Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve - Book Review (No spoilers)

"Gwyna is just a small girl, a mouse, when she is bound in service to Myrddin the bard - a traveller and spinner of tales. But Myrdin transfroms her - into a lady goddess, a boy warrior, and a spy. Without Gwyna, Myrddin will not be able to work the most glorious transformation of all - and turn the leader of a raggle-tagglear-band into King Arthur, the greatest hero of all time."

3.5 stars

I did not enjoy this as much as I would have liked, but it was still fun to read. I hadn't tried any of the author's books before, so I didn't know what to expect. The writing was good, but the book lacked a solid plot, and I would have liked it if something more had happened. It was a unique take on the Arthurian legend though, and even as someone who has read many of those, I have not across one such before.

There are no spoilers in this review.

Plot - 2/5
The pacing was really good, and a lot of things seemed to be happening, but none of them was of actual consequence. The same events took place over and over again, with different groups of people riding off to war, and a few of them dying along the way. I cannot say anything about its overall predictability, as some happenings were surprising, while most were expected. I liked that everything felt real though, and nobody was forcefully killed nor unnaturally saved. To add a twist to something on which so many stories have already been written takes creativity, and the author's imagination showed.

Characters - 5/5
I liked reading about the characters. Gwyna's transition from a scared slave to an independent survivor was well-written. In the beginning, she was shown to be scared of wars and being awed when she saw warriors riding past. By the end, she was used to all of it and could ride a horse as well as anyone else. The author has also kept her basic nature constant throughout the book. She was never a great warrior and knowing that, she hid from battles rather than risk her life in them. All her actions made sense according to her personality, and reading the whole book from her point of view was better than I'd initially thought.

Myrddin was fun to read about as well. His character stayed constant throughout the story, and I was interested in knowing about him. Arthur has been depicted differently in this book, but it all makes sense with the backdrop of the story. He was said to be a bearish man, only interested in raids and conquests, and the spoils of war. He marries a woman on the advice of his men, for political advantage, without the intention of ever being good to her. During the narration, Gwyna hints that she is perhaps being kinder to Arthur than he really was. The distinction between Arthur as a person and the one in Myrddin's stories has also been made clear, to account for the difference between him and how is he is remembered.

Writing - 4/5
I like the writing style of the author, but I thought a few parts were rather repetitive. The pacing was good, without too many descriptions or dialogues, and the chapters were kept short. The story was concise and to the point, and I liked how the author did not delve too much into the character's histories and narrated the events in a simple, straightforward manner.

All-in-all, though I liked reading the book, it would not be my first recommendation. The writing was good, and anyone interested in Arthurian legends should check this book out. Thank you for reading my review!