Forgotten Kingdom, was the second in this series about Merlin. But this is unlike any version of Merlin you have ever heard of. This is the story of Languoreth and her brother Lailoken. Lailoken is now known as the character of Merlin! This part of the story picked up after the characters return from war and the repercussions of that battle. It’s the reunion of all of our characters after being apart for so many years. I felt that the first book kind of covered a large bulk of years. While this book packed a big punch, action-wise, but over a shorter period of time. My favorite part of these books has really been learning that these people ever existed, and legends are really out there. According to the author, Languoreth was one of the most powerful women of her day. However, we never hear of her, because she lived in a man’s world and in her brother’s shadow. Eventually, we lost sight of Queen Languoreth. That’s why this story is so important! I’m so grateful for Signe Pike for creating this beautifully strong and flawed female character!

ARC provided by the author and Netgalley for an honest review!

The sequel to this series loosely based on Merlin from the Arthurian Legend continues with a broader view told from more than one character's point of view. If I recall correctly, the first book (The Lost Queen) is only told from Languoreth's view point, but now we get to see her brother Lailoken's and her daughter Angharad's thoughts too. It was a wise improvement, as we got to see more of what was going on beyond Languoreth's world. Interestingly, Languoreth and Lailoken's chapters are told in first person while Angharad's are in third person, perhaps because she is a child.

The series takes an unusual path because my understanding of the Arthurian Legend has always been the Celts battling the Saxons/Angles, but the primary antagonists for most of the book are Christian Britons. The Angles only pose a threat towards the end. It did make me wonder a little bit "where is this going?" But when I say it's loosely based on the Arthurian Legend, I mean loosely - I mean you should throw out everything you know about King Arthur and Merlin before reading it. That's not a criticism, because this is an excellent and arguably more historical reboot, and if you're looking for a totally different take on the Arthurian Legend, this is it.

Advanced review copy from publisher via Edelweiss. My opinions are my own.

My gosh, this series is fantastic. I thought the first book was exquisite and I feel the same way about this second book. The setting is lush and vibrant. I felt like I could feel the cold and snow; I could smell the fires and the ocean mist. It is truly scrumptious.

Where the first book in the series was told by Langoureth, this second installment has three POV's: Langoureth, her twin brother Lailoken, and her daughter Angharad. I wondered if I would be able to love the rest of these characters as much as I had grown to love Langoureth, and I did, easily. All three perspectives are so interesting and tell the story beautifully. I fell particularly hard for Angharad in this story because she is such a unique character. These three characters all move around this world nearly constantly with goals in mind. Each group of people they encounter are exciting, with special things about them that made them stand out to me. I especially enjoyed the Pict people from the North, with their tattoos and cloaks and special language.

This story is full of changing cultures, both politically and from a religious standpoint. The setting is late 500's AD, when the number of Christians in the area is steadily growing and the number of people keeping with the Old Ways grows fewer. There are huge conflicts over these changes, which bring unimaginable heartache and loss to each of these characters. Langoureth has become Queen since the first book, and her brother and daughter are set to occupy important positions as well. This family has every single thing at stake as they navigate the political conflicts and the rapid spread of the Christian faith.

Angharad comes of age in this book, beginning the story as a child and growing up into a very important woman. Watching her transition from child to a young woman with power over the course of the story was heartbreaking in some ways because of her circumstances, but it was also really rewarding because of how independent and confident she was by the end of the book.

These three characters spend large amounts of time apart from one another, and this made me think as I read. Way back in history, it wasn't unheard of for there to be no communication between loved ones for many years at a time. In contrast, if I am missing someone that I love, I can just call or instantly send a message directly to that person. I felt especially for Langoureth as she pined away for her child, her brother, and others that she loved when they were apart from her.

This series is exceptional and I love these characters. The setting is absolute perfection. This was one of my most anticipated for the entire year, and it 100% lived up to my expectations and more.


I received a digital copy of this story from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review. Thank you, Atria Books!

This book was just as great as the first one, maybe even better. Where the first book focused on Languoreth's childhood and marriage, this book looks at her life during her thirties. While I love Languoreth and her journey, I loved that this book followed two other perspectives: her twin brother, Lailokin, and her daughter, Angharad. I loved these additions to the book, and I thought it added a lot of depth to the story.
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There was so much action and adventure in this book, and I was hooked from page one. The first book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I had no troubles diving into this book because I needed to know what happened. I love that this book looked into other groups living on the island, and how some traditions are similar but different.
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CW: sexual assault, violence, death, gore.

ARC received from Atria Books via Netgalley.

