Embittered by K. M. Shea
Myths & Legends. 117 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Peace rules in Camelot, and Britt is satisfied with her life as the stand in for King Arthur. Or she was, until Lancelot shows up. Britt is forced by Merlin to welcome the young knight into her courts, and life goes downhill from there. King Leodegrance ,a close ally who also happens to have the Round Table, which Britt dearly wants, is attacked by the foul Duke Maleagent. Unwilling to abandon her ally and let the Round Table slip through her fingers, Britt rides with a party of knights to Leodegrance’s lands in hopes of providing help.
Unfortunately the Round Table proves to be less than impressive, King Leodegrance is not the man Britt thought him to be, and, worst of all, Guinevere has set her romantic ambitions on Britt’s King Arthur persona. Leodegrance needs a champion to fight Maleagant or he will be ruined, but does Britt really need to do battle on behalf of a greedy man and his daughter whom Britt knows will bring ruin to Arthur and Camelot?
My Review:
I’m impressed by how appropriately titled each of these has been so far. This third book in KM Shea’s King Arthur series introduces some of the most well-known elements of Arthurian legend. Britt begins her quest for the fabled Round Table and discovers that Guinevere’s father owns it, but he’ll only give it to Britt as part of Guinevere’s dowry. We begin to see the complication of Britt secretly being female, but she cleverly works her way around marriage expectations, at least for now.
Shea’s take on Guinevere’s character was intriguing. She’s a bit shallow and silly, which annoys Britt to no end (but Britt’s real issue with her lies in the legends that Guinevere and Lancelot are the reason Arthur’s kingdom falls. More on that later). Shea gave us context to Guinevere’s situation with her father and the culture of her home that lends depth and understanding to her motives. Though realistic, it certainly wasn’t enviable.
I loved how we could see the ripple effect and how her father’s treatment and leadership style impacted Guinevere’s character, personality, beliefs, and behavior. It was interest to see how desperate she was to escape into a better life once she saw that it was possible. A refreshing take on the iconic character.
Speaking of iconic characters, not only are we introduced to Guinevere, but of course, we get to meet her infamous counterpart, Lancelot. Never realized he was so talkative, but he’s definitely hiding something. I like that he’s sharp, though I never shared Britt’s absolute loathing for him.
Britt is pre-disposed to hate both Guinevere and Lancelot due to her unwavering belief that they will be the downfall of Camelot. This is really the first time we see Britt not openly welcome and utterly noble and kind. I mean, she’s had enemies in the past, fought battles, etc. but for justice and what’s right and good and true. This time, she really only has her own prejudice to support her inhospitality.
It’s understandable why no one else holds the same convictions as Britt, and she can’t exactly explain why she feels the way she does. Merlin, ever concerned with the politics, urges Britt to make Lancelot happy. Of course, she can’t stand him and never really gives him a chance to earn the same kind of favor as her other knights.
This one has been my favorite so far in the series because of the complexities of Britt’s feelings toward Guinevere and Lancelot. (That plus, of course, seeing these traditional pieces of the legends fall into place.) Britt wrestles with her bitterness and desire to do what’s right, at her own expense. It really gave another layer to Britt’s character and depth to the book.
Content: no foul language, some mild fantasy violence (Britt and her men go out to settle a land dispute, duels, jousting, etc.), and not much romance at all. Preteen safe!
More:
Book 1 in the King Arthur and Her Knights series is Enthroned (4 Stars)
Book 2 is Enchanted (4 Stars)
Book 3 is Embittered (4 Stars)
Book 4 is Embark (3 Stars)
Book 5 is Enlighten (5 Stars)
Book 6 is Endeavor (4 Stars)
Book 7 is Endings (5 Stars)
This series must be read in order. You can check out the links for more info on GR!
On Gracebought
Check out my thoughts on the previous books in the series below!
Enthroned and Enchanted