Thank you so much to NetGalley, Diversion Books and Sam Davey for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 Star Rating.

I absolutely adored the sound of this book, as I’m a huge lover of historical fiction and I hadn’t read anything around this time period before!

A positive to this novel was the feminist twist to the Pendragon prophecy. I was very pleased with the ending, as I did get worried about where it was heading during the last quarter.
The author also gives some beautifully detailed descriptions of the setting, which you can envision very easily because of this. I really enjoyed some side characters, such as Elaine, Jago and Bennath, as they had a certain sense of agency to them.

However, personally this felt like it could have been edited a little more to include less bulk. Whilst the story is a good one, there’s so much text here and some moments went by very slowly. I just felt that it needed a tighter finish overall to make it more enjoyable to read. This unfortunately meant that I kept losing concentration, which took away from the flow.

The only other thing that I felt uncomfortable with was Lady Vivian’s manipulation (although this is definitely the point of her character), but I hated that Uther went along with such an evil plan. Igraine lost everything and in the end, was almost forced into a marriage just so that she had a future. However, it made me feel very claustrophobic, which does show a clever writing style. I did also feel that Morgan’s character felt way older than four, although I appreciate that she is supposed to be full of wisdom and magic beyond her age.

Therefore, I’m giving this a rating of 2.5, as I enjoyed it but also felt that it wasn’t 100% what I was expecting! A really interesting plot though, so I recommend reading if you like a detailed story and love a bit of medieval history with a feminist twist!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

I love reading various adaptations of King Arthur and Camelot, and so was very excited to read this book. However, I was beyond disappointed. Telling the women the entire peace of Britian is her responsibility if she doesn't let King Uther rape her? She is already married, by the way. The whole gaslighting by Merlin, 'no one saw Uther try to rape her, so it never happened, besides, tell the truth, you wanted it'. Seriously? Then there's the whole, she doesn't want Uther to do anything and is trying to stop him, but is turned on. Because that's how rape works.

Gave it a two star instead of a one just to be generous, as the story did capture my interest for the first couple chapters and writing style was good. Until the whole thing got horrible. Which, it went downhill very quickly.

Didn't even finish the book. First DNF in probably five years.

This has definitely been the year of Arthurian retellings for me! After falling in love with The Lost Queen and Legendborn, I was excited to start this ARC of The Chosen Queen by Sam Davey. There were elements I genuinely enjoyed but there were also some major drawbacks. I thought the prose was really beautiful and captured the whimsy and mystique of the time period well.

But overall, it had some pretty major issues that made it hard for me to fully enjoy. If you’re thinking about picking this one up, I highly recommend checking the trigger warnings first as several themes were unexpectedly heavy and distracted from what could have been a really great retelling.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

2.5/5 ☆

Thank you to NetGalley, Diversion Books, and Sam Davey for the ARC!

I typically enjoy myths and retellings however this was a miss for me. Davey’s writing is immersive and descriptive but sometimes so much so that it felt too long. The pacing was also too slow and I found myself skimming through most of the book. I also didn’t feel connected to any of the characters nor did I feel invested in the plot.

Overall this may be better suited for those who enjoy immersive, rich descriptions and less focus on plot.

Quite the wonderful book this was! So immersive in the time period, I wanted to read more! It gives a great insight of Arthur’s mother, which I didn’t know I needed in my life!

The Chosen Queen is beautifully detailed, retelling that brings to life a very important woman in King Arthur's life. It is a perfect addition for all King Arthur fans. 💫💫💫💫💫

Igraine is the wife of Gorlois, Duchess of Cornwall, and mother to Morgause and Morgan. Gorlois and Igraine have a beautiful, trusting, and equal marriage. It all changes when Igraine becomes aware of the King and his desire for her. At a ball, King Uther makes it clear he wants Igraine, and with the help of Vivian, a very skilled witch, Uther makes a move. Igraine refuses and tells Gorlois about the king trying to take advantage of her. Here is where the story takes a turn, and Gorlois must save his and her honor.

The story takes its time to deliver the plot, the themes, and the ambiance. They are very specifically detailed that you feel deeply immersed in their time. 
The characters take you on a journey of a tale told many times over, but this time through the eyes of the most important woman that will give birth to the future King Arthur. 

