Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't realize this was the second book in a series. It just sounded so good I just had to read it. There is a synopsis of The Lost Queen at the beginning so it didn't leave me feeling too lost. This is a fantastic work of historical fiction that I couldn't put down. I plan on going back to read the first book and I look forward to the third and final book.

#' The Forgotten Kingdom' is #2 in author # Signe Pike's Lost Queen' trilogy. Back to medieval Scotland in a wonderful historical tale. #" Memory is a danger. It unlocks the door to madness.🌟💜🐾🐾

The Forgotten Kingdom is a fantastic sequel to The Lost Queen and I actually liked it better than the first book in the trilogy. Signe Pike's writing continues to be wonderful to read. Her prose is easy to fall into, yet presents so much information. The constant feed of historical content was nearly effortless to absorb and it was all given in a way that felt interesting and compelling.

The pace is really fast in this installment and there is a lot of action that kept me on the edge of my seat for a good majority of the novel. The multiple POV approach again worked wonderfully for this story and allowed for so much more of the picture to be painted. I particularly enjoyed the Angharad storyline, though she is mostly a fictionalized character. I loved how Pike was able to weave in so much historical content and introduce so many of the players during this tumultuous time in Scottish history. It is incredibly clear that a lot of research went into the construction of the novel and that a lot of care was taken to piece all of it together. I am not able to verify its accuracy as my knowledge of this location and time period is very minimal, but others with greater knowledge than mine have stated that the contents do largely ring true.

The characters continued to improve in this installment. They grew quite a bit of depth, becoming even more rounded and complicated as individuals. The introduction of new characters created an additional level of complexity to the story that worked quite well. The actions and interactions of the characters felt more natural in this than the original novel and the overall feel of the book was one of greater writing maturity. I enjoyed being able to witness this progression.

I have really enjoyed this series so far and I am itching to read the final book in the trilogy. This is a section of historical fiction that I am not well versed in, but reading Pike's work has definitely inspired me to look for more works written during this time period.

** Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. **

I am enjoyed this story and The Lost Queen so much. Pike's writing is so beautiful and I adore this story of Languoreth.
I haven't read too many stories set in the sixth century, but I feel the authenticity of the time. The beliefs of Scotland before the influence of Christianity is really interesting and the author captures this mystical time period beautifully!

The battle rages in the valley below you as you hide behind the shelter of trees. You shouldn’t be here, but something draws you toward the rage flowing between men. The clash of swords sends sparks into the air, blood drips down their silver blades. The enemy has yet to retreat and you know there is little time left. The sun sets in the distance, but the cloak of night will not bid well for the warriors you love. You hang you head in defeat as a single tear drips down your face, a smooth trail in the dusty layer. It is over. They have lost.

The Forgotten Kingdom, book two of The Lost Queen trilogy, picks up right where book one left off. While it does have a bit of retracing into the story of book one, I still recommend reading them in order. There is a lot of detail and imagery that will be easier to remember and retain if the books are read together.

That being said, I enjoyed this book as much as the first and the battle scenes were spectacular. Book one was told from Languoreth’s perspective, while this book was told from her perspective, her brother Lailoken, and her daughter. I enjoyed the viewpoints of all three.

This trilogy is not just a fantasy tale. It’s based from true Scottish history, which makes it even more intriguing for me. As a fan of historical fiction, tying the two genres together (fantasy & hist. fiction) has been such a treat.

I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the third book in the trilogy to be released!

TW: War, Murder, Torture/Beatings, Gruesome Descriptions of Bodies from Battle, Infidelity, Death of a Child.

I enjoyed diving back into the land of Scotland AD 550. The Celtic portions of this book are so much fun. The writing geared towards those parts of the story are just fun.

I have a hard time navigating between the three stories provided. It was a bit too much at times.

While I really enjoyed this read I do not feel book was as well told as the first in the trilogy. I am looking forward to the third to help round out the story.

