A wonderful retelling that brings a long-forgotten character from Arthurian lore into the forefront. I especially enjoyed how the characters’ age and identity as a mother really played into her motivations, as well as how her decisions were a mixture of good and bad but always believable. Add this to a richly realised fantasy world and it was a great read!

I just completed Natania Barron's "Queen of None," and as a devoted Arthurian legend enthusiast, I found it truly delightful. Barron chooses to unfold the tale of Anna, Arthur's sister, a seemingly inconspicuous figure in the Once and Future King folklore. Anna grapples with being a pawn in dynastic marriages, enduring loveless matrimony with King Lot strategically arranged by Arthur.

Amidst the court's politics and tangled relationships, Anna bears children, including Gawain, Gaheris, and Gareth, while secretly harboring love for the knight Bevedere. However, Merlin's Machiavellian influence casts a shadow over Arthur's court, shaping destinies, including Anna's.

Barron skillfully populates the narrative with familiar mythological faces, portraying them with pathos and realism. The plot unfolds deliberately, weaving court politics, romance, and mysticism. Anna emerges as a fiery, witty protagonist challenging the patriarchal constraints.

Barron's prose captivates, particularly in Anna's description of Camelot—Carelon—a place of exterior beauty masking secrets, intrigue, and magic. The writing, with its lyrical quality, draws readers into a world where strong women refuse to succumb to male dominance.

I was intrigued by this blurb. This book follows King Arthur’s sister Anna. My heart goes out to her. Her life was not an easy one. I wish there was more, it was choppy jumping from scene to scene and event to event. I don’t know how to explain it I just wanted more to make it flow better. Overall a 3⭐️ read from me

I love King Arthur mythology so I was expecting about this story. It’s quite good, easy going and fast reading. I really like combine between mythology and author fiction. Thank Netgalley for providing arc copy of this book. I hope that author will continue and we will know more main characters adventure

"According to Morgen, Merlin was certain that the girl would be no threat, since she was no man. How wrong he was to be."

I adored this slow revenge story of Anna Pendragon and her life behind the scenes of Arthur's ruling. The prose is lyrical and gripping, the characters have a lot of depth, leaving you wanting to learn more about them.

Anna herself is such an interesting character, and learning about her story has made me want to dive even deeper into Arthurian legend.
Would highly recommend it you adore writing about badass, strong women.

I really enjoyed this female-centric take on the classic Arthurian. Stepped in magic, this story follows Anna Pendragon. At her birth, Merlin prophesied that she would be forgotten. For her entire life, she's been in the shadows; a pawn but never a player. Following the death of her husband, she comes home, hoping that she might now be in charge of her own fate only to find herself a pawn again, married off to form a new alliance. With everything taken from her: her children, her lover, her power, her happiness; Anna begins a journey to exact revenge against the one she blames: Merlin.

It took me a few chapters to get into the book. The author's writing style was a little different and I had to become accustomed to it. But once I did, this book was delicious. Female revenge is always an excellent plot when done well. Magic was woven into the story so seamlessly, it was easy to get lost in this world of legend. Anna's power was foreshadowed perfectly.

If you like historical fantasy, this is the book for you.

I thought Queen of None was fantastic. I will start by saying this is the first Arthurian Fantasy Romance I have read and boy did I love it. It follows Anna, King Arthur’s sister. After her husband Lot dies she goes back to Carelon with his crown as a gift for Arthur. Once there she reconnects with her sisters Morgen, Elaine, and Morgause. She also has to deal with the awful Merlin and his scheming priests. Her former lover Bedevere is also around. There are so many layers to this story, it is quite something. I have to say I loved the relationship she has with Bedevere, I think he was her soul mate. Some of the rest started okay but turned pretty villainous. Arthur was always looking for the next bright shiny toy, he seemed highly distractable. Merlin, wow, what a piece of work he is. Anyway, this story is awesome. Very well written, highly entertaining, and will leave you wanting more. I can't wait for the next one.

This was a great version of the Arthurian story: the women behind the crown. It’s an interesting fact that actually almost all the characters around Arthur are more compelling to me than Arthur himself- Lancelot, Guinevere, Merlin, Morgan Le fey etc. But I’d never heard of Anna his sister. It wasn’t easy being female in that era (or most others!) and as royalty to live your life as a political pawn. A thought provoking and absorbing read.

