Henge

by Realm Lovejoy

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Henge is an unique take on the Arthurian legend that grabbed me from page one and kept me going until the very last moment. Ms. Lovejoy crafted a unique world set within the known world of London with intriguing mysterious characters the played with my emotions and had me asking tons of questions.

The downfall with this book is purely personal. I realized shortly after starting it that I know very little about Arthurian mythology. I often found myself confused by the names and the myriad of characters that waltzed in and out of Morgan’s life. I did venture out to Wikipedia (not the best source, I know) and read up a bit, but after getting even further confused there, I just decided to let go of what I didn’t know and enjoy the book.

I grew to love Morgan as the story progressed. As the misunderstood student, she reminded me a bit of Elphaba from Wicked. In many of the tellings of Arthur’s story, Morgan le Fay is portrayed as an antagonist. I was intrigued by Ms. Lovejoy’s use of the characters that surround Morgan as well as her mother’s mysterious past as tempering agents (a forge, perhaps?) in shaping Morgan and what she may potentially become.

Overall, despite my lack of knowledge about the Legend of King Arthur, I would give Henge a thumbs up. I did love the characters and wondered if Morgan would survive and discover the truth about her mother. While some reviews might compare Henge to the Harry Potter series or other popular YA novels, Henge stands on its own and provides a tantalizing new take on an old, if not-so-familiar-to-me, tale.