I wanted to like this book. I’m a huge fan of Arthurian Legends and historical fiction but this fell hugely flat for me. The prose was long and winded and too detailed in many places. There were too many descriptions of places and things and objects that weren’t necessary. We don’t need to know the color of every drape or floor board.

My other issue was it felt like the same story told again and again. Did we need King Arthur’s mother’s story from her POV? Probably not no. But if we did it needed to be done slightly better. Ingraine wasn’t feminist at all (as the description led me to believe). She was belittling and very focused on physical aspects of herself and other women. Instead of her husband and daughters.

The twist and manipulation from Vivienne was interesting but also extremely expected. Nothing was new as we know the story of King Arthur already. This felt more like an autobiography than and historical fiction. It just fell really flat for me.

I love a retelling of a mythical story but this one just wasn’t what I hoped it to be. The pacing of the story dragged and the long-winded descriptive language did nothing to push the plot or characters forward, and I often found myself tuning out.

I’m also disappointed by the way the women were written. There were great glimpses of autonomy and choice throughout this story but the ultimate execution and autonomy given to female characters was lacking.

This book is great for readers who enjoy lyrical descriptions and mythical retellings that stick to the original script.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley for the audiobook
I normally love retellings, but this one was not quite as I expected
The story sometimes feels too slow, and I couldn't connect with the characters.

But everything said I loved the narrator, made me want to continue listening to the story

** spoiler alert ** This book tells the story of Igraine, known to most as King Arthur's Mother and usually cast aside in retellings to be a background character.
The book focuses on her marriage to Gorlois and their life at Tintagel Castle alongside their daughters Morgan and Morgause. Everything changes for the family when they attend Uther's Court and the King falls in love with Igraine, attempting to assault her which results in Gorlois & Igraine leaving Court in fury without Uther's consent and so begins War between the two Men.
The myths are pretty well known so I won't go further into the details of what happens next, but suffice to say Uther is a monster who I feel actually gets a sympathetic ARC in this book, as do Merlin and Vivian.
I feel the 'feminist retelling' is a bit of a stretch, there's not much the Author can do with this tale to change Igraine's story without destroying the Myths, she is repeatedly used and hurt, her children are taken and she loses the Man she loves. So while it's great to have a telling from Igraine's perspective, it's also pretty loyal to the tale we've all been told.
The prose is beautiful, the descriptive passages of Tintagel are gorgeous, Tintagel is one of my favourite places - it truly does feel magical when you're there and this book took me straight there in my mind every time it was described.
Overall I felt this was an enjoyable read, a couple of points where it dragged but not enough to spoil the reading experience.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read and review this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review. This lovely audiobook came out on 24th June.

I really enjoy Arthurian retellings and this has definitely been added to the list of my favourites. This subtly feminist telling of Igraine's role in Arthurian legend is beautifully written and, in my opinion, deeply compelling. I've always found the story of Arthur's conception rather troubling to say the least and I appreciated how this was fleshed out and explored through a feminist lens.

In this book we follow the events leading up to Arthur's conception and birth from Igraine's POV. Igraine is very clever and self aware and I really enjoyed her relationships with her two small daughters, Morgause and Morgan. I felt her deep awareness of their differing natures and flaws, along with her unconditional love, was very realistic. All of the characters in this story are multidimensional and complex, including the more villainous ones.

While strong and capable, Igraine experiences the sort of gaslighting and manipulation so many victims of abuse and SA do experience in reality, which leads her into doing certain things against her better judgement. I felt like these subjects were explored with a lot of care and tact, but keep this in mind if you are sensitive to this kind of content.

The narration by Anna Burnett is so well executed and pleasing to listen to. Definitely recommend the audiobook to my fellow listeners!

