I really liked the premise of the book and the idea, I think for me I enjoyed the book to a certain extent, I just think that maybe the writing style really isnt for me.

Thank you to the publisher for an arc of this book!

I am a huge fan of Arthurian legends, especially retellings from a women's point of view. And so I was excited when I saw this one, because it was from a character that not much is heard about. The author does a fabulous job of placing us in Ancient Britain -- in a way that is also real and fantasy at the same time. It reminded me very much of Mary Stewart or Marion Zimmer Bradley. She admits that she has taken liberties with the story, but honestly, I felt that they worked.

One of the things I like about this book is the main character is a mother, and I won't say she's older because she's in her thirties like me, but she's already lived a hard life.

Another thing I liked about the books is how characters we know are interwoven in! They don't all appear to be the same as we often know them, but it makes them all that more intriguing especially their motivations.

I do love Anna and I love her journey in this book. This was an absolutely interesting historical/fantasy/mythological retelling that was well written and engaging.

I look forward to continuing this series!

I love a good retelling, especially with a new character introduced.

This was so beautifully written. It breaks your heart and then puts it back together on the next page. I cannot wait to see what Natania Barron does next!

I really liked the point of view of this book, a different take on King Arthur and the Arthurian legends through the lens of his forgotten sister Anna. The book immediately takes a tone that highlights both the plight and the power of women within medieval societies - and especially focuses on the reality of leaving girlhood and the implications of being a woman and what that means for your choices and how your life is shaped by the men around you. This is where the book shines and Anna gives us such an interesting perspective as a seemingly powerless woman within her society. We also get an interesting view into the power and the machinations of the women of the court, and how they have to resort to manipulation to enact any power over their own lives, as well as the ebb and flow of power within Arthur’s court - the adversarial relationship that Merlin has with almost everyone in Carelon was especially interesting and is the driving force behind most of the book. The book is well written, with fairly evocative prose (although it may not hit for everyone in the same way!). I really felt the descriptions and emotions, and Anna is so well drawn and her motivations felt so real. The main issue I had with the book was that the first half had me in a grip, but the second half felt more meandering and less gripping and especially the ending with Merlin, Nimue and Anna felt sudden and incomplete. We get hints of the bigger picture, and the hints of the other stories of legends left me wanting those stories instead of the Nimue plot line. Overall I enjoyed the different take on Arthur and the legends, as well as having a perspective that was female and not the typical choice for medieval or Arthurian fantasy, although the ending felt very abrupt to me.

I love an Arthurian legend retelling so i am always open to read anything from this setting and stories about it. Unfortunately, the long chapters and the writing style didn't work out for me. Other wise it would be an amazing book.

3.5 ⭐️

Queen of None follows the life of the long-forgotten Anna Pendragon, the only full-blooded sister of King Arthur. I found the concept of being behind the curtain fascinating. We all know the story of Kind Arthur and his knights, but what about the woman in the story? This is a tale of duty, sorrow and grief, where women fight King’s Arthur’s wars not in the battlefield, but by being married and offered (ridiculously young) as a vessel to bear heirs. What made this interesting is that this is not just Anna’s story, but that of many women through the centuries that were born to be married and remarried to force alliances, forgotten and powerless.

This book sets a new light to the story known to us all. Arthur might have been a king, but in the end he was only a man that was raised to be king. Merlin might have been a powerful wizard, but at what price did he get all that power and influence? Were they really the heroes of the story? And if yes, according to who and at who’s expense?

The plot was very well placed and the writing is amazing, making the reader not just feel for Anna, but also understand her. I really enjoyed the magic, political ploys and the entire prophecy plot line. The characters were flawed, so much so that it made them stand apart and feel real, and the main protagonist is smart, passionate and determined to not just be a pawn anymore.

Thank you very much Solaris and NetGallery for providing me this ARC.

Thank you netgalley for this arc in return for an honest opinion.


Anna Pendragon, sister to King Arthur, returns from Orkney after her husband dies and is married off to the knight Lanceloch. She is unhappy at court and embraces magic to exact revenge.


On the face of it, this book should have been brilliant. Unfortunately, the plot wasn't clear. The last  third of the book seemed didn't seem to match the beginning. Some quite in-depth magic occurs, but magic isn't really mentioned as existing, until it happens. The time jumps were quite frustrating.


Sad that I didn't like it. I won't be reading the sequel.

first of all i have to say that the book wasn’t bad or anything but just not my type of book and i had a hard time keeping up with the story! i think if your more interested in the old english history and know more about king arthur it will probably be a perfect book for you!
for me personally it was just a little to hard to read and the way the story line progressed was a little weird because everything just happend without a lot of story around it and it was hard to keep all the characters in mind!

Queen of None is an arthurian retelling, which called my attention. I was very interested in a story where Merlin was seen as a villain and we have Arthur's sister to get revenge and take away his power while also trying to be a good mother. Unfortunately I didn't like the writing style, too many plot lines and few explanations, so it didn't really catch my attention to read a possible sequel. I also didn't really enjoy jumps in time where it's not written, so some times I got really lost in the story. But in general, I like some parts, mainly including Lanceloch, he's a complex character and had a good "purpose" so it was interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

Arthurian legend is my favourite so i am always open to read different retellings and stories about it. But I am also very reticent and wary to do so and Queen of None had a good premise, different from what I have read until now. Unfortunately, the long chapters and the writing style didn't work out for me.

