I love mythology retellings (and I’m a huge fan of Merlin/Arthurian myths) and this cover and concept really caught my eye, so i’m very sad to say that I felt underwhelmed and disappointed by this book.

This story focused on Igraine, the mother of King Arthur. While this novel and author did a good job of painting a beautiful and magical setting, the story often felt bogged down in the details and extensive speeches that did little to move the story along. I did love how the visions of Igraine and her daughter Morgan were portrayed very vividly. I wish this story had a bit of a quicker pace as I often felt like I was dragging through this novel trying to find something to grab on to.

Apart from this, I personally would have liked to see more agency on the part of Igraine. I understand that sexism and the lack of agency for female characters comes with the territory of a mythology retelling - but everything seemed to just happen to Igraine and she allowed so many characters sway her and convince her that she secretly wanted what happened to her.

Overall, this story has an interesting concept and potential, and could be for other readers who are interested in this form of a slower mythology retelling.

There’s so many retellings of Arthurian legends out there, but none of them I’ve seen so far have retold the story of Arthur’s conception from Queen Igraine’s perspective – a story which definitely needed to be told. This novel has great historically inspired worldbuilding, with Celtic and pagan worship clashing with the rising tide of Christianity, which is interwoven well with the rich Arthurian folklore. It is a strong character-driven, female-focused narrative with political machinations and other characters pulling the strings behind the scenes – it reminded me of a Phillipa Gregory-style historical novel. Igraine’s character and relationship with both Gorlois and Uther was well written, and you can’t help but feel sorry for her as others use her for their own ends, a pawn in a game she never wished to play. I liked how the author raises the question of how, if certain powerful characters had not behaved and interfered as they did, the prophecy might have unfolded with a lot less betrayal and bloodshed – a trope about prophecies that I can’t get enough of. I loved as well Igraine’s relationship with her two daughters Morgan and Morgause. The foreshadowing of their future roles in Arthurian legends, especially Morgan’s with her uncanny ability to scry and cool demeanour, was dramatic and succeeded in getting me interested in reading the next books in this series to see how the author portrays them as adults. Characters from Arthurian legends that I recognised were Merlin and the Lady of the Lake (Vivian) – both trying in their own way to fulfil the prophecy of the Once and Future King, often too busy trying to influence the future to think about the feelings of people in the present.

I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy character-driven historical fantasy and love Arthurian legends.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy! True rating is 3.5 ⭐

Sam Davey weaves a beautifully narrated story of Igraine, the mother of King Arthur, wife to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall and mother to Morgause and Morgan. I wasn't really that engaged with her lore prior to picking up this ARC and I have to say that I was truly mesmerized by the knowledge the author held of the era, the etiquette, the magic system and the everyday ins and outs of women in the Athurian circle. It was a book that I did find entertaining after a long and stressful day, and I couldn't
stop reading to see what Uther was going to do and how Igraine would act since I didn't know at all her story.

As with many retellings, my main "complaint" if I'm to use this word, is that they focus only on 'retelling' the story, not reimagining it, dissecting it in a way that does justice to the hidden messages and meanings behind the original myth so to stand out in the current publishing trend. While I loved every single scene in this book, even if sometimes it felt slower than needed, I did want to see an extra layer of the myth, a new insight or something very uniquely made by the author. The ending got me at the edge of my seat, but I missed the grounding/more narrative time to digest what happened and its potential aftermath. It was, though, a very educational read for me both as a reader fascinated by Arthurian lore and as a writer of myth and folklore (albeit Greek).

"The Chosen Queen" raises important issues about the women's agency over their bodies in the medieval world, forced and chosen motherhood, attraction and female rivalry. With delicious foreshadowing of the events in the Arthurian circle after Igraine's story, it's a slow-burn, historical fantasy read that's bound to entertain fans of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diversion Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am honestly a sucker for the Arthurian ledgend and everything medieval. So, when I was accepted to be an ARC Reader for THE CHOSEN QUEEN by Sam Davey, I was more than ecstatic to sink my teeth into a feminist Arthurian retelling, told from the POV of Arthur's mother, Igraine.

Therefore, I say with a heavy heart that this was a hard one for me, because I didn't enjoy reading this book as much as I thought I would.

I liked some parts of this novel. I thought Davey successfully painted a vivid picture of a magical world, morally complex people, and devastating events within the narrative.

The plot itself was enchanting and had great potential. However, there are a few things that I just didn't vibe with while reading.

For starters, the exposition was so bogged down by flowery language, repetition, and excessive details that it was—at times—hard to follow what was going on and keep track of all the characters and their relationships to one another. I found myself speed reading through the last few chapters as they dragged on.

Additionally, I felt like the FMC had little to no character development and kinda seemed to move through the story as a plot device rather than the protagonist. What’s more, I am not a big fan of dramatic irony and found the plot twist slightly predictable, making me feel annoyed at the FMC's naivete.

Having considered all of this, I give this book a 3.5⭐️(rounded up to 4) rating because I believe there are readers out there who might find a deeper appreciation for this story than I did.