This is the sequel to my favourite book of 2018, The Lost Queen.
I’m going to start off by saying this was 5 stars, I would give it 10 stars if I could. I pretty much cried my way though the entire book it was that powerful. This series is my absolute favourite, I don’t know how I’m going to wait for book 3.
This novel adds some new character POV and I was a little worried because I adored Languoreths POV but OH MY GOD, we get Languoreth, Lailoken and Languoreth’s daughter Angharad. I absolutely loved each characters POV and it helps us to
account for all of the conflict going on in 6th century Scotland since our three main voices are mostly split up for the length of the novel.
The reasons I love these books so much is the attention to detail and passion Signe Pike has for this topic. You pick it up on every page just how much research must have went into this project.
Preorder your copy TODAY! I just did and I can’t wait to read the finished book.

"The story continues in The Forgotten Kingdom, the second book in the epic Lost Queen trilogy, already hailed as “Outlander meets Camelot” (Kirsty Logan, author of Things We Say in the Dark) and “The Mists of Avalon for a new generation” (Linnea Hartsuyker, author of The Golden Wolf).

AD 573. Imprisoned in her chamber, Languoreth awaits news in torment. Her husband and son have ridden off to wage war against her brother, Lailoken. She doesn’t yet know that her young daughter, Angharad, who was training with Lailoken to become a Wisdom Keeper, has been lost in the chaos. As one of the bloodiest battles of early medieval Scottish history scatters its survivors to the wind, Lailoken and his men must flee to exile in the mountains of the Lowlands, while nine-year-old Angharad must summon all Lailoken has taught her and follow her own destiny through the mysterious, mystical land of the Picts.

In the aftermath of the battle, old political alliances unravel, opening the way for the ambitious adherents of the new religion: Christianity. Lailoken is half-mad with battle sickness, and Languoreth must hide her allegiance to the Old Way to survive her marriage to the next Christian king of Strathclyde. Worst yet, the new King of the Angles is bent on expanding his kingdom at any cost. Now the exiled Lailoken, with the help of a young warrior named Artur, may be the only man who can bring the Christians and the pagans together to defeat the encroaching Angles. But to do so, he must claim the role that will forever transform him. He must become the man known to history as “Myrddin.”

Bitter rivalries are ignited, lost loves are found, new loves are born, and old enemies come face-to-face with their reckoning in this compellingly fresh look at one of the most enduring legends of all time."

Because I've been feeling in a very Camelot mood of late!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. Enjoyed reading this book. Now I am off to read the first book in this series.

Book 2 of The Lost Queen trilogy, The Forgotten Kingdom continues the story of Languoreth, her twin Lailoken (who will eventually become the legendary Merlin), and begins the story of Languoreth’s nine year old daughter Angharad who has left with her uncle to start training as a Wisdom Seeker. The story picks up where The Lost Queen left off, with Languoreth locked in the caste while her husband and his family ride off to make war with her brother, cousins and others of the Old Way. This battle creates the backdrop for the story as the events that unfold there carry repercussions for years. Lailoken is set on a path that will eventually lead him to meet Artur (the future King Arthur).
The author has once again created a tale that is rich in a history that is at both times beautiful and brutal. The story is full of intrigue, hate and love, where secrets are the norm, not the exception. It is a wonderfully told story that leave me anxiously waiting for the final story of the trilogy.

The Forgotten Kingdom is book 2 in The Lost Queen Trilogy. It’s the story of Langoureth, a Queen in 6th Century Scotland, and her family. You’ve likely not heard of her, but legend has it that her brother Lailokin became the wizard Merlin. These very real Queens and Kings are the beginnings of the Arthurian legends. We even meet King Artur in this volume.

While the main characters in the novel did exist, their names are recorded in records along with the battles and wars waged, details of their lives are not known, and that’s where the fictional parts of this particular book comes in. This is a very interesting time in what is to become the British Isles. Christianity is starting to take a foothold and tribes are converting to the “new” ways. The Angles (Anglo-Saxons) are waging battles with the Britons. Families are finding themselves on both sides of the battle. Langoureth, who still follows the old ways, is torn between her husband, a Christian, and her twin brother Lalokin, a Wisdom Keeper, and her oldest son-also Christian, and oldest daughter who is sent to train as a healer with her brother.

I would actually say this is more like “The Last Kingdom” vice “Outlander“. I’m fans of both, but “The Last Kingdom” takes place in the 10th century, and also focuses on wars between tribes and the conflict between Christianity and the old ways. Plus no time travel, lol.

Considering the lack of historical records available from 1500 years ago, the author did a very good job researching what was available, down to the flora and fauna of the region, which I appreciate. I love the fact that Ms. Pike has taken this almost forgotten bad-ass Queen of Briton and brought her story to us. If you enjoy historical fiction from ancient times, I highly recommend this. While you could read this as a stand alone as the author does explain who characters are, the backstory of Langoureth and Lailoken’s childhood from book 1 adds so much to the story.

