This was the next book of a great series. The flow of the characters and their growth is great! I can't wait to see what the fourth installment brings!

Signe Pike continues her outstanding work in this series that reimagines the King Arthur myth with a focus on the women of the time. I'm always sad to finish these books, knowing there won't be another one for several years, but the research and craft that Pike puts into this series makes it absolutely worth the wait! This volume focuses largely on Languoreth's daughter Angharad as she undergoes her training in the Old Ways, but there are important moments of growth and change for all the characters. I love this immersive world and the richly drawn characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital review copy.

“You are the last lights of our people. Your beacon must not flicker.”

Oh, how I love to be back in the Lost Queen world! This historical fiction novel of Artur mac Aedan is brought to life with Signe Pike’s magical writing.

The Lost Queen has been one of my favorite series ever, and I find myself constantly recommending it to everyone. The world and the characters are researched so well, and the day-to-day events unfold in a fascinating complex tale. Unearthing the true Artur mac Aedan and Queen Languoreth of early Scotland is both beautiful, and enchanting. Signe Pike offers a glimpse of the world during the intersection of Christianity and the ancient Druids (here called Wisdom Keepers), in early Scottland. Signe has seamlessly woven actual events into her story, and her Authors note at the end will make you appreciate the book so much more!

The Shadowed Land by Signe Pike
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from NetGalley, and I'm so glad I did! I still remember discovering the first book at my local bookstore with a friend and being completely captivated from start to finish. Signe Pike takes the familiar tale of a princess forced into marriage and breathes new life into it, allowing the story to continue beyond the marriage and into the complexities of motherhood. The portrayal of a mother as the central character is incredibly powerful and adds a depth that makes this story even more compelling.

“And motherhood changed a woman more than becoming a queen ever could. Each of these men had been a woman’s babe once, no less beloved than my own.”

This is a highly character-driven story, with the plot focused on positioning all the pieces for the final book. I was thrilled to see new POV characters introduced in this installment, adding fresh perspectives and depth to the narrative.

Languoreth – upon seeing her lost child, now grown into a woman, at the end of the last book we pick up right away with their storyline. Languoreth’s despair at missing her daughter’s childhood, and pride in seeing her as the priestess she had become was so beautiful and raw. I’m still grasping to the hope that she gets a happy ending, but I’m not sure we are gonna see that.

“It is a wonder, is it not, what the heart can survive?”

Angharad –raised by the Picts, Angharad knows she cannot return home to her mother and marry as her sister did. Instead, she chooses the challenging path of weatherwork, to apprentice under Briochan, and old Wisdom Keeper who hasn’t taken on an apprentice in decades. Her training and experiences offer us an extraordinary glimpse to the Pictish culture, their ways, and their gods.

Artur – I was both surprised and thrilled to see that Artur gets to have a POV chapter! I thought the battle sequences were really well done, and that his introduction of characters was seamless. Watching him marry a woman who was not Angharad was so sad, but those characters remembering each other was beautiful.

Lailoken – Seeing Lailoken and Eira be welcomed back to his childhood home was beautiful. This is where Singe Pike’s writing shines, she has made ordinary events into magical stories that we get to witness. Seeing his rage at how his sister was treated, I have huge expectations for him in the final installment of this series.

Gladys – my heart broke for Gladys I was so happy to see her POV, she reminds me so much of her mother, and her inclusion in the book was emotional for me, I do hope she gets to impact the story in a powerful way. I highlighted everything in her chapters.

“I was forty-four winters, yet I had lived a thousand lifetimes since I was a girl.”

Languoreth’s love story continues to break my heart, my stomach dropped when she was accused, and my despair was so palpable that I had to take a break because I could not read another word. A true testament to the authors writing and pacing in this section. Memories from the first 2 books are called back, and the characters get to interact with those memories as a new person full of the knowledge and experience of the years since.

“Fighting for your land only makes it more beautiful. These lands have sheltered me. They’ve given me clear waters to drink to help me survive.”

This book series continues to be one of my favorites, and while I loved this installment, it felt a little bit like the first half of the final book. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for the Book 4 announcement!

