In this epic sequel to Once & Future, Ari and her Rainbow knights must pull off a Holy Grail heist thousands of years in the past — without destroying their own destinies. Ari Helix may have won her battle against the tyrannical Mercer corporation, but the larger war has just begun. Ari and her cursed wizard Merlin must travel back in time to the unenlightened Middle Ages and steal the … to the unenlightened Middle Ages and steal the King Arthur’s Grail — the very definition of impossible. It’s imperative that the time travelers not skew the timeline and alter the course of history. Coming face to face with the original Arthurian legend could produce a ripple effect that changes everything. Somehow Merlin forgot that the past can be even more dangerous than the future . . .
Sword in the Stars is vastly different from its predecessor, less upbeat and cheerful, and is still no less optimistic. Once & Future was much more straightforward in terms of plot despite thee genre-blending: there was a corporation to be beaten, a crew to be gathered, and a reincarnation cycle to be destroyed. A sword & sorcery plot with a sci-fi twist. But the conclusion of its duology is much more of the reverse, a time-travel narrative with flavors of medieval magic. The structure is more complicated and less time is devoted to the jokes than Once & Future, but the payoff is better.
Once & Future ended with a new Administrator being appointed to lead the Mercer corporation, demanding Gwen’s soon-to-be-birthed baby in return for peace in the universe, supplies being delivered to dying planets. In a kind of bizarre twist to the story, the group settles on returning to actual Arthurian times to retrieve the Holy Grail, whose magical properties will allow the Administrator to see the error of her ways. Landing in Arthurian times comes with a lot of problems, though: not only must the group not alter the flow of history by staying unknown while also stealing a treasured, enchanted artifact, but the motley group is composed of two sapphic, married women, a nonbinary flirt, an asexual female knight, a gender nonconforming demiboy, and a very gay Merlin. This very diverse crew has to now acclimate to a less than friendly medieval world that has very little idea of such identities, much less understanding. While the world of Once & Future is almost utopian in the sense of gender and sexuality acceptance, Sword in the Stars shows us a world much more similar to our current times, and so this story becomes just as much about time travel and wizardry as it is about holding onto your identity and who you love in a hostile world.
I did love the setting of medieval Camelot much more than I thought I would. When the last book ended with the beginnings of the trip into the past, I was a little disappointed that so many of the futuristic settings would go by the wayside: no more LARPing medieval planet or nightclubs on the moon. But the authors made Camelot wondrous in other ways. Arthur (the original) isn’t the raging, toxic, bitter man that several legends and the previous book insinuated he would be, but still in the infancy of his reign, is a kind soul, a boy with too heavy of a burden on his shoulders. The magic didn’t dissipate entirely when they left the future, and Camelot is filled with ordinary acts of magic, legions of enchantresses, and dragons. Getting to see the old versions of characters mix with the hyper-modern ones and the general troubles that come with dumping a group of futuristic warriors into medieval times kept up the off-beat humor the first book had.
I made a minor note of this for the last book, but its a bit more apparent here: the magic is a little hand-wavey. The time travel involved here, as well as the magic used by several of the “bad guys” doesn’t have a consistent system or usage, and while I actually hate it when magic has hard rules, I do want it to be consistent on some level. And part of the “diverse group of teens lands in medieval England” plot line does mean that there is a significant amount of talk around identities and sexualities, and parts of it do come across as a bit clumsy. I slot myself into several of these identities, so it feels a little sacrilegious even saying this, but there were times here and there that I felt like the words could’ve been better spent. This is a YA book, but some of the conversations around these topics felt a little low-level, like they were being explained to a young child rather than either a teenager or their adult crossover readers. The people who are attracted to a queer and diverse retelling of Arthurian legends don’t need everything explained to them. Somehow Once & Future did this a lot better than its sequel in this aspect.
This retelling isn’t drab or dark, it’s something that you don’t have to take too seriously to feel like you’re getting a good story out of it. A lot of YA these days skews older, an appeal by smart authors who know the adult/YA crossover crowd is massive, but this is the perfect duology for the mid-range or younger YA reader. Still sparkling bright with fun and the sheer thrill of space and magic, but with enough conflict and genuine character development that older readers can still enjoy. And all of us need some tooth-rotting fluff sometimes.
review blog
Incredible. Sword in the Stars picks up right where Once and Future left off, with Ari and her rainbow knights traveling to medieval times to steal the chalice from King Arthur. However, it came with a cost, of course.
Sword in the Stars was simply a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic series. It was unique, but it was also compelling as the story puts these characters from a more evolved period into medieval times, a period that is less open-minded. It creates tension for the characters who are hiding their true selves, highlighting just how important identity is. It is a struggle for these characters to conform for their safety, but the point is they should not have to feel as though they need to hide their true selves for their safety, it should be okay to be one’s true self. The careful use of pronouns relays a powerful message to the readers.
That is what makes this such an impactful retelling of King Arthur’s story. Not only is this retelling 100% unique, but it also flows steadily and makes sure to highlight the development of the characters. It is not enough that the story has tension; the characters have to bring it to life. With everything they have gone through, the authors made sure to reflect the challenges they have faced and conquered in their personality, showcasing just how much they have grown. Ari has come so far from who she was in the first novel. Ari is more aware, mature, and thoughtful, she has the fierceness to lead a revolution, and it is impressive to witness. Merlin as well goes through so much in this novel. Between him and Ari, they make the novel so incredible to read because their journeys affect them incredibly and also push forward the tension of the story.
Sword in the Stars was just perfection. The strength of the characters, the drama, tension, action, and development of the plot and the characters make every moment engaging. Sword in the Stars is a compelling novel with a powerful message. All hail Ara Azar, Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy. An ingenious retelling.