Review by Booklist Review
Heroes, villains, and monsters of Arthurian legend roam the streets of contemporary Vancouver in this charming queer-urban fantasy. Hildie is a Valkyrie, tasked with keeping the peace among Vancouver's current group of reincarnated knights under the chafing guidance of a stern and exacting leader who also happens to be her mother. When a knight is murdered, her investigation keeps circling back to Wayne, an autistic college student who would prefer to ignore his expected role as the latest incarnation of the legendary knight Gawain. But even as a tentative romance unfurls between Wayne and a charismatic fellow knight, a mythic beast haunts his dreams, and his destiny begins to feel inescapable. Much of this novel will be most resonant for readers familiar with the relationships between characters in Arthurian legends. However, readers in search of queer and autistic representation in fantasy will gladly skim over the confusing parts to savor the heart of the tale: people defying expectations--including, at times, their own--to rewrite their stories and forge their own happy endings.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The knights of the round table are reincarnated in modern-day Vancouver in this playful murder mystery take on the Arthurian mythos. Battis (Bleeding Out) puts a queer and neurodivergent spin on familiar characters to explore a theme of moving past others' expectations to control one's own narrative. University provost Mo Penley (a reincarnation of Mordred) is decapitated at a party hosted by university dean Morgan Arcand (aka Morgana). Wayne (Gawain), a young autistic man dragged to the party by his professor aunt Vera (Guinevere), finds the body during a flirtatious moment with Morgan's assistant Bert (the Green Knight), catapulting him to the top of the suspect list for Valkyrie investigator Hildie. To clear his name, Wayne must lean into his knightly heritage and engage the possibility that the questing beast haunting his dreams has a presence in the real world. Meanwhile, Hildie navigates an overbearing mother and a budding relationship with the youngest of the Wyrd Sisters. Battis handles the psychology of the reincarnated characters well, balancing their awareness of past lives with their present-day agendas. Weaving endearing queer coming-of-age threads throughout the mythically grounded mystery, this satisfying reimagining delivers. (Apr.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Wayne just wants to live his own life as he attends university in Vancouver, but his family will never let him--plus he's the reincarnation of Sir Gawain. In fact, when your aunts, uncles, and various acquaintances are reincarnations too, it is hard to feel there is any choice. In his first semester, Wayne is navigating accommodation approval for his probable autism and his feelings for the dean's assistant, Bert, but now the murder of the university provost has brought more eyes on all of them. With a Valkyrie, Hildie, assigned to investigate, Wayne, Bert, and others become prime suspects, and old stories take new turns. Hildie must navigate her own family issues during her investigation, while the ravenous beast that haunts Wayne's dreams could become a living nightmare. Authentic portrayals of queer, trans, and disabled characters along with a delightful mash-up of modern Vancouver, college life, and Arthurian legends become an immersive story of trying to be in control of your own path, no matter your past. VERDICT Battis (Bleeding Out) gives Arthurian retellings a new twist with this queer urban fantasy.--Kristi Chadwick
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