I should have known from the beginning that this book wouldn’t be what I expected. I picked it up right away once approved and after reading a bit, didn’t find myself wanting to pick it back up. I didn’t read anything for a few days. Since this came out yesterday, I knew I needed to get it done but I just didn’t want to. At least I can say I finally finished it and here we are.

The hype got to me for this one and even the synopsis sounded like it would be quite the book. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I expected when it came to a retelling for Arthur and the other characters.

One word that could easily sum up this whole book is bland. There was nothing that jumped out at me. The plot was bland. The characters were bland. The romance was bland. Even the plot twists were bland. Nothing really happened when it came to the villain until around 86%. I shouldn’t have to wait until the sequel to get something worthwhile. It will turn me off and I will not want to pick up the second book.

There was nothing special about Guinevere. She wanted to be painted as this strong character but she wasn’t. The men helped her more than once and she was pining over Arthur even though they hardly had anything to do with each other. There was nothing I liked about her.

Arthur may have been charismatic but he seemed lost in the clouds. Whenever Guinevere tried to have a serious conversation with him, he would brush it off. He talked about being more than just partners and finally felt something after she was kidnapped? He just seemed oblivious to everything.

The other characters were not much better. Basically the whole book was more about getting to know the characters. The thing is, I didn’t want to get to know them. Not one stood out. Not one was interesting enough.

The plot and plot twists, like I said above, were bland. Nothing surprised me and I found myself just eye-rolling throughout. There wasn’t much romance and even if there was more, it still wouldn’t have saved this book for me. I guess you could say there was a bit of a love triangle, but not really. The romances were always one-sided.

When it came to the retelling, I guess you could say it was a retelling but it went so far that the characters had no traits that left them like their counterparts. It really wasn’t for me. Retellings are hard for me to be pleased with and this one didn’t cut it.

Overall, I didn’t like it. There was not one thing that I enjoyed about this book.

The Guinevere Deception is the first book in author Kiersten White's Camelot Rising series. While most books in the Arthurian era focus solely on King Arthur and Excalibur, Guinevere has managed to stay a secondary character at best in a majority of those stories. Guinevere has been living in a convent, but is now on her way to Camelot to marry King Arthur. Guinevere arrives at Camelot hiding a secret. She has just been sent to Camelot to protect Arthur from evil magic outside the borders of the kingdom.

In order to do so, she must hide her true identity from the people of Camelot, and Arthur's trusted knights who all seem to accept her without much reservation. Arthur has been told to expect her, and sticks to the story throughout by not letting out who or what Guinevere really is. She must keep her identity, find out the unseen evil that Merlin saw coming, and also keep up the charade of being queen. Guinevere thinks her mission is straightforward, but encounters with the king's nephew Mordred, the mysterious patchwork knight and Arthur himself soon have her reconsidering.

How can she know what is the right choice when everyone is keeping secrets? Guinevere is so much more than that just a Princess who becomes a Queen, But, she's afraid to let any of it out, afraid to be caught, afraid to leave Arthur without magical protection when enemies are close at hand and moving closer to causing more issues for Arthur. In this world, Merlin and magic both have been banished. But, magic begins to creep out of it's hiding place, and so to does Guinevere's. This takes an interesting twist by adding characters like Tristan, Isolde, as well as Brangien, who in my mind is actually Branwen.

Depending on whom you talk to, Tristan may or may not have been one of the Knights of the round table under Arthur. While Isolde does not make an appearance in this book, she's not far from the minds of either Tristan or Brangien who ends up being maid to Guinevere. Brangien is a pretty interesting character as well. Guinevere is not a end all for the issues in Camelot. In fact, she's often confused as to why she has no memories of her past, or who she should trust, and whether or not to let Arthur in to her heart.

There is some gender bending of a surprising cast member who I won't spoil. As Guinevere struggles and grows throughout this story, we get an inside look at the Camelot that is something of legends. Arthur has spilled blood in order to defeat his father Uther Pendragon, as well as the Dark Queen. Arthur strives for peace and order with every breath of his being. He's a legend who has had to deal with the circumstances of his birth, as well as the banishment of his good friend Merlin. Arthur inspires unbreakable loyalty within all who come to know him, even Guinevere who may be tempted by the fruit of another hanging branch, but ends up surprising readers in the end.

