I was really intrigued and excited by a sapphic retelling of Arthurian legend, and by a focus on the lady of the lake from the original stories where she is so often left out. The latter is achieved well.

However, this novel fell flat to me. Though it is classified as adult (presumably due to trigger warnings of sexual assault and death during childbirth, as well as two random sexual scenes which… random is certainly the word for them; they felt entirely dropped in for no real reason and with no buildup), the writing reads like poorly written YA. There is far more telling than showing, or both combined unnecessarily. It stopped me being drawn in.

I enjoyed the dynamics of the characters, but especially for a book promoted as a sapphic reimagining, the sapphic relationship was so swift it felt shallow to me. We saw very little of the pair falling in love, they just sort of… competed for a while and then each said they liked the other and that was that. I would’ve liked to see more of the love story. Similarly, the worldbuilding seemed to rely too much on labels, using a presumed knowledge of the Camelot setting to reduce the amount of worldbuilding actually happening.

I really wish I could’ve said I loved this book, because I was intrigued enough about the plot to read it to the end (hence the 2 stars), but it just felt too flat. That being said, it is still a nice reimagining purely for the focus on the lady of the lake in particular, so if you're interested in learning more about her character do give it a go and you may enjoy it more than I did.

The Lady of the Lake follows Viviane, a maiden who is sent to capture the heart and hand of Prince Arthur but instead finds herself looking more towards the fierce and headstrong Morgan leading to a perilous situation. This book is a standalone novel.

I adore Arthurian legend and this was a great addition to ones I have read previously especially considering it was a sapphic retelling.

The characters were all well written and they felt very realistic. I particularly enjoyed the direction in which Menzies took all the characters and I felt like I got to meet a whole new side to those I know from other books/films/TV shows. Merlin’s character specifically was very unique due to the perspective which Menzies decided to write him in and I enjoyed the further explanation as to why this direction was taken in the author’s note.

The relationship between Vivaine and Morgan was very sweet to watch blossom and I enjoyed the scenes between the two immensely throughout the book. The one problem I had with this is that I felt like there could have been more. I got the sense that Morgan was a very complex and detailed character and Vivaine brought out hints of that throughout their interactions however this was only scratching the surface. The book, like many others have said, would definitely have benefitted from a dual POV or just further insight to their relationship.

The writing style was enjoyable and easy to follow. It gave off incredible imagery and the care with which Menzies put into writing this, researching the legends/fables and developing the characters was truly evident throughout.

With that being said though, the first half of the book did feel like a slog to get through however it did pick up in the end and then I struggled to put the book down. It was an enjoyable and pleasant read.

Overall, I think this would be good for those who like Arthurian legend, a first love romance, sapphic writings and two lovers at risk.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review.

Sapphic Lady of The Lake retelling? Immediate yes.

I really enjoyed the experience of reading this book, while I think it dragged at some points in the beginning the short chapters keep it pacy and once it picked up I didn’t want to want to put it down.

The Lady of Lake is a hugely under explored character in the Arthurian legend and I think this did a really good job of keeping her main story elements while adding new and interesting parts to her story.

I do think it could’ve done with giving the characters a little bit more depth, I did enjoy the romance and particularly liked that the women in this didn’t have to give up all ‘feminine’ traits to be considered strong characters and I honestly just would’ve liked to have seen that explored even further.

But overall, I really recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this title.

I was really excited to read this book as a huge fan of Arthurian legend but unfortunately this did not work for me. Imagine BBC Merlin where Lady Viviane is a guest at court being taught magic by evil Merlin.

My main issues with this were that I found the storyline jumped a lot without making it clear at times, the writing felt more YA than an adult romantasy (apart from the two or so random explicit scenes), and I didn't feel like the characters really built up a rapport or chemistry. Arthur and Guin in particular felt quite one dimensional, at least until Lancelot rocks up.

