The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike

 What would you do if your husband was at war with your brother?  The Forgotten Kingdom starts up right where The Lost Queen ended.  Languoreth is a woman in the Middle Ages, the daughter of a king, and wife of the presumptive heir to the throne of Strathclyde (in what is now Scotland).  Her husband, Rhydderch and eldest son have just left to battle the Dragon warriors, who are led by her foster brother, Uther Pendragon, and where her twin brother Lailoken, and young daughter Angharad live.  Lailoken is a Wisdom Keeper and is training Angharad in being a Wisdom Keeper as well.  In the future, Lailoken will be known as “Myrddin” or Merlin.  Who will survive and how will this divided family move forward?

 I loved The Forgotten Kingdom even more than I loved The Lost Queen.  I loved the action in this novel, and I love that the viewpoint was split three ways.  This time we see the story through Languoreth, Lailoken, and Angharad’s point of view.  The battle scenes were riveting.  It was particular exciting with Lailoken and Angharad on the run separately for much of the book.   I love that it also delves deeper into the background story of many of the characters.  It was an exciting story that kept you on the edge of your seat.  It was also an interesting look into the Middle Ages, a time when Christianity was moving into Scotland and at odds with the old religion.  I can’t wait to see how this trilogy will conclude.

  

Favorite Quotes:

“Hell is watching a man you once trained in weapons take a spear through the chest.”

 “Time is not a masterful healer, but at least it is persistent.”

 “Memory, when preserved, can never be taken.’

 “Who would sing of their heroism?  Who yet lived to remember them?  There is you, I told myself.  But when I was gone?  Theirs would become a forgotten kingdom.”

 Overall, The Forgotten Kingdom is an exciting look into war, love, and religion in the Middle Ages of Scotland. 

 Book Source:  Review Copy from Simon & Schuster.  Thank-you!

 

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike

 Who were the real people behind the Arthurian legends?  Signe Pike weaves historical fact with fiction to tell the story of Languoreth.  Languoreth is the daughter of King Morken and twin sister of Lailoken.  When her brother Lailoken is chosen to become a Wisdom Keeper, Languoreth has keep her kingdom intact by becoming the wife of the son of the high king, a man she doesn’t love.  Lailoken will one day be known as “Myrddin” or Merlin in myth.  Languoreth’s foster brother is Gwenddolua who will one day be known as Uther Pendragon.

 The story is set in early Medieval Scotland.  I really liked that the book had a map and a list of characters.  I referred to both often, especially the map to try to figure out the many small kingdoms and where travels were taking place.  The story starts when Languoreth is a youth, focuses on her older teen years when she falls is love and has to deny her love for family duty, and then visits her again when she is a mother of four children.  The story ends on a cliffhanger with a battle between family about to begin.  Luckily, I have the next novel, The Forgotten Kingdom on my Kindle so I can see what happens next.

 The overall story arch shows the changing tides in Britain as Christianity starts to take root and battles with the ancient beliefs of the people.  It also shows how the many different kingdoms were always in conflict with each other as well as invaders.  Languoreth is a strong woman who wants to be a healer like her mother but is not able to.  She has a great love and is unable to be with him.  Although she has many trials and disappointments in life, she is able to use her position to try to help her family.

 I really enjoyed the author’s note at the end that went over her inspirations and the real history involved.  I saw that this book is referred to as Outlander meets Camelot or a new Mists of Avalon.  After reading it, I think a new Mists of Avalon is the most accurate.

 Favorite Quote:

 “We may not always have the choice we would like. But we always have a choice.”

 Overall, The Lost Queen is a riveting look into a forgotten piece of history and how it inspired our Arthurian myths.  Languoreth is a great heroine.

 Book Source:  Borrowed from my best friend Jenn and a gifted e-copy from Simon & Schuster.  Thank-you!

The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White

Title:  The Sword in the Stone

Author: T.H. White

Read by:  Neville Jason

Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks

Length: Approximately 3 hours and 47 minutes

Source: Downloaded from Overdrive through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

I read The Sword in the Stone many years ago and have always enjoyed the Disney movie.  For a family road trip, we decided to listen to the audiobook version of The Sword in the Stone.  It was another hit for the family.  It was an entertaining fantasy novel with a lot of humor that entertained the entire family.

In The Sword in the Stone, Arthur is a young boy being raised by Sir Kay with the inglorious nickname of Wart.  When a new tutor, Merlin, arrives, Arthur is taught about life by various fantasies coming alive through magic such as history from a snake and courage from a hawk.  Merlin makes learning fun, and Arthur learns many valuable lessons on his journey to becoming a man.  He also meets interesting characters such as King Pellinore. 

We wanted to continue listening to this series, but unfortunately the audiobook is not available at our library or in the library system.  It’s expensive to purchase it so I’m not sure we are going to do that.

Overall, The Sword in the Stone had great humor and was a unique take on the Arthurian Legend.