I have always loved Arthurian legends, and assumed that they had their origin in real men and women whose actual stories were lost to the mist of time, whose legends were shaped by the norms and values of those telling them in the centuries after they lived. Now author Signe Pike has researched the lands of the Britons as they were in the sixth and seventh centuries, read source material, and filled in gaps to weave together a fantastic new Arthurian legend for our time.

Myrddin (the double d is pronounced th) was also known as Lailoken, and he had a twin sister named Languoreth. In AD 580, Lailoken is a Wisdom Keeper and follows the Old Way and the old gods. Languoreth is married to a local chieftain whose father, a minor king, has chosen to follow a version of Christianity. As the book opens, Languoreth’s husband and son are going to battle against her brothers and cousins, and her husband locks her in her room to prevent her from trying to stop them. Her young daughter Angharad, age 8, has been sent to live with her uncle Lailoken for training as a Wisdom Keeper, and she’s there when her father and brothers show up for a battle that will leave the Pendragon’s Dragon Warriors severely depleted. Lailoken goes into exile, and Languoreth uses her wits to preserve her kingdom.

The Forgotten Kingdom follows the story lines of Lailoken, Languoreth and Angharad, who grows from a child into a young woman over the course of the book. It’s really well done, and presents us with a world in which the Britons (modern day Welsh and Scots) are living uneasily beside the Picts and fighting to preserve their lands from the invading Angles. The two religions are also uneasily co-existing. Languoreth is a wise and canny woman who is able to take matters into her own hands. Angharad is shown to have powers as her attempt to escape the battle lead her to travel all over the island, into the land of the Picts and beyond.

This is the second book in the trilogy but I had no trouble reading it as a stand alone. I will be reading the first, and I’m waiting with great anticipation for the 3rd book to release. Signe Pike has done a marvelous job of recreating an ancient world. While I suspect she hasn’t entirely captured how ancient people thought, her world-building is spot-on and her story-telling skills are marvelous. This is a book to read and re-read. Highly recommended.

4.5 stars

The Lost Queen was one of my favorite reads of last year and I raved about it to everyone I knew. Not to mention I gave it to all my friends and family as a Christmas present too.

So it’s easy to say that I had this next book on my TBR the instant I was done with the first book. The second it was available on Netgalley, I downloaded it and started reading.

Not going to lie, this one took me a lot longer to read than I was anticipating. Not because it was bad (not at all!) I just started it at a time when I was busy and couldn’t get to it as often as I wanted.

Summary
The story continues in The Forgotten Kingdom, the second book in the astonishing Lost Queen trilogy, already hailed as “Outlander meets Camelot” (Kirsty Logan) and “The Mists of Avalon for a new generation” (Linnea Hartsuyker).

AD 573. Imprisoned in her chamber, Languoreth awaits news in torment. Her husband and son have ridden off to wage war against her brother, Lailoken. She doesn’t yet know that her young daughter, Angharad, who was training with Lailoken to become a Wisdom Keeper, has been lost in the chaos. As one of the bloodiest battles of early medieval Scottish history scatters its survivors to the wind, Lailoken and his men must flee to exile in the mountains of the Lowlands, while nine-year-old Angharad must summon all Lailoken has taught her and follow her own destiny through the mysterious, mystical land of the Picts.

In the aftermath of the battle, old political alliances unravel, opening the way for the ambitious adherents of the new religion: Christianity. Lailoken is half-mad with battle sickness, and Languoreth must hide her allegiance to the Old Way to survive her marriage to the next Christian king of Strathclyde. Worst yet, the new King of the Angles is bent on expanding his kingdom at any cost. Now the exiled Lailoken, with the help of a young warrior named Artur, may be the only man who can bring the Christians and the pagans together to defeat the encroaching Angles. But to do so, he must claim the role that will forever transform him. He must become the man known to history as “Myrddin.”

