To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. This was a very well written Arthurian retelling focusing on Morgan le Fay. Morgan is such an important figure in the King Arthur legends and I feel like she’s always portrayed as this evil do not good woman. It was nice reading a novel that brought some humanity to her. She’s one of the most complex characters, in my opinion, and I think Sophie Keetch did a phenomenal job in highlighting that. From the setting to each character, Sophie was able to pull you into this world so effortlessly and I can’t wait to read what’s next.

I wanted more from this book. The concept immediately intrigued me, but I was left feeling unattached to the characters or plot. By no means a bad book, just not one I’d read again or recommend to others who are not already interested in the mythology.

The overarching plot was interesting but the pace was way to slow for me. Also I didn’t connect at all with the characters. The writing style is very good and it had such a good premise. I guess it just wasn’t for me

I've always held a grudge over Morgan le Fay's treatment in literature and/or mythology. Any depictions of her are usually misogyny personified. Yes, usually she is the villain, but as a woman I can understand what led her to becoming evil! In "Morgan Is My Name," Sophie Keetch delivers long-awaited justice and empathy for this classic character. This feminist retelling has Morgan telling her side of the story and honestly, creating a believable narrative as to why she turned villainess. The story reminded me of the Maleficent film (in the best possible way!) This historical drama is a must read for fans of female rage and revenge in literature.

wonderful retelling of the Arthurian myth from a female perspective. A real page turner. Can't wait to read more from this author.

Pub date: 6/13/23
Genre: feminist retelling
Quick summary: Morgan le Fay has been maligned in so many iterations of the Arthurian legend - this is part 1 of her story.

Pro tip: this is book 1 in a planned trilogy, so if you're thinking you're going to get the whole story, you won't. BUT I did enjoy this look at the early life of Morgan. Two of the key relationships in the book are her friendship with her maid Alys and her hatred of Uther Pendragon, who she tries to outmaneuver. There is some magic courtesy of Merlin, as well as Morgan's healing abilities, but overall, this is a gritty, Game of Thrones-esque world with plenty of ill-intentioned men. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to Random House Canada for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Morgan is My Name is a retelling of King Arthur through the eyes of Morgan le Fay. A lot of the book is Morgan being dissatisfied and later abused in her marriage, but the earlier part when she was young I enjoyed.I hope that this book is really setting the stage for the next one where we can see more magic and fantasy! Overall, I thought this was a good retelling of the Arthurian legend through unconventional eyes.Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I have always loved Arthurian legends and was excited to read a book from this perspective. Retellings can be challenging and the female perspective of Camelot has been done before so it was a nice opportunity to see a different perspective. The growth in Morgan's character is well captured for the reader and fun to follow along to see how her feminine rage lends her to become the famous "villain" in Arthur's story. The writing is a slow burn, intricate and gritty. I wanted more at the end of the book but we will have to see what happens in the sequel!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start off by saying that prior to this novel, my only experience with Arthurian legends and figures was through the Legendborn Cycle, which I love and has really piqued my interest in Arthurian legends; however, the main women in the legends were either damsels in distress or villains. I'm not a big fan of "evil for evil's sake", so when I encountered a retelling of Morgan le Fay's story, it immediately caught my eye.

Seeing Morgan's growth from a young, willful child to an impassioned and headstrong adult was a pleasure and a joy for me. I loved the way Keetch's prose pulled me into the story and kept me there. Late at night, when I couldn't sleep, I found myself pouring over her words and savoring this story.

I loved getting a look at what her childhood must have been like, at what forced her to become who she is. I love seeing "villains" before they become villainous, so I'm curious to see how Keetch is going to take her there.

This book has magic in it, but not so much handwaving magic, but magic that seems to have drawbacks and consequences, which I'm sure we'll get more information on in later books. I'm a little disappointed in that this book ends with the beginning of the next book when it was pushed as a standalone, but that didn't make me enjoy it any less.

If you're looking for a strong, female lead with a story set in the Dark Ages, I would definitely recommend this book. I look forward to seeing where Keetch takes Morgan in the next book(s).

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

4/5 stars

I will say, getting into the book, I expected a lot from it, it can be quite difficult to make retelling captivating (I have been getting more and more into feminist retellings) and this one absolutely hits.
The author managed to keep the core story while still making it her own. Although slow at first, the story managed to keep me hooked, the writing was mesmerizing and dive into politics and feminine rage felt by the character is just *top notch*.
It is a story that is both captivating by its dark and gritty themes as well as whimsical and magical.
Loved the story, wished it was a bit more fast paced in the beginning but can understand why it was slow.

