Rise of Knight and Sword is a debut book for author Miriam Wade. This take on Arthurian legend is an interesting one, one that I haven’t really seen before.

I really enjoyed seeing Guinevere as an archivist and being the main focus of the story. I loved how in all instances she is a normal girl, working in a library, trying to earn enough money to get by and is suddenly going on a massive adventure. It was interesting to see Guinevere go on the adventure of finding Excalibur and meeting Arthur and other known people in the Arthurian legend along the way.

The world in Rise of Knight and Sword was definitely an interesting one. It is set in a modern day world but has dinosaurs with steampunk interwoven throughout. However there is no magic system in the world which is a big part for me in a fantasy book. Even though you have Merlin he is a fortune teller and doesn’t hold any of his amazing powers.

Arthur in this story is a smuggler and I loved different portrayal of the King as well as the way we are introduced to him. Mordred was a character that you loved to hate. He was a gruff bounty hunter and switched between being nice and mean to Guinevere.

The story is fast paced with not a lot of time passing with everything is happening. With this being the first book in the series it will be interesting to see where the story goes from here.

It did take me awhile to get used to the writing style which slowed my reading down. I am the type of reader that I can either read a book very quickly or very slowly and this book was one I read slowly.

Overall I found the story interesting and I do love an Arthurian retelling. I am interested to how the series progresses.

I received this novel via netgalley with thanks in return for an unbiased review.


UGH.

My style of reviewing typically commences with a quote I have found interesting or intriguing. The lack thereof should be somewhat indicative of my personal thoughts towards this book.

Disclaimers: I am an honours holder in ancient history (inclusive of archaeology) I am a totally myth nutcase, so please understand that I may come off as somewhat critical.

Let's get started.

my iteration of the plot:
Guinevere was a normal girl.
With a normal job.
With a normal life.
and then she found a document, a document whose worth and value could cause immense danger in the hands of the wrong person.
The quest to find Excalibur. The sword of power.
So she ran. As fast as she could.
Fate had a different plan for her as she landed in a space she never fought she would and met people she never saw coming into her life.

Okay, even I know my iteration was bad. GUYS, this book was ughhhhhh! I didn't like it. at all.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm open-minded to readaptations of mythological histories that are so near and dear to my heart.

BUT....pterodactyls...ichthysaur? really? And other assorted dinosaurs in an otherwise, kinda steampunkish-modern...convenience stores, I-don't-even-know-how-to-describe-it setting? no thanks.

The setting blew my mind (not in a great way, I could barely visualize and mentally engage in it). it was so left field for me. The entire time, I had one resonating thought in my mind, "just what the heck is happening here?!"

This book felt like a chore. I'm sorry to be harsh but it was an effort to even read 15% of it.

I also don't know how I felt about a meek and naive sky pirate/art thief Arthur. A cyborg-sounding Mordred. And a somewhat sexualized-taro card reading female merlin. Not my cup of tea.

And the characters themselves? UGHHH! No, no no. The end.

Do I recommend it? No.

Do I think that my word is the law and therefore you shouldn't give this a try? Nope!

Do I want to read the follow-up book of this saga? probably not.

Did I like anything in it? The writing was good, I think this author has great potential.

Stay awesome,
Emmeline
The Book Herald

Thank you to Netgalley and Zenith Publishing for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Guinevere has a normal life until the map of finding Excalibur arrives at her library. Although they are not sure the map is actually legitimate, one thing is clear: it can fall in the wrong hands. So she takes the map with her and runs away, ending up in a ship she doesn't know with bounty hunters she will have to trust.

I am not really a fan of historical stories, or retellings, or King Arthur so I haven't read a lot about Arthur or Excalibur, but this book is set in a futuristic world and the cover is gorgeous so I gave it a try. One thing I wasn't expecting are dinosaurs, I have to be honest and say I don't like dinosaurs, in general, I found that they didn't give anything to the story, moreover, it gives confusion to the whole story, where am I? Past? Future? What kind of world is it? Without dinosaurs, everything would have been easier to understand. What are they for? Is it a try to do something original? I found the story original in itself, dinosaurs were not necessary, taking in a count that they have like two important moments in the whole book that could be replaced with anything else.

The book is well written, the story has really good points but I found it kind of slow, especially the beginning full of description, I would have loved more establishing of the characters in the beginning before everything starts, maybe get to know a little bit more Guinevere before her running away, watching her interacting with people.

