Loved this story. Author Signe Pike makes the read delightful in her descriptions of the relationship between brother and sister, father and children. The struggles of the times become real for the reader. Ms. Pike's love for a good story is clearly evident in this novel. I definitely recommend others who enjoy early British/Scottish history to read this story. Besides knowledge gained from the research done to provide the historical value, the reader will also gain pleasure from a well-written story.

DNF - this book unfortunately was too violent for my taste. It was compelling but it's just a personal thing. I'm still rating it high because it seemed like good quality

This was not written for the historical fiction reader that I am. The time period is 16 Century Scotland. I have the E-book, and yes I can highlight on my Kindle it's not the same as having the physical book and being able to write and mark in. I needed a flow chart with The Lost Queen. The unusual names, dialogues, etc., were difficult to follow. With all that said, the story is intriguing. I was captivated at points. Unfortunately, I was frustrated because I couldn't keep up with the goings on.

Three stars for pushing me forward with good writing. I've read beautiful historical fiction books with topics blindly chosen. Thank you to NetGalley for accepting my request to read and review this (now I know out of my wheel-house) historical fiction book.

#NetGalley
#TheLostQueen
#SignePike
#AtriaBooks
#16CenturyScotland

Not able to bring my self to finish. While it feels well written just not my type of story. Opening failed to draw me in after the story blurb even though it seemed like something I would enjoy

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I don't read a lot of fantasy, but I had heard good this about this on bookstagram. I have read the entire Game of Thrones series, and I've read Priory of the Orange Tree.
This has all the aspects of a good, in depth medieval fantasy. It builds up the world methodically but not in a boring way, you learn the importance of each character and intriguing fantastical morsels are dropped along the way to keep you going.

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike is the sweeping tale of Languoreth, a queen in 6th century Scotland who has largely been forgotten by history, but who made an impact. She has a twin brother called Lailoken, who later will become known as Myrddin, a.k.a. Merlin. The story follows her through her life from the age of 10 through her early 30s. This occurs during the time when Christianity is first reaching Scotland, and Languoreth is of the generation where the tide could flow either way. She also must contend with the conflict between her duty to her family and her love of one of Emrys Pendragon's Dragon Warriors, Maelgwn.

This is a longer read at 545 pages, and as such, it took some time to have me firmly in its grips. Once it did, however, I was firmly grasped and did not want to put the book down.

The story was told in four parts with first-person narration by Languoreth. When the life-changing events of her life occurred, I felt as if they were occurring to me personally, from her love with Maelgwn to her hatred of the people harming her family. I did genuinely cry at certain places of the story. She was so well rounded as a character that it is nearly possible to forget about the rest of the characters. Yet thinking upon them after having finished reading, I realize that all the major characters were also well rounded, with their own flaws and virtues. Lailoken, for one, was nothing like how I expected him to be, yet he felt real.

My favorite part of this story was the setting and use of language, especially with regards to the Old Way religion. So much of the old ways were rooted in nature. Crows, for example, played a large role in this story. It really gave parts of the book a mystical feeling.

I am not a historian, but what Pike has written seems like it could be quite accurate to how life was in Languoreth's time, and I admire her ability in taking the reader back in time.

I would recommend this to all lovers of historical fiction.

I received a copy of this book through Atria Books via NetGalley and would like to extend my gratitude to them for giving me the opportunity to read and share my honest thoughts on this book

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
Interesting plot but too many names and stuff to keep up with.
I am honestly not in the right mindset to read this book.

This one was unfortunately a DNF for me. I really think I am just not in the headspace for this one and will try again. I will update my review when I read.

The story of Languoreth and her brother Lailoken who were raised in the Old Way in the forests of Scotland during a period when a new religion is coming. The influx of Christianity is bringing with it disputes, riots and civil war amongst their people. When the hero Emrys Pendragon comes to consult their father, Languoreth falls in love with one of his warriors but she is promised to the son of a Christian King and must marry to fulfill her duty for the protection of her people. Her brother Lailoken goes for his training as a Druid.
The author meticulously research the histories and folklore of the time period to construct a beautiful telling of the coming of age story of a powerful queen and her brother who would be better known as Merlin.
This is the first book in the trilogy, an intriguing and satisfying read and I look forward to the coming books.

Such a beautiful adventure! I love we got to see many stages of the heroine’s life, from child, to young lady, to mother. This book gave me all the feels! This book was exquisitely detailed and kept my attention. Such a cliffhanger too! I can’t wait to dig into the second book!

When I saw the blurb for this book on Goodreads I knew I had to read it. Compared to Outlander and The Mists of Avalon, this thrilling first novel of a debut trilogy reveals the untold story of Languoreth—a forgotten queen of sixth-century Scotland—twin sister of the man who inspired the legend of Merlin.

When I was a child I remember my Sister taking me to watch a play in our local park called "King Arthur" sitting in the twilight setting, watching the sun set whilst bats flew around my head, I saw the sword Excalibur raise from the lake and I was entranced. This vision has stayed with me through my adult life, so whenever I see a book about the mythical Merlin, I am always intrigued and hoping to once again feel that magic, only this kind of legend can bring.

