Cleverly crafted and very well written, this tale kept me captivated. I loved the rich, historical detail and appreciate all of the research that went in to this novel. I highly recommend!
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM held many of the same challenges for me as the first in the series did. Namely, the author’s writing just didn’t capture my attention and served to separate me from the world-building and characters she created. The character names are difficult and while reflective of the times she writes about, interfere with her storytelling. I found myself frustrated more often than not while reading this book. I am in the minority, though, and this series has many fans. I believe that I am just not the right reader for it. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed the predecessor to The Forgotten Kingdom and was very excited to see what would come next in Languoreth’s story. In The Lost Queen, the story was told all from Languoreth’s perspective. In the sequel, the story is told from three different perspectives: Languoreth, Lailoken, and her daughter, Angharad. At first, I did not have a problem with this change. However, the mismatched timelines for each of the characters could get a bit confusing at times. Lailoken’s perspective was probably my least favorite to read from. It just wasn’t as engaging as Languoreth’s or even Angharad’s.

The story could be a bit slow at times as well. There are major battles being fought, but it never seems like the reader is in on the action. This one definitely had a bit of a second book syndrome in that not a ton happens, but it seems to be building towards some major events to come in the final book.

I enjoyed the new characters introduced like Artur, and I loved that the story welcomed back an old favorite too. The Pict were an interesting addition, and I appreciated the author’s note at the end in which she explains some of the real-life back story behind these characters and places.

Overall, I enjoyed The Forgotten Kingdom, and I’m excited to see what will come next.

I liked this a lot!!!!! It’s the second book in a series about Languoreth, the future queen of a Dark Ages kingdom in the British Isles, and Lailoken, her twin brother, who would go on to become the legendary Arthurian character, Merlin. In THE LOST QUEEN, Languoreth is the sole narrator, describing her upbringing as a young princess and the daughter of a man with notable Ned Stark qualities, her love for a handsome warrior pledged to Uther Pendragon, and her eventual marriage to a future Christian king. The first book is propulsive and beautiful, but with the incredibly aggravating, insulting flaw that good characters are beautiful and bad characters are ugly. Thankfully the author does not employ this cheap tactic in the second book, which is from the perspective of Languoreth, Lailoken, and Languoreth’s young, magically gifted daughter Angharad.

Signe Pike has an astounding talent for endearing the reader to character; she’s also just a beautiful writer, and every setting is richly described without feeling burdened by detail.

Absolutely recommended for all historical fiction lovers, especially those fascinated by Arthurian legend and ancient history.

THE LOST QUEEN is out now; THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM comes out September 15.

The Forgotten Kingdom is the follow-up book to The Lost Queen by Signe Pike, which was one of my top 5 favorite books I read last year. It’s an Arthurian origin story, mostly historical fiction but with some fantastical elements thrown in. I would call the series magical realism, but The Forgotten Kingdom packed on a lot more fantasy than the first entry.

WHAT I LIKED:

I find the author’s writing beautiful. She takes seemingly mundane tasks, like a character walking through a field, and turns it into something beautiful.

The development of Langoureth’s character. The first book was primarily her story. This second entry followed three storylines: Langoureth, her brother Lailoken, and her daughter Angharad. I found Langoureth’s storyline to still be so intriguing, though, despite the diminished time we have with her. Having been following her for much longer than the other characters, I had more of an attachment to her than I did the others and it was interesting to see how the events she’d gone through changed her over the course of her story.

Angharad’s story, when she’s young. Angharad’s story as a child swept away from all she knows and thrown into a completely foreign world was probably my favorite part of the whole book. She loses a lot of luster as she gets older, though, which leads me to…

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

Older Angharad. There’s a time jump in the story where Angharad ages from 7 to 17. She became pretty bland to me after this time jump. She no longer cared about getting back to her family, which had been her aim for the entire story up until the time jump. I get that her character would start to feel disconnected from her family after being away for so long, but because a big part of her motivation for a huge part of the story (the time jump doesn’t occur until probably about 75-80% of the way in) was getting back to her family, it was a bit jarring to have her suddenly no longer care about that.

The lack of action. Most of the action that occurs during this story, including wars and raids, is glanced over or told from the outside perspective of someone not partaking in said action. This is a personal preference for me, but I would have liked to have had a front row seat to these events rather than a brief description after the fact.

