I was lucky enough to buddy-read this with Dini and Julie. I always love when we receive the same arcs and can discuss our thoughts as we go. There were a lot of thoughts on this one!

This is a retelling of King Arthur and the legends that go with him. I felt like it was a very unique take on it and really enjoyed it. Sometimes it can feel like the retelling doesn’t have much imagination and that’s not the case here. I think that Bracken chose a very cool aspect to run with. With that being said, there were a lot of issues with world-building. From the very beginning, we get thrown into this magical world with no explanations. It made it difficult to follow along so I started to just ignore my questions/concerns. There are many instances that we were confused or had to see if the other person found any clarity. It makes the pacing of the book slow down a bit too.

Although, there are a ton of issues with the world-building the characters and their relationships are amazing. They really make this book and it becomes hard to stop reading. There’s one gripe that I have with the MC, Tamsin, and it’s that she is so cynical. She’s extremely rude to everyone around her. While I understand that it’s a coping mechanism, it’s hard to keep reading repeatedly. I felt bad for all those around her and she didn’t seem to care. She took it on as a personality trait like it was a valid piece of armor. I did love the relationship she had with her brother, Cabell. They are against the world and there’s nothing like your found family. Emry is Tamsin’s love interest and he’s my favorite thing about this book! He brings a lot of humor and really starts to bring Tamsin out of her shell. There’s a lot going on with him that I would love to dive into more. Mabe a novella or something because there’s so much there we don’t get experience.

The supporting characters in this book really make a huge impact too. Since you don’t really know what is going on and who is the “bad guy” you question everyone. Throughout the book, you really start to fall for them and really hope it’s not them.

Overall, the characters and relationships saved this book. The world-building, pacing, and all the unanswered questions, in the end, leave you wanting more. I’m still planning on reading the second book because I need to know what happens.

Many thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers & Netgalely for an arc to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!