Bitter rivalries are ignited, lost loves are found, new loves are born, and old enemies come face-to-face with their reckoning in this compellingly fresh look at one of the most enduring legends of all time. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
So I am going to say this first—I liked the first book better. That’s not to say that this book wasn’t good, I just loved the first book so much that I knew going into this one that it would probably not replace the first one. As I mentioned, I started this one when I was reading a couple of other books and also starting a new job that was busy. So I went days sometimes before coming back to this one which I think caused me to feel a little disconnected with parts of the story.

As always the writing was wonderful and the research—there is no other word for it than impeccable. I remember marveling at the research in the first book and this book is equally thought out and researched. I also read the author notes at the end of this book and was even more in awe of the painstaking research the author must have done in order to create such a wonderful saga.

Her writing and descriptions—especially of the battles—were elegant, haunting and full of action and interest. But this isn’t a book that you want to rush through. There is a lot to digest and process so reading it quickly isn’t something that I would recommend, though I think I would have preferred to read this book a little faster than I did so I could keep everything fresh in my mind.

I did have a hard time recalling certain characters and their role in the story. This book basically picks up right where the first book left off so don’t try and pick this one up if you haven’t read the first book. I recalled the principal characters just fine but I struggled a little at first to place characters and their history or connection to the larger narrative at first. But once I got back into the world and the characters I was perfectly fine.

The cover is stunning and one that you will definitely want on your shelf. It’s truly one of the most eye catching, show stopping covers I’ve seen in a while. I am in love with it. Plus the story is unique and magical. I cannot wait to see how things come to an end in the upcoming book that marks the end of the trilogy.

Though I liked the first book a little better, this was a superb installment and a worthy follow up to an amazing book. If you love historical fiction with a hint of magic, or if you love Arthurian legends, this book right here is a treat for you!

Book Info and Rating
Hardcover, 496 pages
Expected publication: September 15th 2020 by Atria Books
ISBN 1501191454 (ISBN13: 9781501191459)
Free review copy provided by publisher, Atria Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: historical fiction

Picking up right where the The Lost Queen left off, the Forgotten Kingdom continues to follow the different paths of Langoureth, Lailoken and Angharad as their fates carry them to pivotal points in their kindgom's story. Our characters are put through some incredibly difficult times that both change and shape them. They are complex, fleshed out and feel very real. There is so much richness and texture to the story, and I am particularly intrigued by who Angharad is shaping up to be. This book takes place at the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Scotland, and so there are plenty of battles and skirmishes, and even some 'Battle of the Five Armies' vibes for fans of Tolkein as the whole of Scotland tries to protect their home.

These books are also incredibly well-researched. For me in particular, knowing that all of the places in the book are based on real sites in Scotland makes me want to book a trip to Scotland immediately upon finishing the read. Pike really makes the history come alive, rooting her characters deep into the land they live on and the historical writings that have survived from that era.

This book gets 5 stars from me, I was pulled in right from the beginning, the characters and setting are so well-done, and the plot has a huge scope that is very well played out. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, Arthurian legend, and I would also recommend this for fans of epic fantasy, because the beliefs of the characters themselves shapes how they interpret what occurs in their world - and so there are definitely a few somewhat magical elements at play as well.

I read and reviewed the first book in The Lost Queen series by Signe Pike on this blog here. I was interested in Signe Pike’s approach to the Arthurian mythos. That’s why I decided to join The Forgotten Kingdom Blog Tour and accepted an ARC from the publisher via Net Gallley.

I felt that The Lost Queen was a concept driven novel, and that the concept was original. OTOH, The Forgotten Kingdom is character driven. There’s a cluster of primary characters who are portrayed with genuine psychological depth.

My favorite character was the mysterious Eira whose hidden past emerges over the course of the narrative. As a feminist, I admired her strength that allowed her to overcome all that she had to endure. I liked the fact that Languoreth, the female protagonist, also was impressed with her.

Lailoken, the historical Merlin whose discovery inspired the series, begins to develop an understanding of his purpose by undergoing both a traumatic life event and a ritual ordeal. As a fan of Richard Carpenter’s TV series Robin of Sherwood in which Robin Hood worships Herne and is called Herne’s Son, I was delighted to see how much Lailoken identified himself with Herne in this book.

