I absolutely adore anything Kiersten White writes. This was such a fun and interesting take of Guinevere. White always writes great heroines, and this was no exception.

Initially, I was drawn in by the cover (obviously, I like to stay on brand), and I was intrigued by the title in general. I'm a big fan of Arthurian myths, and I really enjoy reading/watching all of the different interpretations there are out there.

Was this book going to stay close to the original legends? Is 'The Guinevere Deception' a reference to Gwen/Lancelot? Will there be magic?

Lucky for me all these questions were answered in the book!

In general, this book was... ok. I loved the whole Camelot aspect of it, but I feel like a lot of my judgment may have been clouded by my previous experience with Arthurian inspired media. Namely Merlin.
I think that for me to be able to properly process my thoughts on this book, it'd be best to discuss everything in sections. To begin with, the characters!

**The Characters**

So. Was Guinevere my favorite character? Not really. She came across as very naive, which is understandable, given the fact that she's supposedly had little contact with people before the beginning of the book. But I still felt that her character was a little basic and kind of early Disney princess. However, I do look forward to seeing how/if her character will develop in future books.

Arthur is your typical golden boy. A young king with a good heart who just wants to do what's right. You don't actually see much of him throughout the book, so I'm going to label his character as non-complex cookie cutter as well.

Now here's a part where some of my previous Arthur experience may have influenced my read. From the second he appeared on-page, I did not trust <em><strong>Mordred. </strong></em>I looked at this man and thought, <em>I know what you did. </em>Even though... he didn't do anything? Regardless, I didn't really have much of a chance to form an opinion on Mordred based on the book since I came in already having very strong emotions about such a character.

**The ~Romance~**

I usually make it clear that romance isn't my thing, so I think I should further specify that I am not a fan of love triangles. And yes, there is a love triangle in this book. Disregarding the love triangle, I wasn't really rooting for Arthur and Guinevere either since I felt like I didn't really know any of the characters well enough to care. Also towards the end of the book, it feels like the love triangle maaay be evolving into a love square? Not a fan.

**The Worldbuilding**

Since this book is inspired by very popular legends, there wasn't much worldbuilding that actually had to be established. But the bits that did need to be laid down, were done pretty well! The parts of the magic system that were introduced to us are done so in a clear and non-confusing way, and the world itself with all its different countries is described very well too.


Overall, this was a 3-star read. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Some parts felt rushed, and others had me on the edge of my seat! If you like Arthurian legends and love triangles, then this book is definitely for you!

I loved really enjoyed my read. The characters were interesting, I have my suspicions and my twist at the end. Moreover I’m excited that this is a series. Once I got into it I really devoured the story. I don’t want to give too much away, but I loved how the author added to the legend, and I’m looking forward to how volume 2 will play out.

The Guinevere Deception is action packed, has lies, and magic throughout it. I gave it four stars because there were a few parts I was bored at when reading.
I really liked the retelling of King Arthur, the Lady of the Lake, Merlin, and Guinevere.

Tuesday again? No problem!

(I say this after 3 whole hours of sleep after chills and sweats for most of the night, lmao!)

There are some pretty amazing books out today, but we’re rolling the clock back a bit – all the way to November! Remember when it was warmer outside? I do! Also remember when THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION came out? Same here!

So let’s talk about it.


There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.

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. Arthur’s knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.

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?

–

This book was tense enough to make me put it down like 3 different times because I couldn’t handle it. That’s like, the best recommendation I can give right there.

Guinevere is a compelling protagonist, constantly at war with herself over her position in court; as much as she wants to sink into the trappings and joys of court, she is constantly aware of her duty as King Arthur’s protector. This is the major throughline of the story (and probably the trilogy) and plays well with the overall story and various plots and subplots.

This book is also hilarious as hell. Imagine poor Guinevere, masquerading as a queen and trying to connect with her subjects, voicing concern over a child missing teeth for the rest of her life, and her complete and utter surprise when her lady-in-waiting informs her that people lose teeth and they grow back. This is literally the epitome of humor, I died laughing when I read it and I died again recounting it in the podcast episode. Kiersten White is a god and blessed us with the best interactions before totally kicking our ass with that ending.

I’m absolutely stoked for book 2, and I can’t wait to throw this book at my loved ones. (When it comes to YA books, I usually pass them on to my mom to gift to her students where she teaches. I absolutely adore this book, and I know of a couple kids who’d love it just as much!)

To learn more about what we thought, check out our podcast review here!

