I've always loved the Arthurian legends of Merlin and Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. When I found this book based off of Arthurs mother, I got really excited to have some more backstory on characters that I've known and loved to read about.

The Chosen Queen is a character based story, we get a long and detailed glimpse into Igraine's life before she gave birth to Arthur. This felt like being dropped into this family's home and getting to experience her day to day, her thoughts and feelings on all matters etc.
It started off very compelling, with Uther Pendragon attempting to steal Igraine. The details of the aftermath felt sluggish and unnecessarily long winded and I had a hard time staying invested.

Loved this book plot idea but the execution didn't grip me.

A fresh and engaging take on the King Arthur
legend, "The Chosen Queen" reimagines Igraine's story with compelling depth and agency. Davey crafts a world rich in political intrigue and ancient magic, though the pacing occasionally falters. A promising start to a new series.

The Chosen Queen had such an intriguing premise and the blurb promised "murder, magic, and deceit", which had me thinking it would be a fast paced Arthurian story for modern times but I feel like the description of this book was seriously misleading and led to a lot of frustration on my part.

This is very much a quiet character study of Igraine, Arthur's mother, and her lack of power within the structure of her world.

The narration was excellent but I found the story dragged quite a bit. If you're a diehard Arthur fan, there may be something here for you, but it wasn't a great fit for me.

Lovely prose and a story i'm fond of, but the summary needs considerable revision. Anyone going into this expecting a feminist tale will likely throw it across the room within three chapters.

I really enjoyed this. It was a relatively slow paced historical-mythological fantasy novel, giving voice to one of the Arthurian cycle’s more marginalised characters – Arthur’s mother Igraine. For clarity, one of my favourite books is the Mists of Avalon, where MZB gave voice to almost all the sidelined female characters including Igraine. I still prefer MZB’s version but The Chosen Queen worked for me precisely because it echoed some of MoA. Do not be deceived, however. This is a ‘feminist retelling’ in the sense that it is part of a male centric myth told from a female perspective by a female author. That may well not be your version of ‘feminist’. Personally, I want authors and marketing depts to ditch the word ‘feminist’ and just produce engaging stories, which this is. It does suffer a bit from pace – hardly surprising when you’re trying to get a whole novel from a tiny fragment of active character journey. Igraine doesn’t really contribute much to the overall arc. I’ll also admit that I am fed up with this trend of ‘let’s make Uther a bad guy’. It would honestly be more subversive to have Igraine fall out of love with Gorlois (who is also decent) when she meets Uther – no charms or love spells necessary, no trickery. Just a slightly tortured love story where no one is the bad guy but things escalate. Or be super subversive and have Igraine love neither of them. Have her calculatedly manoeuvre herself into more advantageous marriages, making bargains with the Merlin and the Lady of the Lake because she wants to climb socially, to have her son be king. Have her be afraid of her daughter Morgan even. There are hundreds of things to do where Igraine can be a less passive character, more than the mother of the ‘chosen one’. All that aside, this was enjoyable. I’ll look forward to the next one and hope that Morgan is more than a gifted child who hates her brother and that Vivian is less of a moustache twirling villain.

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for all things Arthurian, especially after falling down the rabbit hole of Merlin edits on TikTok. (Honestly, I’m this 🤏🏻 close to starting a full rewatch marathon.) This book completely swept me away. I listened to it as an audiobook, and I have to give major credit to the incredible narrator for bringing the story to life.

At its core, this is a tale about power, magic, and a woman’s place in a medieval world. I felt such a strong connection to the main character, Igraine, her struggles, her heartbreaks, her quiet strength. I really admired her intelligence and determination to carve out her own path, no matter the cost.
I cannot wait for the rest of the book in the series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Fresh and Compelling Retelling of Camelot’s Origins

The Chosen Queen by Sam Davey is a captivating reimagining of Arthurian legend told from the perspective of Igraine, the mother of King Arthur. I listened to the audiobook and found the narration engaging—it really brought the world of ancient Britain and its complex characters to life.

What I enjoyed most was how the story breaks from traditional Pendragon tales. Rather than focusing on Arthur or the sword in the stone, it delves into the events that led to his birth, exploring the political tension, spiritual beliefs, and personal sacrifices that shaped the kingdom. Igraine is portrayed as a layered and strong-willed character, and her transformation as she navigates betrayal and power is compelling.

This was an Advanced Reader Copy I received from NetGalley, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily. If you enjoy Arthurian stories with rich character development and a unique point of view, this one is well worth a listen.

I kinda of hated this.

I won't pretend to know how faithful it is to the original legends and it's wasn't badly written, but I HATED how Igraine was used and treated like a vessel. I came REALLY close to dnfind at about 80% in.

The only thing saving this from a 1 star is that at least at the end Igraine got a tiny bit of say, but overall I don't see this as feminist at all. She had no choices and was not respected through much of this book as she was held by the whims of men or Vivianne.

I loved the narrator! She has a perfect voice for this book!

As for the book itself, I am curious to see what things have been altered from the original legend. It was a beautiful story!

I am a fan of Arthurian legends, but this is the first time I've read Igraine as the main character. I don't agree with this being called a feminist retelling. I understand the author needed to stick to the established myths, but due to her steadfast beliefs, it feels like Igraine let people and her religion walk all over her, despite her basically weak objections. True shows of backbone out of her were few and far between. I don't know how I feel after reading this.

I enjoyed the narrator. Her voice was pleasant and kept me engaged.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and RB Media for my first ARC! I had the ARC for the audiobook, which comes out June 24th, and the print book came out on June 3rd. The narration in this book is beautiful! It brings Davey’s descriptive prose and world-building to life. Plus, I just love British accents in my narrators, everything is so crisp! Narrated by Anna Burnett, her voice compliments the character of Igraine perfectly.

