Review: Once & Future by Cori McCarthy and Amy Capetta

Overview:

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

I learned about Once & Future from a Buzzfeed article. The concept of King Arthur’s adventures playing out in space was what initially drew me in, but my favorite element of the book ended up being the internal conflict of Merlin’s character. I also really liked the diversity of characters in general, but I think their relationship dynamics and the overall depth of the story were somewhat lacking.

Content Warning:

Once & Future contains topics such as genocide, familial death, and sexual assault.

Book Description:

Once & Future is a Young Adult Fantasy/Si-Fi book that retells the famous story of King Arthur and his knights. Our hero, Ari, is a girl who shouldn’t even be alive. On the run from the intergalactic and capitalist force that is the Mercer Company, she stumbles across an old sword that releases an ancient magic. A backward aging magician named Merlin finds her and reveals her to be the 42nd reincarnation of King Arthur himself. Together, they must defeat the evil that is the Mercer Company and unite all of humankind. Failure to do so means the continuation of a centuries-long curse and the loss of countless lives.

On the Presentation of the Book’s Concept:

I bought this book because I was intrigued by the concept. King Arthur reincarnated as a hormonal teenager who lives in a space ship? Such a story, I thought, must be incredibly awesome or utterly ridiculous! In reality, the book fell somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. The authors did not shy away from the quirkiness of the story. Spacey clichés (think planetary shields and oxygen bars), heavy pop culture references, and flirtatious banter between characters were plentiful within the text, and there were several well-written moments in which these elements combined beautifully. However, there were also many, MANY other moments in which the humor and absurdity of the setting were prioritized over important character and conflict development. Scenes referencing genocide and capitalism were carelessly mixed in with comedic commentary and random tidbits about the intergalactic environment. There was so much potential to explore deeper themes of injustice, but the authors only got as far as surface-level acknowledgments of such issues before delving back into the silly elements of the text.

On the Characters:

Ari may be the hero of Once & Future, but all my attention went to Merlin. His character adds additional layers of depth to the story that, while dressed up in new a Si-Fi costume, most readers have experienced before. As he has already witnessed the death and failure of other Arthur reincarnations, his perspective imparts a greater sense of urgency and danger upon the readers in regards to the challenges Ari must overcome. Additionally, his will to end the Arthurian reincarnation cycle is wrapped up in his desire to survive and maintain a sense of power — complicating the mentor and savior archetype that Merlin is normally depicted as in other works. In my not so humble opinion, the way he is written in this story is far more interesting than the introduction of the space environment.

On the Relationship Dynamics [Spoilers]:

This is one of the few YA books I’ve read that has a truly diverse representation of queer characters. I also appreciated that it explored sexuality outside of the constraints and judgment of modern Western culture. That being said, I wish the authors had spent more time making the relationships actually believable. The biggest romance of the book (Ari and Gwen) moved from childhood enemies to a fiercely loving, married couple within the span of mere pages. Hook up culture is one thing (and there is plenty of that in here, too), but I was beyond confused when the characters started confessing their love for one another after only being together for a handful of days. Had the maturation of their feelings been given the time to logically develop, I would have been much more emotionally involved in the story as a whole, especially considering that this particular relationship is crucial to plot development.