Queen of None follows Anna Pendragon, sister of the famed King Author, prophesied to be forgotten by all. Whilst she may be a minor character in Arthurian legend, in this book she becomes the protagonist, relegating the more well known royals and knights to side characters in her story. Anna has been a political pawn her whole life, mistreated by men to further their own causes, but in this story she starts to find her own power and strength.

It is a slow, gentle story, full of intrigue, that shows the threads being pulled behind the scenes. For me, it was just a bit too slow-paced. My knowledge of Arthurian legend is limited, but I think those who love the legends will love this. Their knowledge will allow them to appreciate the twist and the different perspective on familiar characters more than I did.

Queen of None is an Arthurian retelling written from the perspective of King Arthur's blood sister, Anna. The story starts strong showing how Anna was used for the benefit of her brother at the behest of Merlin. Married off at the tender age of twelve to a brutal ruler of a neighboring kingdom several years older than her, she's forced to lead a loveless life. Upon the passing of her husband, she returns to her borther's court, and once again faces decisions unacceptable to her. Soon she finds out about her dark talents and decides to use it to turn around her fates.

The story starts off strong with the introduction of charatcters we know a lot (and also very little) about. Anna's plight is something women will most certainly relate to. As a reader, I felt her pain. She's one of the most formidable characters in a historical fiction/retelling setup. While there's much to admire in this tale, I found the story dragging a little after reaching the halfway point. Too many characters were introduced that were lost to the plot. The plot in itself took a rather weird turn in the final act of the story.

Queen of Nothing left me with a lot of questions and loose ends. Having said that, it was quite an enjoyable read and except for a few chapters, I found myself thoroughly engaged. If only the last part of the story were written differently, this would've been a stellar read for me. I would give this a solid 3.5 stars.

Queen of None is a good fit for those seeking a story of personal empowerment and revenge, set against a backdrop of medieval politics and magic.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

Now I always enjoyed Arthurian legends, so this was an interesting take.
This one is based on Anna Pendragon, the full sister of Arthur. We've read things on her famous mother, and aunts, on her half sisters, and Arthur's famous lovers, and bride.

But there hasn't been much lore on Anna herself. This was a story about a flawed woman, who recognized that in herself, and realized how much of her life, was not guided by her own decisions. How the women around her glorious brother, were used as pawns for the greater glory of Briton, threaded shuttles in the great Loom of Camelot's fate. And after her husband Lot of Orkney's death, the lengths she went to regain control, lose it - once again and seek revenge to those who had done her the worst damage.

And blending her story with Nimue, another well noted figure blended in this lore. A portion of Anna herself. And through her allows Anna freedom that she's never known before. Freedom to live, and love and seek revenge on the man the controlled her fate.

I enjoyed Anna's story. And thought this was a fun jaunt into a rethought version of these characters. A good reimagining.

Queen of None is the first Arthurian retelling I have read and I must say it was pretty good. I enjoyed the story being told from Anna, Arthur's sister, her POV as this gives it a feminist vibe. The other characters (Bedevere, Merlin, Lanceloch, ...) were all greatly written and I enjoyed getting to know them better. The magic system as well as the world-building was beautiful.

I did feel like the story was a bit long sometimes, which made me lose interest at times. As someone who is not familiar with all the characters of the Arthurian legend, it was sometimes difficult to keep track of all the different characters, which made me less interested in continuing the story.

Couldn’t get past the first chapter- found the writing style really distant and not cohesive.

I think the Arthurian setting is so overdone and this just didn’t feel different enough to read the same story again.

Overall this was an interesting premise with good world building and characters. There were a few moments when it felt like there were inconsistencies with what we knew of the characters and their motivations versus their actions, but they were fairly minor.

Queen of None is an absolutely spectacular read that blew me away with its incredible prose and intricate characters. I was so absorbed in this tale and thought it was a refreshing take on familiar legends and characters. Stories like this make me incredibly grateful to be a reader and get to experience the dedication of authors who work to make their stories an experience. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy to review.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Queen of None by Natania Barron is a retelling of Arthurian Legend through the eyes of Arthur’s often forgotten sister, Anna. When she was born, Anna was prophesied by Merlin to be forgotten by all and it appears to be true not only in the history books but also in life, as Anna is often forgotten about when she leaves a room. Anna returns to Camlorn when her husband passes, hoping to spend time with her eldest son, Gawain, and have some control of her own life again. When Arthur engages her to Lanceloch, it sets in motion Anna’s slowburn revenge plan on the men around her.

Anna is very sympathetic. Her decisions make a ton of sense, from having an affair over the years with her childhood love, Bevedere, to her desire to get back at Merlin to her relationship to Nimue. We see the story from her point of view and it quickly becomes clear that she spends time among the staff in her castle and she has little interest in the world of courtly politics, but her very existence is a subject of court politics.

I wasn’t familiar with Anna despite being a long-time fan of Arthurian Legend and the story of Gawain. It’s a different POV of Gawain as a character if a reader is only familiar with the Green Knight. Same with Lancelot and Guievere.

Content warning for mentions of sexual assault.

I would recommend this to fans of Arthurian lore, readers looking for a retellings from lesser known characters, and for people who are interested in dipping their toes into Medieval fantasy

This Arthurian retelling was delightful. The story was well paced and the plot was action packed. Anna’s character is so well rounded and easy to love. There was magic, feminism, and triumph. This story was mostly plot and I absolutely loved that!