The Sundays in Bed With… meme, hosted by Midnight Book Girl, dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning. Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today!
The Cleaving by Juliet McKenna
I have about 10% left to read of THE CLEAVING before it hits shelves next week. This was a highly anticipated read of mine and I absolutely love the cover art. But to be honest I’m not really sure how I feel about the story itself. I don’t want to say too much before I write my review. I like it enough, but it’s a bit dry and I’m not really connecting with any one character. Stay tuned for my full review.
About the Book
Author: Juliet McKenna
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Angry Robot
Publish Date: April 11, 2023
Print Length: 407
Four women, four destinies – the future of King Arthur’s court…
A fresh, feminist retelling of the Arthurian legends
The Cleaving is an Arthurian retelling that follows the tangled stories of four women: Nimue, Ygraine, Morgana, and Guinevere, as they fight to control their own destinies amid the wars and rivalries that will determine the destiny of Britain.
The legendary epics of King Arthur and Camelot don’t tell the whole story. Chroniclers say Arthur’s mother Ygraine married the man that killed her husband. They say that Arthur’s half-sister Morgana turned to dark magic to defy him and Merlin. They say that the enchantress Nimue challenged Merlin and used her magic to outwit him. And that Arthur’s marriage to Guinevere ended in adultery, rebellion and bloodshed. So why did these women chose such dangerous paths?
As warfare and rivalries constantly challenge the king, Arthur and Merlin believe these women are destined to serve Camelot by doing as they are told. But men forget that women talk. Ygraine, Nimue, Morgana and Guinevere become friends and allies while the decisions that shape their lives are taken out of their hands. This is their untold story. Now these women have a voice.
Oh, no! I hope it gets a bit better for you. The cover is amazing though!
I’m very curious to hear more of your thoughts. I didn’t accept this for review because it just didn’t seem like my kind of story. But I love the cover too! (art by Chris Panatier, one of my favorite authors)
The synopsis was right up my alley. I love Arthurian retellings, even better if they’re feminist. But…I don’t know, there were some things that made it not as enjoyable as a read for me as I hoped, which made me sad. Thanks for sharing the name of the illustrator…love the art style of the cover.