Thank you Atria for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Both The Lost Queen and The Forgotten Kingdom are written by Signe Pike. The author transports the reader to AD 550 in both books and to the wilds of Scotland that will forever live on in every readers imagination. This is about Languoreth who was a twin to Lailoken who inspired the famous legend of Merlin. She was a queen in sixth-century Scotland. The atmospheric descriptions of Scotland during that time period are brilliantly written. The book starts at the Land of the Britons Late Winter, AD 550 when ten-year-old twins lose their mother. The author features the many facets of old Scotland and life for the twins including betrayals, war. romance and power. I love her writing as it is mesmerizing and keeps me turning pages into the night. I highly recommend this next in series .

I read The Lost Queen by Signe Pike last year and loved it. When the e-ARC of The Forgotten Kingdom was approved, I re-read The Lost Queen and remembered why I loved it. Then I got to The Forgotten Kingdom and just a little bit of the thrill was gone. The Lost Queen is described as Outlander meets Camelot. Honestly, the only things to compare The Lost Queen to Outlander is they’re both set in the vicinity of Scotland, and there are battles raging. And so far, we’ve met Myrrdin (Merlin) and Uther Pendragon. I think we may have met THE Arthur, but this story differs from traditional King Arthur legend so not entirely sure about that but excited for the follow-up.

The Forgotten Kingdom delves into the battle between Rhyderrech and his allies, and Uther Pendragon and his forces, including his brother-in-law, Lailoken (he who becomes who we know as Myrrdin or Merlin). Caught up in the battle is Rhydderech and wife, Langoureth‘s, 8 year old daughter, Angharad. After the battle is over, the story continues with each the three main characters storylines: Lailoken, Langoureth and Angharad. Of the three, I think I enjoyed Angharad’s the most? Maybe? .

The three storylines frustrated me because they weren’t told concurrently. Angharad’s story, lagged behind the others two by months, so I was constantly trying to keep up with the dates because it felt like there were times especially right after the battle when the stories intersected or went back in time and it was off-putting.

And, there is a lot of description, a lot. It slowed parts of the story down for me. However, Ms. Pike’s research into the history of Scotland and the real-life characters she’s illustrating is fantastic. She has really brought a piece of little known history to life!

Overall, The Forgotten Kingdom was a satisfying follow up to The Lost Queen. For me, I preferred the first book but I’m definitely looking forward to next years conclusion!

Thank you to #netgalley and #atriabooks for the advanced e-book of #theforgottenkingdom.

The Forgotten Kingdom is the second book in the Lost Queen trilogy, and let me tell you this one does not feel like a book two of three. It is so richly detailed and the three points of view within are captivating—Angharad’s in particular—making this novel lose that middle child designation that happens with trilogies.

The story picks up where book one left off with Languoreth, the Lost Queen, imprisoned in her own chamber. Her husband and son are gone, at war with her Wisdom Keeper brother Lailoken in a battle of Briton against Briton for religious control of the kingdom. Christianity is the new religion of the land challenging the old ways of the Lost Queen, who is unfortunately married to the next Christian king. Both the Christians and the Pagans face a new threat in the Angles who are coming to claim their lands (Scotland) for themselves.

Meanwhile, Languoreth’s young daughter Angharad, who was studying under her uncle, has been lost in the commotion of battle and ends up in the mystical land of the Picts. Here she unexpectedly finds family and trains to be a Priestess. No matter where this girl lands, her gifts are noticed. She has a strong personality like her mother, and I can’t wait to see her role in the final book of the trilogy.

This era 573 A.D. is waaaaay out of my historical fiction comfort zone, but I’ve have thoroughly enjoyed both books in the series so far. The amount of research Pike has done is evident in the rich details both political and religious of Celtic history. Her cast of characters are vast in their differences and so incredibly engaging. This trilogy would be an excellent series—do you hear me HBO?

Thank you to Atria Books, Netgalley and of course Signe Pike for the advanced copy. This book along with The Lost Queen are out now. Go get a copy--you won’t regret it!