The meandering descriptions of a magic system that ultimately made no sense. There were a lot of long narratives in the book about the mysterious magic power that Angharad possessed. However, despite these sermons, I put down the book with no clue how to explain or even describe the mystical powers present. It felt like a lot of work for little reward.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I found the book enjoyable for the first half. I loved following Angharad and getting to see how she handled the myriad of troubles that landed in her path. I liked seeing Langoureth’s development. However, at the halfway point, I started to feel burned out. There wasn’t a whole lot happening plot-wise and the characters started to lose their luster (particularly Lailoken), so there wasn’t a lot keeping me invested. I did enjoy the last 10% of the book, though, and would definitely be interested in checking out book three when it arrives.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader’s copy!

The Forgotten Kingdom

I said it with book one and I'll say it again
--
Why is there not an option for more than 5 stars?!

Signe Pike did it again, another phenomenonal book! This time told from POV of Languoreth, Lailoken and Angharad.

I love how the ending of The Lost Queen flows right into the beginning of The Forgotten Kingdom, I really loathe when a sequel is written and the start of the next doesn't line up with the end of the one prior to it. The Forgotten Kingdom was intense, heartbreaking, angering and left me with my mouth hanging open in quite a few spots.

I am so angry with Languoreth and for those of us who have not gotten an ARC, I will not spoil why, but just know Languoreth has upset me.
I feel bad for Rhydderch because he does love Languoreth and you can tell he does, Rhydderch is put is some very burdensome positions which he has to tread carefully so as to appease the council and his wife, but also be able to live with his choices.

Lailoken has gone through so much, wars, losing family, losing friends, his mind, strife.

The faith in the Old Gods is turned into the religion Paganism, Christianity is growing more followers. You learn more background on certain characters and learn of new characters and villages.

There are so many intertwining stories in this great story.. or is it stories as it is told from 3 POVs? I am in love with these books and in awe of the time and dedication of research that Signe Pike put into these books. I see myself rereading them over and over.

There is just so much to say, so much I am still processing and thinking about that I can't form into the right words, but I am happy I found these books and absolutely recommend you read them, but please please start with the first.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and thank you Signe Pike for such an amazing set of books, I look forward to the next one!

It is not often that I find that a sequel is better than the original but it was very true in this case. The followup to "The Lost Queen", a new twist on the story of Merlin that mostly focused on his sister, Langoureth, "The Forgotten Kingdom" adds the point of view of Lailoken (Merlin) and Langoureth's daughter Anghared.

Set in 6th century Scotland, warring factions, mysterious priestesses, wild terrain and lost loves provide for a sweeping tale that had me enthralled the whole way through.

Lailokan and his Dragon Warriors are defeated by his brother in law Rhyderrch and his father in a battle in which Wisdom Keeper in training, his niece, Angharad, is lost. Lailoken spends seven years in hiding, not knowing if Angharad or his betrothed, Eira, lives. In the meantime, Angharad lives her own harrowing adventure, while her parents and uncle fear she is dead. The threat of war requires that the warring clans of Scotland come together to defeat a common enemy. Will they all find each other again and survive this new threat?

The only thing I can find fault with here is that I have to wait patiently for the next volume to come out!

Thank you to Atria books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

The Forgotten Kingdom, the second of Signe Pike's Lost Queen Trilogy, is just as magical and well-researched as the first. It is fascinating to read a fictionalized historical account of the Britons, especially as they relate to the Merlin legend as it is known today. I especially love learning this forgotten history of the strong women of the time, Languoreth and Angharad. Though The Lost Queen focused mainly on Languoreth, the expansion of perspectives to include both Lailoken and Angharad added depth to the story. I slightly missed the simplicity of a single timeline but Pike did a good job to keep it all reigned in and reveal the story in an exciting manner, from all sides. This magical trilogy is perfect for fans of the King Arthur and Merlin legends, Outlander (books or TV show), historical fiction buffs, and of strong, powerful women.

It is obvious the care and time Pike has taken to do research and to fill in gaps with evidence but also a strong, creative voice. Though the story is deliciously dramatic and thoroughly enjoyable (also heart breaking), it's Pike's Author's Note where her true passion shines. She details her journey on historical research and even gives apology and explanation around where details may have taken more creative license. As a reader, I care less about proof whether something is historically accurate or not (as long as it makes for good reading) but I can appreciate Pike's desire to be as transparent as possible and to build this story from the evidence/historical records up.

