I haven’t read the original text(s) here, so I can’t comment on the accuracy or skilfulness of the book as a retelling. 

As a story however, this was fun. I would possibly lean more towards 3.5 stars in terms of skill, but it was exactly what I was in the mood for and the vibes were just great, so an extra 0.25 for enjoyment.

This book is fluidly written. Morgan is relatable and vividly described, I especially loved her as a healer. I‘ll be interested to see how her journey towards darkness is pulled off. I was also very lucky to read this by the sea, and that was perfect - stormborn Morgan and Tintagel brought to life even better. 

Overall a solid debut and I‘m looking forward to the next one. 

Morgan’s character drew me in really quickly, and kept me hooked for the entire book. The book itself does a lot of world building and contextualising, as it’s the first of a trilogy (I think).

This book felt like a wandering journey through Morgan's life. We met her as a fearless child, stood with her in front of a king... our hearts crashed and soared and crashed with her through her win and losses, languished next to her in her waiting, and triumphed with her in her freedom. 
Morgan is my Name felt like the story we needed before Arthur. 

This was the hard and beautiful story Morgan deserved; though she deserved so much more. She deserved all the books and more.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Sophie Keetch for providing me with an advanced electronic reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this feminist retelling of Arthurian legend. I've always been fascinated with Morgan le Fay and the many contradictory narratives surrounding her character. Although, I am going to admit that my knowledge of Arthurian legend is heavily influenced by the BBC Merlin adaptation (I know it is woefully inaccurate). That being said, I was expecting to see some sort of villain origin story. It is clear that the author is knowledgeable about Arthurian legend and is genuinely passionate about telling Morgan's story.

Keetch's writing was compelling and elegant, her characters rich and complex. I fell in love with the setting of Tintagel and St. Brigid's Abbey (and even the hint of Camelot). Keetch breathes life into these settings and transports the reader there, immersing them within the story. Morgan made an amazing anti-heroine and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story. I would have loved to see more of her familial relationships since the female friendships seemed to make up the emotional core of the story for me.

My biggest issue with the novel was the pacing. I know we don't need to see every minute of Morgan's life, especially because we're following her from birth to her mid-twenties, but at certain points, it felt that we were skipping through crucial moments of her life. When these time skips occurred within chapters, rather than between them, I couldn't help but feel that some elements of the story were lost. Additionally, I went into this novel thinking it was a standalone, so I was a little disappointed when Arthur only came into play in the last 25% of the book. However, after looking at other reviews, I see that it is the beginning of a series. With this new perspective in mind, I believe this is a solid start to a duology or trilogy, but at the same time, I am left wondering if a series was necessary in the first place. 

A fiery retelling of the legend of Morgan le Fay, which follows her childhood, adolescence, education, tumultuous marriage, and her role in the establishment in Arthur's court. 

In one word, it is a book about suffering. Keetch draws from familiar ground to create a healer type figure who struggles to find peace and purpose in a world where she is treated as property. Keetch's Morgan is courageous, brash, angry, and the story telling pulls readers into these headspaces with her. 

When she is harmed, you feel the snap of rage. When her expertise is stifled and dismissed, then forbidden, you experience the suffocation, the frustration of knowing what it is to be able yet forbidden from helping others. When she takes up defiance in her honesty and courage, you soar, and when trouble knocks on her door, you flinch. It is evocative.

Well-paced, movingly crafted--up to the very end, which felt sudden. There were a few plot threads that I had expected to be addressed and were not. Morgan's internality is teetering on a precipice of dark and light, and this feels more like the first entry in a duology or trilogy than a standalone.

Women's healthcare and agency is a thematic heartbeat underneath the story, and many readers might relate to Morgan's frustration that female bodies are so unstudied and unsupported by the medical field in comparison to male ones.