Mixedbookreporter... undeniably engaging characters. However, the story falls short because of its confusing narrative timelines in Elaine’s point of view. Its cast also feels rather immature at times, reading more like Gossip Girl meets Merlin plunked down into a sketchily drawn Camelot ... In working to avoid retelling the all-too-familiar stories of lust and murder as part of the novel\'s central narrative, Sebastian relegates them to what-if visions. These end up being far more engaging than what’s going on in the present day at Camelot. Moreover, the tantalizing glimpses we get of the friends’ childhood on Avalon are equally compelling and worthy of their own book, rather than getting short shrift ... I would have loved to have seen the adventures on Avalon in linear time, peppered with some (not all, since they are overwhelming) visions, and then the characters’ gradual evolution. Instead, the intersecting timelines create a truncated story that ultimately may leave some readers unsatisfied.