The characters are kind of weird, at least the interactions they have with each other, Guinevere acts like a superior human being when she is with Arthur which makes me hate her a lot. Arthur, on the other hand, is more like the typical male character who hasn't ever talked to girls and doesn't know how to communicate with her and he is nearly obsessed and adores her out of nowhere it is the weirdest love at first sight I've ever seen. I just... I don't get it, these two are weird, and then there is Mordred which is the only normal character in the book, he got reasonable reactions, even if I don't like how he acts.

What annoyed me the most was that I felt like the last four chapters were too fast and the characters were not themselves at all, a lot of information and actions in a short period of time that was kind of forced. Also, I think that the book could have finished before them or maybe give them more pages to develop and understand exactly why and what is happening.

I liked the book, although it was slow reading, it was fresh and new, it is something I wouldn't read like ever and I was gladly surprised, but I can't help thinking that changing a few things in this book could achieve a whole new level.

A book smart Guinevere in a steampunk Avalon with dinosaurs! In this modernized twist to the Arthurian legend, Guinevere goes on the quest to find Excalibur with two bounty hunters, using an ancient map found in the library she works.

With a creative premise, so inventive, I loved how the difference the characters have in this like who the bounty hunters are (nope won't spoil the surprise) even gender swapping one of my fave characters. Plus the little quirky details like Hengroen is an airship instead of a stallion!

Exceptional world building, decorated with plentiful details of the wonderous places and gadgets that the author has imagined. Descriptions that bring the action alive and make the suspense oh so captivating, oh so sweeter.

Guinevere's got spunk as one of the characters says, a bit naive but open to new things, vulnerable in a good way. The bounty hunters are wiseasses and so smirk-worthy. I love the trio's interactions. As hoped and expected, Guinevere is becoming braver, more of a force to be reckoned with.

Cleverly planned out by the author, I really enjoyed the twisty route of the story. Also the action is quite fast-paced and a lot is happening at once, so you really have to pay attention. But the author does a good job of explaining.I really like that the dinosaurs are not abstract, but actually are part of the story. Also that finding Excalibur becomes a matter of saving their world from the clutches of an evil king.

A hopeful romance that we know is destined but still surprising in how it is portrayed, you actually root for them. Arthur is not quite what you expect. It's interesting to see him slowly transform into the valiant knight we know. Also the path is not clear or straightforward for him to become the "once and future king".

Was a little disappointed with a betrayal that happens. It was confusing in my opinion and the reveal didn't play out as well as it could. A bit of a plot misstep in an otherwise great tale. Also the ending was a bit abrupt, as we are enjoying a nice 'final battle' suddenly things are tied up too neatly in a nice bow.

Presenting themes of inner strength, loyalty, faith and standing up for what you believe in, this was an exciting roller coaster of an adventure. I adored how fun it was. Who doesn't need some old fashioned fun in their life? This gets 4 stars on charm alone.

Thank you so very much for allowing me to read this! The cover is absolutely gorgeous and drew me in.

However I was so lost. The world building that was wasn't detailed and was a mix of this and that. It wasn't set in a relatable manner. The characters were very flat, not fleshed out at all. To be completely honest I didn't finish this. There just wasn't enough to capture my attention. And it's a shame since there could have been some phenomenon world building and world history. I really wanted to like it!

I know this is a debut novel and I don't want to be mean but this is definetely not good. At all. It kind of ruined Arthurian legends for me.

Rise of Knight and Sword tells us the story about how Guinevere, an archivist from Avalon's local library, founds at work a map who points out where Excalibur is. This sword, as in the original legend, has the power to decide who is Camelot's true ruler. Because Avalon is ruled by Gorlois, the Ranger's leader, and in order to protect Excalibur, she runs away with the map so she can find the sword herself.

I don't know where to start. The premise was ok and the writing overall was it too, but I can't speak well of this book. Everything was an act of laziness for me. Nothing was explained. There was no world-building. Just to point out: there were corsets and fire-guns, airships and mechanic replacements for body parts, and DINOSAURS. fOR REAL. They were mentioned every two lines. At first I thought they were created by the author but after a few chapters I've started to google them and They were real. And it really put me off. The worst part was that nothing made sense because the author never explained anything. She just assumed I would understand her logic. And I didn't.

