I’m not entirely sure how to react to this book. On the one hand, there were definitely some things I liked - there were great stories, interesting characters, and references to The Canterbury Tales that warmed my nerdy medieval heart. On the other hand, I didn’t feel like I was deeply invested in the story or knew the characters as well as I would have liked, and there were some moments that irked me. Camelot’s secret almost makes up for the whole thing, though.

Things I Liked

1. Storytelling: The characters of this book get to tell fantastical stories that are meant to “explain” their backgrounds (but obviously don’t). They’re a nice blend of folklore, magic, and learned medieval tradition, and I loved these little moments where the doom and gloom of the setting was broken up by something fun and uplifting.

2. Rodrigo and Cygnus: Out of all the characters, these two were probably my favorite. Rodrigo is a very loving character who has a brilliant rant against corrupt churchmen and the unwillingness of people to accept homosexuality. He’s a very admirable character, and I wish readers had more time with him. Cygnus is also quite gentle, and I loved him for his storytelling and swan’s wing (which added just enough magic to the world to be believable but not enough to completely throw the book into the realm of fantasy).

3. Imagery: There were moments in this book where the imagery was delightfully creepy. Dried fetuses hang on trees outside a healing woman’s home, there’s a misty glen where the skeletons of animals litter the ground, etc. I love creepy images like this to unsettle a reader.

4. Camelot’s Secret: Camelot’s secret almost makes up for the things I didn’t like about this book. Without spoiling anything, I will say that it was a brilliant way to check our own assumptions, both about stories in general and about the middle ages.

Things I Didn’t Like

1. Lack of Investment: Perhaps it was the large number of characters, or perhaps it was the pacing - either way, I didn’t feel very attached to a lot of characters, and I wasn’t filled with the sense of dread that other readers say kept them turning pages. I often felt like I forgot certain characters were in the travelling company because they were silent or unused for so long, and some characters (like Adela) seemed to have no interesting characterization at all. Perhaps this is also why the ending felt rushed or confusing - I wasn’t sure of the motivations that led to the big reveal at the end, so everything felt a little empty.

2. Social Issues: I don’t think this book is sexist, homophobic, or xenophobic, but I do think there were some things that could rub a reader the wrong way.

Spoiler

The first two people to die are a Jewish woman and a gay man (who, by the way, is subject to a string of homophobic insults by another character), and a disabled character dies soon after. Granted, almost everyone dies, and characters do push back against sexism, homophobia, etc. There’s also a scene of spousal rape on a wedding night that doesn’t seem to have a lot of relevance to the story.

It’s hard for me to comment on because I don’t think the book relishes in any of these things or inserts them to make the story seem more “edgy,” but still, if you’re particularly sensitive to social issues, maybe read this book with caution.

3. Historicism: As a medievalist, there were some things in this book that made me shake my head in confusion. For example, Narigorm reads runes but frequently invokes a Celtic deity. Maybe the author used sources I’ve never read, but maybe also they’re more fantastical than factual.

medieval England, the 14th century, Black Plague, folklore, and storytelling.