Would I reread? Oh yes, I’ll def pick this one up again and review in advance of the book 4 release. And I can’t wait to get a copy for my mom who has also enjoyed this series with me!

Would I recommend? Absolutely yes. This series is heart wrenching and its full of characters to cheer for. I think fans of the Arthurian Legend will enjoy this, fans of Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch, and Lancelot by Giles Kristian, and the Winter King by Bernard Cornwell. I also think fans of Sistersong by Lucy Holland, and Circe by Madeline Miller & Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King and the Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley will enjoy this series!

Recommended for Fans of Arthurian Legend, Historical Fiction and Mythology retellings!


This book comes out December 3, 2024

This continues to be one of the most well-written, engaging, and emotional series. Our POVs expand once again to include chapters from not just Langoureth, Angharad, and Lailoken, but also Artúr and Gladys.

We do spend the bulk of our time with Angharad I think as she continues in her journey to become a full Wisdom Keeper. But I treasured every second we got with Langoureth. Her chapters are always the most emotional for me, and Pike definitely had me in tears at several points with Langoureth.

This is such a balanced tale mixed with battles, reunions, separations, self reflection, and so much love and heartache. I seriously love these characters so much, and once again I’m left bereft in the wait for another installment.
I highly recommend picking up this series!

Many thanks to both NetGalley and the author for the preview. All opinions are my own.

I recieved an early copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I read the Lost Queen when it first came out years ago and honestly lost track of it until this book was announced. So I purchased book 2 to prepare to review this book and wow, I forgot how much I loved Signe's writing and the story she is weaving together. I have always been fascinated with King Arthur and the legend that follows him, but I have become even more fascinated in the truth behind the legend and Signe gives me everything I want in these books. There is so much excitement in reading a book that feels like a fictional story (and do not get me wrong, there is certainly fictional aspects of this book) but knowing there is also so much truth behind it all. I am not sure a synopsis of this part of the story ould be helpful to get you to read it as this is book three, I do think knowing that these books follow several characters that we know and have heard in legend. We have sister and bother Languoreth and Lailoken (who is believed to be Merlin) separated for years. Languoreth's daughter, Angharad, lost after battle and believed to be dead studying to be a Wisdom Keeper, what we would call druids. And Artur mac Aeden, a Scot, is our King Arthur.

I love the lore and legend built into this story. This early medieval time period is beyond fascinating to me and I honestly wish the was a companion book to the series that expands on her author's notes!

If you like historical fiction, historical fantasy, vikings, druids, etc. This series is a must for you, I know I just read this, but I am itching for more!

That Ending! I wasn’t prepared for that! I am really appreciating all the historical research it has taken Signe to do, in order to write these magnificent books! Book Four has been announced and although I know how much time it takes, to research and write these books, I hope it doesn’t take long to get it out into the world, cause I need it now! 😉 This is an Arthurian story like you’ve never seen. Meticulous research, creative world and character building, it really is something else! Although, I’m not a fan of the portrayal of Christians, I do know that there was evil men, who claimed Christianity and then did awful things. I appreciate men, like Brother Teyller, and Brother Thomas, whom bring the true light of Jesus to people of the Old Ways. I can’t say enough about his amazing this series is, and highly recommend!!!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm completely passionate about this series and would have given the prior two installments 6 star reviews if I could have. This installment had all of the incredible imagery, scholarship and rich characters that are the hallmark of this series. I loved learning more about the people of the North and the shifting loyalties within each of the groups of people who inhabited Scotland in this era. I kept waiting for what I feel the author excels in, complex and rich relationships with heart, and unfortunately I never felt that resonance. It frequently felt that the characters were pruned of that ability to flourish fully and the ending left me feeling that way as well. I eagerly await the next book!

