It's not White best work, but is enjoyable like a black coffee is for me, which I don't like, but I have to drink it anyway.

I really loved this. Seeing a different take on such a classic story was great. The author writes beautifully and I was entranced the whole time. I don’t think I’ve ever read something by this author and this made me want to go back and look at more of her books.
Overall, I would give it a 4/5

Guinevere-who-is-not, at Merlin's behest, pretends to be Guinevere, who is betrothed to marry King Arthur. In truth, she is Merlin's daughter and has learned magic from him. She is to marry Arthur because Merlin foresaw that Arthur is in danger and Guinevere can protect him. Once in Camelot, Guinevere meets Arthur's knights, does some snooping, and marries the king. She gets into some trouble, truly befriends Arthur, and learns her true reason for being at Arthur's court.

I was sorely disappointed in The Guinevere Deception. I loved White's And I Darken and was burned by The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, but I wanted to give another of White's a shot-- especially since this series opener is being touted as Popular. But, this just didn't do it for me:

Pros:
- I like the relationships Guinevere develops her maid (Brongian (sp??)) and Dendron (spinster sister of a knight (sp??)). Yay for women helping women!
- I was surprised at who the Patchwork Knight turns out to be. Perhaps that is part of the Camelot canon of Sir Malory, but I'm not familiar with that vignette.
- LGBTQIA: Nothing is explicit on the page, but we get hints of a character being trans and another being bi/pan.


Cons:
- ALL the anachronisms! I started listening and got about 20% in, then went on vacation for 8 days, then came back and finished it. In the last bit, the anachronisms were about plays/theatres (only early by about 800 years. *barf*), and at the time of writing this, I don't remember precisely what the anachronism pre-vacation was, but I remember thinking: "Oh, surely [thing] didn't exist back in the Dark Ages."
- It is way too leisurely paced. It is so slow that I often found myself zoning out while listening.
- The audiobook narrator's voice is too breathy. Why? Why does it need to be breathy?
- Guinevere gets her period for the first time in this book --after she's been married (at age 16). I don't have a problem with A) discussing in books about periods or B) that she gets it at age 16 because research shows that back in the day, girls did get it later than they do now #thanksbetternutrition I have a problem with how it is handled. It is brief and super weird for Guinevere to get married AND then get her period. Like, it felt like immature writing. How was the period-starting relevant to the story? Just make Guinevere have had her period before-chapter-1 and then this wouldn't have been an issue. It felt a bit like White was trying to be Tamora Pierce... and it just flops.
- The deception inside a deception is a boring twist. [SPOILER AHEAD] It would have been much more interesting if Guinevere had gone to marry Arthur knowing that it was for her own protection-- then she and Arthur could have actually formed a friendship based in truth.
- Rarely am I fan of third person narrative.


LGBTQIA: Nothing is explicit on the page, but we get hints of a character being trans and another being bi/pan.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Guinevere marries Arthur to protect him and keep an eye on him, at the request of Merlin. Little did Guinevere know that her life would be turned upside down.

It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. It started out slow as Kiersten White built the world that Guinevere and Arthur live in, but then the action started. I loved seeing a different side of the famous folklore of King Arthur that isn’t focused on Arthur but rather his queen.

I’m definitely going to check out more of L
Kiersten White’s books (already have Slayer downloaded to my Kindle!), but I’m also excited to see what is in store of Guinevere and Arthur after the ending of the first book. I’ll be interested in seeing how the fight everything that happened at the end of the book.

I feel a multitude of ways about this book. Firstly, it has gorgeous writing, with a really satisfying reading experience at the line level. Arthur and Guinevere’s relationship had a lot going for it, but I wish there had been either more of a push toward a romance for them, or so much less that they were clearly just devoted friends and partners in deception. I wanted to see more from several side characters, and I wished that most of Guinevere’s past hadn’t been rather inexplicably hidden from the audience, which I think contributed to a lack of tension throughout.

This was a new, interesting take on classic Arthurian mythology.