The characters were one-dimensional. As the world-building, they weren't well described, they lacked of backgroud-story and what they did never make sense.
The protagonist had this very interesting work but it was never explained. ALthough she was an excellent archer (? and I don't know why but every male character was attracted to her by no reason? I don't know, it was too unreallylistc.
The other characters from the Arthurian legend were introduced so late in the book that of course, they were poorly explained as well.

Regarding the plot, it was so predictable It made my eyes roll constantly. I have nothing more to say about it.

I feel really bad because I imagine that writing your first book isn't easy but I thinkt that a lot of work needs to be done with this in order to be good at least. I can tell although that the author had good intentions but she keep all the descriptions and explanations to herself.

First of all I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

I’m truly saddened to admit that I haven’t actually finished this book. I DNFed it because, truth to be told, I find it extremely boring. I haven’t even been able to read past the first chapter for these past 7 days. I don’t know why, but it is the truth.

I was beaming when I was told I could read the book before it was published. I read some reviews and, unfortunately, what I read disheartened me a lot specially when they said this was a retelling of a long known story but with dinosaurs. However, what really surprised me was to actually read that dinosaurs do not have a role in the book, they’re just in for the background and landscape.

And though I might not have actually verified that, I do find myself quite disappointed in what I’ve read so far. The beginning of the book is so slow, too slow for my liking when we could easily have fast forwarded to when she receives that mysterious package. It would’ve been so much better. When I started the book I was actually hoping for dialogue in the first page or in the second one. All the text and background-setting long paragraphs did nothing but bore me.

It’s true that I have to give an honest feedback and while it may seem as though I haven’t actually read that much to be able to write a review, I do have enough reasons as to why I dnfed this.

I don’t like and haven’t been able to relate in anything with the main character. And that’s a problem because if I can’t find the main character relatable or likeable enough, how am I supposed to read a book which its main story follows the main character that I can find it in myself to love, not even like?

I truly wish I could’ve been able to read further but I just can’t. I got stuck and I do not find enough motivation in myself to finish the book.

Hopefully this will reach the author in time so they can I don’t know, change some little things and details in order to hook more readers.

All in all, thank you either way to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read it in exchange for an honest review. I truly hope I can, someday in the soon future, come across this again and give it another chance and I don’t know, maybe actually finishing it because as an avid reader, and book lover, it hurts to dnf any book. And this is no exception. It hurts and I truly want to come back in the future, read it and find myself hooked and reading it in a new light. If not this book, in case the author ever gets to correct some things and fix them, any other book of the author.

I haven’t given it any rating due to dnfing it.

(I received an ARC from GenZ Publishing, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review! Thanks to both for trusting me with 'Rise of Knight and Sword')

'Rise of Knight and Sword' follows Guinevere, a young lady who works as a librarian in the city of Avalon and, one day, comes across a mysterious map while unboxing some ancient books recently found at an archaeological site. As soon as she and her two colleagues see the mysterious symbols scribbled all over the map, they realise that they're looking at a miracle: the long-lost map to Excalibur, a sword that is as much myth as it is a weapon. A sword that is meant to make history... But many are planning to seize the throne at any prize once the current king, Uther, dies. In her quest to retrieve Excalibur, Guinevere meets Mordred and Arthur, two bounty hunters on the very edge of the law who will tag along as she follows the map and tries to save Avalon from the hands of those who want to corrupt it.

Which sounds quite decent! Anyone who knows me beyond a superficial acquaintance can tell you that I'm a sucker for myths and legends, as well as for anything related to the Middle Ages. So, as you may (correctly) suspect, I absolutely *love* anything related to the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. That is the reason why, as soon as I read this book's blurb, I clicked on 'Request without stopping for nearly a literal minute. King Arthur, BUT with DINOSAURS, as well as GUINEVERE as the MAIN CHARACTER? Instead of holier-than-thou Arthur? PLUS STEAMPUNK!? Gimme that! The premise itself isn't bad. We get a tattooed, air pirate Arthur, as well as dinosaur smugglers, a bunch of Clone-ish army deserters itching for a good ole' battle against evil, and a fortune teller with more chill than anyone I've ever met. But...

But that's not enough to save the book. Although I did like (as I already explained) the premise, what I found was that it was poorly executed. The first chapter is a literal description of Guinevere's morning, from her waking up to the sunlight entering through the window to her riding the train to her workplace. It took me over 50% of the book to vaguely know what was going on, because the first chunk of the book was SO confusing. She has the map, but then we never hear of it again because she's measuring her bravado with Mordred, then there's this extremely random job at a party where a dinosaur smuggler nearly abuses Guinevere... I knew even less than Jon Snow. Several times, I thought of just not finishing the book and moving on to something else, because I couldn't make sense of it. When I finally did (kinda) sense the ghost of a plot, I had read over half of the story already. It was a literal act of blind faith.

