The Shadowed Land

• Author: Signe Pike
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Publication Date: December 3, 2024
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Series: The Lost Queen #3

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This “can’t-miss historical epic” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author) reimagines the legends of King Arthur by resurrecting the real historical figures who inspired these enduring tales.

Scotland, AD 580: A queen has risen. A battle has been won. Loved ones who were lost have been reunited. But in a land of power-hungry kings, peace is precarious and cannot last for long. All too soon, circumstance pulls both Britons and Scots back to their own destinies.

The warrior Artúr receives a mysterious summons from his father in Dalriada. Queen Languoreth and her brother must return to Strathclyde with the dangerous former bishop Mungo in tow, determined to maintain the fragile balance between the Christians and the people of the Old Way. Meanwhile, the young priestess Angharad must travel deep into the shadowed land of the Picts, hoping to become the initiate of Briochan, a druid who practices the secret Celtic art of weather work.

As they rise to meet their fates, they are pushed to impossible new frontiers: each must decide whether they are willing to do what it takes to become the heroes their harrowing days demand.

Set in the sprawling historical landscape of early medieval Scotland, Pike’s critically acclaimed retelling of the Arthurian saga thrusts readers into a world of ambition, loyalty and love, revealing truths that have for too long been buried by legend in this “gorgeous, sweeping saga” (Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author).

I was fortunate to get ARCs of the first two books in this series, which introduced me to the writing of Signe Pike and the historical basis for the Arthurian legends. The first book hooked me so quickly, and I couldn’t get through it fast enough. I did a quick audiobook reread of the first two books, and combined this ebook with audiobook reading. Throughout the entire reading of this book, I was under the impression that this was the final book in a trilogy. Upon finishing, I raced to the author’s website to see if there would be another book, since there was a cliffhanger ending, and luckily, this trilogy is not over, but there’s another book in store.

To start with, the amount of historical detail that the author has researched and put into these books is staggering. Even more so when thinking about these events occurring in the 6th century, when source material was biased and often incomplete. The reasons for this vary, but it was really fascinating to see how Pike was able to build such a realistic and believable world that encompasses all the senses. 

Perspectives keep shifting to include more POV characters as the scope of the series expands. In this book, we get a lot more of Angharad’s chapters, and even some from Gladys as well as Artúr. When I started the series, Languoreth was a teenager, but in this book we see her as a grandmother. She’s undergone so much growth through all the joys and struggles of her life, and I’ve been following her story for all that time, so it was wonderful to see her acknowledge the changes in her thoughts and behaviors from what they would have been as a younger woman.

Lailoken also narrates, and his storyline focuses on his long-running hostilities with Mungo. As Lailoken takes on a role as advisor to Languoreth’s husband, it puts him in direct contact with Mungo, who has also been appointed advisor. While Lailoken is well-aware of Mungo’s underhanded and cruel tactics, King Rhydderch isn’t as willing to believe the worst of a man of god, and it leads to a lot of conflict in the story.  

Angharad was the real star of the novel. She’s been following her own path for many years by the time this book starts, and we get to see her first homecoming since she was first separated from Lailoken as a child. In that time, she’s grown to be a wisdom keeper, as the author calls Druids, and has continued to chart her own course among the Pictish people. There is so much conflict in the story between characters, with varying levels of intensity: Gladys is constantly challenged by her overbearing mother-in-law; Languoreth has issues with basically everyone in her life aside from Lailoken, as the weight of her longest-held secret grows ever heavier; the simmering tension coming from Mungo heats up to a boil and threatens all those who keep the old ways. 

Despite the number of narrating characters, I never found myself getting lost or confused. Each character has their own distinct voice, making it easy to recall who was speaking even if I had to pause reading in the middle of the chapter. It was each of these characters that I was able to connect to, making their experiences feel more universalized and rescuing these characters from the lost abyss of history.

I can’t say enough positive things about this book and the series, overall. I only just discovered that there will be another book in the works, and that the series is in development for TV, and I’m thrilled about both. One of the most fascinating things about this series, and this book in particular, is seeing echoes of the Arthurian legend in it, and understanding how those characters are connected to these historical figures. This book would work best for people who are intrigued by the history of the British Isles, Arthurian stories, historical fiction, and a world where magic feels real.

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