There are not enough stars for this book, and five stars in no way do this book justice. You know you love a book when you spend three nights in a row reading way into the night because you are just so captivated by the world and characters an author has created.

I’d always admired Guinevere and Arthur and his court but yet.. I had never bothered to read anything based on this world. Up until this book, I had just heard stories and knew who were the bad guys and good guys but this book? It opened my eyes SO much, it taught me that Guinevere was her own woman not to be over shadowed by a King, even if it was such a king as King Arthur. I learned that even those who you think are the bad guys, can seduce you into thinking they are good only to betray you in the worst way possible, and I learned that a boy king whose had the weight of the world dropped on his shoulders, is still a teenager and is going to make many a mistake before he finally gets his shit together.

I absolutely cannot wait to read the second book, because not only did this book leave me in such a want for more knowledge, I can’t wait to see where this author will take these characters I so easily fell in love with.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

Let me just say first of all that Arthurian legends are one of my favorite literary pockets on the planet.
So I was really excited to see a new take on this. And it did not disappoint.
Specially since this one took Guinevere out of her traditional tale of being a side piece in Arthur's tale, the wife he could never love, with no real part of her own.

Seeing that turned on it's head was incredibly refreshing.
We arrive after all the good stuff has happened, this is set after Arthur is already claimed Camelot, and fought his great battle with Excalibur, given to him by the Lady of the Lake. The battle is seemingly won, or is it?

If you aren't familiar with the tale, it might help if you do a little homework on this first, otherwise I think it might be a bit hard to follow.

Guinevere isn't exactly what she appears, she certainly isn't the mild mannered convent raised girl she was supposed to be. Merlin is moving all the pawns and everyone is in the dark, controlling everything from behind the scenes. What is true is that Arthur and Guinevere are going to need each other more than they know. An old threat is rising, Guinevere must look inside herself to figure out who and what she truly is and use everything in her arsenal to keep Arthur safe.
Without revealing to anyone that she is a user of magic, as it is completely forbidden in Camelot.
I enjoyed the twist on Lancelot's character! That was a true surprise that made me really happy to see!

This feels less like a retelling, and more of a sequel. But I'm enjoying it, and look forward to seeing how the upcoming tension between humans and magic turn out, and to see Guinevere's further development.

So I loved this book enough to procrastinate my organic chemistry studying, which is saying a lot bc I really need to know my ochem ASAP for my test. But I digress.
SO I am a SUCKER for retellings, especially of tales like Robin Hood or King Arthur. (this was obviously King Arthur). I love the turn the author took with this tale. Enough of it was new and interesting but enough was old and familiar. I don't want to get too detailed because I don't want to spoil anything. I also LOVED the magic present in the book. SO interesting and I've never really seen it done but I loved it. I do wish we got to see more of Merlin, but this tale takes place after the bulk of the King Arthur tale we know and love. There was a part of the book at the end that felt very de ja vu, like I'd read it before (or maybe seen it, on BBC's Merlin?) but i could be crazy. Or it could be part of the original tale the author pulled in. I did feel like the end wrapped up very suddenly, and I don't feel like the main character has much depth yet, but I still loved reading about her and I'm interested to see the growth she and the other characters will experience in later books, as well as what twists and turns await us.

I read this book quickly, so it is obviously compelling, but there were some flaws that marred the overall experience. As noted in other reviews, there is a superficiality in character development that pervades the book. Motivations are unclear and pasts are shrouded in mystery. This is especially true with the protagonist, Guinevere. This lack of clarity simultaneously drives the novel forward while mildly irritating the reader. It is disconcerting to have a protagonist know so little about him/herself, but it helped build suspense and culminated in the long-awaited reveal at the end of the book. White was kind enough to drop hints of Guinevere's origin throughout the book, but it was still maddening to wait until the end to uncover her truth.

Another flaw borne of this superficiality is a lack of connection with the characters. The overwhelming lack of depth prevented an emotional attachment, keeping readers at a respectful distance. The main characters were certainly likable, but they contained no spark or essence that would bind them to the reader. They were not particularly memorable and will fade in time, awaiting resurrection in the sequels.

