I loved ONCE & FUTURE so was hyped for the sequel and it didn't disappoint. Fans of the first book will be satisfied as this duology is unique, with endearing and diverse characters and epic world-building.

Thank you Netgalley for a review copy of this book.
Was a little disappointed by this one. Just did not stand up to the first in the series. Bit predictable and lacking pace

At the end of Once & Future, Ari and the gang have to make the decision to travel through time to the first Arthurian cycle, back in the days of Camelot. Merlin is still growing rapidly younger, Gwen is pregnant, and Ari’s brother Kay is dead (along with the Mercer Administrator, who has already been replaced).

I was hoping that Sword in the Stars wouldn’t spend too long back in Camelot, but unfortunately they remain there for around half of the book. This slows the pacing down dramatically. It also rips away everything I loved about the first book, because instead of flying around space and exploring the universe – key elements in any sci-fi novel – the book turns into a traditional fantasy, with horseback riding, swordfights and knights galore. I wouldn’t have minded this if I’d been expecting it, but the reason I picked up Once & Future in the first place was because I wanted to read an unconventional Arthurian retelling. Instead, Sword in the Stars gives us a gender swapped Lancelot and a whole load of timeywimey nonsense.

This book thinks it’s smarter than it is. There are lots of concerns about the events of the past changing the events in the future, but even cautious Merlin throws out all of his worries and decides to buddy up with his Old Merlin self in the attempt to fix his backward aging. The justification for all of this is that the gang brought a book of MercersNotes (basically CliffsNotes) about the Arthurian legends back in time with them, so they know they’ve gone wrong if pages start disappearing from the book, giving them ample opportunity to quickly correct the course of the timeline. While I liked that idea, I’m not sure if it would be a foolproof way of ensuring nothing changed, and it hurts my head to think about the implications.

I had some wild and wacky theories about the direction that the second book could take, and basically all of them came true. However, a lot of them were so farfetched that they were barely foreshadowed in the first novel. Contrasting the mystery of the first book with the extremely heavy-handed foreshadowing at the beginning of this installment, a lot of the intrigue about what’s going to happen later in the story is taken away.

My main gripe with Sword in the Stars is that it feels preachy. While Once & Future was diverse and inclusive it didn’t make it too much of a focal point because humanity had progressed enough to be accepting of a variety of sexualities and gender identities, but the return to Camelot makes Capetta and McCarthy really hammer home how dramatically humanity has shifted towards an inclusive mindset. Lam makes the first GSA as evidence that there were queer folk back in medieval times but they weren’t able to be out. While I have no doubts that this was true, surely Lam creating that GSA would change the society into being more open and inclusive, changing history – and therefore the future – in a pretty dramatic way?

The problem is, the people who need to read these statements aren’t the people who will be reading the second novel in an extremely diverse series. If these conversations had been had in the first book – along with the discussion about Lam’s pronouns – they might have had a huge impact, but the people who would benefit from reading discussions like these aren’t likely to pick up the second book in the series if they already had issues with the diversity and representation in the first.

Along with this complaint, there are some smaller issues which also hampered my enjoyment of this story. Ari makes a huge deal about not presuming people’s pronouns, but she does the same thing to a character in Camelot when she sees that they aren’t wearing a dress. Yes, they end up confirming that they identify as trans, but using they/them pronouns until that conversation would have felt more natural to Ari’s character.

There’s also a conversation between Ari and Gwen which left a very bitter taste in my mouth, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it throughout the second half of the novel. Gwen keeps referring to her baby as a girl because she doesn’t want to be responsible for giving birth to the legendary Mordred, who famously kills his father, Arthur. When the baby is born with male genitalia, Gwen muses that the baby might still end up being trans or fluid. I have a huge problem with gender reveal parties because I think the obsession with a child’s gender becomes more important than the fact that they’re healthy.

I can understand the context behind the comment, because if the child does end up being Mordred Gwen becomes directly responsible for both Arthur’s downfall and the start of the cycle that they’ve all been dragged into. However, the fact that this discussion occurs when the baby is less than a couple of hours old – having just been born in a lake in medieval times with no kind of midwives or healthcare personnel around – you’d think Gwen would be more interested in the baby’s health and wellbeing, rather than the possibility of them changing their gender identity later in life. It’s only a small moment, but it really destroyed my enjoyment of the book, and I lost a lot of respect for Gwen’s character because of this comment. Up until that point, she had been my favourite!

In all honesty, I should have DNFed Sword in the Stars. Yes, I struggled to read the first half of Once & Future, but once I got into the flow of the story it was a joy to read and I found myself looking forward to picking it up and re-immersing myself in this world and these characters. However, Sword in the Stars was a chore from beginning to end. It might have been worth the struggle if I’d liked the way the story ended, but it all seemed too convenient.

I ended up giving Sword in the Stars two stars, because I loved this cast of characters and when they finally got back into their time the story did get marginally more satisfactory, but unfortunately this wasn’t the five star I’d been hoping for.

I thought I would love this but I DNF about 25% - just wasn't for me! Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read this book.

