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Juliet E. McKenna
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The Cleaving Kindle Edition

by Juliet E. Mckenna (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 90 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.
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  1. Print length
    407 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Angry Robot
  5. Publication date
    April 11, 2023
  6. File size
    5023 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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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. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B96NL726
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Angry Robot (April 11, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 11, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5023 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 407 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 90 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Juliet E. McKenna

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 inspired by British folklore in 2018, and The Green Man’s Quarry in 2023 is the sixth title in this ongoing series.

Her 2023 novel The Cleaving is a female-centred retelling of the story of King Arthur, while her shorter stories include forays into dark fantasy, steampunk and science fiction. She promotes SF&Fantasy by reviewing, by blogging on book trade issues, attending conventions and teaching creative writing. She has served as a judge for major genre awards. As J M Alvey, she has written historical murder mysteries set in ancient Greece.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
90 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Vidar
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to the Arthurian fantasy genre
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2023
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This is a great story, well crafted, well edited, and plausible (if we accept the magic inherent in Arthurian legend) and told from the viewpoint of the character who generally plays only a brief, minor role. It is my favorite new (to me anyway) addition since Mary Stewart’s and Marion Zimmer Bradley’ much earlier contributions. Highly recommend for anyone who loves Arthurian legend and is interested in the women’s perspectives.
One person found this helpful
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Buzzcutter79
4.0 out of 5 stars A Different Viewpoint!
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2023
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A different viewpoint than most, and a few new twists and turns! I did transport you to another place, but sometimes got a bit too far into the minutiae and was a little blah! Overall a good read!
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Mariana
3.0 out of 5 stars 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.
5 people found this helpful
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Victoria M.
5.0 out of 5 stars 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.
5 people found this helpful
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Eleanor Bodington
3.0 out of 5 stars 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.
4 people found this helpful
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ReaderX
1.0 out of 5 stars Not a fan
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.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Helene Tremblay
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in Canada on September 19, 2023
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If i see a book by Juliet McKenna i know I'm gonna enjoy it and this book was excellent. A wonderful retelling of the legend of king Arthur but focusing on the women of the story.
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jc
5.0 out of 5 stars great read. got under the skin
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2024
Verified Purchase
Any fan of the King Arthur stories will love this book gives a great insight into the world as it might have been
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Tej Turner
4.0 out of 5 stars 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.
2 people found this helpful
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Rev. Andy
3.0 out of 5 stars So-so YA take on Arthurian myths
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2024
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The idea of a female viewpoint on the Arthurian legends is interesting but it's poorly done - the characters have little, er, character, the story jumps from action scene to action scene with little worldbuilding, and the protagonist is an invincible superhero. The writing itself is average and the end result feels thin and unconvincing.
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Hamish McBear
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 24, 2023
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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.
2 people found this helpful
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