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Juliet E. McKenna

The Cleaving Paperback – April 11, 2023

by Juliet E. Mckenna (Author)

4.0 37 ratings

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Four women, four destinies – the future of King Arthur's court…

A fresh, feminist retelling of the Arthurian legends

The Cleaving is an Arthurian retelling that follows the tangled stories of four women: Nimue, Ygraine, Morgana, and Guinevere, as they fight to control their own destinies amid the wars and rivalries that will determine the destiny of Britain.

The legendary epics of King Arthur and Camelot don’t tell the whole story. Chroniclers say Arthur’s mother Ygraine married the man that killed her husband. They say that Arthur's half-sister Morgana turned to dark magic to defy him and Merlin. They say that the enchantress Nimue challenged Merlin and used her magic to outwit him. And that Arthur’s marriage to Guinevere ended in adultery, rebellion and bloodshed. So why did these women chose such dangerous paths?

As warfare and rivalries constantly challenge the king, Arthur and Merlin believe these women are destined to serve Camelot by doing as they are told. But men forget that women talk. Ygraine, Nimue, Morgana and Guinevere become friends and allies while the decisions that shape their lives are taken out of their hands. This is their untold story. Now these women have a voice.

File Under: Fantasy [ Once and Future | A Woman's Work | Out of the Shadows | Cutting Edge ]

Juliet E McKenna is an expert on medieval history and warfare and brings this expertise as well as her skills as a fantasy writer to this epic standalone novel.

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Angry Robot
Publication date

April 11, 2023
Dimensions

5.35 x 1.18 x 8.43 inches
ISBN-10

1915202221
ISBN-13

978-1915202222
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Cleaving is an inspired reimagining of Arthurian myth told from the perspective of Nimue. Through her eyes we see how these well-known stories play out, giving a voice to the women whose stories we’ve only seen through the eyes of men. McKenna deftly weaves a mythological retelling that is grounded in historical reality and is perfect for fans of Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls and Anya Seton’s Katherine."
– Shauna Lawless, author ofThe Children of Gods and Fighting Men

"McKenna's writing immediately makes readers identify with the characters, and the strength they draw together fights against the weight of helplessness."
– Booklist

"With this impressive fantasy, McKenna brings a fresh, female perspective to the story of King Arthur while retaining all the magic and grandeur of the original tale… Fans of Arthurian legend and female-centric retellings like Circe and Ariadne will find much to enjoy."
– Publishers Weekly

"McKenna tells a compelling new story from an old tale that is timely, giving the women of Arthur’s heroic tale a voice and place in this world. Give to fans of Michael J. Sullivan and David Dalglish who appreciate stories with swordplay, revenge, and medieval adventure."
– Library Journal

ADDITIONAL PRASIE FOR JULIET E MCKENNA

“If you’re not reading Juliet McKenna you should be”
– Kate Elliott

“The thinking fantasy reader’s writer”
– Charles Stross

“Her many characters are thoroughly engaging and her plots tight”
– Joanne Harris

“McKenna creates real tension”
– Time Out

“Written with verve and style”
– SFX Magazine

“Magically convincing and convincingly magical”
– Dan Abnett

“If your appetite is for fantasy in the epic tradition, with compelling narratives, authentic combat and characters you care about, Juliet E McKenna is definitely the author for you” Stan Nicholls
“Everything just sings in these books.”
– Charles de Lint in F&SF

About the Author

Juliet E. McKenna is the author of 15 epic fantasy novels set in the world of Einarinn, as well as several novellas and countless short stories ranging from SF to steampunk and alternate history. She has been a judge for the World Fantasy Awards, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the James White Award and the Aeon Award, and has, herself, been shortlisted for the British Fantasy Award and the BSFA Award for Best Novel.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Angry Robot (April 11, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1915202221
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915202222
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.35 x 1.18 x 8.43 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #652,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5,216 in Folklore (Books)
- #9,315 in Fantasy Action & Adventure
- #9,897 in Romantic Fantasy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.0 37 ratings

