4.5 Stars for the second book in the LeFay series. It really should be be read in order. 
 Morgan LeFay is a gifted 16 year old, one of the strongest magic wielders in Camelot, and still, she was not selected to be the Maven, adviser to young Prince Arthur. No, that duty was awarded to Merlin, a boy in Morgan's class who was clearly infatuated with her. But, Merlin's got a checkered association with the Luminaries, a sect of magic wielders who seek to bring down the House of Pendragon, of which Arthur and King Uther are sprung. Being Maven seems a supreme conflict of interest for Merlin, and Morgan's both frustrated and jealous. 
 And, depressed. Morgan returns to her father's home to sulk instead of assuming her post as a Black Knight under the command of High Knight Lancelot. Lancelot comes to pry her from her sorrow, and it sets off a chain of events that I did not see coming. Morgan's soon on the run-with Prince Arthur, a sulky teen if ever I read one, and searching high and low for the mystical Excalibur. The trip is dangerous, and Morgan has certainly signed her own death warrant by making this trip. It's really a mission, one that she hopes will save Arthur from a Luminary plot. And she's pledged her life to protecting Arthur. 
 The endearment that arises between them is good. It wasn't sappy or anything. Arthur is a bit of a pill-he's 14 and it shows-and he only slightly warms to Morgan in their adventure. He grows up A LOT in this experience. I liked that part. Lancelot and Merlin have very mixed feelings about Morgan. On one hand she's a traitor, on the other she could be a patriot. And the murk surrounding the Luminaries plans keeps Morgan on a path to execution. Well, maybe. 
 This is a story that kept me guessing, and I felt engaged throughout. It's a rather innocent tale, and a bit melancholy. I was grieved when Morgan was arrested, and felt that her new status, as a bearer of Pendragon's Blessing, would have saved her, but it was not the case. The end is a fast and furious ride that includes a stay of execution in the most dire of ways. Arthur and Morgan have some reckonings to make, and I am eager to see how this plays out in the next book in this series. I also wonder how both Merlin and Lancelot will handle their feelings for Morgan going forward. I'm not certain that it qualifies as a "love triangle" as Morgan has only discovered romantic feelings, and they are set on one man-the one she cannot have. The resolution is sufficient for this volume, but the story remains active. Definitely recommend!