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eldervampire83's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
To be truly brave, first you must be afraid. And to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose.
The best way to structure this review is to go over my thoughts on Gwen and Arthur's character arcs separately, and then my thoughts on the general plot events after.
Gwendoline
Through the course of the story, Gwen learns to love herself and not doubt her own abilities. All of this is while struggling with becoming a young adult and being betrothed to a young man that she hates. I love that she begins as essentially an unreliable narrator. She had to have the people around her, including Arthur, explain to her different her versions of reality was compared to what was experienced by everyone else around her.
Her budding romance with Lady Bridget Leclair was pretty funny, and I'm happy that Gwen learns what it means to compromise in relationships and friendships. She learns how to grow up and see past her own bubble, and that was refreshing to see in YA.
Her budding romance with Lady Bridget Leclair was pretty funny, and I'm happy that Gwen learns what it means to compromise in relationships and friendships. She learns how to grow up and see past her own bubble, and that was refreshing to see in YA.
Arthur
My one gripe with the audiobook is that the voice Arthur's narrator used for him was far too chipper. He's a depressed alcoholic fighting his own internal conflicts, and the narrator took the "I'm pretending to be suave and fun so that I can mask my own pain better" a little too well. Gwen's narrator portrayed his personality a lot better.
So, Arthur's story is both comedic and upsetting. He's a young man that was unable to cope with his mother's death, his abusive father, or the fear that no one would try to get to know him on a deeper level or love him. He has a larger than life personality, but it takes almost the entire book for people to realize how much he's hurting. His growth in coping with his emotions and moving forward with his life beyond his father and what people originally thought of him was satisfying to watch.
His own romance arcwith Prince Gabriel was so sweet. I love how it was Arthur that helped both royals (with a little bit of blackmail and some much needed reassurance from King Arthur himself and Sir Lancelot ) learn how to love who they were and how to not fear expressing themselves.
After his brutal attack, all feels hopeless (especially since his father was the one who ordered it), but he was able to both redeem himself with the royals and have a second chance to turn his life around after such a harrowing experience. And he got the boy of his dreams! I couldn't have asked for a better ending for this character.
The final quarter of this book was truly gripping. It went from this sweet romantic comedy to a high stakes emotional roller coaster complete with violence and heartache. It made me enjoy this story all the more.
The topic of internalized homophobia is discussed for a good portion of the book, and it was great to see that type of conflict resolved in a healthy and respectful way.
It was truly a shame, however, that Gabriel and Gwen never got to tell their father about themselves, and that Gabe never got to show him the letters from King Arthur and Lancelot. That was an upsetting lack of resolution, but that sometimes comes with sudden deaths. Not everything gets resolved. At least, the rest of Camelot will get to learn and accept the way people love. The ending was a little rushed, but other than that, this was quite an enjoyable read.
So, Arthur's story is both comedic and upsetting. He's a young man that was unable to cope with his mother's death, his abusive father, or the fear that no one would try to get to know him on a deeper level or love him. He has a larger than life personality, but it takes almost the entire book for people to realize how much he's hurting. His growth in coping with his emotions and moving forward with his life beyond his father and what people originally thought of him was satisfying to watch.
His own romance arc
The final quarter of this book was truly gripping. It went from this sweet romantic comedy to a high stakes emotional roller coaster complete with violence and heartache. It made me enjoy this story all the more.
The topic of internalized homophobia is discussed for a good portion of the book, and it was great to see that type of conflict resolved in a healthy and respectful way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction and Bullying
lunarlibra's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.75
Yes. YES.
Picked this up on a whim and devoured it. I had such a hard time putting it down! The characters have real flaws that we see them address and grapple with, we have reluctant allies to good friends, we have sapphic yearning, and a group of teenagers coming into their own.
It's so good and so many things, while also being straightforward enough to read (relatively) quickly and even pick up on the crumbs of foreshadowing scattered throughout.
I feel like it's about, in no particular order,:
Picked this up on a whim and devoured it. I had such a hard time putting it down! The characters have real flaws that we see them address and grapple with, we have reluctant allies to good friends, we have sapphic yearning, and a group of teenagers coming into their own.
It's so good and so many things, while also being straightforward enough to read (relatively) quickly and even pick up on the crumbs of foreshadowing scattered throughout.
I feel like it's about, in no particular order,:
- first love
- healing from first love and finding true love
- learning to stand up for what you believe in
- queer solidarity
- (in some ways) queer mentorship, like when you make your first gay friend or when a baby gay learns from people who maybe never had the option to be in the closet
- the political and personal importance of coming out of the closet (even if just to yourself)
- the power of friendship
- learning to be brave
- the pain of parental pressures and disappointment
- the almost-miraculous feeling of having your first gay kiss (especially after believing you'd never get to experience it)
- learning from stories and myths while keeping a keen eye on the present reality
- the beauty and strength of platonic relationships!!!
- Did I mention the power of friendship?
- "changing for love" not in a shallow and misogynistic way, but in the sense of being inspired by someone you respect to work on personal growth
The writing is evocative, funny, and heartfelt. It felt personal to me and like a completely new story.
It would be a 5 stars read for me if not for one of my pet peeves, which is "miscommunication as the source of drama/conflict". It made sense in the context of the characters, and was somewhat short lived, and given how it wound up fitting into the character development of both of the main characters, so I might change my mind and say it is a five-star read after all.
