Okay so when I say I want a fantasy with kickass loveable characters, LGBTQ+ rep, and a medieval setting- this is always what I mean. I'm a sucker for a King Arthur setting because it never fails to be interesting, but sometimes fantasy books take themselves too seriously and you wish you could get the Princess bride, Monty Python, knights Tale side to that world. Well folks here is it and it is marvelous! This book was fun and cute and compulsively readable and way to much fun. Seriously the rush of serotonin should've come with a waiver. Read this immediately!

I loved this book. I did not have any expectations going into it but it was such a fun book to read. The characters were great and dynamic. The story was faced paced. I will definitely be reading the sequel.

An Arthurian version of Mulan? What more could I possibly want?

Emry Merlin is the daughter of Merlin who goes to Camelot to fulfill her destiny and learn to master her magic, all while masquerading as her twin brother. As she perfects her craft, she hits it off with Prince Arthur, unravels some shocking family secrets, and strives to keep her identity (and her heart) from being exposed.

Pros: I love a good Arthurian retelling, so I was very excited for this book. It had some very similar plot points to Mulan, which I also found very enjoyable. I really liked the friendship between Arthur, Emry, and Lancelot, and how despite each being an outsider in their own way, they found solace in each other. I also liked how the identity reveal was handled. I was worried it would be a very drawn out process, but in reality, it was resolved in the perfect amount of time.

Cons: The plot was a bit anticlimactic. While it made sense that the primary focus was on Emry settling into court and not being discovered, I really needed more action, quests, or magical mishaps. For all the similarities this book had to Mulan, it could have used a comical dragon sidekick or wizard’s familiar to add some more excitement. While there was some action in the last few chapters, it didn’t seem high stakes enough. I’m hoping that the sequel will be more captivating now that the characters’ relationships have already been established.

While this mostly read like a YA book, there were some abrupt switches between adult jokes and painfully juvenile joke (ex: calling Excalibur “Aunt Matilda” for no discernible reason) and I wished that this book was more decisive as to which genre it was.

I also really disliked Emry’s brother and I wished he had more growth.

Hopefully these issues will be resolved in the sequel as I am looking forward to reading it. Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend for existing fans of Arthurian legend, but not so much as an introduction to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for providing an ARC in exchange for my thoughts on this book.

3.5/5 wizards (rounded up)
🧙‍♀️🧙‍♀️🧙‍♀️🪄

I have always loved the work of Robyn Schneider and this book was exactly as you'd expect from her exceptional writing. The premise was fascinating and I really loved the world building and character development. Love or power? Age old question after all!

I admit that I couldn’t stop reading this somewhat snarky and completely non-conformist (for the fictional time) rewrite of The Sword in the Stone. Emry Merlin is the female half of Merlin the Wizard’s twin offspring. Far more gifted than her lazy, womanizing brother, Merlin the elder only begrudgingly trained her in the magical arts. Years later, brother Emmet is called to be Court Wizard for a bookish Crown Prince (Arthur). Emry must take his place (disguised as her twin) as Emmet is indisposed, having tried a difficult spell which backfired spectacularly.

It’s a YA book in that all the characters — Emry, Arthur, Lancelot, Gawain, Guinevere — are in their teens. Fun writing, great backstories, and a plot that manages to stick to all the classic events but with completely different (and sensible) explanations. A very clever combination of modern sensibilities and ethics with classic environments and plots. I’m not a big fan of rewrites but I had a great deal of fun with this one — probably because no character was harmed in the writing (meaning that no character was suddenly a bad guy if they weren’t before) and there were no (IMHO) stupid plot points required to make it work. In keeping with the modern sensibilities, some fun romance and matter-of-fact variable sexual preferences that were not treated as any big deal. FYI this is book one! No cliff hanger but there is a lot of the King Arthur tale left …

Perfect for my recently returned from beach vacation.