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

So due to an epic slump it took me longer than I would like to admit to get round to reading this, despite being excited about it! But I’m glad I finally did!

I didn’t remember everything from the first book but I picked it all up quickly which is always great. And I feel that some of the things I didn’t love as much in the first book (ari as Arthur, ari and Gwen being pre destined) actually worked really well in this book - perhaps because they are already settled and not the point for this part of the arc. This one is all about maintaining the Arthur timeline (while riding roughshod allllllllll over it, so hilarious) and getting back to their timeline to fight mercer.

I really loved Merlins story through this, and learning so much more about Nin, that worked very well for me. I also loved some of the smaller elements - Lam setting up a GSA in the past, Jordan fighting as a knight, everything around Avalon.

I feel this isn’t for everyone, but as an Arthur fangirl, and someone who likes a little bit of silly in with their space retellings, this is 100% for me. Incredibly enjoyable and will definitely read again.

This book was even better than 'I expected so I can't do anything else, just recommend it to you! It's a brilliant retelling of King Arthur that is even better than the first book, and now I wish I could read this book again! The plot is gripping, thrilling, and has so many plottwists in it! And I am not even mentioning that romance!

Sword in the Stars is a brilliantly schemed sequel to Once & Future and entertaining conclusion to this duology. I mentioned that I was a Arthur and Merlin fan in my review of the first novel and due to this I was incredibly pleased when I realised majority of the sequel would be based in the exact era the Arthurian legend derives from! The sequel takes place almost instantly after the ending of Once & Future, it’s fast paced and full of action, and takes place in Camelot itself. In the first book we matched up the characters to their Arthurian counterparts whereas in this sequel it’s up to these characters to now act out their parts in the legend to secure their trip forward in time to their own timeline.
Similar to the first novel, Sword in the Stars was so fun to read, I really enjoyed Merlin’s sarcastic comments about the very uneducated Middle Ages, he could lighten any mood! Practically every character we meet in these books are queer and I particularly loved how even people from the Middle Ages were LGBTQ+, to show that there have been queer people throughout all of history. I definitely thought the characters had a bit more depth to them in the sequel, their personalities were expanded and given more room to grow. I love each and every one of the main characters in this series, Ari & Merlin could possibly be my favourites but I would happily befriend every single one!
I think to enjoy this series you would definitely have to like historical fiction as well, as the sequel is obviously leaning more towards historical with sci-fi characters rather than a Space themed location. I really enjoyed the change in location and time, there was also occasional flashbacks or flashforwards to other timelines and I do love switching up the timeline, so we received rare glimpses of that futuristic setting we got to know in Once & Future.
I’m very pleased that Sword in the Stars was just as good and just as queer as Once & Future and also just as enjoyable! I would definitely recommend this series to any Arthurian legend fans as I found it to be wonderfully entertaining, especially as the famous tale unfolded around these charming characters.

In this just-published sequel to Once & Future, Sword in the Stars, Ari, Gwen, Merlin and company are on the run again and this time they are going native: back to the time of the original King Arthur! But of course, traveling through time and space does not go as planned, and the group gets separated, shaking up the dynamics of the team again. Many shenanigans ensue, and our crew of queer heroes shake up the Middle Ages and shape Arthurian legend into the story it should always have been. Sword in the Stars is a great conclusion to the duology, and I devoured every page. Full of twists and turns, these books are inclusive, fast-paced and thrilling story-telling as it should be. More of this kind of writing, please!

QUEER KING ARTHUR RETELLING, IN SPACE!

Yes, you heard that correctly, this duology exists and I just finished the second book in this awesome adventure.

All of the characters are all queer and most are people of color including Ari, the 42nd reincarnation of King Arthur. She pulls Excalibur from the ruined landscape of the Lady of the Lake in the first book and her adventures begin. The second book, Sword in the Stars, has Ari, her wife Gwen (Guinevere), Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table traveling back in time to medieval Camelot, seeking a treasure to defeat their nemesis from the future, an evil monopoly of a cooperation, Mercer.

This book is so hilarious and fun, and at the same time the adventure story moves at a breakneck pace. It’s never boring, always interesting, and you will seriously fall in love with Ari and her cast of queer powerhouse figures.

The second book in the Once & Future duology. It did not disappoint! Great plot twists and it was fun to go back to the actual time of king Arthur. A great reimagining. A really great book

Sword in the Stars is the second book in the Once & Future duology, a retelling of the King Arthur legend, in which Merlin is cursed to relive the rise and fall of Arthur over and over, throughout time. In this latest cycle, the legendary king takes the form of Ari, an orphan who travels through space with her adoptive brother, avoiding the dominant Mercer company who run the galaxy.

This duology is full of colour, adventure and a whole lot of fun. There is always a turn in the road coming up and you never quite know where that turn is going to go. Sword in the Stars is slightly calmer than the wild ride I remember the first book being. It has a clearer goal (retrieve the grail) and the various characters’ threads become tighter as they draw towards the end. That being said, it still incorporates plenty of brilliant magic, great character moments and a lot of timey-wimey goodness. There are also a few references to other real-life versions of the Merlin and Arthur tale which made me smile.