This book gave me the emotion that makes me love reading, and love books. I can't wait to read the author's other works!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Dysphoria, War, and Classism
ellie_1997's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism and Violence
Minor: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Death of parent
readingpicnic's review
5.0
I adored them all. Incredible and hilarious audiobook narration with just the right amount of sass for the delivery of Gwen and Arthur’s incredulance towards each other. And the gay romances for each of them were so cuuute, GAH! I don’t usually pay much attention to the politics in books, but they were pretty interesting to me in this one. Wholeheartedly recommend to any former or present BBC Merlin enjoyers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Lesbophobia
mrsherrera's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War
violetdisposition's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
While I'd been looking forward to reading this book and had been waiting for it to be available at the library, I have to admit I started reading this book in a rather skeptical mindset. I had just finished a rather serious and grandiose book and felt this would feel fluffy and shallow. In addition, I listened to the audiobook and the narrator for Arthur was not my favorite accent for this particular character, and his emphasis on particular words in sentences tended to throw me off. I quickly disregarded Gwen as a typical woe is me princess who thinks she is helping but really does nothing and over the story grows into herself and her position blah blah blah... and honestly? Kind of true. HOWEVER, it was Gabriel who truly won my heart and convinced me to keep reading. Scholarly nerd who just wants to learn about history but has leadership thrust upon his shoulders and suppressed gay feelings? Swoon. The bonds between "enemies", best friends, siblings, and crushes were so well established and there were so many scenes that I didn't want to end - give me more domestic bliss, whether between lovers, siblings, or friends! I flew through this book, not because of plot twists and shocks, but because even if I KNEW what was coming, somehow I had come to care about all these characters so much that I had to see them through to the end, happy or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
bzliz's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really wanted to love this book but in the end it was just okay. I had a good time reading it but it didn’t have a lot of substance in either the plot or romance categories.
Although I did find the relationships to be cute, I couldn’t really buy in all the way. Gwen had some off-page pining for Bridget but they spent hardly any time together until they were smooch buddies. Bridget was very accurate when she said they barely knew each other. Arthur and Gabriel had more substantial scenes together but I didn’t feel like anything was accomplished in them because Gabe was pushing Art away so much.
Arthur got the most character development by far. He was the driving force in so many scenes and schemes. His antics were what led to him and Gwen forming any kind of friendship. By contrast, the royals were too passive about damn near everything. I wish either one of the siblings had been passionate about their country and their people and whoever that was could get the crown in the end, because if we’re making everything gay, there’s no reason Gabe couldn’t abdicate the throne to Gwen since he doesn’t want to be king so badly that he jokes about preferring death.
Although I did find the relationships to be cute, I couldn’t really buy in all the way. Gwen had some off-page pining for Bridget but they spent hardly any time together until they were smooch buddies. Bridget was very accurate when she said they barely knew each other. Arthur and Gabriel had more substantial scenes together but I didn’t feel like anything was accomplished in them because Gabe was pushing Art away so much.
Arthur got the most character development by far. He was the driving force in so many scenes and schemes. His antics were what led to him and Gwen forming any kind of friendship. By contrast, the royals were too passive about damn near everything. I wish either one of the siblings had been passionate about their country and their people and whoever that was could get the crown in the end, because if we’re making everything gay, there’s no reason Gabe couldn’t abdicate the throne to Gwen since he doesn’t want to be king so badly that he jokes about preferring death.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Child abuse and Homophobia
dragonlilly's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
This story was actually so fun, with characters that get more interesting and enjoyable as the story goes on. I loved the humor between Arthur and Sidney from the start and the audiobook narrator excels at the dialogue and banter, which is most of the story, making the audiobook a good choice. The romance is cute and a there are a lot of funny scenes, but there's a lot more than just romance, and I felt the growing friendship within the story very heartwarming and lovely. We get a really sweet group of friends by the end of the story who have gone through a heck ton of stuff together, including some tragic things, and it all makes sense because of the story's setting. Even the misunderstanding, which I still wasn't a fan of as a general thing, at least made sense within the politics of the story.
The book was written great, and fit the genre and humor very well. I also thought the period discussion when a character experiences a very painful period that makes her almost faint was very notable to me and really cool representation. It addressed the lack of attention by doctors in a way that made sense for the time and setting, but can also parallel to how the modern day isn't much different within the realm of women's health. A super fun and generally lighthearted story, but with a pretty big dark section at the end, and some sad bits throughout but with a inspiring discussion on figuring out what you want in life, allowing yourself to accept that you want it, and then taking the action to achieve it.
The book was written great, and fit the genre and humor very well. I also thought the period discussion when a character experiences a very painful period that makes her almost faint was very notable to me and really cool representation. It addressed the lack of attention by doctors in a way that made sense for the time and setting, but can also parallel to how the modern day isn't much different within the realm of women's health. A super fun and generally lighthearted story, but with a pretty big dark section at the end, and some sad bits throughout but with a inspiring discussion on figuring out what you want in life, allowing yourself to accept that you want it, and then taking the action to achieve it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Grief
littlebitofchaos's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, War, and Injury/Injury detail
ekgranstro's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail