New medieval fantasy book retells famous Welsh mythological story

Amelia Jones

A new medieval fantasy book retelling the most famous story from Welsh mythology set to come out this month.

The Celtic myth set for release 22 November, retells with sumptuous medieval aesthetics and a beautiful story of love and self-discovery at its heart.

It will appeal to fans of crossover fantasy and historical fiction similarly steeped in folklore from Samantha Shannon, Hannah Kaner, and Saara El-Arifi to Naomi Novik, Katherine Arden, and Madeline Miller.

Author Finn Longman is a writer and medievalist. They write young adult and adult fiction, with a particular interest in genre-bending stories about identity, friendship, and monstrosity – of the metaphorical or the literal sort.

Longmanis currently a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, researching friendship and affection in the late Ulster Cycle.

The novel follows the success of their 2025 novel The Wolf and his King, a spellbinding, queer retelling of the medieval French tale of Bisclavret (The Werewolf). It blends slow-burn romance, medieval magic, tortured heroes, secret identities, and monstrous longing

The synopsis reads: “You exist because of a crime, because of a curse, and because of a trick.

“Blodeuedd never asked to be made.

“Created from flowers of oak, broom, and meadowsweet to marry a man cursed never to have a human wife, Blodeuedd has no knowledge of the world, no family outside the marriage, and no power to choose. But a caged animal still has claws, and Blodeuedd will find a way to be free, whatever the cost.

“Gwydion knows what it is to be unmade.

“Haunted by the years he served in animal form as punishment for his brother’s crimes, Gwydion has turned his tricks to his nephew’s happiness – and the making of Blodeuedd is the greatest trick of them all. But his creation asks questions he cannot answer and drags from the depths of the forest the past he has been trying so hard to forget. Now they both must face their unmaking.”

The Animals We Became is a profound exploration of cyclical trauma and transformation. As angry as it is hopeful, this visionary novel is unmissable.

You can pre-order the novel here.