I made it about halfway through before quitting. I realized I was listening just for more awkward Maryland geography than anything. It's really hard to read a book set in an area you know really well, because things just start to feel off. Honestly, I could have put up with that for even longer if the book wasn't a stack of tropes more than anything. Rosemary is the cool kid in school, just so cool you guys, she's like super popular and strong and fast and everything. Look, I'm totally fine with a female lead that isn't the uncomfortable wallflower. I was actually really down for reading about a popular kid who wasn't a brat. But boy does she quip more than anything else, and they aren't even particularly good quips. The author is trying so hard to show us this cool kid, that Rosemary just winds up feel desperate more than anything.

Favorite YA Fantasy of the year so far! I absolutely love the King Arthur and Excalibur storyline!
Tami Stronach did such a great job with all of the characters & accents.
My first B.P. Sweany book & I'm looking forward to reading more!

Publisher's summary
Arlynn Rosemary Banson is an atypical sixteen-year-old—the cool, popular outsider, effortlessly straddling the line between divas and dorks. Her forever young mother, Jennifer, is dedicated to making her life awkward by trying to be her friend. Her father, Alan, is a workaholic history professor who barely acknowledges his family’s existence. Her boyfriend, Benz, the quarterback and homecoming king, has just broken up with her, while her best friend, Joslin, bears reluctant witness to Rosemary’s romantic drama. But nothing prepares any of them for a Welsh foreign exchange student named Emrys Balin. Emrys looks like a teenager, but he seems to act much, much older.
Rosemary discovers she is part of the Lust Borne Tide, children born to the royal line of King Uther Pendragon who are imbued with mystical powers after being conceived in lust. Rosemary’s parents are Guinevere and Lancelot, banished by King Arthur to twenty-first century suburban America prior to Rosemary’s birth as punishment for their affair. Rosemary is the third in the Lust Borne line, after King Arthur and his son Mordred, the latter of whom has traveled to the future to continue the line of the Lust Born Tide by retrieving Rosemary and returning her to the late fifth century to conceive a child with her. But Rosemary has other plans—plans that involve training under Emrys and kicking Mordred’s butt, as long as it doesn’t interfere with prom or getting back with her boyfriend Benz.

Thanks to NetGalley & Recorded Books for the ARC of this audiobook!

The Sword and the Sophomore
By: B.P. Sweany
Narrated by: Tami Stronach
Publisher: Recorded Books
Release date: 07-09-24

What works here? The author obviously has great talent for dialog. Our narrator made a good effort on the performance. And the cover is beautiful.
Unfortunately that is where my positive remarks stop.
In my opinion, we are trying to do too much here. We're squeezing in too many characters, too many plot points, too many angles. The end result is a convoluted story and characters that are weakly developed, superfluous and/or difficult to connect with. For example, there was no reason to include the character of Ty. He did nothing to advance the plot - anything thing he was brining to the table could have been swapped out for a scene with the already established characters, giving us more opportunity to connect with them.
There was no reason to have Bens choosing between two sports. One sport would do.
Morgan Le Fay, while a cool character, did not enrich the plot at all.
Also I find that we leave several points muddy or unresolved or we just find ourselves at a resolution that is not the result of a journey and feels arbitrary. Very few things come to a satisfying conclusion. When the big bad finally showed up, he was here for a single scene and the resolution was unimpactful. I can see the impact that this scene was supposed to have, but it was unsuccessful.
Additionally, there are several passages that read as if the author has done a lot of research on a topic or a place and wants to show that work. It's unnecessary and drags the pacing down.
Also, the persistent use of phrases "gigglemug" "gas pipes" and "chuckaboo" felt forced and distracting ("stop trying to make fetch happen")

As a general rule, we all know "the book is better", but I think this would have translated best to a tv series in the vein of Riverdale. The undeniable Buffy inspiration is unfortunately not working as a novel for me, but perhaps would have played out better over several episodes on screen where we can really develop these characters and the tone a bit more.
I suspect this text could be greatly improved by a heavy handed edit. This does not feel fully cooked.

As for the audio, I would not say that this is on the higher end of production quality. There are several notable and awkward breath sounds and pauses. And unfortunately, while the narrator made a good effort, I do not think she found the proper tone or character voices to compliment the dialogue styles. Nor did character voices feel particularly distinct or appropriate for character descriptions.
Also, I'm a DMV local and some of the county names are mispronounced.

Netgalley Review

Sta Rating: ★★★★☆

I was impressed. For being a book I'd never heard of by an author I'd never heard of it was really good! Not my favorite and definitely an easy read, but good nonetheless.