In spite of these issues, I enjoyed reading The Guinevere Deception. I have always loved Arthurian Legends and I like the twists incorporated by Kiersten White. She offers a distinctly feminine and feminist perspective of Camelot and the alterations to the story are imaginative and fun. I look forward to the continued evolution of the characters and their stories. White has effectively snared my interest and I fully intend to read the sequel (s).

3.5 stars.

While The Guinevere Deception didn't leave me as wowed as I'd have liked, I still found it a solid start to a series.

First off, the magic was so fascinating. I loved the concept of knotting magic and how all these different types (fire, water, etc.) came with a price. Guinevere herself was intriguing due to her faulty memory, and I loved the depth this added to her character. She struggled with her past and future as well as her identity, and the unreliable nature this gave her made her story all the more engaging. The plot itself moved along a bit slowly, but I didn't have a problem with this on the whole. I also really liked the concept of the Dark Queen and the bits of narrative we got from her. The romance didn't do much for me (honestly because I don't think it's meant to at this point), but I liked the friendships Guinevere formed, especially with a certain patchwork knight.

I do wish the other characters, Arthur in particular, had been more developed, as most were rather bland. And Merlin? I wanted to see so much more of him, both in the narrative and in Guinevere's memories, because the way he's presented was super interesting. And while I didn't mind the general pacing, there were some instances in the latter half that felt rushed and underdeveloped; perhaps this is because I was reading an ARC, but I couldn't help but wonder at these moments when emotions and important events were glossed over.

I have theories, and I need answers, so I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. I'm hoping that the series will grow stronger, as was the case with White's Conqueror's Saga, so I remain optimistic.

“There was good, and there was evil, but there was so much space between the two.”

Ok. So before reading this one I read some of the negative reviews, so I was mentally prepared for the first parts of the story to be slow rolling. And it was exactly that, slow slow rolling. But oddly, I enjoyed it. I am someone who does NOT usually enjoy so much building of a retelling world, but this is sort of an alt universe Camelot, so there was a bit of building that was necessary. It definitely picks up around the halfway mark as reveals are made and we stop building so much.

Guinevere, or not Guinevere, is the POV that we follow along the journey in book one and having her see Camelot and the roads before from “fresh eyes” really worked. I also loved the new parts of Camelot and even the attributes to characters that I’ve read in past iterations of these stories. I don’t want to say TOO much, but I will say that White has written a story where the characters have room to grow. This is book one of three and I think she gave us a GOOD starting point in a new world. I saw some complaints that the beginning of this story is so anti-feminist and I really didn’t get that. I would expand on that opinion, but I feel that it could spoil some of the book, but I personally think the author is doing something brilliant here. A message is weaved tightly in this one and it’s there if you’re paying close enough attention. It’s unique and I enjoyed it.

There is a “coming of” storyline with Guinevere. She is finding herself, because at this point she really doesn’t know what’s wrong or right or what to believe. There is a bit of a confusing/frustrating love story. There is a bit of LGBTQ+ representation, and the potential for more to come. There is mystery and suspense. There is lore and magic. There is a reimagining of a story we’ve probably heard/seen numerous times over the years, but I enjoyed this fresh take on it.

I don’t know. I just genuinely ended up liking this one. I didn’t want to put it down to take care of real life things, and to me that is an indicator of a good book. It starts off slowly, but I feel the ending and the possibilities for the future, make this one worth pushing through for.

3.5/5 Stars

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher/Imprint: Delacorte Press

Edition: e-ARC, 257 Digital Pages

Hardcover Publication Date: November 05, 2019

A Spine that Shines? Partially

*This review is based on the e-ARC edition provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All quotes used in this review come from the uncorrected proof. These are my honest opinions. Thank you.*

"There was dangerous magic in pretending. Pretend long enough, and who could say what was real?"
-Kiersten White, The Guinevere Deception

Initial Thoughts:

The Guinevere Deception was my first experience reading a Kiersten White book. Honestly, I have mixed feelings after finishing this book. I love reading retellings based on various legends and mythologies. Unfortunately, this Arthurian retelling wasn’t exactly what I was hoping it would be.

