From the brilliantly witty author of Aphrodite and Herc comes a story set in the court of King Arthur, featuring knights, valour, sacrifice, magic and a feminist retelling of the love story of Tristan and Isolde.
With thanks to Keighley_Reads for the below review.

I love a retelling, whether it’s from any era or any branch of mythology, so I jumped at the chance to read and review this one.

Having recently attended a festival where one of the panels explored Old Stories in New Worlds, I found myself thinking about this book and Phoenicia Rogerson, and how perfectly her work would have fitted into that discussion.

Arthurian retellings are relatively new to me. Like most people, I know the stories of King Arthur and Camelot, but I knew very little about Isolde and Tristan (and I do love a bit of a history lesson!).

The story is told through a dual POV, which I always enjoy as I think it adds an extra dimension to a story. However, it is also written as though Isolde and Tristan are talking directly to each other, which took me a little while to get used to!

The author does a brilliant job of bringing Camelot and Cornwall to life, making the whole story feel wonderfully immersive. I also found it really interesting to see Camelot portrayed in a slightly different light to the legends we might be familiar with – perhaps not quite the way we’ve been led to believe!

Of course, there’s romance, but with a magical twist. And we get to discover what happens when a love potion starts to wear off…!

Overall, this was a different take on a retelling to the one I was expecting, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. I haven’t read any of Phoenicia Rogerson’s previous books, but having read this one, I’m definitely tempted to go back and explore her other work.

A fresh take on an old story, and a reminder of just how much room there is to play with the myths and legends we think we know.

About the Book

Isolde, Queen of Cornwall, is on the run. 

She didn’t mean to drink a love potion with the king’s nephew, but that little accident has made her scandalously famous. Luckily, she and Tristan find refuge in Camelot, the legendary court of King Arthur. This ought to be her happy ending.

Only it isn’t. She discovers that Camelot is full of chivalrous knights who aren’t sure how to speak to a woman, and while it houses the greatest wizard of all time, he might just be responsible for crimes against humanity. And one more thing, the love potion has worn off…

Now Isolde will have to work out what sort of life a woman can carve out for herself when the songs about her have already been written.

A tale of battered reputations, Isolde introduces an unforgettable heroine finding her way through myth, love and a world of magic.

About The Author

Phoenicia Rogerson has no discernible sense of direction so it’s only natural that she’d get lost in books. When she’s not reading, writing, or spinning in circles, she can be found knitting copious amounts of socks and throwing herself in freezing water. Originally from Cornwall, she now finds herself in London, where she’s aiming for the highest possible bookshelf-to-floor space ratio. She is a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award 2024 for her debut, Herc.

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