Author: Laura Sebastian
Publication Date: 6 July 2021
Publisher: Berkley/Ace
Page Count: 448
Dates Read: Feb 17 – 22
Reading Method: Physical / BOTM Backlog
Review
I have been on a mega King Arthur kick lately and when I saw this as one of the Book of the Month picks, I knew I needed to keep the streak going! With a fantastic cover and exciting synopsis, how could this book not be an absolute knock out?
I loved this unique take on the original Arthurian tale. We start with our core friend group growing up on Avalon – Morgana, Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and our narrator, Elaine. Elaine is an oracle, and quickly takes her place as Arthur’s advisor when the time comes to leave Avalon and return to Camelot. But once they arrive in Camelot, their relationships are tested and Elaine finds herself trying desperately to change the future that has always been foretold.
I am sure we are all familiar with the basics of the original tale, but this story flips quite a few things on their heads. For instance, in Half Sick of Shadows, Mordred is Arthur’s brother, and desired contender for the crown. Arthur has to go through a series of trials to prove his worth the Merlin (my least favorite version of Merlin I have read yet), which takes the crew on some interesting adventures. First, they must secure an alliance with Guinevere’s country, which presents unique challenges – and weird twists. I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the Guinevere twist, but it was definitely something I hadn’t seen before and set events in motion.
I enjoyed Elaine as a narrator – it allowed the reader to see all points on the timeline: past, present, and possible futures. I do wish there had been a little more delineation between the timelines to let the reader know we were shifting right off the bat, instead of having to figure it out for ourselves. I did find Elaine to be a little meek and wishy washy at times, which was frustrating. To be fair though, I can’t imagine what it must be like to try to make decisions after you’ve seen countless possibilities for the consequences of your choices. Elaine is tough when she needs to be, and that’s all that really matters.
The thing I loved most about this story was the friendship between Elaine and Morgana. This version of Morgana was one of the better ones I’ve read and provides believable and relatable backstory. I much appreciated the complexity of Morgana’s character. Sebastian does a fantastic job of fleshing out the multiple facets of her morally grey attributes.
While I absolutely loved Half Sick of Shadows, I took off one star for the Guinevere twist and the sometimes difficult to navigate timeline. Otherwise, this is one of my top Arthurian retellings and I can’t wait to read the other works by this author that are already sitting on my shelves.
About the Book
Everyone knows the legend. Of Arthur, destined to be a king. Of the beautiful Guinevere, who will betray him with his most loyal knight, Lancelot. Of the bitter sorceress, Morgana, who will turn against them all. But Elaine alone carries the burden of knowing what is to come – for Elaine of Shalott is cursed to see the future.
On the mystical isle of Avalon, Elaine runs free and learns of the ancient prophecies surrounding her and her friends – countless possibilities, almost all of them tragic.
When their future comes to claim them, Elaine, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Morgana accompany Arthur to take his throne in stifling Camelot, where magic is outlawed, the rules of society chain them, and enemies are everywhere. Yet the most dangerous threats may come from within their own circle.
As visions are fulfilled and an inevitable fate closes in, Elaine must decide how far she will go to change destiny – and what she is willing to sacrifice along the way.
About the Author
Laura Sebastian was born and raised in South Florida (the Redlands and Key Largo) and has always loved telling stories–many apologies to her little brother who often got in trouble because of them. She got her BFA in Performing Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design before realizing she preferred the other side of storytelling.
When Laura isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, cooking/baking, or buying more clothes than her overstuffed closet can fit. She currently lives in London with her two dogs, Neville and Circe.
Her New York Times Bestselling series, Ash Princess, is out now from Delacorte (Penguin Random House. Keep an eye out for her debut adult fantasy book, Half Sick Of Shadows, out Summer 2021, and the first book in her new YA series, Castles In Their Bones, out in Fall 2021.
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