This novel would be great for readers who enjoy retellings, historical fantasies, Celtic folklore/mythology & druidic culture, fated mates, love triangles, forced proximity, magic v. religion, women leadership, and fighting for what you believe in.

I was really excited to read this take on Igraine’s story. Arthurian retellings from a new perspective always intrigue me. The world-building was vivid, and I could easily picture the landscapes and settings. The mother-daughter relationships were a standout, adding depth and emotion to the narrative. The use of visions and foreshadowing was also a nice touch, giving the story a sense of inevitability.

That said, the pacing was uneven. Some parts dragged with overly detailed descriptions, while others, especially key moments, felt rushed. The dialogue leaned heavily into long-winded speeches, which sometimes felt more like monologues than natural conversations. I also wished there was more focus on the broader Arthurian legend rather than stretching a smaller aspect into a full book.

Overall, it’s a beautifully written story with some great elements, but it didn’t fully hook me. If you love deeply immersive historical fiction and don’t mind a slower pace, this could be a great fit.

I really wanted to get into this book but struggled. I don’t think I’ve ever picked up and put down a book so many times. The idea is so interesting and some of the story lines really intrigued me but the writing style is what caused me to struggle. I felt it was too fluffy and descriptive of things that didn’t need to be. This caused the pacing to feel so slow. Took me 2 weeks to finish it when I can normally finish a book this size is about 3 days.

Thank you Sam Davey, Diversion Books and Netgalley for this free ARC in exchange for a review.

This fantasy adventure was a really good page-turner.

I especially liked how it ended with a strong move by Igraine.

I feel like the plot and storyline was lacking, and could've used some more editing. It didn't flow like it wanted to I feel and needed to be fleshed out more. The premise and the cover were what drew me in but this book fell flat because of how in-cohesive it was and while I understand that it's a debut and the set up for a series, it needed a little more work to truly hold up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for this ARC ♥️✨

I love myths and legends, so really thought I’d enjoy a retelling of the story from Igraine’s point of view.

Pros:
- I enjoyed the immersive nature of the story, I really felt like I was in the rolling hills of a medieval Brittany.
- I liked the use of foreshadowing and visions to give insight into the plot
- I thought the mother daughter relationships were very well done

Cons:
- The pacing was very very slow, and then other elements too fast
- There was a lot of focus on in-depth explanations of scenes and locations, so much so that I ended up skipping through sections
- There was a lot of lengthy dialogue and speeches. This felt more forced than courtly and I struggled to read all of the dialogue

I think this book took an element of the Arthurian legend and drew it out too long. There isn’t as much in that part of the legend to fill a whole book, and the best/most poignant part was right at the latter end of the book. It felt like the author was writing for the sake of filling a book rather than driving the story forward.

I wish it had told us more of the Arthurian legend and spent less time on seemingly menial things. There was no action and the tension around Uther that was built fell very flat in my opinion. I enjoy books where there is peaks and troughs which grab at your attention, this one didn’t have that pull, and I really struggled to feel incentivised to read.

I think the story had great potential, and there was some parts of the story that felt much better paced (like the scenes with her husband) but overall it was lack lustre.

Before King Arthur, there was his Mother!

Being a longtime fan of Arthurian literature, I saw this book come up as one I would be interested in reading. I am unfamiliar with the author, Sam Davey, but the subject matter was intriguing. The novel deals with the events in the life of Igraine, Duchess of Cornwall, who becomes the mother of the future King Arthur. There are many books about Arthur and his cast of characters, but I am fond of ones that delve into Igraine's story. In some tellings, she disappears after Arthur's conception at Tintagel. Davey provides an in-depth view of a royal woman, loyal to the Goddess, who is betrayed by those she trusts. Davey shows us Igraine dealing with the aftermath of the fateful night when Arthur came into existence. The novel is richly imagined, with royal courts and all manner of nobility trying to curry favor with their lord and lady. Also present are the other children, Morgause, and Morgan, who become powerful enemies of Arthur's in the future. The main characters have passions and duties and are three-dimensional. The ending is poignant and original. I believe that Davey will give us a sequel or two, and I cannot wait for more on this take on the world of Camelot.

I love all that is Arthuri related, and this book was non exception! I loved how the author has told the story and definitely want to read more!

I am a big fan of all things Arthurian, and there is very little on Igraine and her relationship with Uther, so I was very eager to read this! Although I did enjoy getting to know more about Igraine and the magic system, I did feel that the pacing was very slow and overall, not a lot happened throughout the book. The birth of Arthur was foreshadowed throughout, however ended up feeling like an afterthought as it was only passed over briefly at the end of the book.

I love a good retelling of Arthurian legends. I also love stories where authors take a familiar tale and gives readers a back story. Sam Davey does an excellent job of giving a fresh take on a very old tale. Fantastic world building and character development.

The Chosen Queen: A Novel of the Pendragon Prophecy by Sam Davey is a captivating retelling of Arthurian legend, filled with intrigue, magic, and complex characters. Davey’s vivid world-building and gripping plot bring new life to familiar tales, making it a must-read for fans of historical fantasy