The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider (review)

When Emry Merlin’s twin brother is summoned to Camelot’s court, she goes in his stead; she has superior magic and he has knocked himself out with a misfired spell. Meanwhile, bookish nineteen-year-old Arthur Pendragon, the barely legitimate son of the king, is still adjusting to the responsibilities of one day being the king to unite England (“A united kingdom? The thought, although far-fetched, was intriguing”) after pulling the sword from the stone on a dare. Emry must maintain her disguise as her brother as she navigates court politics, researches why her father, the previous wizard apprentice, went missing years ago, and possibly falls head-over-heels for the once and future king. Schneider’s take on Arthurian legend is full of hijinks and cheesily indulgent moments (Emry gets to dress feminine for a dance and impress everyone with her hotness), and the sense of humor running throughout the novel is reminiscent of BBC’s Merlin. A delightfully normalized queer cast will appeal to many—Lancelot likes men, Emry likes people regardless of gender, and Arthur likes Emry dressed as a boy—and the anachronistic attitude toward characters, references, and events culminates in an excitingly unpredictable hodgepodge of the Matter of Britain. Newcomers to Arthurian lore have no obligation to learn precedents here, but established readers will find in this a light-hearted take on the legend with a heart-pounding romance.