I listened to the first book. The Lost Queen, in audiobook format. Though reading physically is just as thrilling, having a native Celtic speaker (I especially loved the Language section of Pike's Author's note that goes into the branching of the Celtic language into modern Welsh and Godelic/Gaelic languages) like Toni Frutin pronounce the names and terms truly elevated the experience for me. Having that preface helped me immensely in holding the names of these characters in my head while reading The Forgotten Kingdom physically - I often read the names aloud as I continued, to keep the lilting language at the top of my mind. Though this book can be consumed in any format, if you want a truly immersive storytelling experience, I highly recommend the audiobook for this novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! The writing is breathtaking and the descriptions so vivid, the story truly comes to life. With well-developed characters and moving scenes, the book is filled with page-turning suspense and emotion through the end. Told from the point of views of Languoreth, Angharad, and Lailoken, each voice is unique where you feel immersed in their stories and their journeys. I enjoyed this series and look forward to the next installment in the trilogy.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I recently reviewed Signe Pike ‘s THE LOST QUEEN and absolutely loved it (can I get a woot woot from my fellow Outlander fans?!), and now I have finished the second book in the trilogy: THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM. For those of you excited for this next book and the continuation of Languoreth and Lailoken’s sagas in medieval Scotland you don’t have much longer to wait with a release date in September! This sequel is just as epic in its span as the first, with more historic battles, love matches, seer divinations, compelling new and old favorite characters, as well as an introduction to further mysterious and powerful kingdoms. In addition, we get to follow Languoreth and Lailoken’s evolution into the roles they are most known for - Queen of Cadzow & Strathclyde and the King’s augur prophetic counsellor respectively.

The second book begins right where the first left off as we have been suspensefully waiting to learn the magnitude and seismic effects of the Battle of Aderydd. In fact, Trish Todd of Atria Books, says this book could be a mirror reflection of our current pandemic times of sheltering in place at home to Languoreth’s harrowing wait locked inside her castle home waiting for the battle conclusion, leaving her and all of us to ask — even after it is over, what will the world be like afterwards and will all our loved ones be hale? However, If a reader hasn’t already read THE LOST QUEEN, the first chapter of this second book provides enough solid and detailed background material to catch up. It also continues with some of the same rich symbolism, talismans, and omens like bird appearances and their feathers to rings of stone.

Yet, with a second book it brings a new cast of characters from outstretched kingdoms that are weaved together to a returning cast through love, war, and/or family ties. Many of these new relationships are developed with connections that I imagine will be even further explored and strengthened in the final book of the triology. Some of the more notably important include Lailoken with his new handfasted bride Eira and Angharad with her new interest in the young warrior Artur. Fascinating rich cultures hailing from newly introduced kingdoms also are added to the mix, such as the kingdoms of the Picts and Scots. The Picts or Cruithni (the First People) are particularly highlighted for their unique traditions — their matriarchal society, tattoos, prophetic Priestesses, and belief in the power of protecting their names are all showcased.

One core theme that continues throughout both books is the strength, courage, and resolve of women. Pike compares women to warriors , citing both with lives of blood and pain. She also introduces even more powerful female characters in this book many of which are priestesses with ‘second sight’ abilities, who can hear the gods speak, and can change or create weather. The emergence of Angharad as a key focus embodies this tenet - there are more chapters told from her point of view than even Lailoken or Languoreth. History also repeats itself in THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM, in the form of battles of a staggering scale as Briton rulers’ continually fight to expand or defend their kingdoms as well as their religious beliefs in the ever present tension between the ‘Old Ways’ versus Christianity. However, in order to stave off the Angles and survive the penultimate battle - The Battle of the Caledonian Wood - the Britons,Scots, and Picts have to all unite against a common enemy despite current rivalries and religious differences. And unlike the previous book that left us in a dramatic cliffhanger not knowing what was going to happen and result in The Battle of Aderydd , Signe Pike gives us a reprieve and allows us a victorious conclusion to this battle at TFK’s book finale. However, she does elude to future battles coming in Book Three - this isn’t the ultimate end and may just be a temporary respite for our medieval heroines and heroes.

