I really enjoyed the Arthurian legend aspect of this book, it was very cool to see a different spin on it all. It was very unique and original and i liked it. The narrator was decent but not my favorite. Overall a solid read.

I did not like this novel at all despite being very excited to read it based on the blurb. It was *incredibly* obvious that it was written by a man as the main female character ticked all the stereotypical "I'm cool, quirky, and unique. I'm not like other girls" boxes and said things like "I'm a teenage girl, not like myself is what we do" and brought up feminism at completely random times only to talk about it like a new fashion accessory that the author felt compelled to add. I was so looking forward to this being a new take on Arthurian legends, but instead, it read like the author watched BBC Merlin one too many times and wanted to write a modern-day AU fanfiction full of OOCs. It was more fake high school drama than fantasy/mythology complete with football games, an overly strict principal that everyone hates, and Relationship Drama TM. Younger readers might be able to gloss over the cringe lines and plot holes, but I definitely cannot.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook! The narrator adeptly captures teenage angst and shines in action scenes. While the pacing wasn't to my liking, with the final 20% seeming rushed, I liked that all character storylines were wrapped up neatly without any cliffhangers. Certain elements of the writing suggest it's a debut.

Arlynn Rosemary Banson is the MC of this Arthurian tale. I will note, I couldn't quite connect with our characters; so much of the teenage drama grated rather than excited me.

That being said, I thought it was a nice twist to the storyline. Grieving is explored in a very elaborate and open way and I applaud the author on writing these interactions very well.

I love the snarky and sarcastic heroine. I adored Emrys, the charismatic foreign exchange student. A terrible, punishing headmaster. Joslin, Benz.

How I understand it, her mother is to be Lady Guinevere, her father Sir Lancelot, with a daughter in the 21st century. Dark magics and ancient prophecies.

I will say, I would have liked to see more magical elements and more action-packed scenes. There were more high school scenes than fantasy, but other than that an easy nice read.

I would definitely recommend to an even younger audience to better connect to the characters. 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

3.75/5

I do love an Arthurian retelling. Especially when the main character is a girl who needs to solve the mystery of who the people around her are and how it all fits. It's tried and true and very good.

What I enjoyed about this book was Rosemary. She is a likable character and even though I am over most high school-centric stories, she felt like a real person and teenager. I also enjoyed the narrator for this book, Tami Stronach. She did a phenomenal job! Particularly with Rosemary's snark.

The things I didn't enjoy as much were the romances. They all felt shoehorned. I did appreciate a YA with a sputtering romance, and I am glad that that got resolved by the end if there are any sequels. But one supposed romance between Rosemary and a pivotal Arthurian character came out of nowhere to me. It felt more like a friendship than anything else, so I was surprised at the end when all these characters were going around saying that of course they knew. I didn't know and I was in the main character's head all this time.

Also watching Merlin justify breaking Morgan le Fey's heart by saying "I didn't know you liked me like that," was wild. You are 900 years old, I get you are Benjamin-Buttoning back to teenagehood but what is that excuse? That is a very particular gripe, I know.

Overall, it was a good read. I enjoyed it. If there is a sequel, I may indulge in it.

This was such a fun listen! The narrator does a great job of conveying the teen angst of adolescence, while also being compelling during action scenes. The pacing wasn’t my favorite because it just seemed like the last 15% went by really quick but I appreciated that the characters in this installment all had their storylines wrapped up- no cliffhangers! There are some qualities to the writing that make it more evident this is a debut, but I’m not sure if that is just a YA-thing or not.

Overall, 4/5!

When I came across this book, I just knew I wanted to read it! The title, the cover, and the blurb were all up my alley however, the book itself was not what I expected. Unfortunately, it seemed a bit dull, considering what it could have been. A story about Guinevere, Sir Lancelot, and their teenage daughter, Rosemary, living in the 21st century, having to protect Rosemary from dark magic and an ancient prophecy sounds amazing and could have been so great, however majority of the book seemed to be about regular high school stuff- attending football games, walking through halls, hating the principle. It just wasn't enough action for me..

(ARC provided by Netgalley, RB Media, & B.P. Sweany)

First off I LOVE the narration here. Absolutely delightful.
The story is silly. It is beyond fun. I just know this is something my husband would enjoy. It isn't my usual read or listen and I was still having a blast listening to this.

Who doesn't love a story with a new twist on the Arthurian legend? And The Sword and the Sophomore is an interesting...if not altogether new...twist, bringing parts of the legend into the modern day. Since I'm not the target YA audience, I'll let go of my annoyance with how the teens interact with one another...as I often have to do in real life. :-)

I was pleasantly caught by surprise a couple of times by some turns of the plot and was impressed by the author's willingness to allow characters to grieve...even if I felt the grief was passed over a bit too quickly to be thoroughly explored.

The Sword and the Sophomore does contain both language and teenage sexual content. The language is not pervasive and the sexual content occurs before the start of the book or is handled as fade to black without any overt descriptions. My biggest concern with the sexual content is a particular scene in which Rosemary deliberately puts herself into a position that she must then get out of. Not all boyfriends are as understanding as Benz, and I was uncomfortable with how lightly that scene was handled.

Speaking of Benz... I was granted ARC access to the audiobook of The Sword and the Sophomore. Overall, I was pleased with the narration...apart from a few accent slips. My one real beef with the audio version is how the possessive form of Benz was pronounced...Benz's. I expect that the narrator was faithful to the author's choice, but "Benz's" grated on my nerves from its first use, and I never got over it. I would have strongly preferred "Benz' father" or would have preferred a different choice of names altogether. For most listeners, it will likely not be an issue, and had I read the text instead of listening to it, I could have easily made the adjustment myself.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and will likely continue with the series when it is available.

Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Wow, this was great! The legend of Camelot weaves through the story. Rosemary sarcasm is great and direct. I love that there no “if only I said that” I have screamed at the many times. The pace was great and the story neatly tied together. No ending that left dangling, but totally curious and waiting for additional books. Thanks so much NetGalley!!

…the narrator is so good …Emyrs is back and am bursting with excitement to be listening to this audiobook.

I immensly enjoyed this audiobook, the narrator does an amazing job showing emotion and changing accents which i belive was very hard to do considering one charachter was welsh
Beautifly done audiobook of an amazingly written novel

I'm so glad I got to enjoy this arc. What a fun story. It gave me a lot of once upon a time tv show vibes But very much with its own twist. I loved Rosemary and how she handled the news of her life. She was her own hero in so many ways but never lost sight of her friends and family. For sure recommending this book to friends when It comes out.