(I received a free copy of this book from Hillcrest Media Group, through NetGalley, in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
It’s very difficult to find a truly unique take on the story of King Arthur. There are probably hundreds of different versions. I tend to just read the stories I enjoy in the collections and skip over the heartbreaking ones.
I felt that this book was more unique than others. Guenevere and Lancelot are often portrayed as villains, responsible for the fall of Arthur and his knights, so it was nice to see a story that didn’t portray them that way.
The POVs in this book were mainly Guenevere and Lancelot, which was a good way of showing how their relationship developed, but I felt that some of the other characters weren’t as well-defined – not even Arthur. I found it difficult to like him very much.
Gawain has always been my favourite of King Arthur’s knights. I particularly liked the way he was portrayed in this book, though I would have liked to see more of his friendship with Lancelot and his relationship with his brothers.
Galahad was an…interesting character. I was a bit disappointed that there was no reconciliation at the end. As the knight who’s often seen as the most ‘pure’ or ‘good’ in the legends, I found it interesting that he came across as so judgmental, almost cruel, in this.
I did like the way Guenevere’s and Lancelot’s relationship came across, but it was certainly a very destructive and selfish love, which is the complete opposite of what love is supposed to be.
I felt it worked especially well that the author spent very little time on the knights’ quests and the final battle. I felt that it made room to see how the relationship between the two characters developed.
I would be interested in reading more books by this author in the future, but I am glad that this book had a proper ending and followed much of the original legends, while making certain characters more human and likable. I would recommend this for anyone who has an interest in the stories of King Arthur.
Ink of Blood 