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its_kievan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
King Arthur’s knights as gangsters, or just as the murderers (and worse) that real-life knights were, is a cool idea. Dark Ages Britain warped by radiation and technologies beyond its understanding is a cool idea. The deliberate manipulation of ordinary people by wizards and fairies in order to construct a British creation myth is a cool idea. Unfortunately, all of these cool ideas together is mostly just a mess, and Tidhar (with all due respect) is simply not a good enough writer to make it work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Body horror, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia
harpoonholly's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I appreciate the revealing light a proto-Christianized Britannia casts on Arthurian legend, making it a little more accurate. I like how humanity, mostly men, are portrayed as complex, neither wholly good or evil, and that Merlin is pretty much an asshole, though very fascinating. Personally, I think a book just about Merlin, outside Arthur entirely, would be entertaining. I love me some chaotic neutral. The women aren't afforded complexity and, as they are in histories and fiction alike, merely props. The plot happens to them, rather than playing any significant role. Is it a question of realism? Not in a book reliant on magic as a mechanic. I wouldn't exactly call it lazy, either; there is little enough information on Arthur himself, let alone his mother and hints of autonomous fantasies I suppose are better than nothing, but are very typical. The vulgarity was hard to get through, visceral discussion of piss and shit, but also very typical of writers post-Tolkien and The Witcher series. Not bad, just feh.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Gore, Body horror, and Homophobia
It's not exactly graphic, not in a blow-by-blow sort of way (tg), but it's enough.
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