Let’s begin with the more positive aspects of this review:

You will find plenty of characters from Arthurian legend in this novel. There is a great twist concerning the Lancelot figure.
The mountain structure of Camelot itself is unique; the entire city has been carved on the side of a mountain, surrounded by water.
Excalibur possesses an interesting power, and I thought that added a nice twist to the story.
The final 25% of the book is full of fun and action! That is certainly my favorite section of the story.
It is also nice to see some disability representation. One of Arthur’s knights has a withered arm. What I found most unique was a blind horse, who is not hindered by her blindness because her master guides her effortlessly, as if they were one.
The Guinevere figure possesses an interesting ability to sense things through touch – “touch magic.”
The short italicized snippets of narration (from the POV of a villain) in between chapters add a creepy, sinister element to some otherwise boring segments.

"There was good, and there was evil, but there was so much space between the two."
-Kiersten White, The Guinevere Deception

What Didn’t Work So Well?

The Plot Pacing & Withholding of Information:

In my opinion, the main issues were the pacing of the plot and the author’s decision to deliberately withhold information. I believe the two are connected, because the information is withheld for too long, and not all of it is clarified by the end of the novel.

Magic – along with Merlin – has been banned from Camelot under Arthur’s rule. A fake Guinevere has been sent by Merlin to protect Arthur from a magical threat. However, she must use magic to protect him. Hmm.
Furthermore, the Guinevere figure must protect Arthur by marrying him. This is supposedly the only way she will be close enough to protect him. Why couldn’t she have impersonated a different person in the castle, or a distant relative? The reason given is this: Arthur does not want to marry politically, because if he did so, his choice could offend one of the nations adjacent to Camelot’s borders. Easier for him to marry someone from afar. Personally, I’m not sure that justifies a marriage. I think this plot point would have worked much better if a certain person was not aware of Guinevere’s impersonation.
In addition, Merlin does not bother to tell Guinevere what the magical threat actually is. So for a while, she wastes a lot of time waiting around because she can’t find the real threat.
We also don’t learn exactly who – or what – Guinevere is. I mean literally, the author withholds the girl’s real name through the entire novel. Because of this, I felt a bit detached from the character; names are supposed to be a powerful element associated with a person’s identity. Thus, without the girl’s true name, how can I as a reader fully understand who she is?
The pacing feels quite slow for several hundred pages. Aside from a few exciting moments here and there, I’d say I was fairly bored for most of the first 75% of the novel. There is a lot of waiting around for something to happen while Guinevere goes about daily life in Camelot. The final 25% of the book was a blast of fun, and I really wish the pacing had been handled better in the earlier segments as well. That final quarter of the book had 4-star vibes. But unfortunately, the first 75% of the book kind of outweighs the exciting 25%.

The Love-Interests:

The main romance in this novel revolves around Guinevere, Arthur, and Mordred, who is Arthur’s nephew.

Honestly, I didn’t find Arthur very interesting. He is this good, perfect ruler who almost always acts for the good of Camelot. Okay. But half the time, he hardly notices Guinevere – even though they are married. She often feels neglected by him.
In my opinion, Mordred is way more interesting and complex as a love-interest. He actually notices Guinevere, and he cares about her in his own way. In fact, if I read the sequel, I’ll probably read it to find out what happens with Mordred. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just leave it at that.

"Was there not enough peril in the world already without the dangers of simply being a woman?"
-Kiersten White, The Guinevere Deception

Final Thoughts:

I also wish there had been more of Merlin. There are very few scenes that include Merlin, and he behaves rather cryptically in them. As is, he just seems like a stock wizard character, included in the story for the sake of Arthurian legend.

Nevertheless, I am still curious about this author’s previous novels and would be open to giving them a chance in the future. As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the final 25% of The Guinevere Deception. Because of that, I’m glad I pushed through to the end of the novel. If you’re interested in Arthurian legend, don’t let my review stop you from giving this novel a try. These are my personal opinions, and every novel is the result of an author’s hard work and effort. Perhaps other readers will enjoy this one more than I did. Happy reading :)

I am actually really sad. I love Kiersten's writing and her previous series, so when I heard that she was going to be publishing a Camelot retelling I was hyped. Anything King Arthur and Merlin related should have my name written on them, because I am here for it. But As much as I wish I could say that I loved this story, I didn't.