Languoreth’s daughter, Angharad, began as an amazing child of destiny at the age of nine. Her inner conflicts over the choices she made as she matures, define her as a complex character. Angharad’s training to become a priestess eventually awakened paranormal gifts.

In her author’s note, Signe Pike questioned whether her book should be categorized as fantasy when the people in that era considered paranormal gifts very real. This would require a complete re-evaluation of the historical fantasy sub-genre since rationalism didn’t become more widely accepted until some time in the later half of the 19th century. What about novels taking place in a contemporary context in which all the characters are Wiccans or believe that paranormal gifts are genuine because of their experiences? Should those books also not be considered fantasy? My feeling is that genres exist to help readers find content that they prefer. What definition of fantasy would be most helpful to you as a reader?

Arthur as Artur first appears as a character in The Forgotten Kingdom. This caused me to speculate about how Signe Pike’s characters might be equivalent to conventional Arthurian personages within the myth. Is there already a Guinevere or a Morgan Le Fay? Has the equivalent of Lancelot appeared yet? Perhaps Signe Pike’s alternate vision of the myth doesn’t contain all or even any of these equivalent characters. We’ll just have to continue reading the books in this series in order to find out.

When I read The Lost Queen, I was impressed with the story, and the writing style, both background and description. With so much information, the author made it possible for the reader to gain all the perspective needed, and I love that type of writing style. I was blown away when reading The Forgotten Kingdom. I was immersed in a world that I so badly wanted to be a part of.. know the characters, be within the environment.

In The Lost Queen we were presented with the story of Languoreth, in what I can describe best as her coming of age story, finding her purpose, and seeking all the answers.

The Forgotten Kingdom is her next adventure, or lack there of (if you know what I mean). She is confronted with.. let’s be honest.. family drama, and her along side her family have to figure out what they must do to make things right.

It is heartfelt, sad, heartbreaking at moments, but it’s a true test of family togetherness, and it just make you go through all the feels.. how long must I wait for the third novel? *sobs when realizing the second released only yesterday*

If you love historical fiction, with an Outlander touch.. I highly recommend this series. I like to think also that it’s a blend of Merida from Disney’s Brave, and Game of Thrones.

Sooo so good, and the cover art is so beautiful!

I have not read the first book of The Lost Queen trilogy but that did not keep me from being able to read this book. There is enough summarizing from the first book so I was able to dive right in. This book is a real page turner. There had to be a tremendous amount of research put into this book by MsPike as it is brilliantly written.

Angharad, daughter of future Queen Lanuoreth is preparing to become a Wisdom Keeper. With the help of her uncle Lailoken, Angharad trains and thru a lot of practice, she becomes a strong Wisdom Keeper. There are also many battles being fought to hat change the lives of many.

Thank you have the advance copy of this incredible book!!

I’m so glad I got to jump right into this book after reading the Lost Queen! I think I loved this book even more. The first book is told from the perspective of one character and I was pleasantly surprised to see this novel switch into multiple perspectives. I think that was a smart choice, because it deepened our understanding of certain characters and expanded the world for us. We got to see places and perspectives we wouldn’t have gotten if we’d stuck to the one. For me this book was about the cost/sacrifices of war and went further in exploring their complex relationship with Christianity. The writing was as beautiful as the last book and dropped us right into the time. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a gateway into historical fiction and love books with the epicness of Game of Thrones.

The Lost Queen trilogy is inspired by who they believe was the origins of the stories of Merlin and King Arthur. The first two books felt more like an origin story and I’m looking forward to what will happen next!

Whomever said the study of history is boring, has never read a book by Signe Pike. While historical fiction, her characters are based on actual battles and well known characters.

This series is set in early Scotland. The research done to bring this series to life is evident in the emotional response this reader had to the battles and the consequences of these. You will lose track of time and ignore the world around you as Languoreth and her family face off against each other and their enemies. Plan to get lost in their world for awhile.