Thank you!! My only regret in reading this was I realized I should have re read #1 The Lost Kingdom before tackling The Forgotten Kingdom. This trilogy is such a sweeping tale of Celtic history, can't wait for the next one!!

Thank you! I reviewed this book for THRIVE GLOBAL
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/escape-into-fiction-this-fall/

I read both The Lost Queen and The Forgotten Kingdom written by Signe Pike who researched extensively about Languoreth who was a twin to Lailoken who inspired the legend of Merlin. She was a queen in sixth-century Scotland but the first book starts at Cadzow Fortress, Strathclyde Land of the Britons Late Winter, AD 550 when the ten-year-old twins lose their mother, Lady Idell. Although they have been brought up in the Old Ways of signs and omens, Languoreth is not to be a Wisdom Keeper or druid like her twin. She must deal with betrayal, bloodshed, brawls and a very handsome soldier named Maelgwn although she is pledged to Rhydderch, son of a Christian king.

I felt like I was walking in the woods with her as the descriptions are so vivid. We are now dealing with violence and political intrigue, and like Languoreth we must learn who we can trust and how to adapt to changing times. As Cathan tells her, “Each of us has the power to fight.” Languoreth tells us, “We are a people of choices, and in these choices we find our freedom. I choose for whom I fight.”

I am so glad that Pike has shared the story of Languoreth with us as we need these stories of strong women. Ariane told Languoreth that, “We may not always have the choice we would like. But we always have a choice.” Please use your choice to vote in our upcoming elections and be part of making a change.

When we are allowed to travel again, I will visit Scotland and the sites Ppike describes. Pike tells us, “My hope is that these novels will encourage you to undertake a journey of your own. For although the legends of Arthur and Merlin have their roots in events that took place nearly 1,500 years ago, their enchantment and ability to enrapture us has failed to diminish over time. But their magic is still accessible to any who seek it.” Where will your journey take you?

The Forgotten Kingdom, Book 2, starts with an imprisonment which mirrors how many of us have felt during COVID, stuck at home. As Trish Todd, Vice President & Executive Editor of Atria Books, shared: “In recent months, we’ve all felt like Languoreth, locked inside our homes waiting for the battle outside to be over. What will the world look like when we open the door? Who has survived? When will we see our loved ones again? The Forgotten Kingdom echoes the frightening uncertainty of our time while showing us that disasters that seem unprecedented or insurmountable have always inspired us.”

I hope you enjoy both of these books as much as I did. I will be waiting for the arrival of Book 3 in September 2023. I wonder what will happen with Angharad. I wish I could read it right now!

I thought The Forgotten Kingdom was a great read. I want to go back and read the first book from The Lost Queen Trilogy to see what happened previously and can not wait to read the final installment, as well. Five stars.

In 573, Languoreth waits to hear about her son and husband, who are at war with her brother Lailoken. Her daughter Angharad had been studying with Lailoken, but was lost in the chaos of war. She has to find her way home in the midst of the Picts as Lailoken retreats and eventually teams up with the warrior Artur. Languoreth has to hide her belief in the Old Ways as Christianity becomes a bigger power in the area, and Angles are looking to expand their territory. To bring Christians and pagans together to fight off the Angles, Lailoken will work with Artur as Myrddin.


This is the second book in the Lost Queen trilogy, and takes place in early medieval Scotland. I haven't read the first book, but I don't feel as though I'm missing too much to understand this one. There is so much detail in this world, with the different British kingdoms, the differences between early Christianity and the Old Ways, as well as those who would use religion as another means of grabbing power for themselves. In that respect, the problems that the different groups have back then are instantly recognizable for modern readers.


We have split viewpoints because there are actually three different prongs to this story. We follow Languoreth as she's stuck in the castle with the different rumors swirling around her, torn between loyalty to her husband as well as that of her brother, foster brothers, and cousins. There's her twin brother, fighting with the Pendragons against the utter destruction that other kingdoms want to bring against them for fear of the future. Then there's Angharad, caught between these warring nations and then spirited away to learn about the Old Ways with the Picts. There are different cultures and viewpoints along the way, all of which were fascinating to read about.