I don't even know if I can express how badly I wanted to like this book. I love Arthurian legends, and there's so many cool ways to interpret the stories that I was really excited for this. But instead of a story, this sort of just felt like a bunch of episodic moments in Anna's life, without a plot to connect them all.
I just don't have much to say about this one. It wasn't badly written, but boring.

An Arthurian tale full of forgotten women. Anna Pendragon was married young to an awful man, at the whim of Merlin and King Arthur. Now a widow, Anna returns to Arthur's court, but still finds her fate isn't her own. Determined to exact revenge she hatches a plot to make Merlin pay for what he has done to her, and to the other women of the court.

This tale is steeped in magic and legends, but many of the Arthurian references were lost on me, since I am only passingly familiar with the tale. This would be a great read for people for who love the tales of King Arthur.

Through all the ages, and in the hearts of men, you will be forgotten. Married at twelve and a mother soon after, Anna, King Arthur’s sister, did not live a young life full of promise. She did as she was asked, invisible and useful, for her name, her dowry, and her womb. Twenty years after she left her home, Anna is summoned back home with the crown of her deceased husband, to face the demons of her childhood.

This world is changing and Anna must change with it if she is to survive. New threats lurk in the shadows, and a strange power begins to awaken in her, If she is to become more than a pawn in everyone else’s game, she must bargain her own strength, and family, in pursuit ifs her own ambition, and revenge. She will do everything in her power to seize power and seek revenge for al that has befallen her.

A powerful reimagining if the original legend through the eyes of a young women, a mother and a queen, who will take what is hers by force and by curing alone. This is the first in a female orientated arthurian fantasy romance trilogy that will sweep you off your feet into a historical fantasy where men have the power but women have cunning, which is just as powerful, or more so, when used correctly. This is a novel that inspired female power, the strength to endure hardships and be forged stronger all the more afterwards.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘯

A retelling of the king aurthur story from the eyes of his sister. A revenge story that I was captivated with.

A slow, quiet revenge story—perfect for anyone who loves lush prose, an emphasis on character interiority, and watching a character carve out agency and power for herself in a world committed to denying her access to either. Highly recommended!

This book was simply not for me, but if you like the legend of King Arthur, you may enjoy to follow the story of his sister. Anna

I felt like the story really begun when I already read 60% of the book and the timeline was a bit hard to follow. Most of the time I was wondering what was the point of the book and it simply felt as I was following the daily life of a woman at court, but she wasn't really a part of this either. I also think too much was left in the shadows regarding her sisters and their lives and the childhood and the marriage that scarred her so much.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC!

This is a fabulous story that reimagines the Arthurian legends through the eyes of one of their lesser known protagonists, King Arthur's sister, Anna. Prophesied by Merlin to be "the forgotten one" at her birth, as she grows up she finds herself to be little more than a pawn in the political machinery of the court, first being married off to the neglectful King Lot of Orkney and bearing three sons. Upon returning to her home of Carelon after his death, she is forced into another arranged marriage when she had hoped to find happiness with one of the knights, Bedevere. All of this is orchestrated by Merlin, and from this point the story takes a turn into the mystical and supernatural as Anna plots a meticulous revenge against the man who ruined her life.

Queen of None is full of mellifluous, lyrical turns of phrase, but it never feels like too much or detracts from the story, which is absorbing and compelling. You also don't have to know a whole lot about the Arthurian tales to enjoy this, although there are certain names that are instantly familiar. If you like mythical stories with a healthy dose of court intrigue, devious machinations and beautiful descriptions, this is for you!

Queen of None is an atmospheric, beautifully written reimagining of arthurian legend. I could immediately tell how lovingly researched this work is; it was very much informed by our cultural understanding of these legends while having a decidedly individual point of view.

This was definitely outside of my usual genres, but I really enjoyed it! I'd highly recommend it for lovers of moody, atmospheric fantasy.

Firstly, Thank you NetGalley for providing me with access to read and review this book!

"It was a childish, naïve wish. But it was the wish of a child who was forced to grow up far too fast, of a girl who lived in shadows so long that even a ray of sunshine through thick coloured glass felt like the sun."

