This is such a weird one, because on the one hand, I really really enjoyed this - it's slow and detailed and a perfect winter read, and I feel like was really informative about Arthurian history in such a short novel. On the other hand, towards the end it was starting to get pretty strange with the whole body shaping thing. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did so perhaps that's why I had such a good time, because I had no expectations - but this was really good! I've admittedly never heard of Anna Pendragon before this story, so it was really interesting to see her come to life and take centre stage (sort of) in her own tale. It was just when the Nimue plotline came into the story that I didn't enjoy it as much, because it felt kind of out of the blue.

As someone who did a LOT of Arthurian legend work in college, this story brought me SUCH joy to see Anna (Arthur's sister) take center stage. Definitely a must-read for anyone, but ESPECIALLY arthurian legend fans. You won't be disappointed and the lore holds while still being a unique story.

Queen of None follows a lesser known figure in history, Anna Pendragon, King Arthur's long forgotten sister. Anna returns to Carelon after the death of her husband, Lot of Orkney, carrying his crown to gift to Arthur. Heavy with the knowledge of her prophesy and past her prime after birthing three sons, she finds herself again a pawn of the court being married off to Knight Lanceloch. Frustrated with her lack of power, she must face the demons of her childhood and past to understand her dark gift.

This was my first experience of Barron's writing style and let me tell you, the prose was wonderful and refreshing in comparison to recent books I've reviewed. That being said, the pacing for me was quite the problem. I understand fantasy and historical fiction tend to be slow burns and a level of slower pace is to be expected but I really struggled for the first half of this book. I found there is too much telling and not much showing, for example when Anna sees many of Arthur's famous knights at her first dinner and lists their names and personalities to us instead of the reader experiencing this with Anna interacting with the characters or observing them.

There are so many characters to remember and I did struggle many times to remember who everyone was. By the end I was getting my head around most of them but there are so many names starting with the same letter - G! I understand the author wants this to be inspired by the legends and would use the same names but it was very difficult keeping up with them all. That being said, I did enjoy the characterisation of Merlin, I found it was a really interesting angle; how often he meddled in court affairs and was ultimately at the core of many of Arthur's decisions. Anna, I found quite standoffish and I couldn't relate to her very well at all. She frustrated me constantly with her lukewarm and then strong feelings towards Bedevere.

The second half of the book picks up extraordinarily and I only wish that Barron had paced this so that the magic system was introduced much earlier than it was. I understand plot, place and characters need to be introduced but I felt like there was many introductions to characters that ended up being solely filler and could have been condensed so that we could have more time with magic and Anna's revenge over Merlin.

Overall, while I did enjoy this take on the Arthurian legend, it was too slow paced for me to fully enjoy. The magic system was interesting and I only wish we had more time to fully experience this - I felt like there was a lot of unanswered questions regarding the female lineage and this could have been further explored. Regardless, this was a solid start to the trilogy and I'm interested to see how the story unfolds.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Queen of None by Natania Barron!

Great alternative retelling of the Arthurian legend. Told in a woman’s POV. All the characters you know from the original telling reworked into an engaging story. I I’m looking forward to how the events progress in the next installment. Historical fantasy. No spice.

A brilliant reimagining of Arthurian legend, Anna by Barron breathes new life into the familiar tales surrounding King Arthur. Barron introduces Anna, the long-lost sister of Arthur Pendragon, a figure briefly mentioned in early legends but long since vanished from the story. Her presence at the heart of this novel adds a fresh layer to the myth, weaving together familiar elements to create something entirely new. The themes of relationships, power struggles, and intrigue—so often told in various forms—are given a unique twist, presenting a hidden history that runs parallel to the traditional Arthurian narrative.

Barron doesn’t just breathe life into Anna’s character; she also reclaims the forgotten stories of the women in Arthur’s court, offering a richer, more nuanced tale of love, magic, triumph, and heartbreak. Set against a vivid, beautifully described backdrop, this novel not only reimagines old legends but expands them, making the reader feel as though they’ve uncovered an entirely new layer of the Arthurian mythos.

Overall, "Queen of None" is a fascinating tale that serves as a cautionary reminder about the dangers of letting others write our destinies. A must-read for any fans of Arthurian legends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Solaris and author Natania Barron for this eARC

A unique take story based on the arthurian legend.
The story was very interesting, unfortunately it was too slow paced for me and I never really connected to the characters because there was a lot of telling instead of showing which imo always feels very passive.

3.25 stars

I love Arthurian legend (translation: I’m a huge long-term fan of the BBC show Merlin) and I was particularly looking forward to reading this interpretation. Anna Pendragon is one of the least-known Arthurian figures, and I was excited to find out more about her!