This second book in the Lost Queen trilogy was more action packed than the first with battles, allegiances, travel, adventures, and lots of new characters. Languoreth finally becomes queen at the age of 40 and while she may not feel a deep passion for her husband, they have come to a mutual understanding about their marriage. They have become political allies with a common interest of preserving the Old Ways while acknowledging they must show support for the new religion (Christianity) sweeping through their kingdom. Plus, those darn Angles keep pushing the boundaries of the kingdom and something must be done!

Who knew that I would be so interested in one of the bloodiest battles of early medieval Scottish history? Certainly not me! This series totally transported me. I found myself excited to get back to each of these 500+ page books everyday so that I could be whisked away to 6th century Scotland. My heart beat for Maelgwyn and broke for Angharad; I seethed in fury over Mungo, Gwergei, and Elufed's mother; and I was so impressed with Pike's character formation with Lailoken/Myrddin. In hindsight I guess I shouldn't be that surprised since I loved The Mists of Avalon and The Mabinogion Tetralogy.

The backstory and author's notes provided with each of these books was absolutely mind-boggling and beyond impressive. The sheer amount of time and research she has poured over is evident in this epic tale. Although this book was just released, I am really anticipating the final book. The countdown is on!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book! Release date - September 15, 2020

I really liked The Lost Queen a couple years ago. I absolutely love the concept of finding the real historical people who inspired Merlin and Arthur and all those people from legend. Languoreth is an incredible historical character and it's a shame that she has been largely forgotten, so this author bringing her to life has been incredible. You can also tell that she did an insane amount of research and I really applaud that. Especially considering this is not a widely researched time in history, you know she had to do some serious digging.

All that being said, the description of this book sounds a lot more interesting than the book actually is. I do feel like part of this might be me. I think it's a case of the author and I are both interested in these people and this time period, but were interested in vastly different aspects of the story. Just when something interesting was happening from my perspective, she'd shift the focus to something that she was interested in. This explains why I was really into the story at moments, but then would lose interest quickly.

For example, there's a scene of some warriors preparing for battle, recruiting help, planning out how they will get into the enemy camp, and then just when they get inside, the chapter ends and the next chapter jumps ahead to years later! I thought we were building towards a battle, but apparently that wasn't the focus of the chapter from the author's perspective.

Another complaint, that goes along with my last thing is that I was super invested in learning about the real people Languoreth and Lailoken. Like I said, this author did incredible research about their real actions was absolutely fascinating to me. It's what drew me to the book. I know it's historical fiction, but the best historical fiction to me is expounding on real events. So finding out in the author's note that while Angharad was the name of Languoreth's daughter, she likely died as a child and NOTHING that happened to her in this story has any basis in history was disappointing. Because to me the whole point of this trilogy is expounding on this little known history so to take up over a third of the book with the perspective of a basically invented character seems like missing the point to me.

All in all I like the idea of this series but I'm not sure if I will read the third book. It kind of deviated from what I was hoping for and the books are so long. But still, I think Signe Pike is incredibly talented and dedicated to this subject, and I seriously applaud her for that.

