This is a debut and it reads as such: there are rough patches and the book falls too much on telling instead of showing. As such, a lot of elements fall flat for me, as they don’t seem to be organic developments, but more so “because that’s what the script says.” 

A lot of the romances in this book were very insta-love, but a lot of page time was devoted to them. Since the romances didn’t really change, it made for a bit of a boring read. 

Speaking of things that didn’t change, most of the characters were rather flat and one-dimensional. Our protagonist, Morgan, doesn’t really have a character arc. To be honest, a lot of her character felt very modern—which contrasted with everyone else acting more “medieval.”

At one point, she says something about not wanting to be sold to the highest bidder, which just felt out of place with the setting.

 

I’m a big fan of the Arthurian mythos, and as such, tend to read anything that comes out in relation to it. This retelling didn’t really offer a fresh take on the mythos. If you have read The Mists of Avalon (ignoring MZB, if you can, for a second), this reads like a flat rendition of that book. The most unique element of this book, in comparison to other retellings, was

the convent element. I liked the way her time in the convent was portrayed: a place of learning and refuge, a mix of scholarship and religion. It reminded me a bit of The Book of Gothel in that sense.

The other element that I really enjoyed was

how Arthur and all of those going-ons were shoved off to the side. Guinevere isn’t named in this book; it’s just presented as “Arthur suddenly got married for love.” This also goes for Mordred—we can see how both Arthur and Morgause know about this, and her child is described as blonde, but there is nothing that Morgan knows about the situation.

If you are looking for something you can breeze through in a couple hours, maybe pick this up, but if you are looking for something fresh, I’d skip this one. 

 I have always loved finding new Arthurian retellings, and this one really drew me in right from the start.
Not a tale of knights and quests but rather the strength of women as the undercurrent of all stories.
It definitely read like a modern lens (the unexpected LGBTQ rep was heartwarming) rather than stuck in the stodgy old "A man is destined for greatness!" track, which may ruffle some more traditional feathers but I was in love through the whole thing.

The characters are vibrant, the storyline is a touch slow at times but with enough plot twists to entertain even those familiar with every detail of the legends.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for access to the eBook ARC!

“‘My name is Morgan,’ I said. ‘And there aren’t enough words for all that I am.’”

I adored Morgan is My Name from the very first page. The writing was so easy to enjoy and I felt compelled to read more of Morgan’s story – it was a really exciting promise of more to come.
Arthurian legend has traditionally been a story for men only, with brave knights and daring battles, but women do have a starring role in many ways. I was glad to see one of the women in the light, but I was also pleased with the glimpses of a young, loving Arthur who Morgan was able to be a sister to.
I enjoyed following Morgan from childhood through to adulthood. Her temper grew with her, but grew to become more resilience and determination to do right for herself and those she cares for. I loved following her through school, as she discovered skills and learning she was passionate about. We got to see glimpses of her magic, which will surely only get better with time and the space to practise.
She wasn’t a villain in this, but I can’t wait to see how she might become one – or if she even will, as it seems to have been the male-told stories that have painted her as a villain in the past.

I had high expectations based on the synopsis of an Arthurian retelling about Arthur’s Half sister Morgan le Fay (and I love retellings). I was pulled in from the prologue, it was so good but then it slows down and drags.

Pacing is all over the place, sluggish and slow as the story is dragged out and apparently will be book 1 of a trilogy. Honestly the retelling could be done in 1 book instead of 3 and would be much better written. It drags out the story so much that it makes me not want to pick it up or have any interest in reading a whole series especially because it starts when Morgan is 8 but then we suddenly skip to her being 15 so clearly the author knows she can skip around to tell the whole story in 1 book.

The writing style is just not my cup of tea with so many words written but so little being said to move the story or develop the character. 

It’s also less fantasy and more romance than expected. I could not care less about Morgan’s childhood in this much detail and want to hear the powerful feminist story being taken back from all the Arthur legends painting Morgan in a terrible light, like I was promised. Another novel that has an amazing concept but lacks in execution.

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.