Synopsis
An atmospheric, feminist retelling of the early life of famed villainess Morgan le Fay, set against the colourful chivalric backdrop of Arthurian legend.
When King Uther Pendragon murders her father and tricks her mother into marriage, Morgan refuses to be crushed. Trapped amid the machinations of men in a world of isolated castles and gossiping courts, she discovers secret powers.
Vengeful and brilliant, it’s not long before Morgan becomes a worthy adversary to Merlin, influential sorcerer to the king. But fighting for her freedom, she risks losing everything – her reputation, her loved ones and her life.
Review
I’m going to say from the off that this is my favourite book of 2023. 2023 has been the year of myth retellings for me, and Morgan Is My Name is one of the best I’ve read so far.
This book pulled me in from the beginning, to the point where I knew I’d found a new favourite before I was halfway through. Retellings are sometimes a bit hit-and-miss for me, but this is a masterful retelling of Arthurian mythology and the story of Morgan Le Fay. There’s something so magical about Keetch’s writing that comes across from the first page. The whole book is suffused with this sense of magic and mysticism.
Keetch tosses you into the main plot from the beginning and keeps you engaged all the way through. It’s beautifully written, with such depth and emotion from Morgan’s point of view. Keetch skilfully evokes sympathy and empathy for Morgan from the reader, and brilliantly presents the innumerable tragedies that Morgan suffers that eventually lead to her becoming the figure that we know. She is a tragic figure, but also strong and defiant, and Keetch brilliantly weaves together these facets to create a character who feels strong but grounded in reality and completely believable. Her thoughts, opinions and decisions never leave me thinking “why did she do that?” because they simply make sense for her character. One simply wouldn’t expect her to react any differently.
The characters. Oh, the characters in this book. I loved them. Except Uther. When you read the book, you’ll understand why I utterly despise Uther in this book, mores than I ever hated Uther in BBC Merlin, or in any other literature. The other characters in the book also feel as though they’re explored well, even though we only see things from Morgan’s point of view.
Morgan’s mother and sisters are brilliantly written too, though I do wish we’d had more time with Elayne and Morgause. They’re interesting characters in their own rights, both similar and different to Morgan. If Morgan is fire, then Morgause is ice, and Elayne is a ray of sunshine, but all three are tempered with a core of steel, which can clearly be seen in their mother, Ygraine. Keetch excels at writing strong women, though she doesn’t rely on the traits of headstrong and defiant to define these women as strong. There is a quiet strength that is evident in Ygraine, who never raises her voice or her fist or a sword, but is still an incredibly strong character. This portrayal of strength in many different ways
Morgan’s best friend is also brilliantly written. She never feels like a sidekick, and does not simply go along with whatever Morgan says to simply advance the plot. She challenges her, questions her, but is also fiercely loyal. She becomes far more central to the novel than I expected, and I was pleased.
It’s arguably the men who are the worst characters in this book, and yet they’re still wonderfully written. Merlin is a mysterious and deceptive figure whom you end up wishing Morgan could avoid, and he is the perfect stooge to the villainous and treacherous Uther, though Merlin’s magic and proficiency at weaving lies does leave you wondering who’s truly the subordinate in that relationship. While Uther is oft presented as unlikable in many books and shows focusing Arthurian myth, an unlikable, possibly evil Merlin is something that feels new and unusual. He’s normally the protagonist of the story, or he is aiding the protagonists, and yet in Keetch’s novel, you can’t help but wish Merlin would disappear off into those mysterious mists and never return.
As far as other, more minor characters go, they are just as well written as our main characters. We don’t have long with Morgan’s father, a kind figure, but his legacy lasts throughout the book. He, like other minor characters in the book, never feels as though he’s been written as just a minor character. All of Keetch’s characters, main or minor, feel fleshed out, with their own agency, motivations, and personalities.
Arthurian legend is perhaps one of my favourite mythologies, and this book contains love, heartbreak, tragedy, murder, mystery, and magic – everything one needs when writing about a figure like Morgan. I was never bored with this book, and I love the characters. I highly recommend this book to those looking for a little bit of magic in their reading lives.
The Ink Thief 