A new take on the tale of Camelot and King Arthur that delves into lore and reinvents it.

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Laura Sebastian’s Half Sick of Shadows is an entirely new take on the tale, subverting the expectation and creating something that catches the reader off guard.

Storytelling

Half Sick of Shadows is a far cry from her Ash Princess trilogy, in a good way. This novel has a classic feel, is more serious and mature, and captures the medieval atmosphere that usually goes with reading about King Arthur and his court.

I loved how the story progressed and how Elaine, Morgana, and Gweneviere were given strong voices while honoring their femininity.

They were given stronger personalities, stronger relationships with one another, and more than just women attached to men.

But that doesn’t mean Sebastian forgot about the male characters such as Arthur and Lancelot.

While slow-moving, the pacing is very intentional and thoughtful. Sebastian is building and restructuring the mythos to create a new story resembling King Arthur’s retelling.

And given that Elaine can see the future, rebuilding the past before the events all readers are familiar with makes the story stronger.

It’s more than just thoughtful pacing. It’s also about the characters. Sebastian makes sure that they come alive here. There is minimal action to drive the story forward. Still, the tension, the knowing of the bits of the future that Elaine sees, and the secrets she keeps, we see how it fractures her and resonates with her friends, Morgana and Gwen, and love interest Lancelot.

They are complex dynamics and relationships that give the story the depth it needs to retell it in a new light.

Final Thoughts

There are so many moving moments in Half Sick of Shadows. As a reader, you already know the end. Still, the journey of glimpses of what-ifs creates an atmospheric and emotional read that will hook the reader.