My biggest problem is that I felt like the reader is kept in the dark for way to long. I get that not everything is going to be revealed in the beginning and there is going to be a build up, but you do get little answers that help the world building and progression of the story. But I felt like in this case that as the reader I had no idea what was happening. I know that Guinevere isn't the real Guinevere but actually a witch sent to protect King Arthur, but other then that: nothing.



Overall The Guinevere Deception wasn't for me sadly, but I still say that if you are looking for a King Arthur retelling that is going to put the female character as the hero then this book is one you should check out!

I love Kiersten White. Her And I Darken series is one of my all time favorites so I think I went in to The Guinevere Deception thinking the books would be similar and thus this book was one of my most anticipated of the year. I think due to my high expectations I was a little let down.
Guinevere is a strong character but in such a different ways from Lada. It took me a little while to adjust to this version of the character and accept her for who she was rather than who I thought she'd be. And while it's not fair to compare the two, I could not help it. Lada just appears so fully formed with Guinevere takes a little molding. I did love Guinevere's journey of self discovery and her relationships with the other female characters (very un-Lada like indeed).
I thought I knew how this story would go and I loved that this book was able to surprise me. The choices were bold but in ways I did not expect. I really liked the ending in particular. This book laid some very interesting groundwork for the rest of the series and I cannot wait to dig more into Guinevere's past and the history of Camelot.
Like some other reviews mentioned, the book was a little slow to get into, but I warmed to it about midway through as Guinevere and Brangien grew closer. The only part I really didn't like was the bit with the dragon- it better come back in a big way in another book because I thought that was a weird and too long side quest.
The best character for me was truly Mordred, I'm sorry but I have a Type.

I’m a little sad to say that this book wasn’t at all what I expected. Guinevere, while I liked her a lot, wasn’t as capable as I thought she would be. This entire book is one big deception. So many secrets and reveals, which I do love in a book, kind of tricked me into thinking I would get something different. I will say that I’m not too familiar with the story and history of Camelot, Arthur, Guinevere and so on. I know the gist but I’m not sure if I would enjoy this book more or less if I had more familiarity with the original.

Starting with Guinevere, she has such compassion and empathy for others which makes her a good queen and character. Although by the description of the book, I thought she would know how to do more. She has her skills and magic but also had to be saved a lot. I was really looking forward to a strong character with abilities to stand on her own two feet without so much protection needed. As I read more, it makes a lot more sense why she isn’t what I thought she would be. Again, the deception is strong in this book. I did admire that she tried. She really did. She wasn’t completely useless but I just expected more of her. She had a bit of a spark to her character and I hope to see that strong will turn in something great. Maybe in the next book because I see her finding her way and becoming the person she wants to be instead of what people tell her she should be.

The pace was one of the reasons I was close to stopping all together. The first 40% or more was pretty boring. Not much happened. I read some other reviews and they said that it does pick up more towards the end but I really hate having to read over half the book for something interesting to happen. The ending was good but I lost so much interest along the way that I wasn’t as invested in the story or characters by the end.

Arthur. King Arthur of Camelot. One of my biggest pet peeves, if you can call it that, is the stereotypical evil king. I’m happy to report that Arthur is a truly, decent person. I’m so happy that he is. He is good. Not like oh my god he is too perfect kind of character because he definitely is not and I like the flaws and mistakes he has made. He knows he isn’t perfect and that is what I like to see in a ruler.

I feel like the romance wasn’t a huge factor in this book. It is has a sprinkling of romantic feelings but I also think that as Guinevere finds herself, she is also deciding what she was in a romantic partner. I’m not saying a man for a reason. I couldn’t say for sure if she has more romantic feelings toward which character but I think that everything is slow burning. No grand gestures of love just yet.

One of my favorite parts of the book are the friendships and relationships, not necessarily romantic. Guinevere and Brangien have a wonderful friendship that I love to see in a book. Something sincere in a world of trickery. I love the twist with Brangien’s character. I won’t go to much into it to avoid spoilers but I love how the author changed some parts of history/folklore to show some diversity in her character and others.