This is a retelling of the story of King Arthur but it is not the one you know and is told from the perspective of Guinevere. This story is shrouded in mystery and by the end there are still so many unanswered questions. There is so much intrigue and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
The characters are incredibly interesting and especially enjoyed Guinevere and Lancelot. There are multiple possible love interests and I am very interested to see the future directions that takes.
I love The different twists on the classic story and am thrilled both by the plot and it being told from Guinevere's perspective. There are plenty of God’s to the old tale while keeping it fresh and full of life.
All in all I love this book and even though I left with just as many questions as I started with I can't wait to learn more and see which direction the sequel takes.

An intriguing twist to the tale of Guinevere. I can't say I fell in love with this book but it did hold my attention for the majority of the story and left me wanting more. I felt like the change to the original story wasn't as organic as I was hoping and thus it took me quite some time to finish the book. But I will say that this book made me appreciate Kiersten White's writing style more and I look forward to reading more of her work.

When I found out that Kiersten White was writing a book about Guinevere, my mind basically exploded (with happiness). This book has a TON of things going for it! The characters- especially Guinevere, Lancelot, and Mordred- are PHENOMENAL. All of my updates on Goodreads are just me saying that I love Mordred but don’t trust him (yet). And the world-building is just FANTASTIC. I WANT TO GO TO CAMELOT. I want to visit all the places Guinevere goes because everything felt so real! Now, I know some people like instant romances, which this book is not. But what I love is when relationships take time to build and turn into more of a slow burn and this book DELIVERS on those kind of relationships. At one point there’s this almost quadrangle? of love interests and even as someone who loves Arthurian lore I had NO IDEA what was going to happen because every relationship was solidly built and felt SO REAL. And! The mystery! I was on the (metaphorical) edge of my seat the whole time trying to figure out what was going on and just!!!!
tl;dr: I LOVED EVERYTHING.

AMAZING! Kiersten has created yet another world to love.

It's been ages since I read anything about King Arthur and her take on this world is just amazing. I love how the beginning is nicely building up with the characters making their way to King Arthur. Guinevere is a great princess who seems to have little fears, with one being water.

As Guinevere enter's this new kingdom, the story starts to pick up more and you're just taken into a view of things that end's up better than the original story of King Arthur.

I have NEVER come across a book by Kiersten that I didn't love and this new world just shows that she can make anything into an amazing read.

Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with the ARC. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2019 and honestly I've always been a long running fan of King Arthur, Knights, Guinevere, Merlin, all of it! You can't go wrong in my opinion with this world as it's one that instantly brings me nostalgia. Will of course read more from this author in the future.

I thought this was going to be a gender swap of King Arthur but it wasn’t. Which was kind of sad. But it was a kick butt retelling of the Camelot take which was so much better. I really loved that when this book takes place everything that happened early in the tale of KA was already done. Morgan Was gone he had defeated the Dark Queen and he was trying to keep his kingdom going. It made the book that much faster!

The character of Guinevere was wonderful! I loved her spirit and determination. But also that she wasn’t invincible, she had fears, failure, and needed help. She wasn’t per say a damsel in distress. But she knew who she could count on to help her by the end. That she didn’t need to be alone. It was great.

The story itself was a great pace and the ending was wrapped up for the most part. There is one event that happens that could be seen as a cliffhanger. But for the most part this one was a full fledged story in its own right. I am excited to see what happened next though. And this one worked well to introduce us to this new world of Camelot and the characters that live there.

If you are a fan of retelling a or just a lover of anything dealing with Camelot then this one is totally for you!!

Go Into This One Knowing: Light to No Romance, Slight Cliffhanger, Great Twist

**For more book stuff visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

I have always loved the legend of Arthur and his magical stone as well as his round table and the Knights who he saw as equals, and Merlin with his magic. The one part of the story I never liked was Guinevere- and her betrayal with her illicit love of Lancelot. I feel like she was always in the background, pretty useless really, and a lesson on what not to do.

Well, with some kind of voodoo magic, the author has made me a big fan of Guinevere (or maybe rather Not-Guinevere). This whole new version of the traditional legend was fantastic, there was so much going on in this story, with conspiracies and lies, dangerous magic and the growing danger in the background. I am 100% invested in this story and I want the rest of the trilogy now. Guinevere has become a person on her own, who has her own kind of strengths and obtains a cute made-family. At times she is week and needy, but who isn't and that leads me to SO many questions about who she really is and I need to know more. Arthur is background in this story and I felt pretty meh about him, loving the new characters so much more.