I do appreciate the author's effort to make this more traditional using Merlin as a villain and absolutely adore the incorporation of a Sapphic love story. I found the final 15% where everything came to fruition was definitely the best part, the plot itself was great and I could definitely see the appeal there- hidden Lake palace and all.

I would recommend giving this a go, especially if you are a fan of Arthurian legend.

This fell short for me, not a lot happened and what did was not particularly exciting. It was decently written but don’t think I was the intended audience for this one sadly.

Thank you to Jean Menzies, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House | Michael Joseph for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ahh, I’m disappointed. I was really looking forward to this as I love Arthurian retellings but the writing is a little flat, disjointed, and reads far too young - maybe middle grade? I had to dnf.

3.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for sending me an ARC of this book!

A sapphic retelling of Arthurian legend starring Viviane aka the Lady of the Lake and Morgan Le Fay. There were a lot of things I liked about this book. You can definitely tell how well-researched the book is, and I especially liked the nods to Roman mythology. I enjoyed the portrayal of the female characters, how they are all very different but still equally strong. I particularly liked Guinevere’s character arc throughout the book. The magic system, based around nature and meditation, is ingenious, and Viviane’s affinity with water is beautifully written. I also really liked the direction the author went with the character of Merlin, it was a very original choice that I definitely enjoyed. I also loved the sapphic romance plot and how supportive Viviane and Morgan are of each other, and I found the few spicy scenes well-written and enjoyable.

I think that the pacing was a little fast, there were a lot of time skips to significant plot points and I think I would have appreciated a bit of filler between these plot points to develop the characters further. Similarly to this, I agree with other reviewers that this book would have benefited from a dual POV so that we could have more insight into Morgan’s character and motivations, and even her relationship with Arthur. I think my main issue, though, was with the dialogue: there were many times where it would rapidly switch from archaic language which one would expect from historical fantasy to far more modern and colloquial in tone and language, which somewhat brought me out of the world of the book. I think that if not for the spicy scenes, I would have thought that this book leaned much more YA because of this. But this is probably a minor issue to most, and overall, I do think that this is a strong debut and I look forward to seeing what Dr. Jean Menzies writes in the future!

The Lady of the Lake was a page turning, immersive story of Viviane, a young woman who is introduced to the Court of King Arthur and has to reckon with intrigue, romance and magic. The substantial cast of characters, including Merlin, Guinevere and Morgan, were well-drawn. I thought the story whipped along, and the writing flowed. The characters were fun, complex, flawed. I was invested in Viviane's story, and wanted to know what happened....good stuff!

I thoroughly enjoyed this mythological retelling, and I loved that it centred around individuals often overlooked in the original myths.

I really enjoyed seeing Viviane's character develop through the story, and her relationship with Morgan as well. I would've liked to have seen a bit more of the romance between the two, but otherwise loved this book and would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

"Was I, daughter of a king, bred for marriage and to build alliances, even allowed to take the new path that had appeared before me?"

Viviane, Morgan and Guin - I love you.
Arthur - go stand in the corner.

Most of my knowledge of The Lady of the Lake comes from Spamalot (whatever happened to her part!!), so having an Arthurian retelling focusing on her journey adds a beautifully complex new layer to the legend. Viviane discovering her relationship with the water, and Menzies' descriptions of gorgeous underwater palaces is immersive and visual. The reframing of Merlin's role, while initially surprising, provided a fresh and (unfortunately) topical perspective on the myth.

With Viviane, Morgan and even Guin redefining their places in a male dominated world, this book is definitely taking its place as one of my favourites in the sapphic fantasy genre.

Minus a few spicier scenes, this felt more YA than adult fiction - but I don't feel as though that detracted from my enjoyment of the story at all. As other reviewers have pointed out, I feel as though this may have benefitted from a dual POV to better understand Morgan's motivations, and develop the relationship between her and Viviane in more detail.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC!

Thank you to Jean Menzies, Netgalley & Penguin Random House for the ARC.