The writing itself didn't help, either. Most of the sentences were short, simple ones, often sharing the very same grammar and structure, and it came to a point that I wanted to cry. And rewrite almost every paragraph. So much description could've been cut, and at the same time, so many things that were told could've been shown. Despite being a highly sensitive person with an excess of empathy, I didn't feel for any of the characters except for, maybe, Guinevere when she was left alone with Hueil. That was it, though. Everyone else was simply too... Awkwardly developed. I didn't feel like they were real characters, because there was no consistence whatsoever. Their personality, their speech, their actions... Nothing was solid. Just like the plot, the characters were foggy, blurry, and undefined.

So was the pacing. At the end of the book, barely a month has passed since Guinevere fled the library. And yet the character dynamics are supposed to be ones that would've taken several months, if not years, to develop! Just who the hell swears loyalty to some random guy they just met in the middle of a forest squirmish? The meet-and-greet ft. the Knights of the Round Table felt really forced, and... Stiff. Bonds just aren't forged that way, nor that easily or that quickly. Maybe it's a downside to being a major in Psychology, but I know enough about interpersonal relationships, social skills, and affective processes (ie. emotions, feelings, and the likes) to tell you that this is NOT how this stuff works. Obviously not everyone has studied Psychology, so not everyone knows the science behind human behaviour. But we're all people, we all know people, we all interact with others, and we all can tell what is, and what isn't, realistic representation of that. This wasn't. Just... Wasn't.

Bonus: I wanted to rip Mordred and Arthur's eyes off, like, several times. There is a scene in which, after Guinevere gets physically and sexually assaulted, Mordred gets angry at her because she DARES yell at Arthur for suggesting she had been 'asking for it'.. And yet, a few pages after, they act as if nothing had happened!? Plus, at the beginning of the book Guinevere acts extremely skittish around all men. It implies that she might've had some kind of traumatic experience. But she still agrees to go to that party and seduce Hueil so he gives up his secrets??? That was really NOT okay. Exactly the same as Arthur's mood swings, which more often than not ended up getting Guinevere yelled at. There was a scene in which he had to be physically pulled away from her, because she was, like everyone else in the room, afraid that he'd get violent with her to the point of hitting her. Yet they ended up sleeping together that same night??? No. Just... No.

As for the worldbuilding, I still don't have a clue about where this all happens. There's a city named Avalon, with a library, and then there's Arthur and Mordred's airship. And then there's... A forest... With a thatched hut somewhere, as well as a lake... Somewhere I think there was a castle? But we don't get to learn about the world Wade has created.

All in all, I'm giving this two stars because the premise itself isn't bad, nor are some of the twists on the original Arthuric legend. The cover absolutely rocks. Débutante Wade has clearly worked hard on creating this story. But... The efforts didn't pay off as much as they should, or could, have. With heavy editing and more character development, this could be something far more enjoyable. And I do hope that, in future books, the author will learn from the mistakes in RoKaS and create something as original, but with a better execution.

(Still: DINOSAURS! RAWWWR!)

I received a free ARC of this book from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a little bit of a hard read for me. We started out in Camelot with the main character running away from the library with a map leading to Excalibur. We are given no previous background information of the main character and the realm she is in, to begin with. So I already don't really understand Guinevere and who she is other then she is the key to find Excalibur. She then runs into Arthur and Mordred. More than half the book consist on them going on adventures that are somewhat meaningless and more just filler in my eyes. Arthur develops a crush on Guinevere but never stands up to Mordred when he is mean to her.

Mordred was just downright awful altogether. He was always out for personal gain until the very end and I never could seem to want to tolerate him. He was also very mean to Guinevere for no reason. The main bad guy in this book isn't introduced until about almost the end and by then I feel like the character building on him is too rushed. Since he wasn't really even mention in the first three quarters of the book I feel like he was just portrayed to be as bad of an antagonist as he could be in the span of a few chapters.

Overall I really do like the concept of this book I just kinda wished it wasn't so rushed at the end and that the beginning of the book was spent more on how all of the characters tie into one another. I personally think Mordred was an unesscesqary character that took up too much time in this book. I love the whole dinosaur meets Star Wars feel of this book. It was definitely one of if not the most original book I have read this year. If there was a sequel to this book I would certainly read it just based off the authors creativity to blend a accent tale with a more modern setting and plot.