I can’t wait for the third book!

Thank you to a NetGalley, the publishers and Ms. Pike for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the beginning, in The Lost Queen, twins Languoreth and Lailoken, are young; their childhood is privileged, children of a lord, taught by a druid, loved and protected by their servants. They are in turn, passionate, emotional, impulsive. In this sequel, L and L come into their own. Languoreth becomes the queen she has always been meant to be. As she mourns her many losses, she also weaves her web, using her intellect to deal with her enemies and grow her ally's loyalties, and ultimately discovers the strength she always had but now knows how to wield. Lailoken, through horrific battle, heartbreaking loss, and poignant exile, uses his skills as a Wisdom Keeper to hold the Old Gods close, and to empower those who still believe in them. This second book is full of battles and court intrigue, but also dives deep into the story of Languoreth's daughter and her training as a priestess of the Old Way; this was the most intriguing story line to me. As much as I loved the first book, this book appears to act as a bridge to book three, setting up the court of Artur (ie. King Arthur mythology), his relationship with the druid priestess, and Laioloken as he transitions into Myrrdin, the 'madman,' or as we know him, Merlin. This was another epic read.

It takes a lot in this particularly worrisome and unprecendent time to keep me engaged in a story.

Signe Pike has managed to do this for me again with The Forgotten Kingdom. Total immersion into this world of ancient Britain and Scotland. The continuation of the saga is revealed through three characters in this installment. Languoreth continues her narrative along with Lailoken and her daughter Angharad. Magic, mysticism, intrigue, bloody battles, new alliances. Historical fiction at its best.

Thank you Atria for the ARC and so I could read and review this title.

Cleverly crafted and very well written, this tale kept me captivated. I loved the rich, historical detail and appreciate all of the research that went in to this novel. I highly recommend!
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM held many of the same challenges for me as the first in the series did. Namely, the author’s writing just didn’t capture my attention and served to separate me from the world-building and characters she created. The character names are difficult and while reflective of the times she writes about, interfere with her storytelling. I found myself frustrated more often than not while reading this book. I am in the minority, though, and this series has many fans. I believe that I am just not the right reader for it. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed the predecessor to The Forgotten Kingdom and was very excited to see what would come next in Languoreth’s story. In The Lost Queen, the story was told all from Languoreth’s perspective. In the sequel, the story is told from three different perspectives: Languoreth, Lailoken, and her daughter, Angharad. At first, I did not have a problem with this change. However, the mismatched timelines for each of the characters could get a bit confusing at times. Lailoken’s perspective was probably my least favorite to read from. It just wasn’t as engaging as Languoreth’s or even Angharad’s.

The story could be a bit slow at times as well. There are major battles being fought, but it never seems like the reader is in on the action. This one definitely had a bit of a second book syndrome in that not a ton happens, but it seems to be building towards some major events to come in the final book.

I enjoyed the new characters introduced like Artur, and I loved that the story welcomed back an old favorite too. The Pict were an interesting addition, and I appreciated the author’s note at the end in which she explains some of the real-life back story behind these characters and places.

Overall, I enjoyed The Forgotten Kingdom, and I’m excited to see what will come next.

I liked this a lot!!!!! It’s the second book in a series about Languoreth, the future queen of a Dark Ages kingdom in the British Isles, and Lailoken, her twin brother, who would go on to become the legendary Arthurian character, Merlin. In THE LOST QUEEN, Languoreth is the sole narrator, describing her upbringing as a young princess and the daughter of a man with notable Ned Stark qualities, her love for a handsome warrior pledged to Uther Pendragon, and her eventual marriage to a future Christian king. The first book is propulsive and beautiful, but with the incredibly aggravating, insulting flaw that good characters are beautiful and bad characters are ugly. Thankfully the author does not employ this cheap tactic in the second book, which is from the perspective of Languoreth, Lailoken, and Languoreth’s young, magically gifted daughter Angharad.

Signe Pike has an astounding talent for endearing the reader to character; she’s also just a beautiful writer, and every setting is richly described without feeling burdened by detail.

Absolutely recommended for all historical fiction lovers, especially those fascinated by Arthurian legend and ancient history.

THE LOST QUEEN is out now; THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM comes out September 15.

The Forgotten Kingdom is the follow-up book to The Lost Queen by Signe Pike, which was one of my top 5 favorite books I read last year. It’s an Arthurian origin story, mostly historical fiction but with some fantastical elements thrown in. I would call the series magical realism, but The Forgotten Kingdom packed on a lot more fantasy than the first entry.

