The Lost Queen: A Novel (1)

I couldn’t put this book down. Well researched, wonderful characters, and a plot line that’s enough of a page turner that always needed to read one more chapter. The settings are wonderfully spun and the detail is the perfect balance between setting the tone and keeping things moving. Being of Scottish descent, and being well read in British history (the whole island of Britain), I found the book completely engrossing. Any liberties taken, the author explained in her notes. Her descriptions of ancient Druidry and the conflict with the coming of Christianity were well done. But what sets this book apart for me, apart from most other historical fiction I’ve read, is the beauty of her written words. Who knew literary historical fiction was a thing? Each word is beautiful, each sentence magnificent. The care with which this woman treats the English language can’t be underscored enough. It’s a beautiful book…to read. A feast for the imagination. I’ve just started book 2 and I love it equally as much. I hope Ms. Pike has a long career ahead of her, because I’m coming along for the ride.

I love me the Arthurian mythos stories recast with historical attention to detail and battles and place names. (Like Ruth Nestvold's Pendragon Chronicles, Mary Stewart's Myrddin Emrys etc) And The Lost Queen was satisfyingly historical with attention paid to different iterations of the names (although it took me a while to figure out how Merlin would result from Lailoken), shifting Brit/Pict/Angle alliances, and the depiction of St. Kentigern/Mungo as more or less ambitious and power-hungry. We enter this world through the young eyes of Languoreth, the daughter of a lower king in ancient Scotland (near Strathclyde). She and her twin brother roam free in the forests under the watchful eyes of her nursemaid and the Keeper of Wisdom (druid) Cathan. But while her brother gets Cathan's teaching because he, too will become a Keeper of Wisdom, Languoreth knows she must marry for political alliance. Her father has pledged allegiance to the High King in Strathclyde, and must be prepared to be called on by the rising Dragon Warriors under Emrys Pendragon as well as deal with increasingly power-hungry incursions against his lands by Christians. Just before she is pledged to wed the High King's son himself, Languoreth meets the Dragon Warriors and falls in love. As a story of Languoreth and what is possible for women of that time, this is interesting as it at times too accurately portrays the limitations of Languoreth's life. I definitely felt sometimes like following Lailoken would have been much more interesting, as well as got a little frustrated by the fast-forwarding through great swaths of time (notably a huuuuuuge chunk from marriage to already-grown children) This is not an entirely magic-free version of events, there are hints of enchantment and druidic augers, which I enjoyed. And guessing which characters were which parts of the Arthurian mythos definitely was fun. The political context here dealing with the various tribes and factions as well as Christian/Druid were definitely interesting. But the ending is a giant, gaping open ended hole in the story (as I guess one could imagine since this is a trilogy) that I felt did not adequately give us payback for Languoreth's story or the sacrifices she made (as well as wishing for a bit of HEA for her). Overall, interesting historical names and factions, a great start to the story with young Languoreth that firmly planted me in her camp, and then a bit too much fastforwarding for my taste.

You know how, sometimes, you look at a book and just know you'll love it? So you buy it but don't immediately read it because you also know a book funk might be inevitable? This is me with this book. From the moment I saw the cover and read the blurb, I knew it would be a book that would change something in me. And it did. The blurb compares it to The Mists of Avalon and Outlander but, to be honest, I think it's so much more and it deserves to stand on its own. It's the perfect blend of history & fiction. Some characters from the book are actual historical figures. The writing is rich, the story is full of details, yet it doesn't feel like it's all cluttered and doesn't give you the urge to skip passages and pages, just so you could get to the actual story. It follows the journey of a queen, from when she was a child, and it speaks of certain events, certain people that played an important part in her life; events and people that altered her fate. It has a subtle hint of magic, it never outright tells you if a character is really using magic, like in other books. While it also has a love story that plays out in the background and throughout the years, it's not a historical romance, but it also doesn't read like an academic book written by a scholar. To be honest, it's literature at its finest. It gave me all the feels, it made me happy, sad, I felt drained from all the emotional things that happened. I can't wait to read book two and three, see where it all goes for Languoreth. Undoubtedly 5+++ stars and it's a favorite of 2019.

This book was so good. I was unprepared for the amount of emotion I would feel reading this book. I cried, I felt joy, fear. I felt loss. The author truly brought the characters to life. The story was good and I could not put this book down. The ending was what was needed and left me wanting to know more.

This book takes place well before the King Arthur tales; when Merlin was a little boy, before Uther Pendragon was Uther. It’s the story of 6th century Scotland, told from the point of view of Merlin’s twin sister L. She has the gift of healing and follows the Old Ways (Druid), but must follow her path to marry and have children. I appreciated the care the author has taken to make her characters as real as possible. She helps us see how in the context of her world, L really must abandon her desire to train as a Wisdom Keeper. Fascinating story of a forgotten world and the people and historic forces that shaped the characters we will come to know in the Arthurian legends. Recommended for readers who like well-drawn historical fiction, fans of The Mists of Avalon, people interested in the backstory of the King Arthur stories, and anyone who likes a great story. Excellent writing makes her world come alive, and we come to care about the characters and feel their lives are real. Good, clean writing: no swearing, violence and battles seen from a distance, and only two tasteful sex scenes (not too graphic) make this book accessible for all readers, even teens who are interested. Highly recommended, you’ll enjoy this book.

