I, Guinevere (Mythic Maidens #2) by C. K. Brooke: A Book Review

I, Guinevere (Mythic Maidens #2)
Author: C. K. Brooke
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: C.K. Brooke
Release Date: 2018
Pages: 214
Source: This book was given to me by a book review site in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Your legends have it wrong. Arthur never pulled that sword out of the stone. I did. I, Guinevere.

On the winter solstice, a mysterious sword in a stone appears in the churchyard. Not even the mightiest of the village men can remove it, until fifteen-year-old Guinevere gives a try. The sword heeds the unsuspecting maiden, proclaiming the unthinkable: she is the blood of Pendrakon, heir to the vacant throne of Camylot.

Guinevere never dreamed she was born royalty. Now, between apprenticing the eccentric wizard, Merlyn; swordplay lessons with an abrasive—albeit, attractive—boy named Lance; and clandestine, magical meetings with the formidable High Priestess of Avalon, Guinevere is swept up in a whirlwind of training and preparation for her monumental new role as future queen. But invasions by the barbarous Saxyns and visitations from mysterious dark forces constantly warn that she may be in over her head. Can Guinevere defend the kingdom from the darkness and deception that threaten to seize it? Despite her doubts and the sinister forces working against her, can she harness the power to wield Exkalibur and rule the realm? Or is Camylot already destined to fall?

From the unstoppable pen of C.K. Brooke comes a fresh and unforgettable new retelling steeped in Arthurian mythology. Queen Guinevere has her own tale to share, and it's nothing like what you thought! Experience the magic and myth of Camylot and Avalon like never before as, in the vein of Brooke's award-winning Secrets of Artemis, this legendary maiden of lore recounts her side of the story.

My Review: Everyone knows the story of King Arthur pulling the sword out of the stone that made him the chosen king of Camelot. He married Guinevere through a marriage of alliance. He ruled Camelot through its greatest and darkest moments. However in this unique twist of the Arthurian legend, it is Guinevere who pulled Excalibur out of the stone and becomes the ruler of Camelot. It is Guinevere who must protect Britain from threats of invasion of Saxon and brings about the Golden Age.

I found this Guinevere to be one of the most relatable in all of the retellings that I have read of her. Guinevere is portrayed as a normal girl who has no ambitions. She likes to spend her free time with her best friend, Morgan. Guinevere is spunky, a little mischievous, and not very confident of her abilities to be the next queen. However, with the help of her mentor, Lady Vivian of Avalon and her sword instructor, Lancelot, she becomes more confident. My favorite aspect of Guinevere is tomboyishness and that she defies expectations of being a lady.

Overall, I, Guinevere is not very faithful to the King Arthur legends. However, I found the plot to be very refreshing, exciting, and fun! I, Guinevere was very fast-paced and was filled with suspense, mystery, and magic! I was very intrigued with how Ms. Brooke portrayed my favorite characters of the original legends. I loved the tender friendship that turned into a blossoming romance between Lancelot and Guinevere and her special bond with the Lady of the Lake. The novel was very well-written, and it shows the author’s passion for King Arthur legends. After reading this novel, I immediately craved for more! Hopefully, there will be a sequel in the future! Fingers crossed! I, Guinevere is a superb read for those who wish to read about Guinevere’s life early years!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein: A Book Review

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer Author: Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Religion, Mythology Publisher: Harper Perennial Release Date: 1983 Pages: 256 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: With the long-awaited publication of this book, we have for the first time in any modern literary form one of the most vital and important of ancient myths—that of Inanna, the world’s first goddess of recorded history and the beloved deity of the ancient Sumerians. The stories and hymns of Inanna (known to the Semites as Ishtar) are inscribed on clay tablets which date back to 2,000 B.C. Over the past forty years, these cuneiform tablets have gradually been restored and deciphered by a small group of international scholars. In this groundbreaking book, Samuel Noah Kramer, the preeminent living expert on Sumer, and Diane Wolkstein, a gifted storyteller and folklorist, have retranslated, order...

Guest Post: The Ladies-in-Waiting: Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh

Today's guest writer is Alexandra Walsh. She is the author of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , which is a historical thriller surrounding the infamous Tudor queen. In this guest post, Mrs. Walsh discusses the life of Catherine's lady-in-waiting, Isabel Baynton. This post will be sure to fascinate fans of Tudor era. If you enjoy her post, please pick up a copy of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy ! Thank you, Mrs. Walsh! The Ladies-in-Waiting – Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh One of the most enjoyable things about writing an historical novel is discovering the tiny details that make the period real on the page. While I was researching The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , I spent a great deal of time hunting out the life stories of the women who surrounded the young queen in order to create a group of realistic friends and confidants. There are some well-known names linked with Catherine and her downfall: Lady Jane Boleyn,...

Guest Post by Aleksey Linetskiy: The Women Behind the Klondike Story

Today's guest writer is Aleksey Linetskiy. He is the co-author of Finch and Hawk: The Klondike Letters , which is a unique yearly subscription in which the reader reads a story by mail. In this guest post, he introduces us to a few historical women of the Klondike era. Some of these women are Alice Freeman, Flora Shaw, and Helen Dare. Thank you, Mr. Linetskiy! The Women Behind the Klondike Story Before we began writing Finch and Hawk: The Klondike Letters , my partner, Alona Umansky, and I spent a great deal of time researching the Klondike Gold Rush. We were interested in finding the stories of people who maybe didn’t become rich and famous but still went through the experience of a great stampede. As we were reading the newspapers of the time and firsthand accounts, it became very clear to us that we wanted to tell at least part of the story through the women’s eyes. There were so many incredible women who underto...

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Search This Blog