When I stumbled upon the Lost Queen in 2018, I had no expectations whatsoever. I found it on some obscure list of the best books of 2018 that people haven’t read yet. After reading it, it became one of the best books I read that year and gave me hopes of becoming one of my favorite trilogies ever. For all you Outlander/ King Arthur/Medieval- Fantasy fans out there: what are you waiting for? GET ON IT! Pick up this book and immediately grab the sequel.
The Forgotten Kingdom followed in the footsteps of the first book: I loved it. It has the same exciting pace, wonderful characters, and twisting storylines that left me frantically turning pages. There is something to be said about a book where you can’t see where it is going, leaving the reader surprised at the events unfolding. I have no idea where the third book is going to go. But the richness of the characters and the road their lives are taking has me hooked and I can’t wait to see how it ends.
It should be noted that Signe Pike does a wonderful job of making the time period come to life. I want to do a deep historical dive after reading the book. Especially about the actual history of the people she breathes life into.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.
I read the first book in the series, The Lost Queen, because of a book club pick. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect but it definitely delivered..a great mix of fantasy and historical fiction, with a surprising twist of a beloved character who is both myth and legend. I was excited to get the second book, The Forgotten Kingdom, and continue the adventure. Adventure is definitely what you get with this one..epic wars, magic, kingdoms, death, life, struggle, strength, and the rise of Christianity in a world ruled by belief/worship in “gods”.
These books do feel like YA in a lot of aspects, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
I do think the first book is the strongest of the two, but I loved the addition of Angharad, a nine year old who must fight every second for her life, for her future, for her family (who is turn into two by the war against each other), for her powers, and her beliefs. She is a beautifully wonderful character that will instantly endure herself to the reader.
“We may not always have the choice we would like, but we always have a choice.”

The highly anticipated second book in the trilogy is worth the wait! And my only question is how long do we have to wait for the third book? Beautifully written, masterly plotted, this book is every bit as good as the first and leaves readers wanting more. As I read, I savor the description and feel as though I am transported with the characters on their adventures. I can envision this as a wonderful mini-series!

The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike
5 stars

496 Pages
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: September 15, 2020

Historical Fiction, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

The story of Languoreth, and her twin brother, Lailoken continues. When the first book ends, Languoreth is barricaded in her chamber while her husband and son ride off to war again her brother, the counselor to Uther Pendragon, and the Dragon Warriors. Languoreth is not only concerned for her brother, husband, and son but her daughter, Angharad, is missing. She was being trained as a Wisdom Keeper and was living with Lailoken and the Dragon Warriors. Everyone feels the loss of the war yet they must continue to go on with their lives.

This is the second book in the series. The story continues at a fast-pace and the additional characters are well developed. It is written from several points of view. I hope there is another book to come because I really want to know what happens to everyone after the war with the Angles.

The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike is the second book in The Lost Queen trilogy. The first book was a magnificent world building first person story about Queen Languoreth and her trials and tribulations with a heart stopping cliff hanger. This second book picks up where the first left off.

This time around the world building continues as we are given a 3 person POV in alternating chapters. We start off with the Queen's twin brother dealing with battles, we hear from the Queen herself and most poignantly we get a third person version about her young daughter Angharad.

We are in 6th century Scotland, Christianity is rising as are the religious wars and as Angharad is lost to her family she discovers secrets about herself that will empower her even more than her mother the Queen.

There are artists who create a picture with paint, some who sculpt an image and then there are those, like this author, who uses words to create not just an image but a living piece of art where you can breath in the cold air, smell the green hills, and fall in love with a young heroine as she is destined to change herself and her kingdom.

If you are a fan of Aria from Game of Thrones and the many lands she travelled or a fan of the historical fiction of The Outlander series or infatuated, as I am, with the Arthurian Legend this book and this series is a must read.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM! Thank you to my {Partner} @AtriaBooks and the Author, @SignePike for the gifted copies of this book
This is the second book in The Lost Queen trilogy and is releasing September 15th!
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The Forgotten Kingdom
by Signe Pike @signepike
@atriabooks
An imprint of @simonandschuster.

This is the astonishing second installment in Sign Pike Epic Historical Fantasy Trilogy.
Set in sixth-century Scotland, Pike

“I do not know whether I fear him or am calling him as I stand upon the boulder, high above the iron salt waters, looking out over the winter hills. 
I stand upon the boulder and wait for Rhydderch and his men.
I wait.
I watch.
And I remember.” 