DNF'ed this book a few chapters in. The story wasn't very gripping and I didn't find myself excited to see what happens next. however this is just my personal opinion and encourage you to try it out and see for yourself if this book is a good fit:)

So I was definitely conflicted about this book. I had been so super excited to have been approved, after all I absolutely adore retellings. But it quickly became apparent that I was going to have to push through. There was just way too much going on and sometimes I was like ‘wait can we get back to the actual story please?’ I think the plot was clever, but it needed to be cleaned up a bit and refocused.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review...

I did not finish this novel. I could not understand the setting or what it was supposed to "be" as there were too many eras and time periods jammed into one single time. Dinosaurs, corsets, ball gowns, pants and boots, airships, holograms, and pretty much anything you could possibly think of throughout history has been written into this story and it was not a good combination. It made no sense. There was no reason for any of it.

There were so many characters introduces with no explanation of who they were or what their purpose was then they disappeared. Am I supposed to remember them? Forget them? And the scenes were so unbelievable I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

Do not recommend. Even as a debut novel this was a hot mess of confusion. The cover is gorgeous and I was really excited about an Arthurian type novel but this was NOT that. And really...dinosaurs and space crafts...? Why?

Disclaimer: I received this from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. "My future and the future of Avalon is forward." ThIs is a King Arthur retelling and I think anyone who enjoys retellings will love this one!

In this retelling of King Arthur, Guinevere works at the Avalon Library. It is there she discovers a map that leads to Excalibur. She realizes in the hands of the Avalon's current leader the map could be dangerous. She sets out on a quest to find the sword and rid Avalon of it's oppressive ruler. Before she can set out on her quest, she temporarily hides on an airship owned by Mordred and Arthur only for the airship to take off with her onboard. The novel alternates between Guinevere and Arthur's POV and yet the book's description makes no mention of him.

I thought about DNFing this book at 12% but held out hope it would get better... it didn't. This book was trying to be many things and as a result it just didn't work.

Guinevere's quest began immediately in the first chapter of this novel leaving the reader little time to understand why the quest was important or setting the stakes for the quest.

The character of Arthur was shallow an unworthy of any crown. He first meets Guinevere as a stowaway on his ship. She was asleep at the time yet he becomes instantly smitten. Throughout the chapters told from Arthur's perspective the reader is constantly, and I mean constantly, reminded of Guinevere's beauty.

At one point in the book, Arthur and Mordred knowingly put Guinevere in a situation where she could have been sexually assaulted. Afterwards, Guinevere is angry about it but constantly tells herself now is not the time to bring it up.

The book lacked the important details to the point where I would go back and re-read pages thinking I must have missed something.

TW: Frequent discussions of alcohol use and sexual assault

This story was a very interesting retelling of Arthurian legend, with modern technology in a fantasy world, and dinosaurs. To me the story felt like if you took Star Wars mashed it together with a little Final Fantasy and sprinkled in dinosaurs, like I said it was a very interesting plot. I liked the characters but Merlin was by far my favorite. I’m mean who wouldn’t like a fortune telling, warrior female version of Merlin. Overall the book wasn’t too bad, a little rough on some spots but still an enjoyable read.

Wade's debut novel is definitely a refreshing take on an old-literary favorite.

If you've ever read White's The Sword and the Stone then you know that there are a lot of ways that Arthurian legend can be interpreted. Wade's Rise of Knight and Sword is reminiscent of White's attempt to reinvent Arthur, Guinevere, and the story that brought Arthur to power in Camelot - with a couple of modern twists.

The steam punk feel of the world Wade creates, including an intrinsic look at the age's technological fascination, goes hand-in-hand with her retelling of the struggle to power that put Arthur on the throne and created a whole new era for the citizens under his reign. With strong female characters, like Guinevere and Merlin, and sassy male hot-heads (looking at you Arthur),, Wade takes you on an adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat at times.

I laughed, I shook my head, I got extremely angry at Mordred and had to stop reading for a while. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am super excited to see what Arthur and Guinevere's next adventure will be.

My only complaint has to do with the dinosaurs. Not gonna give away any spoilers though, so if you wanna find out what's up with the dino's you'll have to pick a copy up for yourself.

