Since reading School for Good and Evil (and my roommate binging Merlin) I got interested in the story of Arthur, Camelot and all that jazz. I don’t know why it never interested me before but it’s actually really cool! I mean the big prophecy, shady relatives and a sizzling love triangle. 

So I headed right to an adaption by one of my favorite authors, Meg Cabot who ties Camelot’s prophecy of The Once and Future King with a lesser known yet adjacent poem, the Lady of Shallot aka Elaine of Astolt. 

Elaine of Astolt is nothing like Elaine Harrison who only shares the name because her parents are medieval literature professors. Professors on sabbatical for their books on that very subject, uprooting her from their home in Minnesota for a year long stay in DC. Major bummer for Elaine who has to go through the new girl thing at Avalon High. And yes, the names foreshadows everything in Arthurian legend from golden boy class president A. William Wagner, best friend Lance, girlfriend Jennifer and unstable half brother, Marco and Elaine is unwittingly drawn into the repeating history of legend. 

I’ll admit the story didn’t really pick up until literally half way through. That’s because Elaine is so oblivious to the Arthurian references (who can blame her. If I had to hear the renaissance all the time at home, I’d block it at school too) so even though there are hints of reincarnation and the undeniable spark between her and William, it’s all mundane. In fact, Elaine reminded me a bit of Mia with her interest in the environment, germ obsessiveness, love of animals and tendency to babble. I’m starting to wonder if it’s just a Cabot staple. 

She also had a bit of “Not like other girls” going on as she keeps repeating she’s not a girly romantic or head cheerleader but a too tall new girl so William would never be into her even if he and Jen did break up. That got old after awhile because the connection between her and Will is just SO OBVIOUS! 

 But once the inevitable Lance/Jennifer/William love triangle blows up, things get real serious and Cabot deftly pulls off the impending sense of doom, the unreal comprehension of the prophecy and a surprising twist I never saw coming (maybe others did but I am so not familiar with Arthurian legends). Elaine really showed her mettle in the second half, proving the mantra shes had to repeat to every prophecy-obsessed person, she’s not the Lady of Shalot. She’s her own person and not tied to destiny. It’s your own choices for the people that you care about that shape your future. 

Even though the first half dragged, I really enjoyed all the characters and like I said, Will and Elaine, so obvious and so wholesome. I bought the whole instant connection even as Elaine and Will tried to deny it themselves, and how Cabot tried to bring some ambiguity to everyone as whether they’re personalities are shaped by the people they are representing or just coincidence. 

It also ends with a big status quo shift that made me want more. Unfortunately there’s no sign of any sequels. I mean I know there’s an Avalon High manga sequel trilogy but I’ve heard mixed reviews of whether it’s a worthy follow up. Too bad because with all the recent throwbacks Cabot has done with her other series (The Boy is Back, Royal Wedding, The Mediator-Remembrance), I feel Avalon High should have its triumphant return too.

3 stars.