Title: Henge (Le Fay #1)
Author: Realm Lovejoy
Publication Date: November 11th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)
Modern-day Camelot. Where knights no longer carry swords. Magic is dangerous. And those who seek control are not to be trusted.
Sixteen-year-old Morgan le Fay is a fire user. An ordinary girl with an extraordinary skill, she has the ability to create and command fire at will. Her dream is to become the Maven—the right hand of the future King Arthur. In the chance of a lifetime, Morgan is selected to join Arthur’s Round, an elite group of young magic users from which the new Maven will be chosen.
Along with the other fire, water, and wind users in Arthur’s Round, Morgan is rigorously trained and tested. The handsome Merlin, a brilliant water user, takes a particular interest in her. Is his friendship to be trusted, or is Merlin simply trying to win the position of Maven for himself? Among the many rivals Morgan faces is the current Maven, Mordred, who seems determined to see her fail.But Morgan has a secret—years ago, her mother was executed for using fire magic, and Morgan’s desire for justice makes her more than ready to take on the challenge before her. Can she prevail in Camelot’s tests of survival and magic? Only time—and Morgan’s powerful fire—will tell.
About the Author;
Realm Lovejoy is an American writer and an artist. She grew up in both Washington State and the Japanese Alps of Nagano, Japan. Currently, she lives in Seattle and works as an artist in the video game industry. CLAN is her first book. You can find out more about her and her book at realmlovejoy.com, her Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
My Review;
Don't even get me started on this concept. I love it. Modern day Camelot- the King Arthur legends are my absolute favourite, and I don't just think that that's the Welsh in me talking. They're just too heroic to ignore, to fantastical to not be a part of.
My first impressions of the characters were very weird indeed- Morgan, I liked, but didn't trust. Maybe it was the fact that she was sneaking off that I didn't like. Merlin, I didn't quite know- I felt suspicious, definitely untrustworthy, but then at times he felt genuine and oh, it's all very complicated, all very entertaining.
To put it simply, I loved this retelling; it had all of my favourite characters, and it wasn't just spitting them out and generating them in just another setting. It was re-birthing them, almost, giving them more life and a different personality, putting them in scenarios that tested their skill and will and perseverance and their want.
I don't think it's fair to compare this book to other magical worlds, (like Harry Potter, I'm basically just speaking of Harry Potter, really, potentially the His Dark Materials trilogy) because it is so vastly different. Sure, HP has its fair share of legendaries - Sir Nick, for instance, however they're not by involved as much in the plot as our centre trio are. Which is why you can't compare them; whilst they have the common themes of magic and technology and two worlds apart that interlink in so many intricate ways, they're not the same story.
I don't think it's fair to compare this book to other magical worlds, (like Harry Potter, I'm basically just speaking of Harry Potter, really, potentially the His Dark Materials trilogy) because it is so vastly different. Sure, HP has its fair share of legendaries - Sir Nick, for instance, however they're not by involved as much in the plot as our centre trio are. Which is why you can't compare them; whilst they have the common themes of magic and technology and two worlds apart that interlink in so many intricate ways, they're not the same story.
The modern day setting definitely gave it that umph, and it was a very nice touch. Technology combined with magic. I'd have loved some more humour in there, personally, however you can't have everything. I'm ready for the next book, I have to say.
Star Rating: 4/5
Purchase Henge on Amazon.
Great review, Paige! I have been having great luck with retellings these past couple of years and this one def intrigues me! It sounds like a well-written book with great characters to boot! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for reading Henge and for writing a review, Paige! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the book, especially since you love the Arthurian legends. I hope you'll like the next book too! It will be coming out later this year.
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