I just love The Lost Queen series. This is the third book in the series. I would suggest you read the books in order.
The adventures continue. Languoreth, Angharad and Lailoken are reunited. We are also introduced to Artúr. The reunion is short lived as Angharad must go to the land of Picts to become initiate of Briochan to become a Wisdom Keeper.
As you know if you read The Lost Queen series. Queen Languoreth is from the old ways and her husband King Rhydderch is Christian. The battles are still brewing between the old ways and the new. Languoreth and Angharad had not seen each other for eight years. Languoreth thought her daughter was dead. Until one day she returned.
This book is beautifully written each chapter with a different voice. The prose is just eloquent. You are immersed into the sixth century medieval world.
I loved the authors notes at the end of this book explaining how much research goes into her writing.
This is not the end another book is coming. I can’t wait to read it.
If you love Hustorical Fuction you will enjoy this book.
It is just magical.
Thank you to Net Galley and Atria publishing for this advanced readers copy.

Our favorites, and then some, are back again in The Shadowed Land! I have been a big fan of the Lost Queen series since its first installment in 2018. I went back and re-read the first two books as audiobooks to help set the tone for this one. I’m so glad I did because it helped the third book flow even more. In the Shadowed Land, we get even more perspective than we do the prior novels. In many ways I enjoyed this, and in some ways I didn’t. I have come to love Angharad and Artúr, but I often missed the depth we had from Lailoken and Languoreth from the prior novels. Overall, I was very happy with this. Signe does a wonderful job of weaving history into a captivating story.

Seeped in history, The Shadowed Land is the perfect installment for anyone interested in Celtic culture, early medieval history, and a vivid world of mysticism. I can’t wait to see where Signe is going to take us next.

4.5 stars rounded to 5

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series- and I’m really hoping she’ll continue it!!! ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The Shadowed Land was an amazing conclusion to one of my favorite trilogies. You get to learn more about the King Arthur legend in this one, as well as revisit Languoreth, Lailoken, and Angharad. I think Angharad was my favorite POV character in this one. The historical research in this series is so thorough that you actually feel like you're living in the time period alongside the characters.

This is book 3 in the Lost Queen series and it does not disappoint! Set in 1600's celtic Britian, this series will pull out so many stories of fairy tales and folk tales. I felt lie i waited forever to get this book in my hands!

I read the previous 2 books in this series, The Lost Queen and The Forgotten Kingdom before reading The Shadowed Land so I wouldn't feel like I was coming in on the middle of the action.

The Shadowed Land leaves an open ending like there may be a new series following Artur and Angharad. I hope this a good deduction. There's more story to be told there.

I liked the way the author eliminated Mungo by possibly fleeing to Rome. I also appreciated Languoreth and Maelgwan's past relationship no longer being in secret. I liked the mention that Christianity puts the focus on marriage confines.

As much as I struggle with patience, I cannot deny this book was worth the wait. The Shadowed Land is an absolute masterpiece! The passion and research Signe Pike put into this book is clear on every page. My only criticism is in knowing that this is the final book of the trilogy.

I hope the author continues to write historical fiction. She is an incredibly talented writer. This series is one of my very favorites! I look forward to her future work.

This book continues the tale of 6th century Britain(Scotland) - a time of warring kingdoms and gods. Christianity is gaining. Queen Languoreth is working for peace and religious tolerance but it is a struggle. Artur is a major character in this volume placing the Arthurian legend in Scotland.

1. Do not read this book if you haven't read the first two books in this series: The Lost Queen and The Forgotten Kingdom. You will be completely lost.
2. Go into this knowing that it is NOT the final book in the trilogy, and temper your expectations of the ending accordingly.

If you have those two things in mind, you won't have the slight feeling of letdown I had at the end, because I was expecting a full resolution.

Until that point, however, this was excellent as Signe Pike's books always are: beautifully written with an incredible depth of research.

I didn't reread the previous book before diving into this one, and I was a little worried I would be completely lost, because there are a million characters and kingdoms. But Pike did a good job of somehow reminding us who was who and what was going on without any info dumps or clumsy devices.

Our main characters are Angharad, who is off in search of the training that will transform her into a Wisdom Keeper; Languoreth, still married to Rhydderch, who continues to straddle the Christian faith and the Old Way; Languoreth's brother Lailoken; and Artúr. The wretched Mungo makes an appearance or two, and so do, more satisfyingly, the monstrous Gwrgi and Peredur. They all play a part in various machinations as the kingdoms of early medieval Scotland shift and merge and fracture. There are a lot of moving pieces, but Pike did a pretty good job of keeping things straight, although I did feel a little lost at the end. I'll have to study the map closely once I get a physical copy.

