Title: The Faerie Morgana
Author: Louisa Morgan
Page Length: 463
Pub. Date: Sept. 16, 2025
Publisher: Redhook
Synopsis: To the other priestesses of the Nine, a powerful council at the Lady’s Temple, Morgana is haughty and arrogant as she performs feats of magic no human should be capable of. Rumors start that she must be a fearsome fae.
To King Arthur, Morgana is a trusted and devoted advisor, but his court is wary of her and her prodigious talent at divination. But his wife sees Morgana as a rival and a malevolent witch.
To Braithe, Morgana’s faithful acolyte, she is simply the most powerful priestess Camelot has seen.
Morgana doesn’t know why she’s so different from everyone else, and she doesn’t much care. But when she aids Arthur to ascend the throne before his time, she sets off a series of events that will change everything Morgana believes about her power.
The Faerie Morgana is a rich and immersive story and a unique retelling that puts a fresh spin on the Arthurian legend while still capturing the magical essence of the original tales. I’m so glad I buddy read this with Leslie at Books Are the New Black because we had some great chats about the characters, plot, and writing style.
The book is slower-paced and character-driven, and follows Morgana from childhood to her early years as a priestess. Powerful and enigmatic, Morgana is often painted as a one-dimensional antagonist. I’ve always been intrigued by her, as I often am with the voiceless females in literature. I love that this story gave her a voice and showed her in a different light. She is complex and nuanced, and I liked the way her character grew and changed while still keeping an air of mystery and elusiveness about her. I also liked how the book highlighted Morgana’s relationships with Braithe (Such a great character. I adored her!), Arthur, and the Blackbird. I actually found Braithe’s story as compelling as Morgana’s, and though the Blackbird didn’t have as large a role in the story, his presence was big.
The plot was emotional and a little twisty, which was great. The story’s divided into three parts, and it delves into Morgana’s years on the isle before becoming a priestess, and her time as a priestess both on the isle and as Arthur’s counsel. I also liked how a couple of the secondary characters were very different from what I expected. It added some unpredictability to the story, and even though I knew what the final outcome was going to be for a couple of the characters, I was still surprised.
The writing style was beautiful and lyrical, and the pacing worked well for most of the book, though I did feel like the ending was a little rushed compared to the rest. And I have to mention the author’s note, which was an insightful addition, especially the details about the etymology of the names and places. So interesting! Special thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Wisdom fades in darkness, but the one who remains will remember.
Sometimes her memory was part of her gift. At other times, it was part of her curse.
Secrets were like weapons, and the longer they were kept, the sharper they became.
Louisa Morgan is the author of A Secret History of Witches, The Witch’s Kind, and The Age of Witches. She’s looking forward to the publication of The Great Witch of Brittany in 2022!
Louisa is a yogini, a musician, a mom, and a dog lover. She lives in scenic Northern Idaho with her family and her spirit familiar, Oscar the Border Terrier. Visit her at www.louisamorgan.net
This is the second great review I’ve seen for this so I definitely need to add it to my list
It’s an interesting retelling! I hope you like it if you get a chance to read it.
Great review, Julie!! It is always such a great time when we are loving the book!! I have linked your review to mine (it goes up tomorrow). Onto the next buddy read! <3
Thanks, Leslie! I hope we love the next one!