In a world where a prophecy has told her she will be forgotten, Anna Pendragon fights to exist.

The Queen of None pulls us into the world of Anna Pendragon, Aurthur Pendragon’s youngest and only full blooded sister. After being married off to Lot of Orkney at a young age to fair alliances, she returns to Arthur shortly after her husbands death. When she arrives a Carelon she aims to hand over handover Lot's Kingdom, in a hope to be reunited with her former lover, Bedevere, and to live beside her sons at last.

However, these dreams are short lived when she discovers Merlin remains in the court, as powerful as ever, scheming as he always has done by using the women in Authur’s life as pawns in his game. She is once again at the mercy of men and is seen to be used as a means to end for Arthur’s continuing stake in power.

Faced with the demons of her past, Anna must make a choice. She must reach inside herself for her own power that dwells within and challenge the medieval power plays to survive.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Queen of None provides us a twist on the classic Arthurian legends. This tale turns what we already know on its head by presenting us with the insights of the struggles that the women within Arthurs court experience. I found this really intriguing overall.

The POV is mostly directed through Anna, Arthurs sister. We learn through her experiences about how women are used as bargaining chips to serve a purpose; either as objects to prevent wars and sweeten alliances or as objects for the desires of mens lust. Throughout the narrative Anna feeds us a tale of duty, sorrow and grief as she begins to morn for the woman she was and chooses instead to fight for the one she wants to become. Anna does not want her story to be forgotten.

Anna is such a wonderfully written character, she battles with her own inner turmoil alongside challenging the status quo of “women in the background”. She has to come to terms that she herself has her own powers that she can bring to the table. She is not a flawless protagonist, as she has her own motivations and desires and thats what I enjoyed about her.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Queen of None is for readers who enjoy a different take on legends and myths and are open to a different narrative being told. This book has historical elements that are woven nicely into a different type of story. If you enjoy court politics, the dynamics that come with complex families, and challenging what duty means - then this is for you.

This book harnesses the power of “women in the background” and aims to bring their stories to the forefront. Whilst this book also contains magical elements that are part of the plot, I would say they become a secondary tool to the scheming, dialogue plays and world building that really bring the story to life.

This is a story presents a lens through Anna’s eyes that provides us with the multiple different versions of herself - duty, wife, mother, sister, and lastly figuring out what it means to identify as the ‘Anna’ everyone knows. If you enjoy a plot that also centers the quest for identity and belonging then this is a tale for you.

As a BBC Merlin fan, this book's description and cover greatly appealed to me - and Natania Barron's writing did not disappoint! This was a refreshing take on the recent trend of feminist myth retellings, as few have focused on Arthurian tales. It was great to read about familiar characters through a new lens.

I loved the idea of following a woman who was seemingly forgotten or erased from the well-known tales. Anna's life and experiences are sad, but well-written, and create a deeper understanding of the character. I enjoyed her more mature voice, and seeing how she explored her power later in the book.

While I did enjoy the book overall, the pacing could have been better - some sections dragged on while others felt rushed, particularly towards the end. The timeline also became difficult to follow as large chunks of time were skipped in places.

As a lover of Celtic folklore, I have encountered and actively sought out various interpretations of the Arthurian legend.

This is the first time in all these stories that I've heard the telling shaped to bring the women of lore to life, told through and about them. Natania's creative vision is a unique combination of the familiar and the startling. The new connections between the characters and definitions of weapons had me nodding and thinking, “Of course, this makes perfect”

A fantastic book. Lady Anna's voice captivated me, and it was a delight to explore her thoughts. The heart-wrenching aspects of this tale are balanced by its worthiness and deeply felt emotions. The magic is exquisitely otherworldly and delicious. The heart of this story lies in its compelling relationships. I absolutely adored it.

I enjoyed Queen of None. My knowledge of Arthurian legend is minimal at best so I can't comment on that aspect of the story. As a mythogical historical fiction is was good, portraying Arthur's sister Anna. She's used as a political pawn from an early age, never able to have the love or freedom she desires. The timeline of the story was a little jumpy, but all in all it was a good story and it was interesting to see a different and hidden aspect of the legend of King Arthur.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.