While this series is grounded in historical research and many of the characters are based on real figures, I would still consider this a fantasy. We meet the Loch Ness monster and are witness to supernatural happenings, and we meet people who can control the weather. In her end notes, Pike shies away from calling it a fantasy because, she says, it's written from the viewpoint of the people of this time (who didn't know any better), but from our modern viewpoint (and, in particular, my atheist one), it can't be anything else than a successful blending of history and the fantastical.

Thanks to Atria Books for the advance copy.

The Shadowed Land
by Signe Pike
Pub Date: Dec 03 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another 5 star Book from this incredible Author !!

Kingdom of Gododdin, AD 580: After defeating the Angles at the Battle of the Caledonian Wood, Languoreth, her daughter Angharad, brother Lailoken, and the warrior Artúr mac Aedan are reunited. But all too soon, fate pulls each back to their own path.

Artúr receives a mysterious summons from his father in Dalriada. Languoreth and Lailoken return to Strathclyde with the dangerous former bishop Mungo in tow, determined to maintain the fragile peace between the Christians and the people of the Old Way. Meanwhile, Angharad must travel deep into the shadowed land of the Picts, hoping to become the initiate of Briochan, a druid who practices the secret Celtic art of summoning weather.

As they rise to their destinies, they are pushed to impossible new frontiers as each must decide whether they are willing to do what it takes to be the heroes their harrowing days demand. This “rich, immersive” (Kirkus Reviews) saga transports the reader to a vivid world of mysticism, beauty, and meticulously researched early medieval history.

Shadowed land is just as good as book 1 and 2 (you must read them to follow along), continuing the journey of Langoureth, Lailoken, Angharad. There's a lot going on with war / land grabs still going on, religious differences causing strife, romance, and heartbreak.

Cannot wait for the next book.

#netgalley #TheShadowedLand

I love the Lost Queen series. Set in 6th century Scotland the series initially tells the story of one of early Scotland’s most powerful queens and her twin brother, Lailoken, the historical figure thought to be the basis of the legendary Merlin. It’s a bit like Outlander meets Camelot.

This 3rd book in the series continues their stories as well as Langoureth’s children’s and we are also introduced to Artur. The book is told from each of their points of view. Pike’s books are all impeccably researched and this one is no different. She tells of epic battles, historic sites, ancient traditions and its magical.

However, in this book I didn’t feel like Gladys’s chapters had much bearing on the overall story. Maybe more will be discovered in the next book though. I would have loved a chapter from Lailoken about the negotiation for Langoureth. I am so curious about how it went with all the different characters involved. I also wish the last battle had been detailed and drawn out more. There weren’t huge climatic events in this book like her other two. I wish this last battle had been given a little more time. Still loved the book though despite these critiques.

As always, read her authors note at the end to learn more about the people and places in the book and the research that shaped the characters. I thought this was a trilogy and that this book was the last but I was wrong! Pike’s author note says this book is not the last. Yay! And if you are trying out this series, start with book 1 and I recommend the audiobook to help you with all the ancient names and pronunciations.

Thank you #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for the ARC of #ShadowedLand

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this advance copy.

I have read and enjoyed the first two novels in this series...I probably should have reread them before tackling this third book. I didn't really remember all of the history, and I found it difficult to keep track of a lot of the minor characters/who begat whom.

The book continues the story of Languoreth, the sister of the man Lailoken who will be known as Merlin. Languoreth is a queen who follows the "Old Ways" (druid teachings) while her warrior king husband is a Christian. Their long lost daughter Angharad also follows the old Celtic ways as a priestess. POV shifts between Languoreth, Angharad, Lailoken and Artur (King Aruthur) as they all must balance traditions, new religions, land grabs, and love. I enjoyed the female perspectives best and the battle/gore scenes not at all.

A must read if you have read the first two in the series but sometimes tricky to follow.