I may need to sit on this review for a while. 3.5 rounding to 4 because this work understands how to create a feminist work, however, I feel it and of itself isn't really a feminist King Arthur retelling or reimagining so much as it's a feminist approach to Morgan's character in the mythos.

While I overall enjoyed this work, I wish we got more time seeing Morgan's relationship to the Arthurian mythos - this feels more like a prequel to her narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and I think Keetch does well in drafting her dialogue and exploring the relationships between her characters. While the pacing could be slow at times, the characters really made it tolerable in the few instances I was starting to grow bored. I always wanted to know what they were going to do next.

As an origin story I do like this. This is one of the better interpretations of Morgan's character I've read and that alone makes it refreshing.

I am a sucker for Arthurian retellings and reimaginings and am always happy to find a new one. Especially ones the focus on the female side of the legends.

"Morgan is my Name" did not disappoint. Such a deep and lush exploration of Morgan's back story and development... I am eager to see how this iteration continues!

Morgan's cleverness mixed with her naivity is well done, as she learns hard lessons and loses that naivity but never loses herself. She is wilful and has a fire temper, which she never quite tames, and you like her the better for it.

The love story is sweet and lovely, but the bonds of friendship are the most beautiful parts of the story. And seeing how Morgan over comes each obstacle in her path never stops being interesting - even as you begin to feel she will always find a way out, the tension remains. Right to the very end, there is anxiety about how she will possibly get over this next hurdle.

Certainly left wanting more, and look forward to the next installment.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Sophie Keetch for providing me with an advanced electronic reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this feminist retelling of Arthurian legend. I've always been fascinated with Morgan le Fay and the many contradictory narratives surrounding her character. Although, I am going to admit that my knowledge of Arthurian legend is heavily influenced by the BBC Merlin adaptation (I know it is woefully inaccurate). That being said, I was expecting to see some sort of villain origin story. It is clear that the author is knowledgeable about Arthurian legend and is genuinely passionate about telling Morgan's story.

Keetch's writing was compelling and elegant, her characters rich and complex. I fell in love with the setting of Tintagel and St. Brigid's Abbey (and even the hint of Camelot). Keetch breathes life into these settings and transports the reader there, immersing them within the story. Morgan made an amazing anti-heroine and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story. I would have loved to see more of her familial relationships since the female friendships seemed to make up the emotional core of the story for me.

My biggest issue with the novel was the pacing. I know we don't need to see every minute of Morgan's life, especially because we're following her from birth to her mid-twenties, but at certain points, it felt that we were skipping through crucial moments of her life. When these time skips occurred within chapters, rather than between them, I couldn't help but feel that some elements of the story were lost. Additionally, I went into this novel thinking it was a standalone, so I was a little disappointed when Arthur only came into play in the last 25% of the book. However, after looking at other reviews, I see that it is the beginning of a series. With this new perspective in mind, I believe this is a solid start to a duology or trilogy, but at the same time, I am left wondering if a series was necessary in the first place.

Sophie Keetch's 'Morgan Is My Name' goes beyond Morgan's infamous reputation as a villainous sorceress to a feminist retelling of her childhood and early adulthood.

Sophie does a great job exploring Morgan's fierce character and ambiguous morality with beautiful writing and good world-building. There are some great secondary characters, though all the antagonists seem to be one-dimensional men. The story describes the evolution of her character very well, however, the end feels a bit rushed. It would have been great to see some more of the relationship between Morgan and Arthur.

I enjoyed the book on the whole and seeing Morgan's relentless efforts towards education and helping others.

The rating is four stars.
[One star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the story; One star for the writing; One star for the world-building - Four stars on the whole.]

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was honestly everyting I was expecting and more. Absolutely loved the characters and this is going to be a really good start to a series!

3.25 stars. I obviously identify with the title of this book! I overall liked this book and the strong female characters. This is my second Camelot retelling in the last month which may have lowered my rating a little because of comparison. Overall it was an enjoyable read but the book just ended without wrapping anything up. Good world building but fell flat at the end. I’m left with so many questions. Story 4 stars, ending 2 stars. If this ends up being part of a series, I will increase my rating.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read anything like it. For my first Arthurian… yes. Can’t wait for the next one!!

CWs for: domestic abuse, death (including death of a child and death of a parent), pregnancy, sexual assault, misogyny, child abuse.

I should preface this review by stating that I know very little of Arthurian legend, though I’ve certainly engaged with media influenced by these tales (and have seen a handful of films based on Arthurian legend). However, this does mean that I am more likely to recognize a congruence in themes than to recognize the accuracy of this portrayal of Morgan le Fay’s story, although I do know the basics of her characterization in Arthurian legend.