Now for the long expectant wait until Book Three! And if the wait is deemed too long, readers can satisfy their curiosities by delving further into the meticulously detailed research cited in the book’s author’s note that covers everything from languages and religions to historic battles, invasions, and sites. Pike demonstrates here her masterful command of knowledge of these historical Scottish figures and era backed by her decade long search into these “forgotten kingdoms”— where gaps in significant archaeological evidence and textual support abound. And for book clubs and history buffs, Pike has hinted at a possible release of her full unedited version of her author’s note as well as the books she utilized for her research. The publishers also released a substantially comprehensive reading and discussion guide for THE LOST QUEEN, so odds are in our favor the same will hold true for THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM. With these additions, there should be enough to rabbit hole with until the final book in the trilogy is revealed!!

This,the second in the series in the Lost Queen trilogy was a definite page turner. We follow the lives of Languoreth, her twin brother, Lailoken., and her young daughter Angharad, who is in training to become Wisdom Keeper.

A huge battle is forthcoming and in all of this turmoil, death, and destruction, Angharad is lost. Guided by her uncle, Lailoken, Angharad travels a difficult road, having to learn, practice, and recall all the things that a Wisdom Keeper acquires as well as the struggle to say alive., and grow into a young women who is special and talented in the ways of the old. She arrives in the land of the Pics, a land that is both mysterious and secretive where she must maneuver a pathway that is fraught with danger and menace.. Her path crosses with many and as she grows, she becomes stronger in the art of the Wisdom Keeper.

In the meantime, the new faith of Christianity seems to be at battle with the old ways. Alliances are formed and the land is divided in those who love and cherish the ways of the old, and those who are flocking to the ways of this new belief system called Christianity.

The rivalries continue and eventually they boil over as Lanfuoreth, now queen and all those she loves enter a time of battles fought, lives lost and rivalries brought to the forefront.

Truly a marvelous addition to this series, this book with its excellent research done once again by Ms Pike, is a joy to read as we sit in judgement and worry over these real people caught up in the land of confusion and violence. Of course into this time of turbulence, comes Artur and “Myrddin.” and a myth and legend is born.

Thank you to Signe Pike, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this thrilling tale due out September 20, 2020

Thank You Publisher for Sending me and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book, but just couldn't get into it. I think it could have been really fun but I just couldn't get into the writing style. I actually accidentally downloaded this one!

It’s late summer, 572 A.D., and the Dragon Warriors are heading back to Kingdom of the Pendragons after visiting Cadzow Fortress. Angharad is accompanying them as Lailoken’s ward; she is to be trained as a Wisdom Keeper. In the Fall of the following year, the Kingdom of Strathclyde, allied with three lords of the south, bring war upon Uther Pendragon’s door. In the aftermath of the Battle of Arderydd, the losing parties head to exile. Some will regroup, forge new alliances and plan revenge, others will mourn the losses and find new strength to go on, yet others will shed their skins and forge new identities—strong, resourceful, and resilient ones, full of shadows and wisdom. The next eight years in these characters lives will prove instrumental if they are to preserve their ways of life.

The Forgotten Kingdom picks up in the late summer of 572 A.D. after the Dragon Warriors left Cadzow Fortress in the first installment. The story is narrated through Lailoken’s, an all-knowing narrator standing for Angharad, and Languoreth’s points of views. Because Signe Pike spends the first 15% or so giving a broad overview of the characters and the politics the kingdoms and their chieftains are enmeshed in, the story works well as a stand-alone. For those who read The Lost Queen right before, like me, the first part of The Forgotten Kingdom will appear repetitive, and the rest, substantially less sensual and cinematic than the first installment, though not entirely devoid of charm. For me, there was a point when the story slowed to a crawl —right about the 70% mark. It could be that by then, I had been immersed in this world for almost a month and needed a break.

The passages describing travel, nature, and battles, are more vivid than the rest of the story combined but, never fear, there are plenty of those passages. It is interesting that this sequel picks up earlier than the end of the previous book because the reader gets to know what is happening parallelly in another theater of operations. It is that “other theater”—the one where the Battle of Arderydd takes place and the few survivors are scattered almost literally to the four winds—that becomes center stage this time around. In fact, Rhydderch and Languoreth are almost afterthoughts in this installment.

