Signe Pike

Okay, I'm going to lead off with this blurb from Simon and Schuster about Signe Pike's new novel, The Lost Queen.....

"Compared to Outlander and The Mists of Avalon, this thrilling first novel of a debut trilogy reveals the untold story of Languoreth—a forgotten queen of sixth-century Scotland—twin sister of the man who inspired the legend of Merlin." Hmm, okay - definitely caught my interest. After listening to the first few chapters? Hooked!

Signe has taken a few obscure historical show more references to an actual sixth century Celtic queen and created an addicting, unputdownable tale of love, honour, duty, fealty, war, intrigue, religion and yes - magic.

Pike's research is so rich with detail. The settings sprang to life - the castles, the forest, the details of everyday life, clothing, food, family and more. The time period encompasses the clash between the Old Ways and burgeoning Christianity and the wars between kingdoms. Again, well detailed and presented.

The characters will draw you in and transport you back to the sixth century. Languoreth is so well drawn - strong and fierce. Her family and friends are just as well drawn. The 'bad guys'? You'll have no trouble identifying them. The romance angle offers up two very different men in Languoreth's life. This part of the plot is not overwhelming to the main story or overdone, instead it's just right.

I love Arthurian legends and it was this part of the book that captured me - the legends, the portents, the signs and the magic.

I chose to listen to The Lost Queen - the reader was Toni Frutin - and she was amazing. She has a wonderful Scottish accent that is so easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. It immediately embodied the mental image I had created for Languoreth. It's rich and full and her narration is so very, very expressive, capturing all the nuances of Signe's book.

Pike's writing is so very good. This first volume of a planned trilogy is satisfying on it's own. But the last few chapters gives us a hint of what will come next for Languorethe's next challenge. I can't wait for the second book and more of The Lost Queen. show less

If there is even a small part of you that still believes in faeries, a part that still claps when Tinkerbell says to clap, Signe Pike will touch that part of you.

Her first book, Faery Tale: One Woman's Search for Enchantment in a Modern World, dubbed "Eat Pray Love with Faeries" by Inciting a Riot, is a journey through grief, faeries, and the UK.

As a long time fan of faeries and faery lore I was completely entranced by this book. I want to read it again and I can't wait to explore the show more books she references throughout it. (I added many of them to my wish list before I began this review.) Pike helped me remember things I'd forgotten from my childhood, like groves of trees my sisters and I played in and a tiny doll I believed was a faery. She made me reconsider my love for the word Imagine.

After the death of her father and an odd experience in Mexico, Pike quits her Manhattan job (as a book editor) and goes to Europe in search of faeries, faery lore, and enchantment.

Peppered with beautiful facts, myths and lore, alongside amazing descriptions that make the reader feel like they're traveling with Pike, this book is well worth a read. And a second read. Pike threads the modern into the historic quite well, with references to Yoda and Highlander intertwined through her narrative as the explores ancient forts and sacred pools of water.

There were a few places where Pike's language could have been a little tighter, or her story pulled out a bit further. If she were in a writer's workshop with me I might have moved some of the story around, and I definitely would have edited out a few typos (though I hear that was changed with later printings) but really, it's all minor in the grand scheme of the wonderful book.

A few reviews I've read said this book was specifically aimed at a Pagan audience, but I'm going to disagree with that. Pike has written something that I think much of the world can learn from. Beneath the fantastical examination of what some may consider "supernatural" she is talking about a need to get back to nature. A universal urge to explore the spiritual and to welcome life with a childlike view of it all. Pike has written a faery tale story (with absolutely no princes on white horses, thank you very much!) for everyone.