Did not/could not finish. I felt like there was no plot or base to this book. The characters felt flat and there was no real threat (until 20% at least).

Three stars because I couldn’t finish it and it seemed like a neutral rating.

I love love love Arthurian mythology, I was raised on it. My first fantasy books I ever read as a child were King Arthur, Queen Mab, Merlin books.

So I already loved the premise of this book. A Guinevere retelling.. just ready to gush.

However, this book was a little slow. It took a while to get into and sometime was a struggle to get through it.
The ending was really good and that's what made me stick with a 4 star rating!

I received a free copy of this book from netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Dnf at 40%

Nothing's wrong with this book, it's just really not for me. I found the pacing very slow and the whole story juvenile and predictable. It just didn't get my attention, nothing really happened and it's been like 2 months and I don't feel like finishing this book.
I feel bad because I love And I Darken and I was hoping for something similar but it's wasn't which is totally ok, books don't have to be the same, that would be boring.
Just not for me, there's nothing else to say really

ARC kindly provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you.

2🌟-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I originally decided to read this book because it was written by Kiersten White. I have read the first two books in the conqueror's saga and really enjoyed them even having still not read the third and final book I did enjoy that series. This book, however, was a let down for me. The beginning was slow-paced and dull with little to no action occurring. The ending, however, was okay and fairly engaging and if the entire book had been like the ending I may have bumped my rating up to a 3 star but it as not. I expected the twist to be shocking and engaging but in reality, the twist was unsurprising and lackluster.

while I have enjoyed Kiersten's book in the past I am unsure if she is still for me.

This is a different take on the Arthurian legend from the perspective of Guinevere, who becomes King Arthur’s queen in order to protect him with her magic.
I wanted to like this one, but unfortunately like Kiersten White’s The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, which I also read recently, I thought it was just ok.
I found the characters one dimensional and there was limited back story or explanation of pretty much everything. How Guinevere did magic was confusing, she just seemed to tie knots over everything. I wasn’t invested in really any of the characters except the Patchwork Knight. Arthur was dull and Guinevere’s emotions for him and a couple other people were all over the place.

I actually really enjoyed this novel. I found myself reading it whenever I had a free moment. I loved the synopsis of this one, and who doesn't like the King Arthur tales. Even though I did enjoy reading this, there were a few flaws that prevented me from really loving it. First of all, I found the majority of the characters to be pretty boring and unforgettable. Especially Arthur, for some reason he was just so "meh" which is pretty surprising to me. Something else that really put me off from fully enjoying the novel is that everything In it took forever. Any time any sort of drama or action would happen, Guinevere was whisked away and then we got pages of her wondering what just happened. It just wasn't my favorite. Like I said, I still enjoyed some of it, but other parts really fell flat for me.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to download this book before it was archived. I was interested in reading this book, but I won't be able to give a proper review. The Guinevere Deception seemed to be an inventive retelling and I was interesting to read another Kiersten White book. Hopefully, there will be a next time.

Good book but just wasn’t for me, the story was interesting but seemed very slow and boring at moments. Maybe I could do a reread when I’m not in a moody type of reading slump.

There wasn’t much about the setting and place, I feel like it was very vague. I feel like everything happened in the end it was distorted and hard to follow. Just really wasn’t for me and I wish I loved it but I just didn’t.

THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION is an incredible new YA fantasy that combines a dark mystery, magic, and romance/love into a gorgeous, page-turning package. I was completely swept away by the story, which completely brings the legend of King Arthur to life through the eyes of Guinevere. Here, Guinevere has been sent to marry Arthur, and we learn rather early that she is hiding a dark secret- she is not Guinevere.

Camelot has been founded on Christianity, and magic has been outlawed. This is not to say that magic has disappeared- rather, magical creatures have been banished and those humans practicing magic killed or exiled. Guinevere has been sent with a mission to marry Arthur in order to stay close and protect him against an unknown magical force. Merlin was sent away as a magical creature, but he still knows something is coming for Camelot, and so, he sent Guinevere to help.

There are many twists and turns in the plot that kept me completely hooked all the way through. I also have to give huge props for all the characters who are so well-built and completely unique. For instance, Mordred, Brangien (her lady's maid), and Lancelot were all so three-dimensional that I was as wrapped up in them as Guinevere. Arthur is also not a simple character, and I am still not sure if I really liked him, but I am curious to see how he will evolve in future books. I actually really enjoyed that he was complex enough not to just simply love, and it is easy to understand how Guinevere felt.

