I was delighted to read this book courtesy of Netgalley. It was beautifully written, evoking the scents and sounds of 6th Century Scotland. I was absolutely transported into the lives of the protagonists and it was an exciting well-paced read.
It was very well researched, Although I'd comment it was possibly unwise to mention Hengist and Horsa, who lived a century earlier. It was a big flaw in the case made by the author,. Vortigern arguably is an amalgam of semi-historical figures so I could accept him, but not Hengist and Horsa).

That said this is fiction and the joy of writing, is one is freed to follow what path you like, I so enjoyed the tale I really didn't mind. I am looking forward to the sequel with bated breath, what more can any author ask?

What a page turner! I loved reading the story of twins, Lailoken and Languoreth raised in the sixth century of Scotland. Lailoken’s story is the inspiration of the tales of Merlin. Whilst Languoreth becomes a brave and passionate Queen... I can’t wait for the next instalment.

This was an absolute delight to read, and I am super excited to get my hands on the upcoming sequel.

This is a really fun look at the Lost Queen of history--Languoreth, twin sister to Lailoken, the man who supposedly inspired the tale of Merlin. I don't know much of Merlin or the time these historical figures inhabited (the sixth century), so it was just so great to read! Pike truly brings history alive on the page in a way I adore. I loved the characters--Languoreth, Lailoken, Morken, Maelgwyn, among so many others--and how lore and religion and society are all tied up together.

I will admit, the first 15% dragged on a bit, as we're introduced to the world and characters. However, once time begins to progress and we see the characters age and grow and clash, I was tearing through most of the novel in one sitting.

A truly unique setting as far as historical novels go, and one I highly recommend about kingdom, family, love, and what it means to risk it all to survive.

This is a favorite of mine. A story told in 6th century Scotland. A new religion is rising which brings disruption and fighting. Languoreth falls in love with a warrior before having to marry the son of a king.

The Lost Queen is an amazing tale of Languoreth, the sister to Merlin of Arthurian legend. Signe Pike did a fabulous job of writing a historical fiction tale set in 6th century Scotland. It pulled me in from the very beginning and I can't wait to read the next installment.

This was a little slow to start for me, but once I got to know the characters and especially once Langoureth was older, I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down! The writing was rich and layered and I felt like I was there, walking the woods or wandering the castle with Langoureth. Absolutely can’t wait for the next book!

This is my first book by this author, but not my last. I can’t wait for the next book to come out.

This is a beautiful, well written book filled with history and magic. The issues the characters deal with are still current today. There is still war about about religion, the equality between man and woman. Doing what your head tells you to do instead of your heart.

It is a book that will transport you back in time.

Set in sixth century Scotland, The Lost Queen is a retelling of the Arthurian legend via the sister of Merlin.
Languoreth is the daughter of an ancient king (or chieftain). As such, she’s duty-bound to marry for socio-political reasons and not for love. But she has an affair with a young general.

Told in the first person, the story begins with Languoreth and her twin brother, Lailoken (later known as Merlin), mourning the recent loss of their mother, a Wisdom Keeper skilled in the healing arts.

Intelligent, independent, and passionate, Languoreth must follow in her mother’s footsteps, which means no freedom and few choices. Daughters of kings must marry kings. They can’t become keepers, as Languoreth prefers. And she can’t become a warrior. But the young princess still has the power to fight. We may not always have the choice we like, she observes. But we always have a choice. Or so readers are told. About 9 million times.
So Languoreth is destined to marry a stranger, a man she doesn’t love, for the safety and security of her people. Bummer.

But that doesn’t stop her from pursuing a romance with Maelgwn, one of Pendragon’s generals. (We get it. We got it the first 4,873 times it was mentioned, okay? Can we move on?)

The style is reminiscent of T.H. White, with excellent world-building. The prose is as rich and redolent as woodsmoke and pine. The descriptions are also good, but sometimes threaten to overwhelm the central character and run her into the woods.

Additionally, it takes a while for this story to get rolling. The initial chapters – like, ten – are replete with rituals, kennings, bannock, feasts and festivals, Dragon Warriors, her father’s health, flora gathering and Midsummer whatevers. It’s like the author’s trying to impress us with her deep dive into ancient Scottish lore. Or… something. The unfortunate result is that it takes close to twenty chapters for this thing to gather any real steam.

I really wanted to like this book. It has its moments. But it meanders too often, moving with the alacrity of a three-toed sloth. It’s also yawningly repetitive in places.

The tile is also a bit misleading. As Languoreth’s story winds down with a war in which family members are pitted against other family members, her husband’s ascension to the high king’s throne is still in doubt. Ditto her status as “queen.”