Highly recommended if you like:
👑 Arthurian retellings from the POV of the female characters
👑 Realistic feminism in the context of the time period
👑 Strong yet flawed female leads
👑 Heart aching mother-daughter bonds

I am so impressed with this retelling. Seeing the Camelot perspective from a woman, let alone Igraine- is something we have all needed. Following Igraine’s story and her growth was so wonderful to read. I was so glad to have gotten the opportunity to read this thanks to NetGalley. The narrator was enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this. I listened to it over the course of a long weekend. I am not super familiar with the lore surrounding this story but I love a retelling and wanted to try it out. I enjoyed the Arthurian setting, the fantasy elements, and the attention to detail by the author. I feel like Davey wanted to stay true to the original story with a fantasy element. The narration was well done, the narrators voice was really peaceful. I stayed intrigued though out the story. I recommend picking this up.

I listened to the audiobook version of The Chosen Queen and was completely transported. Anna Burnett’s narration brings Igraine to life with such emotional depth and strength—her voice perfectly captures the quiet command, sorrow, and resolve of a woman written off by history but reborn in these pages as a force all her own.

Sam Davey gives us a fierce, unforgettable female main character who feels powerful even by today’s standards. Igraine isn’t just Arthur’s mother—she is the pulse of the prophecy, the soul of the kingdom, and the storm beneath the crown. Her strength doesn’t always come through sword or spell but through political savvy, maternal devotion, and an unshakable sense of self. She’s a woman who refuses to be shaped by the world—she shapes it.

What really made this story shine for me was the flawless blend of political tension, ancient magic, and religious conflict. The struggle between the old ways and the rise of Christianity felt so layered and real, making every decision, alliance, and betrayal feel monumental. The magical elements felt organic, not overdone, and the politics were every bit as gripping as the battles.

This book gave me chills. It’s bold, beautifully written, and emotionally powerful. A must-listen for fans of historical fantasy, strong women, and stories where magic and meaning go hand in hand.

The Chosen Queen by Sam Davey reimagines the legends that surround the birth of the future King Arthur. The story focuses on Arthur's mother Igraine and the struggles she went through. I enjoyed this more then it thought I would. The highlight of this book was how beautifully written it was. I loved the prose in this story. I will also say the plot was interesting and felt unique compared to other Arthurian retellings that mainly overlook Igraine. This is the type of novel that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys Greek Myth retelling as it gave me very similar vibes and writing style to that subgenre.
The main issue many find with this novel is the main character. Igraine can be a bit frustrating, especially with how naive she came across at times, however I found her to be an interesting character. I think there is a difference in a character like Igraine, who I see as a character living in a story in which she has no agency, and a passive character that accepts their fate. By this I mean, she was a character in the story who lacked any power to change the major plot points of the story, but she still was able to do things actively in the story when she can rather than just roll over and giving up like most passive characters do. I can completely understand the criticisms of this book, but I personally really liked it. My only major criticism was that I felt the book was just a little too long in the middle of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for an ARC of the Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Chosen Queen

5 Stars!

Production – Narrator, Anna Burnett, had the perfect voice to bring this story to life! Soft, fanciful, and elegant. She gave a regalness to the story and eloquently painted beautiful scenes of magic, intrigue and love.

Story – I was engaged from the first page. I love a good King Arthur story, and this was a totally different take. I love the magical elements, visions, the daughters and their differences – really, the whole thing was amazing. I am all for a strong FMC and Igraine delivers! The way Sam Davey brings her characters to life, it is impossible not to develop strong emotions towards some of them – and want to punch them. LOL I look forward to more from Sam Davey in the future and more from this series!


Thank you to @Netgalley, @Recordedbooks and Sam Davey for the audio arc!

This was such a lovely premise. I'm such a major fan of all things Arthurian and this was such an interesting spin. The narration was a bit mellow and the whole book was a little on the long side, but still enjoyable.

Beautiful world, wonderful narrator, but the plot fell short.
Listening to this on audio was a treat because the narrator was perfect for this book. The author has a beautiful writing style, very poetic, i was able to fully immerse in that world.
The book started off very strong but i’m not sure what happened after about 40%. After that i just wanted more plot and less nature descriptions.

Thank you NetGalley for the free copy!

First off thank you NetGalley for the audiobook!