Also, as a side here, I want the author to included the typical Guinevere-Lancelot relationship to occur! I would LOVE to see see that here, screw Arthur and his better than thou attitude, I heart Guin and Lance all the way. (Keep in mind this may be wishful thinking on my part, there was no romance between them in this book at all, but I ship it and maybe if I hope for it enough it might happen.)

This is easily my favorite book by this author and I highly recommend this for anyone who loves mythology, retellings, magic, court intrigue and deceptions.

dnf @ 50%
I think that this was a case of this book just not being for me. Originally I was very excited to start this King Arthur retelling and intrigued by the twist that the author took on the classic story, but the more I read of it, the less intrigued I became. What I read of the story was decent, but I didn't find that there was anything that interesting about the story and ended up never wanting to pick it up. :/

I’m just not interested. I wasn’t sucked in and I just couldn’t keep myself interested. I was a bit confused for a while and or took me a few chapters to even what was going on. I’m bummed because I love her other series about Lada. But this one I was confused with the setting, the plot, just the general direction the story wanted to go. And I just kept like it didn’t hook me and keep me interested. Unfortunately this was a huge let down for me.

Kiersten White is an author whose books I will preorder and read because I know I will always enjoy it. I love her refreshing takes on old stories and especially the feminist slant she builds into those stories. Her take on Camelot and the tale of King Arthur is particularly satisfying as she approaches the story from Guinevere’s point of view – with a fun twist. The story has a satisfying ending but with plenty of mystery and unanswered questions to leave us wanting more. I’m excited to see what happens next with Guinevere’s story!

The Female Transformation of Narrative:
A Review of Kiersten White’s The Guinevere Deception

By Katherine Cowley

As a teenager, I didn’t notice that many of my favorite novels and movies had no female characters—or at least very few female characters with true agency, with desires of their own, and with the ability impact the story. Now, as I reread books from Lord of the Rings to Ender’s Game, the dearth of empowered female characters startles me: there is no character in these stories that represents who I want to be.

New York Times bestselling author—and Mormon—Kiersten White writes about this as part of her motivation behind her new young adult novel, The Guinevere Deception (released November 5th, 2019, by Delacorte Press). She says, “I’ve always been fascinated by the Arthurian legends, but I find the same problem there that I have with most classic tales: a stunning lack of compelling female characters…. I wanted a Guinevere who was more than the fickle, feckless love interest. A Guinevere with agency and longing, adventures and fierce friends. A Guinevere who perhaps isn’t Guinevere, but a mystery to everyone—including herself.”

White delivers, with a fierce, independent Guinevere who acts as a hero to Camelot at a time when civilization itself risks falling. While set in Camelot, the story can be read as a mirror of our own times and the issues women still face on a daily basis. In the opening chapter, as she journeys to marry King Arthur, Guinevere recognizes the objectification and commodification of women: she knows that those around her see her as “goods to be guarded and safely delivered to the new owner.” Later in the book, we read, “annoyed, she forgot to be a painting.” At other points she questions her own behavior: “Why did she constantly offer smiles when none were demanded?”

Women are expected to wield power in Camelot, and as the new queen, Guinevere holds extra sway, yet still she finds herself confined by the circumscriptions and bounds of that power, by the roles she plays that, while powerful, also limit her. Magic is not allowed, and every time she uses it, she risks losing everything she has gained. Of this power, she thinks it is “[b]etter to be small. Knotted. Contained.” At her lowest point, she believes this not only about her magic, but about herself. It is wearying to constantly fight for power in society, to fight for a place, to fight for notice, to fight to make a difference and realize that your contributions are less valued than the contributions of men.

Ultimately, Guinevere transforms the often-told narrative and is able to define herself and her power on her own terms. As this occurs, Kiersten White also transforms the reader’s experience of the classic tale. Instead of being a story of a man and his friends and their adventures, this is a story of a woman and her friends (several of them LGBTQ characters) and their adventures.

We need stories like this, books that take our history and our classic literature and show a multitude of spaces for women within. As science fiction author Kameron Hurley writes in a Hugo-award winning essay: “We have always fought.” Women have always fought, and Kiersten White uses fiction to provide a model for creating more possibilities for ourselves. The Guinevere Deception is a compelling, empowering story for young adults and adults alike.