The heart of this duology is definitely the characters and the bond they have with each other, be it romantic, familial or friendship. I really enjoy the core group and how they are a great example of found family, even if things do get a bit twisty towards the end. The diversity in this book is also excellent, with characters from many walks and identities.

This was such a fun duology to read. It handled the retelling aspect really well – a unique story while still holding true to the legend in a way where neither dominated the other. Fast-paced, full of action and humour, it is difficult not to smile thinking of all the adventures the characters went on.

This beautiful sequel to the queer genderbent Arthur retelling I never knew I needed did exactly what it promised.
It gave me hope, and adventure and fierce yet soft love between two girls who will cross worlds for each other.

It took twists and turns I would have never imagined, and though I am not one for neatly tied up endings I did love each characters growth, and the sheer amount of representation warmed every part of me.

I adored the writing, and though some of the plot became a little repetitive, and obvious, it did not cancel out any enjoyment along the way. Also the references to pop culture were on point and I would recommend this funny, lighthearted read to anyone who might be a fan of fun SciFi where the good guys win in the end.

I really enjoyed this book! I reread the first one in excitement, and was very happy that the sequel lived up to the hype I had created for it! I was pleased with the ending and the character development experienced within the story, particularly the Nimue/Nin exploration. There were fun plot twists, lots of happiness and adventure, and some fun pop. culture references that were a fun end to the book! This is an enjoyable and satisfying end to the duology, and well worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book was a perfect ending to the duology that began with Once And Future. I genuinely had no idea where the plot was going and was more than happy to be swept along in the story. The characters are loveable and engaging and the representation the authors feature is refreshing and a vision of a better future. All hail King Ari (and Merlin)!

Highly anticipated read for me, I loved the first book in the series and this did not disappoint as sequels go! I love the writing style, the storyline and the space setting - all great twists on a classic legend.

Unfortunately I DNF the first one at 50% so I won't be reading the sequel. Good premise, but I just couldn't connect with any of the characters, so not for me unfortunately.

Sword in the Stars is honestly one of the best books I've ever read. This duology was such an enjoyable read and I loved the entire main cast of characters, everyone has an important role in the story. There were plenty of unexpected twists that shocked me in a good way and I was absolutely delighted with the ending. The two main couples were such a joy to read and my queer heart desperately needs more books like this. Ari had so much depth to her and I loved her all the way through. Merlin was an extremely complex character who did some bad things in his life and also went through a lot of awful stuff, but in the end he was such a wonderful character with a heart of gold. I can't talk about all of the characters because I'll be here forever but they are such a great little family of misfits. The story was a great combination of Arthurian history and a relatable plot about the Mercer company taking over the world. Mercer reminded me of Amazon. I loved the little slices of revolution throughout the story, every good story needs a revolution and a dash of hope, and Sword in the Stars certainly delivered.

I'm not sure why I just got approved for this title again since I already had a copy for months and already submitted my review, but maybe the first was a wish and this one was an actual request? At any rate I'm just copy and pasting my review that I already wrote here. I'm sorry to have to post two reviews for a book I didn't actually enjoy but I guess it just happens sometimes.

I was a bit worried about this book since I knew it was going to be a time travel book but I really loved the first one so I was hopeful I would be able to get through it, but unfortunately I could not. I read about the first 40% of it and after putting it down for several days figured I would just skip to when they got back to the present timeline. Well that was at about 80% so I started again at that point and within a short amount of time Merlin's ridiculous origin story was revealed and a bunch of other weird hand-wavey nonsense and I just could not finish it. The first one was cute as a futuristic King Arthur retelling with awesome queer and POC characters but this one was - to me - just a mess. I'm sure there are a lot of people who will enjoy this conclusion but I would have preferred something a bit less ...timey-wimey.

Sword in the Stars brings the past and the future into one queertastic adventure.

I loved the way that Sword in the Stars with;

"Merlin crash-landed in the past with a great, undignified belly flop."
And

"Dignity is for Knights," he scoffed under his breath. Merlin was a mage."
It brought the humour to the story straight away.



Amy and Cori have weaved the King Arthur legend beautifully with Ari and Gwen story. There are some moments that you have to double-check what you have read to make sure you get all the connections and how the past and present are connected.

In Sword in the Stars we finally find out more and Merlin and his origin story. Which was surprising but I liked it, especially how it connected to the old and new cannon.

The book is fast-paced and something is always happening to at least one of the characters. Which makes it easy to lose yourself in the story.



My favourite aspects of Sword in the Stars;

Time Heist
Female kickass Knight
Romance
Creating queer inclusion in the past
a diverse cast of character
the humour
My least favourite aspects of Sword in the Stars

trying to keep all the multiple story arc in order.
My rating for Sword in the Sword is 4 out of 5.

I did like this better than Once & Future; however, this still didn't blow me away like I wanted it too.