Review by Booklist Review
Personal transformations echo throughout Pike's intensely felt third novel (following The Forgotten Kingdom, 2020) in an ongoing series about sixth-century Scotland's political and religious conflicts. Grounded in intriguing new research, it brings to life the little-known stories of Languoreth of Strathclyde, a powerful early medieval queen, and Artúr mac Aedan, a war leader and prince of Dalriada--potentially the true, historic King Arthur behind the legends. After the Battle of the Caledonian Wood, where the brutal Angles were defeated, the characters endure separate tests of fortitude. Languoreth, a pagan follower of the Old Way, grudgingly endures a treacherous former bishop's presence in her lands while Artúr returns to Dalriada at his father's behest. The book's title references the Pictish kingdom, where Languoreth's daughter Angharad travels to hopefully apprentice herself to the druid Briochan. A valiant young woman with deep emotional reserves, Angharad undergoes physical and mystical trials during her quest. There are perhaps too many viewpoints, but Pike enthusiastically transfers her affinity for ancient Celtic cultures to readers, and her interpretation of the Arthurian canon exudes originality.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The third book in a series set in sixth-century Celtic Britain puts powerful women in the foreground of an ensemble including the historical characters of Merlin and Arthur. "After the Battle of the Caledonian Wood, as our celebration had cooled to embers, I'd listened with a tortured sort of rapture as Angharad described what had become of her as a child all those winters ago, in the Battle of Arderydd." It is 580 C.E.; Languoreth, Queen of Strathclyde, twin sister of Lailoken (later known as Myrddin, or Merlin), has just been reunited with the mystically gifted daughter she's believed dead for years. Once the truth of the events surrounding Angharad's disappearance emerges, long-awaited justice will be served, powered in part by the 17-year-old Wisdom Keeper's supernatural abilities. Those who have readThe Lost Queen (2018) andThe Forgotten Kingdom (2020) will be right at home as Pike continues her chronicle of the swirling intrigue and bloody confrontations among the Britons, Picts, Scots, Angles, Christians, and other kingdoms and ethnicities of the Arthurian period. Languoreth will again be separated from her daughter as the latter journeys into the "Shadowed Lands" to apprentice herself to the weatherworking druid Briochan, and though she'd love to visit her pregnant daughter, Gladys, in a neighboring kingdom, her husband insists she stay at home to monitor the machinations of a malign Christian monk named Mungo. To top it off, she has renounced the solace of her affair with the warrior Maelgwn Pendragon: "I am a woman of the Old Way, married to a Christian. Adultery is not tolerated. Should we be discovered, our people would lose an irreplicable advocate. You know as well as I, there is nothing that would delight Mungo more." Meanwhile, Artúr mac Aedan (Arthur) must answer a call from his father to assume his destiny among the Scots. An author's note provides historical context, includes details for readers who plan to visit the U.K. locations, and promises that there is more to come. Even the Loch Ness monster makes an appearance in this kaleidoscopic epic with deep roots in both history and myth. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