I am wrapped up in so many emotions. Langoureth may have lived a life over 1500 years ago, but I doubt that any woman could say her heart was not written within these pages. Not the exact events, obviously, but each woman is faced with choices between her desires and duty. Only instead of duty we now call it responsibilities. Our hearts might break when we bend to our responsibilities but we do it bc otherwise our lives just descend into chaos. So we choose the lesser of two evils or whatever path seems right at the time. Despite the time difference between Langoureth's life and ours, I was able to again feel what it was like to be a little girl about to become a woman. The uncertainty, excitement, and fear of what my unknown future may hold. The desires of a young woman swept up in her first great love. The desperation to protect who you are while also setting it behind you to become a wife...a mother. Who will you become? How do you find the balance so nothing is lost? The moments when you surrender to become somebody new again. The love you feel when holding your firstborn and realizing a love not even the universe could hold. The desperation and lengths a mother will go to to protect her children and you barely take notice that changed once more. It's sad to think of how many Old Ways, Stories, Medicine, and Wisdom have been lost to time. This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever written. Any woman from any walk of life can find a connection with this book

This book was disappointing on many levels. First, it is disappointing as a story of King Arthur and Merlin. I read about the author’s exhaustive research into the speculative history of Arthur and Merlin, and I do not doubt that it was exhaustive. Unfortunately, it makes for an exhausting story that does not remotely satisfy as a story of Merlin or King Arthur. Yes, there are characters named Pendragon and Uther Pendragon and at the end our author tags another character with a label that was meant at the time to be derogatory but that she pitches as the origin of the name Merlin. That’s it. Uther Pendragon, the Druid Wisdom Keeper who is meant to be Merlin, and the Dragon Warriors seem to be on the periphery of the book. It does portray life in Scotland around the time of King Arthur and the conflict between druids and Christianity. If you are sensitive about stories that include terrible actions by people who claim that they are doing these horrible things to support the mission of Christianity, this is not the book for you. Second, the characters are hard to care about. Few of them are developed beyond a bare outline and fewer still are believable. In the rare instance where you get interested in a supporting character, they are gone. The main characters are not likable, many are cruel brutes, and they often behave in ways that make no sense. Third, the book is promoted as a great romance, but it never felt romantic or passionate even as the author told me that it was both. Fourth, the jumps in the timeline are irritating even as they were convenient for the author. Perhaps they gap also decreased the reader’s connection with the characters. Fifth, it is a long book that reads even longer. The pacing drags and then jumps and then drags again. Sixth, the resolution and lack of resolution are both unsatisfying. There is a sequel that might lead to a better resolution, but this book does not tempt me to read the next one. There are more factors that I could list, but the bottom line was that this book was not entertaining for me.

This novel has become one of my favorite Arthurian works and one of my favorite books just in general. It's right up there with Lord of the Rings and Outlander. It has romance in it but that is not its main focal point. It's more about Langoreth's journey as a woman, the choices we make, fate/destiny, love in the form of oaths and bonds we make with each other, and the changing times of Scotland in a period that lies at the heart of Scottish folklore and legends. It is lyrically written. Signe Pike has a gorgeous writing style that would marvel many best selling authors today. She is good at describing emotions and movement within her story without being very cut dry about it. She does amazingly well with the idea of showing versus telling in her writing. While this is a fantasy set novel, it has just the beginnings of magic in it. I have a feeling that the magical elements that are in this first work of the trilogy will expand further as the story delves deeper in future books. If you're looking for books that deal with a woman's journey, fate, the choices we make, seers, healers, battle, love, death, magic, and the chosen one then this book is for you. I also want to point out a few things that I think are noteworthy. While this book does contain fantasy it is very much rooted in historical fiction. I just want to thank Signe for writing this story. I've read quite a few historical fiction works and I've always had problems with them especially when dealing with it being told by the female perspective. I think many writers get lost in the facts that they lose the women they are trying to bring to life as they become too consumed with the verity of the story that the main protagonist becomes nothing but an empty shell. This is not the case with Langoreth. Signe has once again like the river goddess called her name and has awoken her from the depths of her waters. Thank you for not being one of the many writers who refuse to write on women during this time period giving the excuse that no woman was worth writing about because she was not off having adventures as the men did, that is poppycock. Women deserve to have their stories told as much as the heroic men do because they were heroines in their own right.

I couldn't stop thinking about it weeks after finishing it! One of my all-times favourite books. Do not hesitate to immerge yourself in this trilogy, you will discover a beautiful and unforgettable story!

If you enjoy Arthurian legends and historical retellings. This a beautifully, eloquent saga. I look forward to reading more from Signe Pike.

The Book is not worthy at all for ₹1300 But story plot is good, a captivating story. The pages are not glued properly. *The book is not physically damaged

This is a beautiful story, describing the war between Christianity and the Old Ways. I felt the angst and the loss and the betrayal within this story. I also felt angry at the heartbreak the FMC suffered. There is a real sense of duty portrayed in everyone's roles, and a lot of it isn't fair, but to have felt all these emotions is all a reader asks for. It took a while to fall into Signe's pace and style of writing, but once I was there, I truly became immersed and enjoyed not just the story but the author's way of telling it. I ended the book feeling hungry for more and look forward to continuing this saga with book 2.

I first read Signe Pike's book Faery Tale and fell in love with it. This first novel from Signe is totally amazing. I could not put it down. I have read Outlander, Mists of Avalon, and many others in the historical fantasy bracket. This is right up there amongst the best of the best. One of my top five books of all time. The story does not fade at any point, it is not puffed out with over elaborate descriptions (which I find really annoying) It is totally believable. Each of the characters has a strong presence. It was so good I even read the Authors notes at the end (something I rarely do). I am really looking forward to the next book in the trilogy. Thank you Signe for an amazing read.