Review: Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch

Posted May 11, 2023 by Stephanie in 5 Stars, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Review / 7 Comments

Title: Morgan Is My Name
Author: Sophie Keetch
Publication: June 13, 2023 by Random House Canada
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Retelling
Find it on: Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Goldsboro Books | iBooks | Indigo | Kobo | Waterstones
Rating: 5/5★

“A very real, passionate retelling of Morgan le Fay’s story, with detail about political and magical lives, and the women who are such a vital part of the tale.” —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“This is the powerfully feminist, intricately woven, and realistically enchanting Arthurian tale you’ve been waiting for. Morgan is her name, and I love her.” —Kiersten White, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Camelot Rising Trilogy

A powerful feminist retelling of the early life of Morgan le Fay, the famed villainess of Arthurian legend, this dazzling debut is the story of a woman both mortal and magical, formidable and misunderstood, told in her own words.

Young Morgan of Cornwall lives a happy life in Tintagel Castle until King Uther Pendragon, with the help of the sorcerer Merlin, murders her father and tricks her mother into marriage. Furious, brilliant, and vengeful, Morgan defies her brutal stepfather, taking up a secret education, discovering a lifelong affinity with the healing arts, and falling in love with a man far beneath her station. However, defiance comes at a cost. Used as a bargaining chip in her stepfather’s war games, Morgan finds herself banished to a world of isolated castles and gossiping courts, amidst the machinations of kings, sorcerers, and men.

But some desires are not easily forgotten, and the search for her independence is a quest Morgan cannot give up. As the era of King Arthur approaches, she must use all her wit, knowledge, and courage to fight against those who wish to deny her intelligence, crush her spirit, and control her body. But, in seeking her freedom, Morgan risks losing everything–her reputation, her loved ones, and her life.

 

I think most people are somewhat familiar with the Arthurian legends, including one of its villains, Morgan le Fay. In this feminist retelling the tale starts with Morgan being only a child when the evil King Uther Pendragon murdered her father and took her mother as his wife by force and vile trickery. Her life now as a princess is anything but a fairytale but even so she manages to seek out any knowledge and love she can find, even if it’s forbidden by the men in power that surround her.

I absolutely loved reading about Morgan, she was fierce, very stubborn and absolutely loved learning, although as a girl she wasn’t meant to know more than what men told her. She desired knowledge above all else and would do anything to get access to manuscripts about healing, plants and life in general. As a child and young woman she went through so much but even so she kept going, even when she had to marry a man she didn’t love or when she found out that the new High King of Britain was actually her half-brother Arthur.

I also loved Morgan’s caring nature, especially toward her friends, Alys and Tressa (who also made a really great couple together btw), who stuck with her for years. She would do anything for them and vice versa. Her relationship with her mother and two older sisters was a little complicated due to being seperated for years but it was clear she also cared for them a lot. There was also a forbidden romance with a squire on the verge of becoming a knight, which didn’t exactly have a happy ending but I’m still kinda holding out for the two of them finding each other eventually.

The backdrop of the story, early medieval Britain was also amazing to read about. And because it’s an Arthurian tale there were squires, knights, kings, jousting and of course some magic. The magic was very much on the downlow but as Morgan grew up she discovered her power little by little and I loved the subtleness of this so much. It isn’t until the end of the book that she really starts to become more powerful and I’m sure it’s only just the beginning.

Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch reimagines Morgan’s early life, from a rambunctious little girl to a bright young woman in her mid-twenties. I’m already counting it as one of my favorite retellings ever and I can’t wait for the second book in the trilogy.

 

About the author:

Sophie Keetch has a BA in English Literature from Cardiff University, where she studied Arthurian Literature. Morgan is My Name is Sophie’s first novel. She lives in South Wales with her husband and son.

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7 responses to “Review: Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch

  1. I would have loved to pick this up if it had been a standalone. Whatever I’ve read about Morgan so far is that she was a bitter and vengeful woman with witchy powers, unable to forgive past slights. I’ll keep a close eye on this retelling – great that someone took up this character, the theme reminds me of Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

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