A lively queer Camelot for modern audiences.Several hundred years after the time of the fabled king Arthur Pendragon, Gwendoline and her older brother, Gabriel, are princess and prince of Camelot. Gwen has been betrothed since birth to Arthur Delacey, whose father's family claims ancestry from Mordred. Gwen's first problem with this arrangement is that she and Arthur hate each other. The second is revealed when Arthur comes to the royal castle for the summer tournament in which knights compete for renown-and Gwen catches him making out with a servant boy. But then Arthur obtains proof of Gwen's obsession with Lady Bridget Leclair, England's only female knight and a competitor in the tourney. Engaging in mutual blackmail, they form an understanding, though over the course of the summer it turns into an initially begrudging, then supportive friendship, especially when Arthur starts learning more about heir-to-the-throne Gabe. In this fun summer romance, Croucher creates main characters who feel distinctly modern in their dialogue and interactions. They maneuver through the historical setting, including social expectations and limited medical care, in ways that both seem natural and often offer commentary on more current affairs. This is a wonderful expansion of the YA romance genre. Gwen and her family are white, and she is coded queer and demisexual. Arthur is Iranian on his mother's side and coded gay, as is Gabe. There is additional diversity in the supporting cast.Frankly a delight. (Historical romance. 13-18)

In this riotous, queer Arthurian rom-com remix by Croucher (Infamous, for adults), no-nonsense teenage princess Gwendoline of Camelot and louche, sardonic Arthur—a descendant of Mordred—have been betrothed since birth. They claim to despise each other but have both accepted the inevitability of their marriage, meant to secure an alliance between their families. When Art comes to Camelot for the summer, the two quickly

Gr 9 Up —In this queer historical romp, similar in tone to "The Lady Janies" series and the TV show Merlin , the descendants of Arthurian legend have grown up nemeses until a political betrothal forces them to turn their future marriage into something that might work in their favor. Both Art and Gwen are queer and prepare to use each other as beards to pursue their own happily ever after without causing too much political discord. But parents and politics have other ideas as the summer tournament circuit becomes something more serious: cultists of King Arthur begin to foment rebellion, and their parents are pulling them to opposite sides of the coming war. With their found family in jeopardy, Gwen, Art, and their love interests are forced to claim their power quickly, or have it taken from them. Croucher has created a vibrant medieval world for their readers to fall into with funny, well-developed characters to flesh out the story, and complex royal family dynamics adding layers to the drama. Their vivacious writing style lends modern tone and humor to historical elements, pulling readers close and carrying them through court politics, tournaments, and battle scenes. The romances that fuel the narrative are delightful, from their tension to the queer-panic to the kissing. In addition to the queer characters, there is coded racial diversity throughout. VERDICT Heart-warming and hilarious, a first purchase for library collections.—Emmy Neal