We all know the tale of King Arthur; Excalibur pulled from a stone, a roundtable of knights, and the all-powerful Merlin. This book turns all of that on its head giving it a fun, lighthearted refresh. Arthur is awkward and defiant of his destiny to rule Camelot. Lancelot (Lance) is gay, betrayed, and fallen from grace currently working as a palace guard rather than training as a knight. Finally, Merlin is gender-swapped and aged down. She is the same age as the King and because of misogyny and her brother's stupidity (cue title card), she gets to be the kingdom's wizard... but at a price. All of these changes to their characters are critical to the new plot and were a welcome refresh to an often over-told tale. I would recommend it to anyone who loves history but loves a good retelling that reads more modern than its source material. This is definitely not a historically accurate retelling of the story and reads very modern, but it's fun! I also finished and was mad that I did not immediately have the sequel to finish the cliffhanger of an ending.

What a fun read! Really scratched a missing BBC Merlin itch. I loved the characters and how they were represented. I didn't realize it was a series, so that was a good surprise. The friendships and twists on what we assume from other tellings were well done,

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC! Where to start? I am a huge fan of Arthurian legend and will devour any King Arthur and Merlin content - especially since watching BBC's Merlin as a younger human, so I was so excited when I heard about this book. And guys, it lives up to the hype!! Read this book - you won't be disappointed!!

I absolutely loved this book. I used to be really in to King Arthur and tales of Camelot when I was younger, so it was quite exciting to see there was a new young adult novel centered around Merlin’s daughter, Emry. I really adored Emry as a main character. She’s strong funny, smart, and confident. I loved the relationship between all the characters in the book and how flushed out all the characters are. I am so excited to read the next book in the series!!!

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. This was a really fun, unexpected take on Arthuriana! I was expecting a standalone, so the ending caught me a little off guard, but I'll definitely be picking up the sequel soon.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I haven't read about Arthur in awhile and this telling and age of the characters was a fun change on the usual tale. I liked it enough that I just put the second book on my holds list at the local library.

Date is the date the review was written, not the date of reading.

A fun read. I loved the characters and that the relationships did not feel fake or forced or there just to check certain boxes. I am excited for the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley & PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm not sure why this was listed under NetGalley when the book already came out in 2021? Redesigned cover, maybe? I have to say the new cover is MILES better than the old one which was pretty...meh.

A really fun and upbeat Arthur/Merlin retelling. I'm definitely going to recommend this to all the fans of BBC Merlin because it definitely has the same cozy lighthearted feeling and focus on character relationships. All of the characters were so much fun and I'm not gonna lie, I was picturing the old wizard training Emry as Gaius from BBC Merlin because he was equally as sassy.

I also like the themes of changing the future so it doesn't look exactly like the past it's a nice optimistic message. Can't wait to read more!

A delightful and mysterious reimagining of the King Arthur and Merlin legends, with the powerful Merlin actually being a girl, who has the masquerade as her twin brother because of the patriarchy, and the Arthur actually being a bookish nerd who falls in love with her, regardless of what gender she appears to be. I don’t know much about the Arthurian legends, but this book makes me want to learn more, though I suspect I would not like the traditional ones as much.

On the one hand, the characters in this book feel very modern, both in the way they interact with one another and in how generally acceptable different sexualities seem to be. Lancelot wasn’t removed from his squire position because he was caught with another boy, but because that boy accused him of assault. And there are other openly gay and bisexual characters, including Emry.

On the other hand, the idea of kingdoms warring against one another for supremacy and power and the kind of magic Emry and Excaliber possess all feel distinctly ancient and mythological. In this book, we barely brush the surface of learning about Anwen and the magic that comes from there, other than it’s far more powerful than the magic in the mortal realm and that Emry and her father seem to have a special connection or affinity for it. I’m curious to know more about Morgana and how she has so much power but somehow can’t access Anwen. Where did her magic come from? Her father? Or her (and Arthur’s!) mother?

As for the rest of the characters, I appreciate that we get chapters from lots of different perspectives, because it allows us to get to know side characters in a way we wouldn’t if we were just seeing everything from Emry or Arthur’s perspectives. It would have been hard to trust that Gawain wasn’t planning on betraying Emry if we hadn’t seen firsthand his internal struggle and choosing to be better than his base instincts. Guinevere might have seems like just a spoiled, boring princess if we didn’t know how much she longed for the chance to fall in love, to be wooed, to make her own choices about her future instead of being treated like her father’s property. Emmett might have seemed like just a lazy, selfish rake… okay, he still seems like that. He’s my least favorite character and he’s going to have to do some major work in book 2 to convince me he deserves any of the good things that have come his way, including Guinevere’s attention.

Most of all, I love seeing two people fall in love from both of their perspectives, when they are feeling that attraction and uncertainty, but we know what they don’t: that it’s fully reciprocated. Emry and Arthur had natural sparks from the start, but watching they truly fall for one another, despite all the roadblocks in their way, was delightful. Even through the hard times, when Emry felt betrayed and abandoned, I knew Arthur would never give up on her.

I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series and hoping to learn more about the magic of this world and Anwen. Emry is going to have to deal with the extra magic floating around inside of her, and Arthur is going to have to keep pushing back against his father’s wishes, but I know that together, they can overcome.

I gave this a four out of five stars, I really enjoyed this. I love the friendships, the growth. I absolutely recommend this, it’s amazing.

'The Other Merlin' starts off really strong, but it starts to lose steam in the middle and doesn't ever quite recover. I love the snark and the prose, but I didn't always feel like there was much keeping me invested in the story. There were also a few things that made me cringe/roll my eyes because these things felt heavy-handed rather than natural. I'd still recommend this book to someone wanting a pretty fun retelling of Arthurian lore, but there are a few caveats.

In a word: Delightful

I loved many many things about this book. In truth I don’t feel like I have much to add as a reviewer though, the author herself said it best when she described this book as a mix of BBC Merlin and She’s The Man. It truly is exactly that.

This book is feel-good. Cozy and inclusive, with just enough action and plot to keep everything engaging and moving. Very similar to the feel of F.T. Lukens books! I could honestly add this to the list of comfort reads on my rotation and be perfectly happy. I have no complaints or criticisms whatsoever. All I can say is that after reading this, I feel wholly content! The story is left open ended and I’ll jumping straight into the sequel to see what happens!!

Emry and Emmett Merlin's father, the court wizard of Camelot disappeared years ago and they are struggling to make it in their small town, Then crown prince Arthur pulls the sword from the stone and needs a court wizard. Emmett's magic is weak and is ill due to a bad spell. Emry takes his place in disguise planning for only a week as a female wizard just won't do. Emry soon establishes a good relationship with her her instructor and Arthur and the members of the court. Challenges arise and Emry must support her new friends despite the danger of exposure. I have been enthralled with the legends and characters of Camelot since childhood. Although traditionalists would take exception to the liberties taken concerning the original myths and historical period I quite enjoyed the twists. All of the cast are represented yet with refreshing new takes on their personas. I found Arthur as a bookworm interested in botany and Lancelot as a lowly guard pining for a lost love engaging.. The storyline does not follow the established path but instead creates a totally new adventure. I enjoyed this whimsical unique retelling and have already added the sequel to my towering TBR.

This book was so fun! Emry Merlin and I would be BFFs, I just know it. I loved a strong female character and Emry definitely was. I also just thought this was so clever and funny! Emry, Arthur and especially Gawain were a joy to read and this is just a fun story. I appreciate a good retelling and this one definitely qualifies. I need to get my hands on the sequel! Many thanks to Viking for Young Readers for a gifted e-book!

This 400+ page novel was nearly a one-sitting read for me. That really should say it all.

This is a classic fantasy trope of competent sister disguises herself as her useless brother because, society. Here, it's Emry Merlin who steps in for her brother as Camelot's official court Merlin and things quickly go from bad to worse.

Which made for SUCH a fun time as a reader! So entertaining and shockingly fast, this is a perfect way to spend a summer weekend!