Reviews

Once & Future by Cory McCarthy, A.R. Capetta

alfredothegoose's review

5.0

I love everything about this book!

chibiloki's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

blurrypetals's review

2.0

This one is a really unfortunate victim of DNF Day for me. This book actually proves there is such a thing as too much representation. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all about representation of any sort, but the rep felt incredibly forced and stale and dead on arrival. Rather than working in characters' identities as the story went on it was as if each character was obligated to state their name, the Arthurian character they were based on, their sexual orientation, and their race the second they were introduced. It's weird and inorganic and it was instantly off-putting in every way. I want to read stories from LGBTQIA+ voices that feel authentic, like what Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli do, or what Sarah Rees Brennan did in In Other Lands, where the world is beautiful and fantastical and our main character also just so happens to be bi. This feels like a fun, great concept that was ruined by bad fanfiction.

kejuka's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

erinrae's review

2.0

Once & Future was an exhausting, schizophrenic hodge-podge that took me way too long to get through. The experience of reading this book can be likened to the end of an amusement park ride– the part where you're stuck in the cart waiting for your turn to disembark as the hydraulics jostle you forward only to stop quickly.

The authors don't give you much to go on. The world-building is severely lacking and the characters are underdeveloped (other than constant references to their sexual orientation and gender identity, which was distracting and awkward and completely unnecessary to the plot). This made it hard for me to invest in the story at all.

The more I think about it, this book reads more like a cheesy movie script than a novel. It was dialogue-driven and full of silly little cringe-worthy one-liners and quips.

I don't believe in DNFing, but I came close to changing my policy with this book. It was awful.

annorabrady's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A great retelling of King Arthur set in a dystopian future.

I did find the ending a bit too convenient though. A single person's death wouldn't have been enough to end a revolution. Especially when that person is in charge of an oppressive government. I think this book would have done well to end with that first battle and then set up for the next book to be the war.

Overall, it was an enjoyable story and I did love most of the characters. 

zara_like_sarah's review against another edition

Didn't find the characters likeable

mazelnut_101's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny

3.25

talesreads's review

3.0

“I’m British”

lee_noel's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5