Queen of Fury

The Queens of Fate Trilogy, Book 2

De: Natania Barron

Narrado por: Philip Battley, Lucy Rayner

The gorgeous second volume in Barron's female-led Arthurian romantic fantasy trilogy!

One by one the kings of Braetan kneel before King Arthur under a banner of peace.

Hwyfar, eldest daughter of King Leodegraunce and famed libertine of Carelon, has returned to Avillion to find her father ruined by madness and a usurper poised to take the throne. Reluctantly she takes the mantle of Queen Regent to protect her kingdom, but she'll need an army—which King Arthur pledges to send her, providing she marries one of his knights and surrenders the crown.

Arthur's forces arrive under the command of Gawain of Orkney, who Hwyfar remembers as a brute; but she comes to realize he is not the man she thought he was, and finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But Arthur has plans for her, and has commanded Gawain to keep well away—and in Arthur's court, without the King's blessing, love is treason.

Hwyfar and Gawain must navigate both a world of ancient forests and corrupt magic, and the political machinations of two courts, if they have any hope of escaping Arthur's ever-tightening grasp.

©2024 Natania Barron (P)2024 Tantor Media

Best Arthurian Retelling

I am at a loss for words. This book has completely consumed me, and I am not sure if I will be the same again. I don't think anything I can say will do this book justice, but I will definitely give it my best try!

Let me start off by saying that Sir Gawain is a pure soul, and must be protected at all cost.

Queen of Fury is the second installment in the Queens of Fate series by Natania Barron, and it perhaps my favorite thus far. It's an Arthurian retelling, but more specifically is a reimagining of Gawain and the Green Knight.

Those closest to me know that I am a Medievalist at heart. Some of my favorite courses in university were when I was studying medieval history and literature, and in another life I might have been a historian, archeologist, or anthropologist. So, when a book does historical accuracy right, you bet your bottom dollar I'm gonna be screaming about it 📣

After reading/listening to the first book of the series, Queen of None, I KNEW I was going to love this one, but I was utterly unprepared by how MUCH I would enjoy it.

Told in duo POV, the story takes place twenty years after the events in QoN and follows Princess Hwyfar and Sir Gawain of Orkney.

When King Leodegraunce had taken ill and Avillion was under threat by outside enemy forces, Hwyfar takes up the mantle of Queen Regent and asks King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table for their aid.

Never one to do anything without it benefitting him in some way, Arthur agrees on the condition that Hwyfar bequeath Avillion to him (under a unified Braeton) and marry one of his Knights of his own choosing.

Hwyfar reluctantly accepts these terms, and Gawain is tasked with leading a small troop of Knights into Avillion to assist Hwyfar, but secretly his mission is to find and secure all three object of the famed and legendary Holy Grail.

Together, Hwyfar and Gawain embark on a perilous journey through ancient forests and hidden castles to save the magical isle of Avillion. But Gawain and Hwyfar discover far more than they dared anticipate, including an archaic emotional bond that seems to have been unknowingly pulling them towards each other for years.

I could not get enough of this audiobook. I loved Gawain & Hwyfar's relationship and watching it unfold. Both narrators, Lucy Rayner & Philip Battley, did a flawless job at bringing these two side character (in the first novel) to the forefront and bring them to life in a way I never thought possible.

But it's Barron's writing style that really brings the whole of Arthur's Britain alive. Her language and prose is expertly crafted that I have been turned into a forever fan of hers and will autobuy anything he writes from now on. (There is a Bridgerton-esque Regency inspired romance series of her I have been eyeing 👀).

My favorite part of this book, however, was the way Barron flipped this Arthurian legend on its head by having a feminist hero instead of the traditional male hero. And the Green Knight scene 🤌🏻 absolute perfection.

This book/audiobook is perfect for readers who enjoy Arthurian retellings, enemies-to-lovers, fated mates, prophecy & curses, feminist reimagining, multiple POV, morally grey & self-aware MMCs, and strong FMCs.

5⭐️ hands down 👏🏻