What stands out about this book is that it is about an older woman, a mother of warriors, someone who is usually a background character in fantasy books. Anna has her own network and her own motivations, and she uses her near-invisibility as the sister of the king and the mother of knights to accomplish what she needs to.

I also really liked the depiction of Merlin. He was much more manipulative and slippery than most versions of the character, and I thought it was a really interesting angle on such an iconic figure. It was also a really smart move to remind us, the reader, to question what we know about the legends and be ready for new twists and turns.

This also opened up more possibilities to explore queerness through these characters. There is a very complicated web of relationships of all kinds, and by embracing a more open-minded approach, the author was able to add more layers and nuances to these relationships.

It was a very immersive read that drew me in and kept me wanting to know more. It was a really strong start to the trilogy, and I’m very excited to get to the next instalment as soon as possible!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

This book was a wonderful take on the Arthurian legend. I loved the magic, the characters and the way the entire story was written. Absolutely amazing!

This was a lovely reading experience. I have read my fair share of retellings, but this was an exceptional one. First of all I really like the arthurian legend that this story is (kind of) a part of: We as the reader are following Arthur's sister Anna - so a completely new POV. There is so much lore, political intrigue and twists and turns throughout the story. It was such an engaging read. I enjoyed the writing style very much and also the cast of characters were well chosen and entertaining, I highly recommend! I was hooked from page 1!

3.5* rounded up

I love Arthurian Legend, so when I saw this would be a refreshing take on that well-known story, but through the eyes of Anna Pendragon, Arthur's sister, who has often been overlooked in traditional narratives, I was all in.

This feminist retelling dives into themes of power, magic, and familial bonds, presenting a rich tapestry of character development and intrigue.

Though Anna herself was well-rounded, some of the secondary characters fell flat and the pacing was a little sluggish, with Barron leaning into "showing" rather than "telling" what's happening.

Anna the unknown sister of king Arthur tells her story. A prophecy at birth says that she will be forgotten by history and this is the story of her fight to be seen.

If you like historical fiction and strong female main characters this book is for you.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

There were bits of this i really liked but i just struggled with this book. The characters were fine but i just felt like some of them needed more fleshing out. The world building was good but i just didn't care 100% for it. The writing was decent but i feel like it wasn't anything that different or special to other current fantasy stories.

This book was slow-paced and felt like it dragged on. The ending was rushed, and I felt the story lacked in depth. I'd recommend it to folks who like mythological retellings, but this one wasn't for me.

Good fun, the writing was good and i liked the world building! The cover is also gorgeous! I do wish it gave a little bit more character insight, development, it was a fun read but nothing remarkable which,, i did have high hopes but oh well maybe i wasn’t the target audience 😞

The novel "Queen of None" by Natania Barron, which centres on King Arthur's sister Anna Pendragon, presents a novel interpretation of the Arthurian mythology. The book explores issues of power, retaliation, and the fight for individuality in a patriarchal culture. The story's compelling elements are the intricate political intrigue and Anna's quest to regain her own power.

But the tempo is a little erratic, and readers who like a faster storyline could find the novel difficult to get into at first. Even while the mystical aspects and Anna's character development are fascinating, they occasionally fall short of drawing the reader in completely. In spite of these problems, the book offers a captivating retelling with intriguing components, laying a solid framework for the remainder of the trilogy.

Oh how I love an Arthurian legend novel! This checked all the boxes for me. I feel that so few Arthurian novels are gripping - this novel managed to nail that. The story of Arthur’s sister, who was new to me. I loved the female characters and easy to read prose.

I enjoyed this Arthurian retelling that focuses on Anna Pendragon and her life. Somewhere between an autobiography and a Druid tale Anna Pendragon tells us her story. This is a slower paced retelling and really lets you ponder the details.

# Queen of None
# 7/3/2024 ~ 8/13/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0

Queen of none has beautiful prose. It is written with an intensity that is a bit captivating, but it is also incredibly brutal. This is set at odds with it's slow pace (yet oddly rushed ending). I am one that does not mind a slow pace in a book if the prose is good and the payoff is satisfying. But in this, I had so much trouble withstanding the pain of Anna and all the trauma the women in this book experience. I struggled to read of her being treated cruelly by men over and over again and wished only to see her rise up and succeed. I know that the brutal nature is likely the reality of these old medieval tales for women, but I did not come in prepared and given my preference for HEA, I was taken aback. While she did get her revenge it took a long time to get there and did not feel like it matches the pacing of the rest of the books, the intensity was lacking. I was left feeling forlorn and still weighed down by the pain, rather than feeling like revenge had been had. I am not someone who likes to read books where the horrors of the patriarchy are reflected in the fantasy world. To many who like a complex story, this may be the bot for you, but it wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book and apologies in the delay in the review, my PhD got in the way of books.