This book does not disappoint we follow the story of Languoreth and her twin brother, Lailoken aka Myrddin which is Welsh for mad man or Merlin. Set in sixth century Celtic Britain, a land we now call Scotland, they are brought up to follow the old ways and worship the old gods, but the world is changing and christianity is being heralded as the new religion. We follow Languoreth throughout her life, into her 30's where she is married and has children of her own. It is a time of turmoil thorough the land and she tries to protect herself and her family the best way she can. The book centres on her life, with Merlin and her other family members arraying throughout the book as he is on his own path in the world.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters are vibrant, the writing beautifully delivered and you can't help but be drawn into the story and join Languoreth plight. I did find it a little too stretched out in places but will definitely be delving into the next book when I can get my hands on a copy.

First of all, Thank you NetGalley, the Publisher and the author fir the eArc copy.

It's a 6th century book with Scottish history around the Anglo-Saxon war. And this is the first book that ai read about that time. I was intrigued. But Honestly the book felt a little stilted for me. But as historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, I kept on reading. So as the characters grow and establish themselves, it got so much more interesting that I couldn't stop reading it . I also loved all the minute details about that time and every incidents.

Also I am super keen about all the research the author did for the book. The author wrote this book in such an amazing way, that everything felt connected. I loved it. Cannot wait to read the next one.

The story takes place in 6th Century Scotland taking known history and legends and transports them into a new fantasy story. It takes the historical elements and combines them with fiction to create a fantastic start to a historical fantasy series. While covering the legend of King Arthur (the Pendragon family), the story focuses on the family that took in Uther Pendragon (formerly Gwenddolau) as a child. I loved the author’s notes at the end that give more insight into her decisions for the characters and plot of the story.

The novel begins around 550 AD and covers multiple years as the main characters start as children and soon become adults with children of their own. The main character of the series is Langoureth, the forgotten queen. She is the daughter of Morken, a high chieftain and King in the northern part of Strathclyde. The tale starts with her at 10-years-old with her twin brother, Lailoken (“Lail”), who is thought to be a part of the legend of Merlin. Their mother has recently died and the two children are preparing for their new paths in life. Langoureth is promised to marry the son of the High King of Strathclyde, while Lailoken will join Gwenddalau as a spiritual advisor and warrior in the Borderlands to join Emrys Pendragon.

The story is divided into four parts that represent significant changes in the story. There are some time jumps between the parts, but they are no difficult to follow. While I am not always a fan of time jumps, especially years in the future, it made sense in the story and helped keep the plot moving forward at a decent pace. Langoureth begins as 10-years-old and we see her throughout her life all the way until her mid-thirties. During each part of the story, there are new obstacles, alliances, secrets, and betrayals at every step of the way. One of the main constant conflicts in the story is the Old Ways, honoring the legends and wisdom of the Wisdom Keepers, similar to a Druid, while Christianity is gaining steam. As those supporting Christianity are trying to wipe out those of other religions, war is on the horizon with no known end in sight.

While there many characters to keep track of, many of them appear multiple times and each are very unique. The names are difficult, at first, to pronounce, but I loved that there was a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book. While many of the situations, thoughts, and inner thoughts may have a modern twist, they all are based in history. It was an excellent mix to read through as it expanded the writing to be more accessible to a wider audience, at least to me. There is a romantic entanglement that Langoureth goes through in this story between her first love and the one she is duty-bound to be with and her heart is constantly struggling with herself. While I am not usually a fan of love triangles, I found this story to fit well in the story and I loved how it did not pull focus away from the main plots of the novel.

Overall, the story starts off a little slower in the first few parts as the characters and plot are all established. While it was not fast-paced, it was very interesting to read and I find myself wanting to keep reading. The story picks up after ~100 pages, or so, and then the events are set into motion where it captivated me even more and it was difficult to put the book down. There are a lot of secrets that could potentially be revealed, mistakes that need to be remedied, and conflicts that need to be resolves, so it will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the rest of the series! [Actual rating - 4.25/5]

**I want to give a special thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, Atria Books, and the author for a review copy of this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

I loved this book! I cannot believe I hadn’t read it before. The characters were new and interesting, and now I understand the second book, which I accidentally picked up before this one. Full review on my blog.

An engaging and well-researched book that mesmerizes the reader with its fluid, character intensive story. The Lost Queen is set in a time and place that combines Scottish history and the seeds of Arthurian legend. It both educates the reader and seizes the imagination in a sweeping story that won't let you go. This spell-binding book will appeal to discerning, historical fiction readers who love the alchemy of "the old ways" when measured against the changing times. This story has everything: Kings and queens and Wisdom Keepers, mystical forests, star-crossed lovers, political intrigue and concerns of family loyalty. Above all, The Lost Queen has heart and soul and intelligence. If you're a fan of Phillipa Gregory and Marion Zimmer Bradley, this book is for you!

A great historical fiction retelling of a classic tale, the author focuses on Celtic history around the time of the Anglo-saxon wars, a time period that not much is known about.

I wanted to enjoy the book but had to start it several times before I was able to finish it, it just didn't hold my interest

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike provides a most interesting historical version of political turmoil written against the background of Anglo-Saxon history. The storyline allows for a detailed description of relationships, political turmoil and agreements made between different parties. Pike's well defined and detailed descriptions of the history behind religion, fight for land and identity allows any reader to become familiar with the era. In addition, the book allows the reader to enjoy a fictional description of historical landscapes and enjoy a page-turner book and continue to wonder what may happen next.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I admit in my joy at joining NetGalley I may have been overzealous in my requesting numbers. As this book has already been published, I am choosing to work on the current upcoming publish date books in my que. As I complete those I will work on my backlogged request and will provide a review at that time. I again send my sincere thanks and apologies.