I requested this title since I love Arthurian tales/re-tellings and figured it would be right up my alley. I liked the idea of a story about Igraine, and enjoyed the overall premise of the story.. I feel like there was a really strong start but it slightly fell off for me around the mid point of the book. I was really hoping for a bit more female character empowerment, but maybe that’s coming with the next book?

The narrator does a wonderful job with the pacing of the story, and the character voices as well. I enjoyed being able to tell who was who even if it was just a slight tone and accent change.

This was such a good retelling. Reading this from Igraine’s point of view and seeing her discover how much people she trusted lied to her. However difficult things got she never once gave up on what she believed. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the story. The narrator did a great job keeping me interested in the story and wanting to know what would happen next.

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 and RBMedia for the opportunity to read this ARC and Listen to the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Audiobook Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Jun 03 2025

Tags:
#DiversionBooks
#RBMedia
#TheChosenQueen
#SamDavey
#AnnaBurnett
#ArthurLegends
#Womens Fiction
#YarisBookNook
#netgalley

I thought this had some promise, as an origin story of King Arthur, but unfortunately it fell flat and did not entertain me.

The real rating is 3.75, but 4 for Goodreads.

I enjoyed this retelling, especially from Igraine's point of view! Some sections of the book just felt like they dragged on and could've been edited down a little more. The prose was beautiful though! I loved those last couple of chapters and that feminist twist ending! It was so good and made me glad I stayed with the story. The narrator for the audiobook, was also wonderful! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my audio ARC!!

Arthurian history has always interested me. What I loved about this book is that it didn't focus on Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, and the rest. Instead, this novel focuses on the story of Arthur's mother and his conception. Igraine trained in the old ways on Avelon is faithful to the goddess and loves her husband Goloris even if she doesn't like his growing faith in the new religion of the risen God. Together, they have two beautiful girls: Morgause, betrothed to the King of Orkney, and Morgane, who is showing power beyond her years and is destined for Avalon, where she will train under the Lady of the Lake. On a trip to Uther's court to celebrate the end of the war and the unity of all of Britain, everything changes, though.
Uther wants Igraine and doesn't care that she is married. Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, and Merlin are encouraging his advances. Goloris is not happy and doesn't want to be a cuckold, so they leave swiftly and declare war on Uther and his armies. With her husband once again gone, Igraine decides to take matters into her own hands. She begins to train her daughters in the arts of the goddess and makes sure the women are planting and tending to the fields. When her husband suddenly returns, Igraine couldn't be happier, but she quickly learns that she has been fooled, for this is Uther in disguise.

3.5⭐️ Have you ever wondered about the story of King Arther’s mother and how he was born. Well, considered that question answered. Author Sam Davey has created a wonderful story of a strong female and mother.

3.5⭐️ narration by Anna Burnett. Overall, a good narration. All the emotions were portrayed very well. Would have like a bit more variation with the other characters and our main character, Igraine.

Igraine is a living and devoted wife. She is also faithful to the ancient magic. She has found love with her husband even though it was a political match. Igraine is happy and loves her two beautiful daughters. But when he husband, the Duke, is turning away from the tradition of the ancient magic; she feels a rift in her happy family. Her husband will soon go to war for his new beliefs and the honor of Igraine that was attempted to be tainted by the king himself. Igraine will be tested many times by Merlin and those of the kings court. The king will also come back for what he truly wants.

Thank you to @netgalley, RB Media, and Sam Davey for the advanced listener copy.

The full review on the book is uploaded on Goodreads.
In short; this is a 3-star -possibly 3.5 star- read for me, the story well written and there is good tension to keep you on your toes. There is a sense of foreboding that haunts you throughout the story, but it does get somewhat slow paced at times.
The narration of the audiobook is nice, and it feels like the voice works well for the main protagonist, but it does get a little monotone.

This book should probably come with some trigger warnings what with all the scenes of rape, forced pregnancy and murdered children.
I am no stranger to traumatic and horrid events being portrayed in books, but I do like having some heads up so that I can at least know what I'm getting myself into.

Thank you for this Arc!
Best regards
Linnea