Thank you, Netgalley and DiversionBooks/Xpresso Book Tours for my Arc. All opinions are entirely my own.

For readers interested in Arthurian mythology, this could be a fun read as it is written from the fresh perspective of Arthur's mother, Igraine.

The pacing is a bit slow. A lot of different characters get introduced, and they all have descriptions of who they were, bogging the first half of the novel down. Paired with the dialogue, which fell a bit flat for me, it further slowed the reading.

But the prose is beautiful. Especially when it comes to setting, there are always vivid descriptions, making it very easy to imagine the world. You can also tell that there was a lot of research done with this novel from the retelling to the setting.

Overall, I would recommend this to individuals who have a great interest in Arthurian retellings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diversion Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was excited for this Arthurian retelling, but it missed the mark for me. The pacing was off and I was hoping for a strong female lead.

I like Arthurian myth retelling but this one did not do it for me.
I liked knowing the story of Igraine before Arthur was born. But some parts were too long and did not really move the story forward...
I preferred the parts where Igraine used her vision powers with her daughter.
The pacing was slow and I almost did not finish the book but I wanted to see how it would end. And it was a nice ending. Igraine finally found peace.

Firstly, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and Diversion Books for providing me with the eBook ARC. DNFing a book, especially an ARC, is never easy, but after more than a week of reading and only reaching 46%, I’ve decided it’s time to move on. There were certainly aspects I valued—the writing was genuinely beautiful, and the world-building was impressively intricate, creating a vivid landscape that initially drew me in. I also applaud the author for authentically representing the time period in both dialogue and events. However, the pacing became a substantial obstacle; it felt painfully slow. The excess of filler and lengthy explanations failed to propel the plot forward, and as a result, I found my interest waning. I even started to feel like I might take up drinking if I encountered the word “wihist” one more time! While I recognize that this is an ARC and some imperfections are to be expected, it was evident that a more thorough editing process was needed before it was made available for review. With the right adjustments, it could shine as a beta read, but the lack of refinement ultimately hindered my ability to fully engage. Lastly, the theme of Arthur and the Round Table has been explored extensively in literature, and this particular take felt more akin to fanfiction than a fresh and innovative interpretation of the story. (Keep in mind this is my take at 46%)

The Chosen Queen: A Novel of the Pendragon Prophecy by Sam Davey gives the reader a view into Igraine’s journey. I was initially drawn to this because I am a sucker for a retelling from the historically muted female voices of the myths and legends we grow up with. Unfortunately, this book did not meet those expectations. There was a missed opportunity here to provide a strong female character demonstrating some agency in her circumstances but are left with an Igraine that just lets life happen to her.

Thank you to Diversion Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Audiobook Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Jun 03 2025

Tags:
#DiversionBooks
#TheChosenQueen
#SamDavey
#RitaWoods
#ArthurLegends
#Womens Fiction
#YarisBookNook
#netgalley

The Chosen Queen puts a cool spin on the Arthurian legend by focusing on Igraine, Arthur’s mother. I liked seeing her story told from a stronger, more independent angle—it made her feel like more than just a side character in someone else’s tale. Some parts moved a bit slowly, but overall, it was an engaging read with a fresh perspective. If you're into myth retellings with powerful women at the center, this one's worth picking up

I enjoyed The Chosen Queen a lot. This book brought me back to reading The Mists of Avalon as a teenager. I appreciated the deep historical research, and the different perspective on the Arthurian legend. I especially enjoyed Morgan le Fey as a precocious child.

As someone who grew up loving BBC’s Merlin, I was excited to dive into The Chosen Queen by Sam Davey — and it didn’t disappoint. I loved seeing the Arthurian world through Queen Igraine’s eyes, with rich world-building, strong mother-daughter dynamics, and a thoughtful take on prophecy and fate. The pacing was a little slow at times, but the emotional depth and fresh perspective made it a really satisfying read for any fan of Arthurian legends.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Arthurian stories, especially ones that promise a new perspective—but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The pacing felt lopsided: it started with promise and wrapped up fine, but the middle lost momentum. There’s a lot of description, but it didn’t do much to immerse me in the world. Instead of enhancing the setting, it often felt like a list of details rather than something atmospheric or intentional. And when the language did try to be lyrical, it sometimes veered into inconsistency—like using multiple, slightly clashing words to describe the same thing. That kind of thing might seem small, but it adds up when the story already feels distant.