This book. I feel a little lost in describing it, because it was completely engrossing and completely delicious and now I have a massive book hangover. If you enjoy fantasy, retellings, and/or complex characters, pick up this book- it does not disappoint. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book in the trilogy.

I really enjoyed Kiersten White's retelling of Frankenstein (The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein) so I was really excited to learn she was doing a retelling of the King Arthur legend. I had such a great time reading this and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting and well-written Arthur retelling!

“Was there not enough peril in the world already without the dangers of simply being a woman?” - Kiersten White

The sword, the stone, the legend, and the myth of King Arthur comes to life in this new and twisted take on the infamous tale. With this stunning cover and medieval inspiration, I couldn’t wait to read this enchanting book!

While this is a re-imagining of the tale of King Arthur, this story focuses on his wife, Guinevere, and her character’s new magical approach (which is an INSANE plot twist) to the infamous tale.

This book was definitely the first of a series. It left readers with more questions than answers, and was filled with many unexpected surprises that left me second-guessing everything. I did like the spin on the tale, which I’m not going to say much about because it would be a MAJOR spoiler, but it was very cool how White took the inspiration and ran with it! Especially how she made you fall for Arthur. He is a literal imperfect hero of every girl’s dreams, and I want more of him in future books.

Overall, once I got past the slow beginning, the last third of the book made me super excited to continue the series, and I’m dying for answers already!

This is the first book of the Camelot Rising trilogy that is focused on Guinevere, King Arthur's wife. Guinevere is a changeling that is sent by Merlin to be Arthur's wife and his protector.

I enjoyed this book a lot. The pacing seemed a bit slow at first but then then got better. It was nice to have a book that focused on Guinevere since the other Arthurian Legend books usually focus on King Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table. It was great to see the magic in the book as well.

I loved reading the King Arthur books when I was younger and when I saw this one, I jumped at the chance to read this one. Also a fan of Kiersten White with her Conqueror's Saga series and her Buffy verse series.

An interesting, original story based on arthurian mythology. Characters are developed pretty well and I enjoyed following the fake Guinevere through her journey in the book. My only real complaint is that the first half of the story was a bit on the slow side, making it a little difficult to get into at first (but that had changed by the end).

When I knew Kiersten White was coming out with a new historical fantasy series I knew I had to add them to my TBR and pick them up as soon as I could, because I’ve loved everything I’ve read by her in the past, so I was so anticipating The Guinevere Deception, and was beyond happy to started. Overall, I really enjoyed it and think it was a very interesting first installment, and I’m curious to know how the story will continue in the sequels.

First of all, though I knew a little bit about King Arthur’s and Merlin’s legend, I would say I’m not an expert or know all the details of the story, just pretty much the very basics, so I didn’t know most of the characters that appeared in this book. That being said, I really enjoyed the plot of this first installment and everything we learnt about the fantasy world and the different characters.

I think the worst part of this book was the pacing. I knew that it was going to be quite slow because that’s Kiersten White’s style, and all her other works have had that similar vibe, but it came to a point where I felt nothing at all was happening. The two thirds of the novel were pretty uneventful, and besides a couple of strong plot points not much was going on. It was right at the end (the last 60 pages) where everything started to come together and the author set the ground for the sequel.

To be honest, those last 60 pages were what kept me interesting and wanting to read more, because the rest of the book was purely character driven, and though I tend to enjoy those types of books, I think in this particular one it all felt a bit repetitive and dragged a lot in certain points.

When it comes to the characters, I have to say I really enjoyed them. Our protagonist was strong minded and quite complex, and I loved her arc and cannot wait to know more about her, and her dynamics with the rest of the characters were really well done. Though there were a couple of side characters that were a bit underdeveloped, I think the author did an amazing job at building up relationships between them.

The only thing that I felt was a bit lacking was the magic system and the world building. Though there were times where some information was thrown at the reader, I was expecting to learn more about them, and even if you know about the original story this book is based on, I still think it would have been great to add more things to create a more complex world.

Overall, though The Guinevere Deception had a couple of things that I didn’t like that much, I still think it was a strong first book in a series, and had elements that I love in a book. I’m interested to know the path the story’s going to take in the sequel, and I hope we’ll know more about the characters and the world.

Despite this being a late review, I really enjoyed The Guinevere Deception. Kiersten White has woven another enthralling tale set in a world I can't wait to get to know better. There are a lot of Arthurian retellings out there, but White focuses in on the Guinevere and brings to light her story in a new and compelling way. A great read for fans of Camelot and White's intricate form of storytelling.