Book Review Henge by Realm Lovejoy

Title: Henge (Le Fay Series)
Author: Realm Lovejoy
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 5 stars
Buy: Amazon

 Inspired by one of the greatest legends of all time…

Modern-day Camelot. Where knights no longer carry swords. Magic is dangerous. And those who seek control are not to be trusted.

Sixteen-year-old Morgan le Fay is a fire user. An ordinary girl with an extraordinary skill, she has the ability to create and command fire at will. Her dream is to become the Maven—the right hand of the future King Arthur. In the chance of a lifetime, Morgan is selected to join Arthur’s Round, an elite group of young magic users from which the new Maven will be chosen.

Along with the other fire, water, and wind users in Arthur’s Round, Morgan is rigorously trained and tested. The handsome Merlin, a brilliant water user, takes a particular interest in her. Is his friendship to be trusted, or is Merlin simply trying to win the position of Maven for himself? Among the many rivals Morgan faces is the current Maven, Mordred, who seems determined to see her fail.

But Morgan has a secret—years ago, her mother was executed for using fire magic, and Morgan’s desire for justice makes her more than ready to take on the challenge before her. Can she prevail in Camelot’s tests of survival and magic? Only time—and Morgan’s powerful fire—will tell.

Realm Lovejoy’s modern Arthurian series features one of literature’s most complicated and powerful female figures.Henge is the first book in the LE FAY series, and—like Morgan le Fay’s magic—it is sure to dazzle and amaze.

Henge is hands down the most original YA novel I’ve read all year. It’s one of my favorite books I’ve read all year, if not the absolute favorite. While the writing wasn’t spectacular (the writing was all right but not amazing), the characters were fantastic and the world building blew me away. In terms of world building, this book ranks right up there with Harry Potter.

It’s actually similar in some ways (and totally differnet in others). Our protagonist, Morgan, is a fire user who has the ability to command fire at will. Her dad is opposed against magic because of what happened to her mother, but either way Morgan decides to participate in a contest to get selected in Arthur’s Round, a group of elite young magic user. One of them will be chosen as Maven – and it’s always been Morgan’s dream to become the Maven. Even more so, she once had a vision about it.

Morgan wins second prize after a boy named Merlin, but because she has no official magic license, she isn’t allowed to participate in Arthur’s Round. However, for some reason she’s allowed in anyway and despite her Dad’s protests, she goes. Along with other magic users – fire, water and wind, and a healer, Guinevere who she becomes friends with, Morgan trains to become the most powerful magician she can be in order to become the next Maven. But the past has a way of catching up with her, and although powerful, the boy who beat her at the contest, Merlin, is very powerful as well. Is he a friend or a foe? When her life becomes endangered, Morgan will have to figure out who she can trust.

I’ve been in love with the Camelot legend for decades (well, a decade at least) so to see it in a contemporary, original context makes my heart race. And all the familiar characters drop by yet they’re totally original at the same time. Morgan is an easy to like protagonist. She’s been shaped by her past, always watching her back, always weary. At the same time she’s independent, intuitive, strong and this definitely isn’t a girl who needs a boy to make her feel special. She’s quite capable of holding her own.
I’m dying to read the sequel to this book. It’s a rare gem, and I would recommend it to everyone who likes the Arthurian legend, Camelot, and just YA fantasy in general.