Even if you don't believe in faeries. show less

[b:The Lost Queen|38355440|The Lost Queen (The Lost Queen Trilogy #1)|Signe Pike|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1535882851s/38355440.jpg|60021563] by [a:Signe Pike|4071525|Signe Pike|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1523726747p2/4071525.jpg] – 5 Stars

[b:The Lost Queen|38355440|The Lost Queen (The Lost Queen Trilogy #1)|Signe Pike|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1535882851s/38355440.jpg|60021563] is the first book in an anticipated trilogy, set in sixth-century Celtic Britain and show more featuring the sister of the man who will become Merlin. It's told from the point of view of Langoureth, the “lost queen” who is twin sister of Lailoken, the man who becomes the Merlin of Arthurian myth. If you are looking for more about Merlin, this book might be a disappointment to you because we only get to know Lailoken through the narrative of his sister's life. Langoureth desperately wants to become a Wisdom Keeper of the Old Ways like her twin brother, Lailoken, but her life has already been destined. She is the only daughter of a king who so she must be traded for security, wealth, etc.

The book is composed of three parts. The first is about the twins when they are ten. Their mother has just died and they are being raised by their father, Morken King, and members of the household, including Cathan, head Wisdom-keeper of Strathclyde. The second part tells us of Langoureth as she prepares for marriage to a man chosen by her father. Of course, that's not the man she loves. The final part deals with Langoureth as an adult.

When I first picked up this book the blurbs compared it to Outlander and Mists of Avalon. I think in attempting to appeal to some readers they run the risk of annoying others. I thought this story was so much more than either of those books. [b:The Lost Queen|38355440|The Lost Queen (The Lost Queen Trilogy #1)|Signe Pike|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1535882851s/38355440.jpg|60021563] has been meticulously researched and the author states she took six years for the research and writing. I thought it was the perfect blend of history and fiction, since many of the characters are actual historical figures. The writing is gorgeous and while the story is full of details, I didn't feel like it was cluttered with too many details that you had to skim over.

There's a bit of a YA feel here because so much of the book is set before Langoureth turns sixteen. There's a bit of romance, lots of history, some fantasy and of course, an evil monk. There's a real understanding of a time when new new religion of one god (Christianity), clashed with the Old Ways. I feel like that was not beaten to death but done as a way to explain many of the actual historical events taking place in Briton during that time period.

If you are a fan of audiobooks, I urge you to try this book in audio. The narrator, Toni Frutin, was phenomenal. I had not heard of her before this audio and hope she does a lot more narrating in the future. I am so happy that #12 was chosen in the PBT Trim The TBR Challenge. This book had been languishing on my shelf since its release last year. Untitled Book 2 is expected out next year and that one absolutely will not be languishing on any shelf. If you are a fan of historical fiction, history, myth, fantasy or discovering the unknown women of history, you can't go wrong reading this incredible novel. show less

Book editor Signe Pike was unhappy with working a corporate daily grind. Things come to a head when her father dies, leaving Signe confused about her ambivalent relationship with him and intensely grieving. She wants to recapture her childhood’s happy times, which felt magical.

After a trip to Mexico lures her into thinking that nature spirits might exist and desperately wanting to find proof that will restore the enchantment of her childhood, Signe books a trip to England, the Isle of Man, show more Ireland, and Scotland. In the U.K., she meets a quirky cast of characters, some famous, like artist Brian Froud. She finds an assortment of believers and unbelievers everywhere she goes. Some of her experiences seem psychic, while others are inexplicable.

While she admits she doesn’t find proof, she does find reasons to cling to hope. Questioning whether or not her experiences are merely her imagination, she wonders if that makes them any less real. And she does find beguiling evidence.

I enjoyed this book. Signe is a “normal” person (whatever that may be) who does seem a bit self-conscious about her quest. She pleads with us to understand she’s not crazy. But she didn’t come across to me as odd at all. Deep down inside, don’t most of us want mystery and magic in our lives?

By turns funny, sad, and poignant, the book may not convince everyone that faery folk exist. But Signe Pike’s quest makes for enjoyable reading. Finding definitive answers may be in her future, but that’s not the book’s point to me. The point is to find a passion for pursuing. We all need meaning in our lives and can all use a little help finding it. I recommend this book to anyone with an open mind and heart. show less