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Juliet E. McKenna

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Juliet E McKenna is a British fantasy author living in the Cotswolds, UK. Loving history, myth and other worlds since she first learned to read, she has written fifteen epic fantasy novels so far. Her debut, The Thief's Gamble, began The Tales of Einarinn in 1999, followed by The Aldabreshin Compass sequence, The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, and The Hadrumal Crisis trilogy. The Green Man's Heir was her first modern fantasy rooted in British folklore, followed by The Green Man’s Foe, The Green Man’s Silence, The Green Man's Challenge and The Green Man's Gift. There will be more books in this series for as long as Juliet has new ideas, and readers are enjoying them. Her shorter stories include forays into dark fantasy, steampunk and science fiction. As well as reviewing for various magazines, she promotes SF&Fantasy by blogging on book trade issues, attending conventions and teaching creative writing. Her Arthurian novel The Cleaving will be published in April 2023.

www.julietemckenna.com

@JulietEMcKenna

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

37 global ratings

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Victoria M.

Legand of Authur from the women who had to live it.

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2023

Verified Purchase

We finally get to hear from the women of Authurian legend and the trials that they went through. I love how complicated and deep and 3d and varied these women are. Its nice to finally hear from them.

2 people found this helpful

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Mariana

Arthurian legend from women's point of view

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2023

3 ⭐️

This book is told in the third person from Nimue's perspective and while I don't think this book can be considered a feminist retelling of the legend, it's still a solid novel for the fans.

Plot

As I said previously, this book is told from Nimue's perspective and the reader sees some events before King Arthur and during his reign.

I always thing that standalones are not the best way to tell this story. King Arthur story is very complex, full of different events and with many different characters, trying to fit all that into one book may lead to a mess. I would prefer if this book was a duology or even a trilogy and I would love to see other POV from other women. Some events felt really rushed, especially the last battle.

Characters

The characters could have been so interesting, but they felt one-dimensional. Nimue was the only one that was developed. Ygraine, Guinevere and Morgana were two-dimensional. Ygraine didn't reached her full potential, Guinevere was always weeping and Morgana could have been so interesting, but she wasn't developed.

The men were even worse. Lancelot barely appears, Mordred only appears in the end and I was confused with this hatred for Arthur. Arthur was better than some versions, but he could have been more developed as well.

Writing

The writing was actually good. I liked it and I like some her descriptions about the middle ages.

World-Building

This book has magic, Nimue and Merlin have magic, but I was so confuse. How Morgana learned magic? What are Merlin and Nimue's people? How their magic works? I had many questions in this part that the author never managed to answer.

I like the way she represented the Middle Ages. I can't consider this book a feminist retelling, because these women to nothing for the most part of the book, but the author made a good job when she tries to explain how hopeless a woman's life was in the past.

Final Thoughts

While it's not my favorite arthurian retelling is still a novel that I think every Arthurian Legend fan should try.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

A fresh take on Arthurian legends

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was such a fan of the Arthurian legends when I was younger - “Quest for Camelot” as a child, and the TV show “Merlin” as a teen. So, I was enthusiastic going into this novel.

While it was a little dry at times, I found Nimue a compelling narrator, and was glad to see the stories of the Pendragon court throughout her lifetime. I found it a unique and magical take on the age-old stories we are so familiar with.

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Janalyn

An absolutely awesome addition to King author‘s tale!

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2023

Before author was even born The evil wizard Merlin was around but thankfully so was it good which name Numanie. The Cleveland tells a story of not only King Althors relationship with his mother Maryland but all the strong women that played apart and his young childhood and young adult life. From his sister to his relationship with his mother it’s all explained in this book and what a great book it it is. I thought I had read everything when it came to Camelot in King Arthur but thanks to Juliet E McKenna there’s another great story to read. I love this book and highly recommend it it is a definite five star Camelot read if you’ve never read about his birth in the misery his mother endured then you definitely need to read this book. I received it from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2023

Expected more than given.
Didn’t much care for it. To each their own, you may like.

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Top reviews from other countries

Hamish McBear

Beautifully written

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 24, 2023

Verified Purchase

This is an enthralling read. Everything you would expect from a writer of McKenna's quality as she re-explores the legend of King Arthur from the viewpoint of the women involved.

Tej Turner

Enjoyable book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2023

Verified Purchase

An Arthurian novel told through the perspective of the women, and it manages to give them all agency whilst staying faithful to the much of the cannon. I don’t read historical fantasy based in our own world (or at least a legendary version of it) as it can be difficult to pull of but McKenna has clearly done her research and all the details are rich, consistent and help to bring this tale to life.

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