WHAT I LIKED:

I find the author’s writing beautiful. She takes seemingly mundane tasks, like a character walking through a field, and turns it into something beautiful.

The development of Langoureth’s character. The first book was primarily her story. This second entry followed three storylines: Langoureth, her brother Lailoken, and her daughter Angharad. I found Langoureth’s storyline to still be so intriguing, though, despite the diminished time we have with her. Having been following her for much longer than the other characters, I had more of an attachment to her than I did the others and it was interesting to see how the events she’d gone through changed her over the course of her story.

Angharad’s story, when she’s young. Angharad’s story as a child swept away from all she knows and thrown into a completely foreign world was probably my favorite part of the whole book. She loses a lot of luster as she gets older, though, which leads me to…

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

Older Angharad. There’s a time jump in the story where Angharad ages from 7 to 17. She became pretty bland to me after this time jump. She no longer cared about getting back to her family, which had been her aim for the entire story up until the time jump. I get that her character would start to feel disconnected from her family after being away for so long, but because a big part of her motivation for a huge part of the story (the time jump doesn’t occur until probably about 75-80% of the way in) was getting back to her family, it was a bit jarring to have her suddenly no longer care about that.

The lack of action. Most of the action that occurs during this story, including wars and raids, is glanced over or told from the outside perspective of someone not partaking in said action. This is a personal preference for me, but I would have liked to have had a front row seat to these events rather than a brief description after the fact.

The meandering descriptions of a magic system that ultimately made no sense. There were a lot of long narratives in the book about the mysterious magic power that Angharad possessed. However, despite these sermons, I put down the book with no clue how to explain or even describe the mystical powers present. It felt like a lot of work for little reward.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I found the book enjoyable for the first half. I loved following Angharad and getting to see how she handled the myriad of troubles that landed in her path. I liked seeing Langoureth’s development. However, at the halfway point, I started to feel burned out. There wasn’t a whole lot happening plot-wise and the characters started to lose their luster (particularly Lailoken), so there wasn’t a lot keeping me invested. I did enjoy the last 10% of the book, though, and would definitely be interested in checking out book three when it arrives.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader’s copy!

The Forgotten Kingdom

I said it with book one and I'll say it again
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Why is there not an option for more than 5 stars?!

Signe Pike did it again, another phenomenonal book! This time told from POV of Languoreth, Lailoken and Angharad.

I love how the ending of The Lost Queen flows right into the beginning of The Forgotten Kingdom, I really loathe when a sequel is written and the start of the next doesn't line up with the end of the one prior to it. The Forgotten Kingdom was intense, heartbreaking, angering and left me with my mouth hanging open in quite a few spots.

I am so angry with Languoreth and for those of us who have not gotten an ARC, I will not spoil why, but just know Languoreth has upset me.
I feel bad for Rhydderch because he does love Languoreth and you can tell he does, Rhydderch is put is some very burdensome positions which he has to tread carefully so as to appease the council and his wife, but also be able to live with his choices.

Lailoken has gone through so much, wars, losing family, losing friends, his mind, strife.

The faith in the Old Gods is turned into the religion Paganism, Christianity is growing more followers. You learn more background on certain characters and learn of new characters and villages.

There are so many intertwining stories in this great story.. or is it stories as it is told from 3 POVs? I am in love with these books and in awe of the time and dedication of research that Signe Pike put into these books. I see myself rereading them over and over.

There is just so much to say, so much I am still processing and thinking about that I can't form into the right words, but I am happy I found these books and absolutely recommend you read them, but please please start with the first.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and thank you Signe Pike for such an amazing set of books, I look forward to the next one!

It is not often that I find that a sequel is better than the original but it was very true in this case. The followup to "The Lost Queen", a new twist on the story of Merlin that mostly focused on his sister, Langoureth, "The Forgotten Kingdom" adds the point of view of Lailoken (Merlin) and Langoureth's daughter Anghared.

Set in 6th century Scotland, warring factions, mysterious priestesses, wild terrain and lost loves provide for a sweeping tale that had me enthralled the whole way through.

Lailokan and his Dragon Warriors are defeated by his brother in law Rhyderrch and his father in a battle in which Wisdom Keeper in training, his niece, Angharad, is lost. Lailoken spends seven years in hiding, not knowing if Angharad or his betrothed, Eira, lives. In the meantime, Angharad lives her own harrowing adventure, while her parents and uncle fear she is dead. The threat of war requires that the warring clans of Scotland come together to defeat a common enemy. Will they all find each other again and survive this new threat?

The only thing I can find fault with here is that I have to wait patiently for the next volume to come out!

Thank you to Atria books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book!