So, The Sword in the Stone is one of my favorite Disney movies, so having the legend of King Arthur show up in such a raw and original way—intertwined with the darkness and evil of American history—was not what I was expecting when I decided to read this book. Add to that, the grief and struggle of finding oneself when losing your mother—this book instantly became one I couldn’t put down. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because of all the background knowledge needed to kind of understand the historical context of the medieval period. Because I taught British literature for years, I was able to grasp and catch on for the most part, but think that might be a bit challenging for someone without that prior knowledge. A fantastic read nonetheless.