Guinevere is coming to marry King Arthur and bring a sense of peace to the kingdom. However, there are dark plots afoot and Guinevere isn't really Guinevere. Instead, she is a magical changeling sent by Merlin to protect Arthur. While the king knows the truth about his wife, "Guinevere" struggles with what their relationship should be. Magic has been outlawed within the kingdom, but "Guinevere" uses her magical talents to keep the king safe. Will the two be strong enough to stop what is coming?

This was a new take on the King Arthur legend. While I think some readers will respond to it, I wasn't a big fan. I struggled to move through the plot because I wasn't interested in it. I never felt invested in the characters, which is strange because they are so iconic, but I wasn't feeling it. I felt the best part of the novel was the gender bending of one of the characters. I don't believe I will be reading the next book, though I believe that there are readers out there for it.

Amazing. Just. I'm speechless.
The characters, the romance, the adventure...
Kiersten made a familiar story feel new, engaging, enthralling...

I couldn't put it down!

Title: The Guinevere Deception​
Author: Kiersten White
Star Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Age Range: Young Adult

Summary: Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom's borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution--send in Guinevere to be Arthur's wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king's idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere's real name--and her true identity--is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old--including Arthur's own family--demand things continue as they have been, and the new--those drawn by the dream of Camelot--fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself? *THE FIRST BOOK IN THE CAMELOT RISING TRILOGY
BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Guinevere-Deception-Kiersten-White-ebook/dp/B07NKPW5F5

Thoughts: When I heard about this King Arthur retelling, I just knew I had to get my hands on this book. I was able to get an arc through NetGally so thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book.
Like all of my reviews lets start with the characters and my thoughts on them. I thought that all of the characters in this story felt like they were true to the original myth. I thought that Arthur was the perfect golden boy that he was in the original myth but that he also had some depth to him that I don’t think we got to see in the original myth. I thought that Guinevere not really being Guinevere was an interesting stance for this story to take but I loved how Guinevere reacted to the situation that she was placed in. I think that even the side characters are well fleshed out in this story which made me very happy.
The worldbuilding done in this story was true to the original myth and gave me the vibes of the original myth. When it comes to retellings, I feel like the worldbuilding has already kind of been done for the author with the original tale and as long as they make the world in line with the original tale the worldbuilding feels well done like it did in this book.
The plot I felt was a good plot. I feel like the only real problem was that Guinevere sometimes felt like she was letting her fascination with her new life get in the way of what she was supposed to be doing. I also feel like the romance between Arthur and Guinevere was not as powerful as I was hoping for but this is the first book in a series, so I am excited to see the romance grow in the second book.
The writing style I felt was done very well. I was so invested in this story I didn’t want to put it down. I love when the writing pulls me in so much that I don’t want to put the book down. I also so felt so invested in the characters and how they were doing. I feel like that is a testament to the writing and who it was able to connect me to the characters where I cared about them like they were real.
Intent for this book was to be a King Arthur retelling from the perspective of Guinevere and I thought it was done so well. I also like that there was some LGBTQIA+ representation in this story that didn’t feel forced which I enjoyed.
My enjoyment of this book was high because I was invested in the story and how everything would play out for the characters that I had grown to care about. The only reason why this wasn’t a 10 for enjoyment is because of the romance not being developed a little more for Arthur and Guinevere and the parts from the Dark Queen didn’t do much for me. I think that those things will be done better in book two and I can not wait to read the second book in this series.


Grade: 95%
Characters 1-10: 10
Worldbuilding 1-10: 10
Plot: 1-10: 9
Writing style: 1-10: 9
Intent/Impact: 1-10: 10
Enjoyment: 1-10: 9

What a welcoming beginning of an adventurous story that is all so familiar yet new again. I’ve always found the stories of King Arthur told from the female characters and a female perspective to be more intriguing. I feel the stakes for Camelot are always more daring and have more risk than the typical tales told through the knights and Merlin. I really enjoyed the character of Guinevere and her role in this version as being very present it was refreshing. She is naive in such a childlike way and not shamed by her lacking of knowledge of her own body but of human emotions. She was appreciative and willing to play her part all for the good of Camelot even if it meant she was invalid. This story can unfold in so many ways in how Kiersten White have created so many potential possibilities the story could become and I’m looking forward to tale of Camelot rising sequels.