The Faerie Handmaid by Louisa Morgan

Read this if you: are a committed Arthurian lore reader who doesn't need to root for anyone to get through a book

Why does this beguile? It barely does…

I should have DNF'd this about 20% in, but given that it was an ARC, I wanted to give it a better chance. I also used the 'help me choose' from the BBB app and the app said that based on my mood, I'd enjoy this since I like other cozy fantasy. Sadly, The Faerie Handmaid is not what I would call cozy fantasy. It's Arthurian-legend lore adjacent, but I never once cared about single character. There are so many female characters, yet the only one who didn't feel one-dimensional was the young boy. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?!

If you need someone to root for in order to stay inside a book, this one is a hard road. If lore and world-building carry you regardless, you may get somewhere different than I did.

What it's about: Braithe never expected to rise beyond acolyte on the Isle, let alone become handmaid to Morgana, the most powerful priestess in all of Camelud. When word arrives that the new king is being cursed by powerful magic, she and Morgana travel deep into fae territory to investigate. The fae are cold, hostile, and dangerous, and Braithe may be the one person capable of uncovering the truth, if she can stop deferring to her mentor long enough to trust herself.