This is the astonishing second installment in Sign Pike Epic Historical Fantasy Trilogy.
Set in sixth-century Scotland, Pike

Pike’s story centers around a queen name Languoreth, who is imprisoned in her own home awaiting the news of a battle. Her husband and son have ridden off to war against her twin brother and her forbidden true love Maelgwn. Pike continues to elucidate the feminist struggles of the matriarchal Old Way against encroaching patriarchal Christianity. This is incredible epic historical fantasy fiction, that I have to say is outstanding. A riveting tale that is all consuming, it never lags and is perfectly placed. Gorgeous atmospheric imagery makes this book and author my all time favorites.

I haven’t been this excited for new book in a long time. I am purchasing a hardback copy when it’s released.

This is a must read, If you are like so many readers who fell in love with
Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon series.

While this is the second book in a trilogy, it was understandable without having read the first book, and still a quite compelling story on its own.

Wow. The beginning of this book was a little confusing. The names were unfamiliar, and there was a whole book before it—was there some fundamental knowledge that was needed to understand what was happening here? But the magic that is a well-written book soon took over. The pages kept turning in a desire to find out what happens next!

The basics of the story are covered in the summary, but the Author’s Note at the end was very interesting. What is the difference between historical fiction and historical fantasy? This book could be quite enjoyable for fans of historical fiction, or for fans of fantasy as well. The difference is hard to discern when based on a time period of which the reader has limited previous knowledge.

While following along with characters whose names are difficult to pronounce sometimes presents a challenge, the fates of Languoreth, Lailoken, and Angharad kept me engaged. I’d give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars and will definitely consider putting the other two books of the trilogy on my to-be-read list.

What an incredible read! As much as I enjoyed book one in the trilogy, The Lost Queen, I enjoyed this one even more! This time around, we are drawn into several characters stories, as they give us their point of view along the way. This is such a fantastic book and series for fans of Arthurian Legends. Signe Pike writes a fantastic story with a wonderfully burning build up. I am so excited for the third book to come out! I have really come to love many of these characters and feel invested in their stories. I find myself losing time as I'm reading these books. They're very difficult to put down. Excellent read.

I would like to thank Signe Pike, Atria Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review..

"Grief is a weakness and emotion is danger. Such is the burden of a woman with power..."

I was very lucky to have received an advanced copy of The Forgotten Kingdom, the second book in The Lost Queen trilogy by Signe Pike. I absolutely loved the first book, and somehow the second book was even better. Starting right where book one finishes off, the reader is immediately on the edge of their seat. There is a war about to occur, and just like Languoreth, my heart is torn for characters on both sides of the fight. Unlike the first book, The Forgotten Kingdom alternates viewpoints between three different characters, Languoreth again, her twin brother Lailoken who we have all grown to love, and her youngest daughter, Angharad. I couldn't help rooting and crying for this family from Cadzow and Strathclyde multiple times in my reading. I really look forward to the final book in the trilogy.

Disclaimer: The quoted text is from an uncorrected proof of this book that I received from Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, Atria books, Signe Pike, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

As soon as I finished The Lost Queen, I jumped right into The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike. The first book did leave off on a little cliffhanger. Languoreth is imprisoned in her own home as her husband and son go off the wage war on her brother and lover, and her daughter, Angharad, is among them. As time goes by, Angharad separated from her Uncle during the battle and finds herself in the hands of the Picts and trained as a Priestess. In the meantime, Lailoken goes into exile. He is forever scarred from the battle and losing family members. And so a legend is born…

The first book left me in tears and the second book has left me on the edge of my seat. This book is more battle focused. The battle scenes are wonderfully descriptive and make you feel the fear and urgency of survival. Watching Lailoken suffer from PTSD is utterly heartbreaking. His emotions and struggles are something that many today could relate to.

Languoreth is such a wonderful main character. Her strength and dedication to her family are inspiring. She also knows her heart. She knows what must be done. Now, I can’t wait to find out what happens with Angharad. She is definitely her mother’s daughter. I loved watching her power grow.

Now, I must wait for book three, which completely breaks my heart! I love how the author weaves a beautiful tale filled with magic, destiny, legend, and history. It is really like watching legend come to life. Netflix, you have a series that you need to check out. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book releases tomorrow! So grab your copy!