Signe did an incredible amount of research to bring this time period to life, and following the actual text of the book (we don't actually get a chance to see Myrddin in action, so it's likely in the last book of the trilogy) we are treated to some of the texts and facts that are extant in history. Of course there's very little known about Languoreth, as most women were erased from early histories, and her research as well as educated guesses to flesh out the story is outlined. That's as fascinating to me as well as the actual text, and I enjoyed reading it as well.

This book is a sequel so if you haven’t read The Lost Queen then proceed with caution as there may be spoilers ahead. If you haven’t read The Lost Queen…. what are you waiting for?! The Forgotten Kingdom picks up where The Lost Queen left off, which was fantastic because I was dying to know what happened next. I really fell in love with Langoureth and Lailoken so I was very glad to see their journeys continue in the sequel. In The Lost Queen, the book mainly focuses on Langoureth but in this one we are also given perspectives from Lailoken and Langoureth’s youngest daughter, Angharad. Langoureth is still my favorite character but I really came to love Angharad’s story and am very excited to see what is in store for her in the third book. I don’t want to say too much about what happened because, well, spoilers, but I am definitely liking where I am seeing this story going. I love how well researched these novels have been. It’s been fantastic reading about this era in Scotland. What makes it even better is that even though it is well researched, Signe Pike is able to make the story magical and the flow of her writing adds to the mysticism of the time. I really can’t wait to see what happens in the third book.

The Forgotten Kingdom, by Signe Pike, is an ancient Scottish tale woven of war, love and redemption. The second book in The Lost Queen trilogy, its prose is beautiful and haunting. Fans of historical fiction and Arthurian legend retellings like The Mists of Avalon will not be disappointed.

Told in three different voices, that of Languoreth, her twin brother Lailoken, and her daughter Angharad, this is a story of epic proportions across a country divided and a family torn apart. Each character suffers greatly and in turn, rises stronger. Each also has their own magic, be it through sight, dream or ability that aids them on their separate journeys. A thread that runs through all three is a deep tie to their ancestors and reverence for the land and Old Ways they wish to preserve, despite relentless war, societal and religious change.

Ultimately, each will become a figure in history burned into memory out of time: one a Queen, one a Wizard (or, as referred to here, a Wisdom Keeper), and one a Priestess.

And yet, war threatens still. What will the conclusion to this mesmerizing trilogy bring? Readers, including myself, will have to wait to and see. But wait we will, with Languoreth, Lailoken and Angharad, each of whom captured us separately, yet completely - their stories cloaked in the enchanted mist of prose that Pike has knitted across the pages of our hearts.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Signe Pike has woven a wonderful story in The Lost Queen and now The Forgotten Kingdom continues the story. This time there is a couple big battles and we learn more about daughter Angharad and what happened over seven years since she was lost from her uncle Lailoken. We learn a little bit more about Languoreth. I found the author notes at the end about how she learned about the different real life people and the real battles was super fascinating. I really recommend this trilogy if you like stories from back in AD 570.

this was a really enjoyable historical novel, I alwasy enjoy reading something from Signe Pike and really enjoyed this book.

I was really torn about the number of stars to give this review. Having not read the first book in the trilogy I jumped into this narrative blind. Although, I do not believe this hindered the storyline. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but did sometimes feel a lack of commitment to finishing. I will probably not read it again, but it did lead me on a path to research some things about Historical Scotland.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing be to receive this arc in exchange of an honest review.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
I adored The Lost Queen. It was so beautifully written and nuanced. It was one of the best books I read last year. I couldn’t wait to dive back into this world.
I still loved the writing and the heart of this story. However I found this book much harder to get through. The multiple storylines were each complicated in a way that was hard to follow. It felt overly wordy.
I will continue with the next book but this was not as good as the first book.