John Steinbeck's glorious novel The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights had a transformative power over my reading, having been assigned it in school. Much like Greek mythology, these stories had everything a young reader could want - moral complexity, adventure, danger, love, honour, good vs evil. Magical.

When I spotted Morgan is my Name, I knew I had to read it as it is has been ages since I last visited the world of King Arthur and looked forward to a retelling from the perspective of Morgan. Fair to say she is typically portrayed as a baddie so a novel developing her character and abilities into the formidable (villain?) sorceress was a no brainer. This novel did not disappoint. Rich with period-appropriate atmosphere, we join Morgan as a wild child in a happy household...until Uther Pendragon sets his eye on Igraine, upturning everything. Getting to know Morgan's thoughts and understanding her actions, as much as this book covers, made her a character worth investing in. She is strong, passionate and full of magical potential setting the ground work for her future self in later books. I love the code of chivalry and the structure of life in this period. I hanker after the simplicity of this age and it came across beautifully in Morgan is my Name. This is a great start to what promises to be an exceptional series. I look forward to reading more.

A fabulous feminist retelling of this Arthurian legend. Morgan is a sorceress just learning how much power she holds. I thought it was a really well told story, the characters were full of life and relatable whilst still being very true to the time period. Would love to read more from this author!

This is the story of Morgan, half sister to the famous Arthur. History has portrayed her as a malevolent villain, but here she is claiming her own power and voice. This is the first book in a trilogy, although it does work well as a standalone.

Women are treated as pawns in a chess game, moved around by the will of the men, in accordance to whatever suits the patriarchy best at the time. For example Uther Pendragon rages at Morgan, physically assaulting her and demanding obedience. He treats his wife in a similarly abhorrent way. But whilst the patriarchy may control these women’s bodies, they do not control their minds. The strength of the women remains a central theme of the novel. Men are weak and kings are greedy. As one character says, “it’s not about you Morgan…it’s about them-men, their power, their battles, their pride.” Yet through this novel, we see the women find their power.

I adored the mythology woven into the plot, and surprisingly found the magic, and sorcery parts really believable. In fact, I could have done with more magic, but as this is a trilogy, and only covers her early years, I imagine there is much more sorcery to come.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, with a new take on a woman’s place in history. I will definitely look out for the other books in the series.