I receive a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publishers, GenZ Publishing, All opinions and views in this review are my own.

This is definitely a different version of the old Arthur tell. It had all of our favorite characters in it. It kind of felt like a studio Ghibli story mixed with the mandolin. It was a good story , I enjoyed the steampunk retelling of one of my favorite fairytale stories. I would recommend this book if you like any of the Forementioned styles of books. It was an interesting ride with airships and dinosaurs but very glad I read it and I loved this take on Merlin.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I realize that this is a debut novel and I really wish I would love it but unfortunately I did not. This book could possibly have potential but needs a lot of editing. It felt a bit rushed and to be honest I felt that I am reading one of those cliche fanfiction or an AU.

Plot: 1⭐️
This is a retelling of the Arthurian legend in the world of fantasy. Which is pretty interesting considering that it involves dinosaurs and technology. However, the delivery of the story lacked the excitement and adventure that you would hope for it to have.

Pacing: 1⭐️
The pacing of this book was too fast. Too much happened all at once. I was having a hard time connecting to the characters and the scenery. A lot of the time it felt like it's jumping from one scene to another, which made it hard for me to envision the intensity of certain action scenes and to appreciate the story itself.

Character Development:1⭐️
The characters were too cliche and shallow. Everything between the characters felt too easy and unrealistic. Guinevere, who I am assuming was intended to be an intelligent, strong and fearless heroine came off as a shallow girl who is going with the flow. Arthur also came off as very creepy and shallow as well. There was no buildup in the characters in terms of how they would fall in love, trust, and/or become friends and/or enemies. The dialogues were also very cliche, which made it hard for me to get attached or care for the characters.

Writing Style: 1⭐️
This book needs a lot of editing for it to be more intense and exciting. It felt that the writer just rushed through it and did not spend too much time on building up on the characters and the scenery. Moreover, It seems that the writer is having a hard time communicating with the reader and is not sure where she wants to go with the story. It was hard to know at what time and place I am reading this book from. For example, is it a modern “Star Wars” kind of a place or perhaps something like “Game of Thrones” but a bit modern and instead of dragons there were dinosaurs? As a reader who likes to envision the story and see it in my head while reading, I struggled with this. There were not many descriptions of the world the characters were living in and how it was being functioned. There was not much description of the characters and who they actually are. Everything about the story felt vague and cliche. The journey that Guinevere went through could have been an exciting adventure and yet I found myself bored and disengaged.


Would you recommend it?
Personally, I would not recommend this book. However, if you like those cliche fanfic AUs, you might find yourself liking this book as well.

#NetGalley #RiseofKnightandSword

This book was received as an ARC from GenZ Publishing - Zenith Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love everything Arthurian Mythology and I was super excited to find out that this book is the first of a new upcoming YA series to be released this year. My jaw was wide open and my excitement increased with pleasure as I kept reading each page. The stamina and tenacity Guinevere showed as she discovered the map to Excalibur I could not help but cheer her on the entire way. It always cheers me up when I get excited in anticipation for the next installment for a series and I haven't had that feeling since I finished the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast and having loved Rise of Knight and Sword, can not wait for Book 2. Our teen book club will be in frenzy for this book.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. It seems to be set in a futurized version of Camelot, but also still retains the Medieval details of the original legend (there are pterodactyls, but Camelot is still a stone castle, for example). It seems like random things are added just so it can be marketed as an updated retelling--King Arthur, but with dinosaurs!--instead of having a cohesive world. Even worse, almost none of the details we're given in those pages adds anything to the worldbuilding, characterization, themes, or plot. Those details that do relate to worldbuilding, even, seem entirely random. It is incredibly confusing to read if you're trying to figure out where/when you are at any given time.

The other main issue that contributes to its severe lack of readability is its constant, tedious descriptions. It takes 12 pages for the main character to wake up and get to work, because every single action she takes is described, no matter how mundane and unnecessary. This trend unfortunately continues throughout the entire book: we get a minute description of everywhere she walks, everything she sees, every time she sits on a train or boat. The same details repeat over and over in these repeated iterations of the same tedious actions (or, as the case may be, lack of actions). You could skip about 75% of this book and not miss a single plot point or important detail (and there are precious few of those).

I love the legend of Excalibur, and retellings can be so, so incredible in adding to the original source material. This....is not an example of that potential. It was truly difficult to get through this book, and I would have stopped reading after a few chapters if I hadn't agreed to write an honest review of the entire book.