The Forgotten Kingdom starts with a battle, one that obliterates a kingdom, and ends with one, one that, if lost, will change the makeup of the land known to us as Britannia. Both battles are brilliantly rendered, cinematically so, and had the book fail to be interesting enough, those descriptions would have earned the price of admission; luckily for readers, that is not the case at all. As survivors of the first battle are scattered to the four winds, readers get a panoramic view of all the kingdoms and customs that rule Scotland in the 6th century, and what a world that is!

Disclaimer: I received from the publisher a free e-book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved The Forgotten Kingdom, a sequel to The Lost Queen, by Signe Pike. I devoured this book in 2 days and was delighted to once again be transported to sixth-century Scotland. The book is rich in detail and the characters are so well written that I feel like I know them. Sometimes the second book of a trilogy can be very "filler" in content but not so with this one. This felt a slightly faster pace than the first book and there is a lot of action but it's also filled with much emotion.

While the first book focused mainly on Langoureth, this one features her daughter Angharad who's story I become very invested in. I really liked seeing her growth while being separated from her family and rooting for the moment when they would be reunited. The journey of Lailoken to become Merlin also continues and I'm so excited about what the next book will bring for him.

I loved reading the Author's Note and learning more about the history of the people and the time. It's fascinating to learn about Langoureth's role in history and how it's been mostly forgotten. You can tell while reading that Signe Pike did a lot of research to create this world and it is full of historical detail. I can't wait for the third book.

If you like historical epics filled with magic, mystery, and lots of emotion, this trilogy is for you.

Big thank you to Atria Books & NetGalley for providing the ARC.

A fantastic follow up to the Lost Queen. The richness of the story across three points of view, over several years is magickal. You can feel the icy water of the Falls, smell the earth and the death rattle of battle. Definitely read the Authors Note at the end which gives more texture to the books setting and characters.

AD 573. Imprisoned in her chamber, Languoreth awaits news in torment. Her husband and son have ridden of to wage war against her brother, Lailoken. She doesn’t yet know that her daughter has been lost in the chaos. Lailoken and his men flee to exile in the mountains of the Lowlands, and with the help of a young warrior named Artur, he may be the only man who can bring Christians and Pagans together to defeat the Angles. But to do so he must become the man known to history as “Myrddin”.

This is the second book in the Lost Queen trilogy and the story keeps getting better.
In this novel we follow the story of Myrddin, the character we now know as Merlin, and his firsts encounters with young Artur. Reading Pike’s work is a magical experience, this book is beautiful, thrilling and fascinating. The best series I’ve read in a long time.
If you like Historical Fiction and epic sagas this is a must read.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Singe Pike for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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**Full review to be added to NetGalley, Goodreads, and Amazon closer to publication date!**

I loved The Lost Queen and was so excited to see that there would be a sequel with The Forgotten Kingdom. This duology has been such a delight in historical fiction and I have had such an amazing time exploring this world with all of these characters, both familiar and new. If you like descriptive, compelling, and masterful writing, then The Forgotten Kingdom is exactly what you need to pick up (and don't forget to read The Lost Queen!)!

I received this ARC via the publisher & netgalley but all opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment in this trilogy. Signe Pike weaves the world of ancient Scotland and England in such a way that you fully grasp the magic and weight of the time period, the book is so well researched and she brings the character portrayal of the people from our history books to life - you can’t help but feel attached to each and every persons struggles and emotions. I love the book and can not wait for the final one- I want to know what happens and I’ll read everything she’s writes during her career!

This second volume of the Lost Queen trilogy was just as captivating as the first. This book follows Langoureth and her daughter, Angharad, through events in 6th century Scotland, through bloody battles and spiritual journeys. As with the The Lost Queen, Pikes historical notes at the end were nearly as fascinating as the novel itself. I can hardly wait for the final volume.

I've always been really intrigued by Arthurian legends and this one takes the classic stories and sets it through the perspective of Langoureth as she is imprisoned in her own home. As the sequel, it is stated that you can read each novel individually but I did choose to pick up the first book before to get a better picture and I definitely recommend doing the same. I was able to track the character development throughout the books and despite the events being two separate story arcs, it's still helpful to know the backstory. With that said, the author does do a good job in setting up The Forgotten Kingdom so that if you haven't read the first, you're still presented with a very solid story arc that makes sense. This was both magical and incredibly atmospheric to read, I'll definitely be keeping an eye for the next book and any of Signe Pike's future works!