Overall I liked this book, it really didn’t blow me away. It took far too long for the story to pick up and I lost way to much interest along the way for this to be anything higher than a 3 star rating. I liked this book but was expecting a bit more.

Lucky enough to have been provided an ARC for this title from NetGalley for review.

In truth I'd rate this title as more of 3.5. I'm decently familiar with the lore of Arthurian legend so I had a general idea of what to expect. That being said, I knew that this book is those characters and that story with a twist, as most tales with Arthurian characters are. What I enjoyed about this book was that it was an even split between what they kept true to the lore, and what they changed. Also the changes weren't one's I was expecting like most retellings are, so that was really great.

Aspects of the Arthurian legend aside, this book did an adequate job of immediately name-dropping the most important of names and features. Kiersten White's method of description was wonderful, although I have to add fault to the opening line of the book. It was just a bit too on the nose for me. Now the nature of the title to this book is revealed very early on which again, I appreciated. The same goes for the changes to the lore.

"If it only it were actually her name."
We find out in the early pages of the book that the Guinevere we're reading about is an imposter. The real one died in her years of training to become Queen, and Merlin saw the vacant spot of proximity to the King and filled it with his own daughter. There's a grave danger to Arthur's life and she's been tasked to both be his Queen and protect him. It was an interesting take to go with. Merlin is just as prominent a name in the lore as Arthur is, and to give him a daughter with the magical prowess of the world wasn't something I was expecting but was pleasantly surprised by.

"Merlin sent me his best student and his only possession."
Arthur has a great respect for Guinevere. I'd say they both care quite a bit about each other, but my biggest issue with this book is perhaps how underdeveloped Arthur and Guinevere feel as a pairing. They have very few lengthy conversations, but those that they did have were lovely. I just wanted more! Their devotion to each other reads as more out of duty and gratitude as opposed to genuine love and affection. Arthur acknowledges how difficult it is to be someone she's not in the name of protecting him and cherishes her heavily for it. Guinevere feels a great sense of duty to protect her King and relishes the task. But there was no movement into how any real feelings manifested which they arguably have. Lovely scenes between the two, but I would've liked it to be more fleshed out.

Lancelot's arrival was fantastic. I'd been wondering where he was, another prominent character in the lore and Kiersten did not disappoint in her reveal of him. The conflict to this series was perhaps the only predictable thing about it. Mordred was rather shifty we'll say, throughout the entire book. You just knew his intentions were elsewhere and so when his motives were in fact sinister, I wasn't surprised. What I did find interesting was how the big villain was interwoven between chapters. We read about this Dark Queen that almost succeeded in taking over Camelot before, but there were excerpts in between certain chapters that clued you in on her imminent return. Even though it was obviously coming, I found those excerpts to be rather interesting.

Guinevere earned the love and loyalty of those around her despite not being the true Guinevere and that was just great to read. It was a fun read, I wasn't bored at any point throughout it, but in certain parts I wish there'd been a bit more.

I loved the idea of this book, like a lot. While I did like the idea, it was really let down. I felt like I was confused for the first 40% of the book. I never really knew what was going on. This might have been the idea but I was just like “what?” the entire first half of this book. Then once I found out what was going on, I felt kind of dumb. Once I got to the end, I was very impressed with how things picked up. It was just scene after scene of action, drama, and reveals. Had this been spaced out through the first part of the book, I might have rated it higher. That being said, I really did end up enjoying this book. The ending made up for the slog and confusion of the first part of the book.

I feel like Camelot retellings are about to be the new Beauty and the Beast retellings, and I'm totally here for it. This particular story is about Guinevere, who is a changeling - she effectively impersonates a dead princess and marries Arthur. I will be honest: this book is largely earning a four star rating from me on the strength of the world building, awesome magic, fascinating intrigue, and really apt characterization of Arthur. The backstory on Arthur and his family was really well done. The general magic (knots! Excalibur!) was so cool. That part is all incredible.

