This is an incredibly well-written YA modern retelling of the Arthurian legends. Lucas and his younger sister Fay arrive at Lake Avalon for the first time for the summer. They don't understand the importance of all the play on Arthurian myths, and the other teens in the area quickly wrap them up in it despite Lucas' unwillingness to be involved. The Avalon family has long been part of it all, and Lucas can't deny the bond he feels with Emory. Yet everything is much more layered than that, and I'm trying not to give anything away because of the marvelous twists the plot takes.

I loved this exceptionally well-written, unique, and 100% original YA book! I pre-ordered this based entirely on the short snippets the author was posting on Twitter in advance of its release; even from those tiny excerpts, I could tell that the sentence-level writing was going to be fantastic. As a big fan of BBC's Merlin, the hinted-at undercurrent of Arthurian legend was also a draw, and I loved the title, too — everything about this held such promise, and it did not disappoint! In terms of pure prose, this is hands down the best book I've read this year, possibly for a long time— there's nothing YA about the crisp yet evocative language and deft foreshadowing on display here. Almost anything I could say about the plot and characters would be a spoiler; it would be a shame to reveal too much, since despite the obviousness of the 'big picture' conceit behind the story (it takes place around a lake Avalon, after all), I found most of it to be unpredictable. This was such an atmospheric read, with just the right touches of foreboding and tension between the characters, with a satisfying conclusion — but with the lore, world, and characters she's established, the author has also laid the groundwork for an exciting series. I hope that's what she has in mind! It would be a shame not to be able to see more of these characters.