Set on Earth, but centered around the lore of Avalon. King Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, etc. All the characters you'd expect to see in Avalon you see or hear of here.

The main character is rough around the edges, but is strong and grows as the book goes on. Wasn't a super long read, not a super diffulicult read, but it kept me interested from start to finish and that's all that matters to me.

This is a YA read but let me tell you it was so good! With real life references to classic rock bands and the 21st century the author did a great job at bringing a fun and exciting King Arthur story to life!

I listened to the audio version and the voice was perfect for the story and brought it to life for the listener!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, & RB Media for the audioARC for an honest review. All thoughts and ideas are my own.

It wasn't that this wasn't a good book. It was well written, and for the most part I liked the characters, but this was ultimately a pass for me as I am a huge Arthurian fan and this was taking maybe a few too many liberties for my liking.

Points of note:
- This uses names, characters, and events from the Arthurian tale to paint the backdrop of a bigger plot that happens after the events from King Arthur's tale. Guinevere is wildly annoying and Lancelot ... I just can't. My biggest gasp was the liberties taken for dear old Merlin (Emrys) and his Benjamin Button (very confusing) parallels.
- The issues of potential rape (as described in a prophecy) and the the whole time travel portion of the story was just a huge ??? for me.
- Over done feminism that looses its credibility when she falls over herself for a boy that she ends up (spoiler alert) ditching anyway. The whole Rosemary/Benz breakup the first time after they take the next step in their relationship was juvenile and not well explained, only to be made further confusing by her stalking him and him trying EVERYTHING to get back together with her and her rejecting him. It was all very yo-yo and confusing. As all teenagers can be, but honestly...this was a bit much.

I will never dissuade anyone from a book merely because it wasn't my cup of tea. Someone with a bit less enthusiasm and love for Arthurian tales might find this wildly entertaining.

A few regrets! :-(

“The Sword & the Sophomore” by B.P. Sweany is a captivating blend of Arthurian legend and modern-day teenage drama. Sixteen-year-old Arlynn Rosemary Banson, effortlessly straddling the line between divas and dorks, discovers she is part of the Lust Borne Tide—a mystical lineage born from the royal line of King Uther Pendragon. With Emrys Balin, a Welsh foreign exchange student, by her side, Rosemary faces a destiny that involves kicking Mordred’s butt while navigating prom and her romantic drama. Sweany’s novel goes beyond typical YA fantasy tropes, addressing social cliques, relationships, and personal loss.

The Sword and the Sophomore is a fantasy book based on Arthurian legend. It is such an enjoyable listen, the narrator does a great job at bringing the characters to life. I enjoyed the lightness of the book it was an easy listen the main character Rosemary is going through what every teenager goes through with navigating first love and friendships. With the twist that she has powers and the fate of the world rests on her shoulders. It does make you feel all the feels but it’s enjoyable. I had a great time listening to this audiobook and definitely recommend it

The Sword and the Sophomore is the first in a series about a girl who finds herself a modern-day player in Arthurian legend. I was constantly guessing, trying to figure out who were the bad guys and who weren't, so this was a fun little read. There was a scene that didn't work well because it reeked of a bad teen movie denouement, but it was entertaining and the ending made it clear more was to come, but it wasn't an actual cliffhanger.

Great audio narration.

The beginning of this book had me hooked and I loved the concept behind the story. However, I had a hard time finishing the story. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t the target audience age-wise or because I’ve only just started venturing into audiobooks but overall the book did not live up to my expectations. Ultimately, I expected more adventure and did not get enough. The narration was good and I applaud the effort put into all the accents. Overall an ok book but not for me.

I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this! I lost a day in this book because I didn't want to put it down. Such an interesting take on the arthurian legend we all grew up with.

In one word: Entertaining.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook narrated by Tami Stronach on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Narrator: very entertaining. I loved how animated Tami is when narrating the book. I'm no expert on accents to know the accuracy of them but I really enjoyed how Tami changed accents for the different characters.

Plot: very creative storyline with time travel and the lust born prophesy. I just think that the parts relating to Mordred went wayy too fast. It was resolved almost too quickly for me considering that more than 70% of the book was anticipating this event that needed to be prevented...
It ended decently in my opinion. Could the readers want more? Yes definitely. But after everything we know about the characters this is a good end. (And this is just book 1)

As far as characters go I think they did well. MC was very realistic with her flaws and reactions to everything around her. Some characters annoyed me but the good characters really make you love the story.

Other:
I would say it's more for teens 16 years and older mainly because there's some mention of sex (nothing explicit just the characters mentioning it).
Would also like to advise a trigger warning for attempted rape.

**Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Let's start with this: I am 100% not the target audience for the book. I'm too old for YA and I just really don't care for anything King Arthur related.

What I enjoyed:
- the book was super readable
- I liked the writing style
- Some twists were fun and actually unexpected
- The teacher calling the MC out on her fake feminism in one of the early chapters

What I didn't enjoy:
- the MC. I don't remember reading one that had to point out how much she was 'not like other girls' in a while
- that the romance was more of a focus than the adventure

Overall I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more as a teen, but right now, it's sadly a 2 star.

I'm all for a King Arthur spinoff and was excited about the different aspect that this one promised. While I got that, and the narrator did a good job and it was a decent book overall....here are some other thoughts..

I realize this is supposed to be YA but was uncomfortable with the fact that one of the big ideas and scenes had to do with rape. There is a bit of "sex" talk but most fades out and nothing is explicit.

I would have loved more magic and mystical creatures.

I thought it was good that grief was shown and felt by the characters.

I felt like much of the book tended to drag on until the end when everything happened at once.

I'm not sure I'm Interested enough to read a second book to continue the story.

All of these thoughts are my own. Thank you Netgalley and RB media for the advanced audiobook.

This book is a twist on King Arthur’s legacy, following a sophomore girl trying to figure out school, friends, love, and taking on demons.

I was hooked at first but it quickly went away with the love interest and how she is so fickle over what to do. It made it hard to continue the story.

I would’ve loved this book to be way more adventure driven rather than love angst.

I really enjoyed the Arthurian legend aspect of this book, it was very cool to see a different spin on it all. It was very unique and original and i liked it. The narrator was decent but not my favorite. Overall a solid read.

I did not like this novel at all despite being very excited to read it based on the blurb. It was *incredibly* obvious that it was written by a man as the main female character ticked all the stereotypical "I'm cool, quirky, and unique. I'm not like other girls" boxes and said things like "I'm a teenage girl, not like myself is what we do" and brought up feminism at completely random times only to talk about it like a new fashion accessory that the author felt compelled to add. I was so looking forward to this being a new take on Arthurian legends, but instead, it read like the author watched BBC Merlin one too many times and wanted to write a modern-day AU fanfiction full of OOCs. It was more fake high school drama than fantasy/mythology complete with football games, an overly strict principal that everyone hates, and Relationship Drama TM. Younger readers might be able to gloss over the cringe lines and plot holes, but I definitely cannot.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook! The narrator adeptly captures teenage angst and shines in action scenes. While the pacing wasn't to my liking, with the final 20% seeming rushed, I liked that all character storylines were wrapped up neatly without any cliffhangers. Certain elements of the writing suggest it's a debut.

Arlynn Rosemary Banson is the MC of this Arthurian tale. I will note, I couldn't quite connect with our characters; so much of the teenage drama grated rather than excited me.

That being said, I thought it was a nice twist to the storyline. Grieving is explored in a very elaborate and open way and I applaud the author on writing these interactions very well.

I love the snarky and sarcastic heroine. I adored Emrys, the charismatic foreign exchange student. A terrible, punishing headmaster. Joslin, Benz.

How I understand it, her mother is to be Lady Guinevere, her father Sir Lancelot, with a daughter in the 21st century. Dark magics and ancient prophecies.

I will say, I would have liked to see more magical elements and more action-packed scenes. There were more high school scenes than fantasy, but other than that an easy nice read.

I would definitely recommend to an even younger audience to better connect to the characters. 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

3.75/5

I do love an Arthurian retelling. Especially when the main character is a girl who needs to solve the mystery of who the people around her are and how it all fits. It's tried and true and very good.

What I enjoyed about this book was Rosemary. She is a likable character and even though I am over most high school-centric stories, she felt like a real person and teenager. I also enjoyed the narrator for this book, Tami Stronach. She did a phenomenal job! Particularly with Rosemary's snark.

The things I didn't enjoy as much were the romances. They all felt shoehorned. I did appreciate a YA with a sputtering romance, and I am glad that that got resolved by the end if there are any sequels. But one supposed romance between Rosemary and a pivotal Arthurian character came out of nowhere to me. It felt more like a friendship than anything else, so I was surprised at the end when all these characters were going around saying that of course they knew. I didn't know and I was in the main character's head all this time.

Also watching Merlin justify breaking Morgan le Fey's heart by saying "I didn't know you liked me like that," was wild. You are 900 years old, I get you are Benjamin-Buttoning back to teenagehood but what is that excuse? That is a very particular gripe, I know.

Overall, it was a good read. I enjoyed it. If there is a sequel, I may indulge in it.