The biggest disconnect for me was the main character. Igraine is such a crucial figure in myth, but here she felt strangely passive—more like someone things happen around than someone steering her own story. I get that there’s a historical angle to that, but even so, I needed something—some inner fire, some resistance—to hold onto. Instead, I often felt like I was being told how she felt without being given the chance to actually experience those emotions with her.

That said, there were flashes of something intriguing, particularly in the dreamlike scenes involving Morgan. Those were some of the most vivid and engaging parts of the book, and they hinted at what the story could have been if the rest of it carried that same energy. Overall, this might appeal to readers who enjoy a quieter, slower mythological retelling—but I was left wishing for sharper character work, stronger emotional grounding, and more immersive storytelling. ⭐️⭐️.75

A very rich and descriptive world, Sam Davey really plants you into the atmosphere of this world. As I was reading this, I felt like I was watching a Starz or HBO show taking place in Arthurian time. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the land, clothing, and people within this court, and this is definitely the author’s strong suit.
I did find a lacking in the character development. Igraine as a character was a bit flat for me, and hard for me to connect with. I didn’t feel like she reacted in ways that seemed realistic, and I don’t believe that she was a strong enough protagonist in her own world. I wanted to see her do more to the story and be more active with the plot.
A lot of the plot dragged for me, and made it difficult not to feel the urge to skim over things. I think editing it down, and making Igraine a more integral role to the plot would do this book wonders, as I really love the atmosphere that we were given.
Thank you NetGalley, Diversion Books, and Sam Davey for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGallery for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I give this book a strong 3.5/4.

This is my third book for Arthurian April and the first book I have ever read where Igraine is the main character POV.

Her character will either make you extremely frustrated or giddy with book girlie excitement, depending on how you wish to see this version of Igraine.

For the romantasy fans, I would say this book gives you the following:
- Forced Proximity
- Desire and Hate mixed together
- Morally grey charicters! - Uther, Igraine and Gorlois are all this way!
- fated mates - but is it ???
- Secret identity

This book plays extremely well with desire and human emotion. i loved Igraine's termiol with lust and hatred. This book can be read as very dark or very sexual depending on your viewpoint. that being said, the author needs to work on her spice level cause despite all the lustful things that occur, her depiction of it gets about a 1.5 rating from me.

Spice Groupings:
- sexual trickery
- forced/ or not depending on how you read into Igraine

The books deal with some sexual violence, but again, it depends on how you read Igraine. it can be read as kinky or controlling depending on how you wish to look at it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I feel sorry for Arthur the most out of all this as neither parent goes on to want him as we approach book 2.

I feel like some scenes could be cut off. Beltane chapters are a bit to long as are the goodbyes of the children

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and Diversion Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who is very intruiged by fiction based on Arthurian legend, I was very excited and grateful to receive an arc of this novel - my first ever ARC, in fact!

Unfortunately, I did not connect with this one as much as I had hoped I would.

'The Chosen Queen', although clearly well-researched, lacked a substantial plot. There is a large portion of this book that felt very sluggish and repetitive, and I began to lose interest. There were lots of desriptive moments that I did not feel were necessary, but then parts I found more interesting were brushed over. I also found Davey's writing style hard to get used to, in the beginning, as it felt very clunky and lacked flow. Past the 50% mark, I did see an improvement with this - but this could just have been me getting used to the writing style.

I am a reader who loves to feel connected to characters and felt that what this book needed was a real connection between reader and Igraine. We needed to feel her anger, feel the injustice and burn with rage alongside her, however I just ... didn't. I empathised with her, but I found her unengaging as a character. Igraine comes across as very passive and, frankly, dull in the earlier chapters of this book. I was hoping to see a huge character arc for her where she finds her inner fire and wows us all, however I just found her ... meh. This is such a shame as I think this story really had the potential to pack the punch.

Overall, I believe this novel would benefit from some tighter editing (especially in the earlier chapters) to balance out the pace and smoothen the flow.

If you enjoy historical fiction, witchy elements, and a character-driven story, you may enjoy this one - it just needs a polish first!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Unfortunately this book was not really my cup of tea. I do think there is an audience for it out there but I personally did not enjoy it. Thank you for the advanced reader copy.