I love a myth retelling, especially when it’s through a feminist lens. This is a retelling of Arthurian myth, specifically of King Arthur’s mother, Igraine. Magic, plots, visions, the mysticism of Camelot - all are so captivating. We follow Igraine as she tries to keep her castle together in absence of the men who have gone off to fight a war in her honor. The first book in a series, there is a need to build the world for future books, and that's a need Davey absolutely satisfies. However, due to all the world building and history provided, the pacing is on the slower side. We experience everything through Igraine’s POV, which provides great depth, but at times her thought processes/observations felt more prominent than the plot points. If you read for charcters, this book greatly explores each woman in the story. If you crave more movement via plot, you may find this a less breezy read.

I will be reading the next book in the Pendragon Prophecy when that comes out, as I hope to continue on with these characters, and see the action pick up with the next generation (Igraine’s children Morgan, Morgause, Arthur) and their adventures.

This book felt like watching an epic movie about the events preceding King Arthur’s reign. The story is full and well developed and weaves quite an interesting tale. The pagan traditions and mythos was so interesting and helped to make it feel like you stepped into this legendary world.
The narrator was perfect for this book. She perfectly captured the feel of novel and brought every character to life wonderfully.

I've always been fascinated by King Arthur and the legends surrounding him. I've written multiple papers on the subject, but surprisingly never delved into the story of Arthur's mother, Igraine. This book was amazing - it perfectly captures the tone of an Arthurian legend. I was immediately drawn in, and I think both fans of the legends and newcomers will love it.
The audiobook, narrated by Anna Burnett, was excellent. Her soothing voice added an ethereal quality, fitting for a legend. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Review:

This book was enjoyable for what it was, a take on the Arthurian legend but focused on Igraine. There were things I liked and things I didn't. I loved the element of magic and focusing on the old pagan beliefs while the new Christian religion was rising. The relationships Igraine had with her half sister and her own daughters were incredible. I loved that we got to see her daughters grow in their magic and wants even for how young they were. I felt like Gorlois caused some unnecessary problems with Igraine as he was interested in the New religion and she was firm in her beliefs in the old ways. Though he still deserved better than what Uther did to him. Uther pissed me off in so many ways. Even if he was manipulated by Merlin and the Lady of the Lake, he could have said no or handled it differently. I still didn't like him, even after admitting their part in his actions. He was a big part of the problem. I honestly don't think I could hate Merlin and the Lady of the Lake any more than I already do. Despite my anger at many things I loved the writing and how this book was about Igraine instead of Arthur. I am curious what will come next for Igraine and if she will stand up for her son and herself as this seems like it will be a series. I am kind of hoping she gains some revenge for everything. Overall I enjoyed this story and take on the Arthurian legend, even if I spent a lot of the book seething over those around Igraine and how they behaved.

This is a deep story of a woman at the mercy of men, religion, love, and duty. As told from the point of view of King Arthur’s mother, you cannot help but keep reading this one even as you have a deep feeling in your heart how it is going to end. Despite the mystery, betrayal, and murder, you cannot help but pity those who have been made to be pawns in a bigger game. Even in the toughest of moments in the hardest of times, the FMC stands strong – and in the end, chooses her own destiny. The prose and inner thoughts of the FMC are enlightening and add such an emotive quality to the work. Simply stunning.
The narrator has such a wise voice. She brought to life the heartbreaking story of King Arthur’s mother. Yet, through the heartbreak, there is empowerment. This is very well captured by the narrator – as a woman standing strong as the winds of a storm try to topple her to the ground.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The author crafts a richly atmospheric world that immerses you in a misty, mythical past. The prose is lush, the setting vividly rendered, and the historical detail is clearly well-researched. If you're drawn to slow, immersive narratives, this aspect may be particularly appealing.

However, the pacing ultimately let the story down for me. The narrative often drags, weighed down by lengthy descriptions that do little to advance the plot or develop the characters.

Another issue lies in the portrayal of women. While the book attempts to explore meaningful themes, such as women's agency over their own bodies, the execution falls short. The female characters, particularly Igraine, come across more as idealized figures shaped by the male gaze than as fully fleshed-out individuals. This is especially disconcerting given that the story is told from Igraine's first-person perspective. Though the premise might justify some of these choices, the result weakens the narrative's emotional impact.

In the end, The Chosen Queen had the potential to be a compelling read, but it gets bogged down by excessive detail and underdeveloped character work. If you enjoy lyrical prose and don’t mind a slow burn, this book may still resonate with you. But if you're looking for tighter storytelling and nuanced female perspectives, you might come away disappointed.

This is an incredibly detailed piece of Arthurian fantasy. Well researched and written, hitting the points from the view of the women often ignored. Just couldn't get over the moments with Uther, Know it occurred in the myths, just the language made it seem a wanted when everyone is gaslighting her.

This one didn’t work for me. I made it to ch 12/ 59% but I just couldn’t go on. It’s much too tedious and so slow.
The narrator was lovely though.

Thank you to Netgalley, Diversion Books and Sam Davey for the free copy to review !

I was really excited about this book as I am a fan of historical retellings. However, I feel like this book promised a lot of things it didn’t deliver.

Sam’s writing wasn’t the problem, it’s one I actually find lovely but sometimes it just felt like it was dragging on. A lot of descriptions and not enough plot focus in my opinion. This book will definitely be enjoyed by other people, it just wasn’t for me.

The narrator did an amazing job though !