this was a great start to the series, I appreciated that it was based on Morgana Le Fey. I overall enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

This book is your typical YA book that tries to be something more than it is. The main character is flat, lacks both compassion and voice. No super interesting love interest: I was bored from beginning to end.

Very easy read. Read it in an hour.
Tells the beginnings of Morgana le fay. What is the difference between light and dark magic and is there a line where they could both be right

I love Arthurian legend, especially as told by the women characters, and Morgana is one of my favorite literary characters. Reading this story, I thought it was richly imagined and I definitely caught myself feeling for the main character, unfortunately I didn’t pick up on a lot of feeling *from* the main character. While the plot was interesting enough, the characters didn’t quite engage me. I would have liked to see more description, both of the world and setting as well as the characters and their inner workings.

Title Darkness Sleeping (Origins of Morgana Le Fay #1)

Author Jen Pretty

Description from Amazon

Morgana has spent years in an orphanage in Pons Aelius, but at 18, she must leave her temporary home and head for the convent where she plans to spend the rest of her days.

An old woman who lives in the attic chooses Morgana as her student and begins the task of teaching her to read every day at noon. One day, the old woman gives Morgana a new book and that book will change her life forever.

Suddenly finding herself on the run from the religious zealots, she takes her horse and travels across the great country in search of a place she only knows by name: Avalon.
Will Morgana find this mythical place, and will she finally find a home there?

Or will the darkness sleeping within her rise as she faces forces that threaten to end her very life?

Initial Thoughts

I really enjoy King Arthur retellings and I thought this book sounded really interesting. Morgana Le Fay is typically a villain in the story and I was very interested to see how her backstory would be portrayed when she is the star.

Some Things I Liked

A villain’s backstory. I got all kinds of Joaquin Phoenix Joker vibes from this book. It gave so much clarity and background to a villain that I thought I knew well. I loved that.
History. I really enjoyed the history woven into the story. I hope to see more of that in the next books but I really enjoyed the mentions of the Saxons and Romans brought up in this book. I thought it grounded the mythological elements of the story and made it feel more like a historical fiction story (which I loved).

One Thing I Didn’t Like

I get that this is the story of a villain, but I was somewhat disappointed that there was so much death. Morgana was not exactly remorseful (the scene at the school) and I think I was secretly wishing she’d become a hero. I think I have to embrace the fact that this is the story of how she becomes a villain (and not a redemption story).

Series Value

This story is definitely interesting. The ending left me desperate for the next installment (a certain character from the original legend makes an appearance 😉). I will continue reading this series when the next book comes out (later this month).

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. I thought the story was captivating and I am excited to read the next installment. I also was surprised how much I enjoyed getting inside the mind of a villain. This was a change of pace for me as I usually want to read stories of heroes. Morgana is a rich and complex character and I can’t wait to read more about her regardless of how her story plays out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Kingdom Cold by Brittni Chenelle – if you enjoy retelling of the legend of King Arthur, definitely give this series a try. Also, the Morgan / Morgana character has a really interesting story.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo – if you enjoy a likable villain, check out this series. The Darkling is one of my all time favorite villains.
Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta – if you like the Arthurian element but are looking for a more futuristic / sci-fi setting, give this book a try.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Morgan ages out of the orphanage and is sent to be a servant at a convent. There she meets an old woman who gives her a book of spells and tells Morgan to go to Avalon to find her birthright. A perilous journey ensues.

This book was a quick read. It's perfect for Arthurian lovers. I found the writing simplistic and the plot predictable.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W76J3TD?ref=cm_sw_em_r_rw_mw_61I5dVgr8mfK6

Well I must have enjoyed this book because after finishingI immediately went on to Amazon and pre-ordered the sequel. This is the story of the famous Morgan Le Fay in Arthurian legend - while it lacks the depth and splendour of the Mists of Avalon, it does draw you in and you feel sympathy for Morgan and her choices. She's trying to find a place where she belongs and where her magic fits in but everywhere she goes, even to Avalon, things go wrong and she loses control and people die. I would say that her depictions of Avalon are a bit American High School (were 5th century girls really called Lauren, Macy and Gillian?) and did they really say 'Hi'when they greet each other and lunch in cafeterias over 1000 years ago? However, putting that to one side, this is still an exciting and entertaining read and I am looking forward to the next one.

Thank you NetGalley and Jen Pretty for this arc.

Fans of epic fantasy and fairy tales will probably like this book better than I did. I am a big fan of Ms. Pretty's contemporary urban fantasy. This is a easy and fast-paced read with a well developed story line and some interesting characters. I did find most of the characters a little under-developed, but as this is just the first of an obviously planned series, I'm sure that will be rectified in future books.