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A review by savage_book_review
King Arthur and Her Knights: The Complete Series: Books 1-7 by K.M. Shea
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Arthur's run off with a shepherdess, Merlin's a young hottie and the Once and Future King is now... a 21st Century American? Oh, and a girl too? With a vague knowledge of the Arthurian legends, a deep dislike of Guenivere and Lancelot and knowledge of the future, Britt Arthurs must sit on the throne of Camelot and unite the country in the ways of honour, chivalry and respect in order to face down threats from both within and without.
This was lighthearted, funny, a bit tongue-in-cheek and very well done. Each of the seven books is relatively short, making it a really easy reading experience; even if you do occasionally go 'WTF?!', it's such a joy you just go with it!
For the purists out there, this actually does quite well at keeping a large number of the characters you would recognise in play (I definitely remember reading most of the names in 'The Once and Future King') and respecting the lore. But as you'd expect, the main plot point adds some inevitable twists and turns. While much of the outcome is predictable, it is a great pleasure to watch the author's imagination get you there and the payoff at the end is lovely.
It also feels like it would make a good foil to the BBC TV series 'Merlin'. While the storylines do differ, to me they have that same underlying comedic lightness that mean they compliment each other really well. Indeed, I have to assume the author was a fan, if only because there's a little inside joke early on that only someone who knows that show would get! And inevitably when she says 'young, hot Merlin', Colin Morgan is definitely who you picture!
From a British reader's perspective, as soon as was able to frame my mind to get over the 'American-ness' of the writing (which happened very quickly), I could sink into the book, accept the anachronistic language as part of the main character's vocabulary and just enjoy the ride. It sounds like it should be awful, but it's brilliant!
I can't say the writing is sophisticated or that it's the best written book on the planet, and nor can I say that it's particularly deep or complex. But for pure escapist enjoyment, this gets a top rating without a doubt.
This was lighthearted, funny, a bit tongue-in-cheek and very well done. Each of the seven books is relatively short, making it a really easy reading experience; even if you do occasionally go 'WTF?!', it's such a joy you just go with it!
For the purists out there, this actually does quite well at keeping a large number of the characters you would recognise in play (I definitely remember reading most of the names in 'The Once and Future King') and respecting the lore. But as you'd expect, the main plot point adds some inevitable twists and turns. While much of the outcome is predictable, it is a great pleasure to watch the author's imagination get you there and the payoff at the end is lovely.
It also feels like it would make a good foil to the BBC TV series 'Merlin'. While the storylines do differ, to me they have that same underlying comedic lightness that mean they compliment each other really well. Indeed, I have to assume the author was a fan, if only because there's a little inside joke early on that only someone who knows that show would get! And inevitably when she says 'young, hot Merlin', Colin Morgan is definitely who you picture!
From a British reader's perspective, as soon as was able to frame my mind to get over the 'American-ness' of the writing (which happened very quickly), I could sink into the book, accept the anachronistic language as part of the main character's vocabulary and just enjoy the ride. It sounds like it should be awful, but it's brilliant!
I can't say the writing is sophisticated or that it's the best written book on the planet, and nor can I say that it's particularly deep or complex. But for pure escapist enjoyment, this gets a top rating without a doubt.