Hey, everyone, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!
First things first. Happy World Book Day to all you bibliophiles, first of all!
Second, Happy Birthday (and…death day too, poor guy) to the Bard, William Shakespeare!
Can’t not mention that. We’ve read Romeo and Juliet and Othello in my English class this year, which I ADORED, and I look forward to getting into even more.
Now, onto this week’s review.
I went to my favorite bookstore the other day, and as soon as I saw Once and Future on the shelf, I knew that I HAD to buy it. I’d heard SO many good things about it, and what’s not exciting about a retelling of the tale of King Arthur that a) features a poc, LGBTQ+ girl as King (Queen?) Arthur, and b) is set in SPACE? I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
Already, this is one of the best books that I’ve read this year, and even though it’s only April, definitely one of the best YA books of 2019. (Or should I say…20-BI-TEEN???) (Sorry, low-hanging fruit there.)
Enjoy the review!
Once and Future
For all of her life, Ari has known nothing but being on the run. She remembers little of her homeworld, and now lives on a space station with her older brother, trying to evade the clutches of the Mercer Corporation, who control nearly everything they can get their hands on in the galaxy. In a desperate attempt to escape the station and find their kidnapped parents. Ari crash lands her brother’s ship on a place called Earth. Upon arriving, she discovers a sword embedded deep within a stone…
…and pulls it out with little effort.
Ari is the 42nd reincarnation of King Arthur, and she is now tasked with saving her galaxy from the iron grip of the Mercer Corporation. With the help of a backwards-aging Merlin, her brother and friends, Ari must rise to the challenge, and bring peace and unity to a galaxy that desperately needs it.
Well…this is pretty much how my last two brain cells acted while I read this book…
I laughed, I cried, I internally AWWWWW’d SO much…all the feels are present here. A fresh, inventive retelling of a classic tale, with a well-executed twist. I loved seeing each and every element pop up in its new form, everything from the Knights of the Round Table to Merlin (God, Merlin…he’s probably my favorite). The characters were lovable in every possible way, the plot kept me at the edge of my seat, and the writing was simultaneously witty and heartwarming. Plus, fabulous representation (poc, LGBTQ+, etc.) in most aspects. 5 stars on Goodreads, and I’d say about 9-9.5 on my rating scale. SOLID A.
I believe this is going to be a duology, and the next installment, The Sword in the Stars, is set to be released next year. *excited squealing*
Thank you so much for reading this, and have an excellent day!
The Bookish Mutant 