There is a very visible pattern of villainization of the women of ancient myth and legend— see Medusa, Scylla, Circe, Clytemnestra, Pandora, etc.— many so terrible and fearsome that they become or are transformed into monsters (though not always). Morgan/Morgana often falls victim to this trope, having been made morally ambiguous or even a villainess in some versions of Arthurian myth. And while Morgan is My Name certainly CAN be read as a sort of “villain origin story,” this novel does not limit itself solely to that. Instead, it offers bleak insight about the ways in which, historically, women have faced villainization at the hands of their respective societies, especially when and if their power is recognizable.

This novel is very heavily character driven, with a cast of characters each so captivating that they feel like fully realized individuals. Morgan as a protagonist is especially compelling, with a building feminine rage which is both easy to comprehend and to empathize with (and is extremely well written). Morgan’s tone as first-person narrator is not dissimilar to that of Madeline Miller’s Circe, which I wholeheartedly intend to be complimentary.

Morgan is My Name is a brilliant, atmospheric addition to the current resurgence of mythological retellings. I am pleased to learn that this book is not a standalone and will eventually be a part of a trilogy, and I so look forward to seeing how Morgan’s character is developed throughout the subsequent books.

I was REALLY excited to read this (and not just because Morgan is literally my name). I was really glad it did not waste chapters on world building and got straight into the plot, but sometimes I felt whiplash from how quickly we jumped forward in time. I recognize that it was a prequel, but I guess I just wanted a little more showing rather than telling? The author TOLD me Morgan was angry, but i did not FEEL it coming off the page.

Overall, it was a fun fantasy story and I enjoyed the characters. It was easy to hate certain kings, love certain knights (heart is broken) and root for certain things to forward the plot. I just wanted to examine the relationships between characters deeper.

Thanks to NetGalley, Sophie Keech, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I started this novel, I didn't realize it was a retelling. Such a great read that peaked my interest in the inspiration for the story. Glad to hear there will be follow-ups and looking forward to reading more from this author.
4.5/5

Morgan loses her father and her mother all at once, Her father at the hands of Uther Pendragon, and her mother when she is forced to marry her husband's killer.
Forced to give up her education and the man she loves, Morgan finds herself isolated amidst the machinations of kings, sorcerers, and men.

An Arthurian retelling that had my attention from the very beginning.
Morgan was a great lead character, and I loved watching her grow from a child to a strong formidable fighter against those who mean to hold her down.

This is a lovely feminist retelling. I know that we have had a resurgence of myth retelling in recent years, but I am not at all mad about it. The author did SUCH a good job of humanizing someone that we know in the future of her story will become the villain. The way she sets up the rivalries, and the love, and hate, and the longing that Morgan experiences is so touching. I fell in love with her in so many ways, despite knowing that at some point, in this trilogy she will fall from grace.

Bonus, the romance elements of this books were wonderful. So much so that I could feel the love radiating off the page and the fade to black moments were artfully fully crafted, leaving you wanting more. That says a lot from me as I am not a big romance reader.

There is also some queer representation in some important side characters. I hope to see more of that as the series continues.

Morgan is a POWERFUL woman that refuses to accept a roll in the background of others’ stories. She is educated. She is willful. She is resilient. She is not willing to tolerate the patriarchal system she is born into. Watching her buck the system in a skillful and intelligent way was such a pleasure, and I can’t wait to read more from this author and this series.

I absolutely loved this one!

I'll start off by saying that I don't know the story of Morgan/Morgana very well and you don't need any previous knowledge of the Arthurian legends to enjoy this one. The only time I've heard of her was from an older board game called Avalon where she's an optional character and a villain so that was my only knowledge heading in.

The book is beautifully written and was the highlight of the story for me and the characters are well developed. It is slow and I don't dislike slow books, but I do find that they can be hard to pull off. You have to make me really care about the characters to make me stay. Keetch 100% accomplished this and I devoured the book in a day.

I'll definitely be picking up a physical copy for my shelf. I didn't know this is only the first book and I'm looking forward to devouring the second one as fast as the first when it comes out :)

I really enjoyed this one. It was an engaging tale, with intricate and rich world-building, well developed characters, and a driving plot. The feminine rage, the nods to the original legends, the morally-grey characters. All of it was so fun and promising, I just found myself wanting... more. I hope there will be a sequel, though I could see this being a standalone and haven't been able to find news one way or another. Either way, it was a good read, and a fresh take on Arthurian legends.

Morgan is My Name is a gorgeous retelling of Morgan le Fay as healer, as strong woman defying a patriarchal world that would see her broken, as power to be reckoned with. Keetch has truly done a great service with this retelling, with its gorgeous language and tense, taut plot. Even knowing how the story usually goes, I could not put Morgan is My Name down.