That’s kind of a gyp. Especially since readers spent the last 9,358 pages (or so it may seem) hopefully hopping down every bunny trail in Scotland looking for a coronation.

Bummer again.

Lovers of Celtic history and the Arthurian legend will enjoy The Lost Queen. It’s unlikely to kindle similar enthusiasm from casual readers. Indeed, The Lost Queen would probably make a good movie. But you’d have to cut out or abbreviate about half the story, or it’d take a week to screen.

#TheLostQueen
#NetGalley

This was so interesting and lead me on a DEEP historical dive. Such a beautiful story that I enjoyed through to the end - it has everything love, deceit, revenge... Languoreth was a tough lady and the most endearing LOYAL character.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author, Signe Pike, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Lost Queen in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Such a beautifully descriptive story. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
The narrative and scenery are compelling and highly detailed. The past has been brought to life. Magical. I can't wait for more.

Well worth a read

The Lost Queen is an incredibly unique book in my opinion. It's novel is set in sixth century Scotland—I initially read this book because it was compared to one of my favorites, The Mists of Avalon. This saga follows Languoreth and her twin, from around age 10 when they lost their mother, through finding love at 15, marriage to cement an alliance shortly after, and a terrible war when she is in her early thirties, pitting family members against each other. I like historical fiction which seems as if the author has done extensive background research, and I definitely got this sense with Lost Queen. The plot was compelling—a real page-turner—and the characters were well-drawn, nuanced, and memorable, especially the strong female protagonist.

Pike's writing brings the Lost Queen's story to life. And as with real life, endings are usually sad but it's the journey that matters. Languoreth's country is beautiful and you feel as connected to it as she is. The beliefs of the time, as they faced the first wave of Christian influence, ran deep and you won't be able to stop yourself from rooting for her brother, Lailoken, even though you know how his tale ends.

A wonderful read for historical fiction fans and anyone who is interested in a well-researched explanation on the Arthurian legend. Just beautiful.

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 3
Pace: 3
Plot development: 3
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

I adored this book. I'm such a sucker for Arthurian inspired novels and this one was amazing. The main character was wonderfully developed and the relationships she has with everyone in this book are so rich and a delight to read. I'm so excited to read the next books in the series!

This novel first caught my eye when it was described as OUTLANDER meets GAME OF THRONES. That’s all it took. I became so lost in the story when I started reading!
Recently released in paperback, THE LOST QUEEN is the perfect dose of historical fiction mixed with a touch of Arthurian Legend,
This one will be with me for a long time. The story follows Languoreth, and her twin brother Lailoken. A coming of age story, set in sixth century, Scotland. I couldn’t help but think about Merida from the Disney movie BRAVE. A young princess, getting ready to marry, and become queen.
Unlike Merida, Languoreth had no say in a lot of her life decisions. Her royal duties are much more strict, and this is where her character develops, and is forced to make choices for her family, not for love, not for herself. She marries a man her father, the king has chosen for her.
The novel is slower paced in some parts, but it’s so worth the pace. The description, and detail of scenes, and backgrounds, paints a super clear and beautiful picture of the surroundings.
This beautiful cover, mirrors this beautiful story, and I much appreciate the authors time in doing all the history research to make this book come to life, in such an incredible way.

The Lost Queen is author Signe Pike’s first book in a trilogy. It is part historical fiction and part fantasy. The story is set in the middle ages in Europe when Christianity’s rise is threatened the ancient Celtic religion and lifestyle. There is plenty of political and religious conflict that reflects the author’s research on the period and topic. The story further explores the impact this conflict has on the people of Scotland.

This epic saga features legends, warriors, a forgotten sixth-century Scottish queen and Merlin. I loved the strong female character, but her blunders reminded me of what I didn’t like in the main character of the Outlander series (to which The Lost Queen has been likened). The occasional use of a modern phrase can be easily overlooked by most readers (but fantasy devotees may cringe at a few). While modern readers might take offense to how some characters are treated, the author’s use of the social hierarchies and norms is clearly well researched and felt authentic to the period.

Unlike some fantasy sagas I’ve read, Ms. Pike’s plot is straightforward. There is a lot of forward movement. In the several fantasy sagas I’ve read, there was so much devotion to world-building and creating an incredibly vast cast of characters, that the arc of the plot is easily lost, or it wasn’t until the final book that there was any real forward trajectory in the plot.

Even though the story is well written, at 500 pages, the book was a bit long for me given my interest level in the fantasy genre in general and Arthurian legend specifically. True fantasy lovers will relish diving into Ms. Pike’s debut novel!