I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. However, it was a refreshing take on the Aruthian legend.

4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A feminist retelling of the origins of Morgan le Fay of the Arthurian legends - this is the female's Roman Empire. With gorgeous writing and compelling characters, Keetch does an excellent job of weaving a well-known story from the perspective of women who are often sidelined in these types of tales. I found her creation and expansion on the backstory of Morgan to be creative and well done. I was hoping for more resolution toward the end and further development into Morgan's magic. Still, supposedly this is the first book in a trilogy, so I look forward to seeing more from Sophie Keetch. Definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves retellings and the Arthurian legends.

Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was published on June 13th and is available now!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was really excited to get to read this one. I love the concept of looking at the Arthurian legend from the perspective of the often overlooked women of that world, and am thrilled to do so when the author isn’t problematic!
Great writing and storytelling, look forward to the rest of this series.

Most of my knowledge of Morgan's story is from Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon series, so I wasn't sure if there was much more to tell. Sophie Keetch definitely proved me wrong. Her retelling of the legend focuses firmly on Morgan and her early life, and Keetch does a good job of reimagining many of the characters typically found in Arthurian legend with a feminist bent. It's very well-written, and the author weaves multiple characters' stories skillfully into one strong narrative. Re-envisioning Arthurian legends through the eyes of the women who are normally sidelined is done thoughtfully, and although the story is definitely more sympathetic to the women here (Merlin in particular is portrayed as a terrible person), not every man in the story comes off as truly horrible, which lends the story much-needed nuance.

I understand that this is the first book in a trilogy, but to me it felt like there needed to be a little more solid resolution to the end of this first book, as things kind of just end without really wrapping up in any meaningful ways. It's not necessarily a deal breaker, but as I was unaware at first that this was not a standalone novel, it was a little disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of Sophie Keetch's "Morgan Is My Name".

PSA: This is the first book in a trilogy.

I very much enjoyed this retelling of the legend of Morgan le Fey, the half sister of King Arthur, as it unfurled her origin story as a child princess whose mother was forced to marry Uther Pendragon to her embracing her power and charting a course for herself beyond convention. Atmospheric and romantic, this book builds up the backstory of her character and her first meeting with her half brother, setting the scene for the next instalment of the trilogy.

I usually don’t read a lot of books based on historical fiction but since watching The Sword In The Stone as a child I have been a lover of all King Arthur tellings. This Arthurian retelling had me intrigued from the first page. Compelling characters, fantasy and just the right amount of romance. I’d definitely recommend!

Having read a book about Morgan as a child, I was excited to see an adult telling of her story. Wonderful book and always a fun world to be in.

I am a sucker for retellings of myths and legends, and have not read many in the vein of Arthurian tales. I knew of Morgan le Fay mostly through other books or video games, where she was usually a minor character or simply the villain, and so it was a delight to discover and read a story from her perspective.

Keetch is fantastic at world-building and at weaving in elements of history and legend. For someone who knows very little of Arthurian legends, I found the characters and world overall quite easy to follow; you're not expected to know much going into the novel, which I appreciated. (I did find myself Googling things occasionally, mostly out of fascination and desire to learn more, haha.) Some sections were perhaps a bit slow for my tastes, but never to the point of making me put down the book.

Also, let's talk about Morgan, whom we see first as a young child and eventually see grow into a young woman, wife, and mother. Morgan is so well-developed and complex; you can't help but empathize with her throughout the novel, as she struggles against what's expected of her and desires a different future for herself. Even as she's attracted more and more to darker magic and ways of claiming power for herself, you'll root for her to succeed.

A gorgeous feminist retelling that deftly weaves politics, love, and magic, and that will make you want to read more about Arthurian legend.

Morgan is my Name, is a feminist retelling of the epic myth set in the days of King Arthur. Full of characters such as Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, King Arthur and his parents, and of course the famed villainess Morgan le Fay. There is mystery and magic, love and loss. Morgan is determined to live life her way. She quickly realizes her ability to heal others and refuses to hide that part of herself. If one can help others, shouldn't they? There are plenty of male characters made for disliking. Can Morgan rise up against them, or will their determination to put her in her place win out?

I love a re-telling and Arthurian-inspired stories are some of my favourites.
Morgan is My Name is spun as a feminist reimagining following Morgan Le Fay's fight for independence through awakening to her healing magic.
It spoke too close to magical realism for my tastes (I don't like to toe the line of fantasy) and while I enjoyed the story and had no problem with the writing, the characters fell flat and it didn't give me everything I wanted from a gripping medieval tale.
If you have any Arthurian re-telling you love (any media form) drop it in the comments