A love a good old Arthurian retelling and this book runs with all the legend but takes it just that little bit further.

This book is a little daunting when you first open it cause the words are so tiny that it took me a while to really get through it. However, it gets going fairly quickly and the major players of the game are established fairly early on.

I didnt like the constant references to “blackness” despite it being a significant part of the plot, as it it made the fantasy element almost secondary to the constant turn around to “the struggle.” While incredibly informative and hopefully eye opening for non-black readers, for me, it was a bit repetitive in its relatability.

Outside of that, i loved the magic system, the lore, the characters and the story as a whole. It was a great introduction to a new series and sets up the next book perfectly.

I recommend this not only for a fun though poignant retelling that looks to educate on micro aggressions, systematic racism and social injustice.