This is is reimagination of the Camelot Myths - the Arthurian legend. However, it focuses on Viviane (The Lady of the Lake) and Morgan Le Fay. I loved getting to explore the women from the original myths; women are so often overlooked.

Viviane comes to Camelot from her own Kingdom Dál Riata, s e is meant to 'earn' Arthur's (Crown Prince & Uther's son) hand in marriage. However, Vivnane finds herself falling for the other sibling as they learn to control their magic.

The only introduction I have to Camelot is the BBC show, "Merlin". Jean did speak about this in a note at the end, it was very interesting to see her thoughts on making "The Lady of the Lake"s merlin the way she did.

I loved the way Merlin was portrayed in this book - it is a different side of Merlin that i wasn't expecting.

If you aren't aware of who Viviane, 'The Lady of the Lake' is, she's the one who gave Arthur the Excalibur. Her story was so fascinating to read about, she is a beautiful and intriguing character. Reading about seeing her magic develop and to see her take control of her own life was inspiring.

Morgan Le Fay has always been my favourite character from 'Merlin', also known as Morgana if you're familiar with the BBC show. She has always been looked down upon, such a powerful woman was, in my opinion, failed by the men around her. In this book, I loved her mischievous and almost playful energy. Her and Viviane are so different, but they work well together.

I also loved how Guin was portrayed in this; an almost timid and obedient woman at the start, but she took control over her own life. Jean Menzies gave these incredible women a chance to decide their own futures.

As for the romance, I thought it was perfect. It did focus much more on the plot but I thought the interactions between Viviane and Morgan were beautiful. I truly loved the ending and being able to imagine their future together.

The way Jean Menzies wrote the magic in this story was breathtaking in a way; the graceful moves of the water controlled by Viviane and the earth magic showed from Morgan. I could see it in my head, the way Viviane made shapes with her water while Morgan created plants from the earth.

This review is getting quite long, so I'll wrap it up by talking about Jean Menzies. Jean Menzies is a Scottish author that holds a PhD in ancient history! She is a prize-winning author and anthologist, she has multiple other books as well. This book is so well-researched and Jean Menzies did an amazing job making it come to life, as well as giving two incredible women their own stories.

Again, thank you to Jean Menzies for providing me with this arc, but also for writing a beautiful story - one that is definitely going to be one of my favourites from this year.

❤️ Arthurian
🧡 Female Rage
🤍 Historical fiction
🩷 Sapphic
💜 Self Discovery

This book is from Viviane's point of view, it is first person. There is also some brief 'spice' although it is easily skipable if you don't like that!

The Lady of the lake was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 and it did not disappoint. It is a beautiful sapphic Arthurian retelling focusing on Viviane (The lady of the lake) and Morgan. You follow Viv and Morgan as their relationship blossoms from friendship to love, they learn to understand each other and bring out the best in each other. The story was beautifully written and elements of Arthurian legends were woven throughout. You know a book is good when you find yourself researching the different legends and stories because you want more. I will definitely read more by Jean Menzies in the future
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this Arc

This is the first Arthurian based novel that I've read, yes I'm aware of the ledgends from various forms of media over the years (looking at you Avalon High and Merlin!) but this is the first time I have read a story that centers the Lady of The Lake and Morgan in a way that we have never seen them before. It's clear that the author has brought her extensive research capabilities into her fiction writing as much as she does for her non-fiction. These characters felt so real and whole and well rounded, I kind of wish I had more time with them if I'm being honest.

Viv is sent from her home in Scotland to Camelot to fight for the hand of the heir, Arthur, but she has no desire to be more than his friend, or to battle it out with Guinevere who is simply a kind soul. She is however very interested in the raven hair and green eyes of Aurthur's older sister Morgan. Both of these girls are sick of being treated differently to the boys and through some B&E decide to take up Merlin's offer to be trained as sorceresses. This story is woven through with magic that is not shocking or unbelieveable but something that is fairly commonplace in this world and the focus really is on not only Viv's relationship with Morgan, but Viv's journey to discover what and who she is.

Thank you to Netgalley for approving me for this ARC. I'm so, SO proud of my countrywoman and cannot wait to see what she writes next!

A sapphic, literary retelling of the Arthurian tales? Yes please. Even better, it takes inspiration from not only the historical tales but also modern classics such as BBC's Merlin.

I love that this took a well-known story and re-centred it on a FMC. Viviane is a fascinating character, complex, morally ambiguous and lush lyrics written and her love affair with Morgan le Fay was well-written and romantic.

The writing itself is thickly wound with magic and myth and flows beautifully to tell the story of the Lady of the Lake, the harm men can do to women in the pursuit of power and a timeless love affair.

This only doesn't get 5 stars because I wish Morgan had been a little more developed. I wanted to see her being an absolute baddie ✨️

4 stars

Fantasy is my favourite genre especially if it has sapphic representation so as soon as I found out about this book I applied straight away, and I wasn't disappointed. While the first 20% or so was a bit too slow paced for me, it did still help introduce the characters and introduce you to this world. After that point I couldn't stop reading it, I loved learning more about Vivians's magic as well as the sapphic relationship and you could really tell that they loved and really respected each other.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I actually really liked this book. It starts off slow. but as you kind of go on I think around 20-30% into the book it got so good I hated Merlin and I hated Arthur. I just think they were sad Wimpy boys who couldn’t handle strong independent women and that is why I think this book was so written is because you actually like felt things for the characters whether it was hating them or loving them and I need a second book like a little novella ASAP of Morgan and Vivian just afterwards I need their life afterwards!!

A stunning sapphic retelling of Camelot myth and legend, with a whole new perspective on the stories that we’ve heard before. An endless thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

Up until around the 50% mark I did struggle with the pacing of this book, it felt very slow until this point but it definitely picked up and I was then hooked until the end! Unfortunately I didn’t feel connected with Vivianne and Morgan, I agree with other reviews that dual pov would’ve probably helped with this.

Aside from this, this WAS a really unique story and I enjoyed it a lot, especially the way Merlin was portrayed, in such a different way to the way we usually see him. I can see why other people will absolutely love this one when it’s released.

This is a wonderfully and heavily researched sapphic retelling of a myth which traditionally hides its female characters in favour of the brash male knightly role so it was wonderful to see a new take on the legend.

I did find it a little slow to get into and for me, it seemed to be much more of a YA level than where it was pitched. I loved the way the author is great at making you feel like you are really in the world they create, and I loved the twist on familiar characters.

I would have loved dual POV but the POV we get still has great merit. I would read more by this author in the future..

The book reads a bit younger than I expected, I love a retelling of a classic tale with queer characters, but it didn't hit quite like I thought it would. A beautiful book with an interesting premise but I think it should be targeted to a younger audience than me.
Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me an e-ARC.

I grew up watching bbc's merlin so a part of me was very excited for this book, especially as it is a sapphic retelling.

I really enjoyed the writing in this and you could tell that it was well researched - particularly from the authors note at the end which was an interesting insight!

I must admit that although familiar with the legend of king arthur, I had never heard of the lady of the lake, so I loved being able to explore this well known story from a different perspective.

the relationship between morgan and viviane was lovely to read, but I do agree with other reviewers in that it would have been nice if it had been developed a bit more. in a way, it felt that we didn't really get much time with them and I also agree that it could have benefited from a dual pov so we had more of a chance to delve deeper into morgan's character, who was very interesting!

however, I did enjoy the choice to take merlin's character in a different direction. I appreciated that it was so unlike the way we are used to seeing him portrayed in adaptations and retellings, which is explained further in the authors note and I feel offers a more realistic touch.

all in all, this was a really enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend if you're a fan of historical fiction. I'm looking forward to more books in the future from menzies!

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.