WOW! This story had me interested from page one! I love a good King Arthur retelling, especially ones from a female perspective. It was a refreshing tale told from Morgans perspective, this is the first retelling I've read that showcased Morgans childhood, how she came to learn magic and the hardships she faced. I look forward to the next book if there is one! As I want to continue to see how Sophie develops Morgans character and where she takes the story. I found the pacing to be very well done, there were no points that I felt the story dragged or when too fast, the characters are all well rounded and you know their motivations and flaws. Overall this is one of my favourite books that I've read this year!!! I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. I received this ARC in a giveaway from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I knew within 10 pages of reading my eARC from NetGalley that I would be going to my store tomorrow to purchase this book.

Thank you netgally/penguin random house for giving me an ARC of this book!

I came to this mostly fresh, my only arthurian background being the mists of avalon made for tv mini series (woof), first knight (a banger), and monty python- so im saying my hopes were high and expectations were low- and this book so greatly exceeded them!

Morgan is a beloved third daughter, mischievous and whip smart, in a castle by the sea, when her whole life is upended by the death of her beloved father and the arrival of her despicable and unwanted new stepfather, uther pendragon. What freedoms she has are restricted, and she learns and loves in secret, first in her home then a nunnery, then the home of a husband she despises. Through out it all, she gathers the favor of the powerful and the loyalty of those near to her, until she is able to escape and start her life anew.

I just loved this book. The romance between morgan and her squire, the friendship of alys and tressa-A++. Morgan herself is such a strong and amazing character, I fangirl so hard. The style was great and i flew through this book. I hope for a series so hard.

This novel was utter perfection. The writing style was the most beautiful, exceptional, thing I've ever read, it should be the standard for all medieval fantasy writers. Absolutely brilliant. The story follows Morgan in her younger years and the only flaw I found is that the passage of time went quickly and sort of jumpy, at times it was difficult to tell how old and what mindset she was in, but the book was just amazing otherwise. I want to reread this a million times and I've already got two copies on the way to my home, just so I can read in person. Truly, what an amazing book and retelling. Also, prior to reading this book, I had never heard of Morgan le Fay, and now that I've read the book and done tones of research on her, this retelling seems to do her story justice. Sophie Keetch—I NEED THE NEXT ONE NOW!!!!

Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch is a Historical Fantasy novel about Morgan of Cornwall, whose life is turned upside down when Uther Pendragon kills her father and tricks her mother into marriage.
One of the things that sets Morgan Is My Name apart from other works of fiction that centre around the figures in the court of King Arthur of Camelot is that it is a deeply feminist novel about a character who, for most of history, has only really been seen through the eyes of the men around her. It was quite interesting to see her portrayed through her own lens. Keetch has a deep understanding of not only the period of time and the plight of women, but has respect for the women who live those lives that leave little room for agency.

I think that anyone who is interested in feminist works, especially fans of fantasy and mediaeval history, should read this book because of the perspective that it offers. At its core, the novel is about a young woman seeking to live her own life and have freedom, though the period that she lives in very much prevents her from doing that. Despite this, she is willing to risk everything, up to and including her life, to carve out any sort of meaning in her life outside of the way she is defined by her relationships to men, especially the men she does not choose to be defined by.

One of my favourite aspects of the novel is the characterisation of Morgan. She is defiant from beginning to end, though her defiance grows with her and evolves. By the time of her final defiance against her husband at the end of the novel, she has changed as a person so very much. She had been enriched by the women around her and the men around her have tried and failed to tear her down time and time again, only making her smarter and more defiant against their demands.

Even in the parts of the novel where she is a child, she shows a strength and maturity, which is something that is expected of younger women even in today’s society. Yes, she is a child and will defy in the way that a child might, but she is mature enough to know why she is defiant. Even as she grows, any acquiescence on her part is also coupled with a defiance. When she agrees to wed, she gains things that are in defiance to Uther, namely her husband promises her a library. To her core, in this novel, Morgan wants to do good things and help people, which is at the root of her defiance, which is a very interesting motivation in my opinion.

There were parts of the dialogue that, while well written, don’t quite feel as though they are accurate to the time period that the work is set. While I’m not claiming to be an expert on Middle English or anything of the sort, but I am familiar with other works from the time period and the way that language worked. Keetch, given her education, very likely knows far more than I do on the subject. Part of my college education included reading works from pre-Restoration England. However, it is not a drawback, because I understand that writing in Middle English in the 21st Century would very likely put many readers off. I certainly had an easier time, but I did consider it noteworthy. It kept me engaged because I didn’t need to consistently refer to the internet to translate something that is, in today’s world, almost a completely different language.

This is not a specific criticism of Keetch’s work, but of something that is somewhat of an issue in the publishing industry, which is the italicising of words in other languages. This work includes French and Welsh, and the words in those languages are italicised in the work. The issue is that the italics draw attention to the words in a way that can seem inauthentic. Italics are used for emphasis and to draw the eye and attention.

Overall, I do give this book four stars, and I enjoyed reading it. I was easily hooked and, full honesty, I was not expecting many of the turns that the novel took. I am looking forward to the audiobook, narrated by Vanessa Kirby!

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC.