Good fun, the writing was good and i liked the world building! The cover is also gorgeous! I do wish it gave a little bit more character insight, development, it was a fun read but nothing remarkable which,, i did have high hopes but oh well maybe i wasn’t the target audience 😞

The novel "Queen of None" by Natania Barron, which centres on King Arthur's sister Anna Pendragon, presents a novel interpretation of the Arthurian mythology. The book explores issues of power, retaliation, and the fight for individuality in a patriarchal culture. The story's compelling elements are the intricate political intrigue and Anna's quest to regain her own power.

But the tempo is a little erratic, and readers who like a faster storyline could find the novel difficult to get into at first. Even while the mystical aspects and Anna's character development are fascinating, they occasionally fall short of drawing the reader in completely. In spite of these problems, the book offers a captivating retelling with intriguing components, laying a solid framework for the remainder of the trilogy.

Oh how I love an Arthurian legend novel! This checked all the boxes for me. I feel that so few Arthurian novels are gripping - this novel managed to nail that. The story of Arthur’s sister, who was new to me. I loved the female characters and easy to read prose.

I enjoyed this Arthurian retelling that focuses on Anna Pendragon and her life. Somewhere between an autobiography and a Druid tale Anna Pendragon tells us her story. This is a slower paced retelling and really lets you ponder the details.

# Queen of None
# 7/3/2024 ~ 8/13/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0

Queen of none has beautiful prose. It is written with an intensity that is a bit captivating, but it is also incredibly brutal. This is set at odds with it's slow pace (yet oddly rushed ending). I am one that does not mind a slow pace in a book if the prose is good and the payoff is satisfying. But in this, I had so much trouble withstanding the pain of Anna and all the trauma the women in this book experience. I struggled to read of her being treated cruelly by men over and over again and wished only to see her rise up and succeed. I know that the brutal nature is likely the reality of these old medieval tales for women, but I did not come in prepared and given my preference for HEA, I was taken aback. While she did get her revenge it took a long time to get there and did not feel like it matches the pacing of the rest of the books, the intensity was lacking. I was left feeling forlorn and still weighed down by the pain, rather than feeling like revenge had been had. I am not someone who likes to read books where the horrors of the patriarchy are reflected in the fantasy world. To many who like a complex story, this may be the bot for you, but it wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book and apologies in the delay in the review, my PhD got in the way of books.

I really have not been a King Arthur/Camelot legends girlie since my sophomore year of undergrad when I took british literature for my english degree.

This was a really creative and magical Arthurian tale! I love how the magic and lore was woven into this as such a big part of the main characters identity.

The tale of the forgotten sister of King Arthur, her life as a pawn in Carleon, & the prophecies she intends to thwart.

I will pick up almost any Arthurian retelling that gets put in front of me, and I was thoroughly delighted with this discovery. And I'm excited to add Barron to my list of authors to keep track of.

This was a fantastic twist on a well established story. While introducing & focusing on a minor character from the earliest stories, we also get the point of view of a woman tired of being a pawn, and the steps she takes to master control of her own story. Watching Anna's progression from acceptance of what Merlin prophesied for her, to taking the reins of her own story. And the absolutely fascinating fusion of two established characters kept me racing to the end.

The naming took some getting used to, and the pacing was particularly slow in the beginning, but I am anxious for book two!

Thank you to both NetGalley and Solaris for this arc.

Enjoyed this one but the pacing felt a little slow at times.

I felt there was a lot of showing rather than telling but I did still enjoy the writing style so interested to see how the rest of the series goes

A new take on the arthurian myths of old, this book captures the magic and enchantment of these stories. There's a strong highlight on women, their role and their duties and what was expected of them during this time, and Anna (arthurs sister) is such an interesting character. I love seeing about everyone else in these tales while Arthur is off being king and this book is no exception. Demonstrating life as a political pawn, Anna gives us an insight into life for those around the king. The writing style is beautiful, and though the book is slower paced, this adds to the 'classic' feeling when reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for the ARC of this novel. I sat on this one for a while in my Kindle since I was not sure I was ready for an epic Arthurian legend. Once I was ready, I enjoyed this a lot. The preface of the book telling me who Anna Pendragon was in the mythology educated me as it is true that so many stories combine characters and storylines as they are re-told that we can lose how it started. I found it to be well-written with good world building and a real knowledge of these myths. If you are interested in the women of Camelot and their lot in life, go pick this up. 4 stars.

I love reading Arthurian retellings but this one didn't pull me in the way some of the others have, It was very much an okay book.

An enjoyable and adventurous Arthurian inspired fantasy romance that will appeal to a wife range of readers.

As I self-confessed Arthurian nerd, this was right up my street. I loved reading from the perspective of an arthurian character that isn't spoken about much when it comes to the legends. The romance was swoon worthy, the characters were in depth and beautiful, and I found myself just wanting to be able to chat to the author none stop about it and everything they know.

A beautiful and enchanting read. The writing style felt almost poetic, alongside a gripping storyline and characters that I adored. Definitely recommend.

I do love a chill historical that moves at it's own pace. As someone who has long loved Arthurian legend and mythology, I appreciated this endlessly. It was a good new edition to Arthurian literature. I will read more by this author.

3 Stars

This book is one that is so well done and steeped in the Arthurian legend. It’s a beautiful reimagining of Camelot and focuses on Anna, Arthur’s sister.

I’m not overly familiar with the Arthurian legend as many, so for me, parts of the story felt slower and had me bogged down a bit, but overall this was a wonderful retelling and had me intrigued for more.

Queen of None delivers on a fantasy historical fiction level. We have a strong fmc, a heroic mmc, and a great storyline. The writing is gorgeous and creates such a beautiful world that you could feel.

Arthurian legends, but based on his sister - yes, please. This book was such a thrill, the pacing was slower than I usually like, but I still enjoyed it!

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It was just too slow-placed for my preference and the writing style was the telling and not a lot of showing type. Which is also not my reading preference.