I struggled with the writing itself occasionally - there felt like there were about four THOUSAND descriptions of how afraid Guinevere was of water, how perfect Arthur was, and the general mystery surrounding Merlin. It's sort of foreshadowing, but it felt excessive. I didn't always love Guinevere. She was sort of excessively stubborn and excessively given to terrible decisions that always seemed to work out for her. (I mean, the classic fantasy novel heroine trap.) And I feel like you have to be fairly familiar with Arthurian legend to follow what's going on. I had to Wikipedia like fifteen times to figure out what was going on.

I also struggled a little because this book truly has so little romantic pay off. (Legitimately: there is one kiss.) I felt like the chemistry between Guinevere and Arthur was just... lacking. And romance is such a massive, central part of the entire story of Camelot that it felt like a missing piece.

BUT: I'm still giving the book three-and-a-half-rounded-to-four stars. Lancelot is phenomenal, Arthur's characterization is perfect, and I really, REALLY enjoyed all the fun twists on the legend. This book is a lot of fun and worth a read, but again, I really recommend familiarizing yourself with the backstory a little more before you dive in.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of this book did not hook me at all but once I got about halfway, I couldn't put it down! I have always enjoyed stories of Camelot and King Arthur and this was an interesting twist on the story we all know and love. It was great to see Guinevere in a hero role instead of the adulteress damsel in distress. I'll definitely be continuing the series!

Thanks so much to netgalley for the e-arc!

I really wanted to love this book! I've read TH White's OaFK and have memorized the movie Merlin (the older one with Sam Neil & Helena Bonam-Carter) so I love the legend of Arthur.

The first 50% of the book was painfully boring. This is a book about knights and magic and inexplicably there was no action!

So "Guinevere" is sent by Merlin to protect King Arthur from a magical attack. She arrives to Camelot in the guise of being his wife. But she doesn't know anything about the threat, she is ill-prepared for life as a queen, and her magic skills are minimal, limited to "knot magic".

The first half of the book can be summarized: "Guinevere sneaks through Camelot, tying knots, bumbling around, jumping to conclusions, complaining about the boring duties of a queen, pining for Arthur, and worrying about her limited magic abilities." That's it. Seriously.

The second half finally picks up with some action and some (predictable) revelations. Even so, a lot is left unanswered, in preparation for the following books in the series.

I feel this book is geared toward a younger audience, as the concepts are pretty simplistic, man vs magic, good vs evil. The insta-love and weak love triangle are my least fave tropes, so I found them annoying. The characters lacked any real depth, so I did not connect to them. There was really no tension in the story, and no strong compulsion to find out what happened next.

Overall, I almost DNF'd this because of the first half of the book, but the second half hints that it might be worth trying the second book.

Beautifully written!

An incredibly unique take on the legend of King Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere. I was completely enraptured by the story from the first page, and although some parts dragged a bit, the pace rarely let up. Thoroughly enjoyed this one, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fantasy, re-tellings, and strong, female leads!

I had so much fun reading this book! It was adventurous, interesting, and I am a sucker for an Arthurian legend. I can't wait to read more in this universe.

★★★☆☆

I am a known sucker for any and all Arthurian retellings. But there are definitely some that do it better than others, and I think this one will be great.

Unfortunately, we're not really there yet. The Guinevere Deception is just starting to tell the tale of Camelot -- the journey is just begun, and it's a fantastic start, but it is just beginning. The pacing felt a little off because there's such a plodding pace for parts with sporadic building pressure, and then the end comes along suddenly and over super fast.

I am a known hater of love triangles. Unfortunately, there is one here, and yet again it between the sweet and steady golden boy, and the wild and passionate dark-haired boy. So. That's fine. BUT we have a ray of sunshine shining through with our Lancelot and boy oh boy am I rEaDy for that to follow the myth!

The magic system isn't super well established but it's rich anyway by proxy of its users. So far: a bunch of badass women, the villain(s), and our good friend Merlin who it seems is being revealed in all his meddling glory.

Overall I had a great time reading The Guinevere Deception. Guinevere's true identity is very much a mystery I am ready to unravel (😉) because I have THEORIES. I'm also super interested to see more of Kiersten White's interpretation of Avalon because if it's what I think it is, then there's a lot of promise.

Feel free to DM me with Guinevere identity theories (or any other thoughts) on twitter @fairytalprotag because I would love to yell with you!



Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this!