Thank you Netgalley for an earc of this in exchange for an honest review. I wish it was a better one but I had to DNF.

Rating: 3.5/5 lost memories

Format: e-book. I’d like to thank Random House Children’s and Kiersten White for a free copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

To sum up:
This is a sequel to THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION, a YA retelling of King Arthur from Guinevere’s point of view! I’m going to be vague here to avoid spoilers for either book, but I can say that these books force the characters to constantly have to choose between order and magic, the cost of duty and freedom, and knowledge and faith, in interesting and heart-breaking ways. In the first book, we learn about Guinevere’s unique role at Camelot and the secrets that are being kept from her. In Camelot Betrayal, she tries to adjust to this new knowledge and the hard choices she made TGD while trying to thrive and grow.

What I loved:
I love Kiersten White’s rich prose in these books. The way she writes about magic is so beautiful I just want to read the passages again and again! As in the first book, l also liked how Guinevere grows in this book. She continually struggles with choices and trying to decide what her role is and how she can best serve her people is a really relatable and admirable struggle.

While much of the plot was pretty weak (see below), I did love how things came together in the end. We still have questions, but the choices Guinevere makes at the end finally feel important and satisfying to the movement of the plot. I am really excited to see where this story goes next!

What was meh:
Much of the middle really dragged for me and felt really meandering, hence the lower rating on this book over the first one. In the first book, I felt on the edge of my seat while revelations were pretty well spaced out to keep me intrigued. In this book, there weren’t quite enough this time, and the motivations of Guinevere felt a little lost or muddled. I still enjoyed the prose but I felt like the story didn’t know what to do with itself until the 75% mark, which is pretty late in the game.

Overall, this story really struggled in the middle, but I am here for Guinevere (and Lancelot! Loved her development in this) and definitely want to see if my ship will sail in the next book!

Favorite Lines:
"Being plunged into mortal terror every time she left or returned to the city was not good for maintaining a queenly presence."

"Guinevere did not remember the stars so much as she knew them down to her soul. She had stared up at them for so long they were written on her mind where no one -- not even Merlin -- could erase them."

"Violence can never beat down violence. Only justice can replace it."

"That was the other lie of stories. Even if the story was told true, it never talked about what happened after the quest. About all the wounds -- visible and otherwise -- that lingered long after the neat close of the tale."

"That is what happens when men tell your stories. Would you like to hear the real story?"

My Review: This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I love the way White is able to twist something so well known and give it new life with a different perspective. I was a little hesitant with this one though with the added element of the sister but I ended up really enjoying it. I definitely feel like Guinevere lost a bit of her footing after the last book and it was great watching her confidence grow throughout this book. Of course, Kiersten White once again got me hoping for everything to work out for the characters even though I know the various legends, so it was a bit bittersweet with the events involving Arthur near the end. All in all, this was a bit of a slower book but I really enjoyed the developments the characters made and the progress of the story.

My Rating: I really appreciate what White has done with this familiar story, she has created that found family/friend unit from the ground up and instead of surrounding Arthur, it is being built around Guinevere. I am really enjoying watching this happen on the page. I give it a rating of Four Paws.

I tried to hard to like this, but I had no idea what was going on. Nothing is connected and things just happen out of nowhere and the author wants you to accept things without any explanations. Why is the Lady of the Lake angry with Merlin? Why is the Dark Queen treated as the villain when it was Merlin's magic that was responsible for treachery and rape? Definitely blaming the victim here. We're supposed to be on the side of the protagonist, who has no name of her own and no memories of life before Camelot. (Yet the real Guinevere's sister recognizes her? Arthur's son was dead but now he's alive after all?) This stems from my major criticism of the first book, which is that the big reveal of Mordred being on the side of the Dark Queen came from nowhere, like the author didn't want to craft hints and plot and so just shoved it in at the end. Merlin, who sees everything and knows the future, decided to protect her by erasing all her memories and sending her into the castle of her enemy? We're supposed to see Arthur as a hero, yet he protects Merlin? How does Guinevere's magic even work? (She can just summon dragons and burn down castles with no explanation as to how it works or where the magic even comes from??) I hoped perhaps a decent explanation would be forthcoming in the sequel, but it was not.

Other aspects seemed forced to make it seem like this retelling was diverse and updated for the modern age. For example, the love between Brangien and Isolde, or Lancelot being a girl. But the author does nothing with these changes. Lancelot isn't accepted, and Isolde is nothing but a story meant to give Brangien some personality. (And we learn Brangien also used magic to control someone, yet she is still a hero, just like Merlin.) If you're going to try to be different from the source stories, commit to it.

Every character I liked in the first book, I now hate. Guinevere wipes people's entire memories, Brangien controls the one she claims to love, Arthur's devotion to Merlin never wavers, despite the fact that it's his fault everyone else is in danger. Who is the villain supposed to be? Because the Dark Queen never actually hurts anyone.

Love Kiersten writing, I have love her writing for years. This was a great read, the characters where will define and I will continue to buy and read this series

3.5

This is a hard book to rate. I definitely didn’t love this book as much as the first. The first book had some issues for me, but I ended up giving it a high rating because I enjoyed it so much. This one did not go the same way for me.

The characters and plot both fell a little flat. And really, it kind of seemed like this book was more of a stepping stone between book one and three, but I guess I’ll have to see what happens in the third book to know for certain.

A few things that I did enjoy:
- THE COVER
- Guinevere and Lancelot's friendship
- A few fun, "twisty" tidbits

Some of the things I enjoyed a lot less:
- The characters fell flat
- The pacing felt weird and the plot just wasn't it for me (not like the first, anyway)
- We got no real answers as to who Guinevere is, etc.
- The "romances" just aren't there (hoping to see more in book three)
- The fact that Mordred, easily the most interesting character, was barely there in this one

Overall, it was just kind of a meh read that left me underwhelmed after enjoying book one so much. I'm still looking forward to book three, though, to get all the answers I need and see where the romance goes.

This is the sequel to The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White. I adore an excellent Arthurian retelling, and this continuation does not disappoint. Although I need the third book immediately and will have to wait, which is killing me. There is nothing worse than the “book hangover” syndrome of waiting so long for a book and then knowing you’ll need to wait another year for the end of the story- talk about delayed gratification!

Loving the fact that Lancelot is female in this retelling and that the good vs. evil plot is fully fleshed out in this novel. If you are into the Middle Ages, you will love the lengthy descriptions of a wedding during that time. The city carved into the side of the mountain reminds me very much of Lord of the Rings. There are a few side plots that add to the magic/witchy atmosphere, and if you are worried about handing this to a younger YA reader- the romance is entirely wholesome and not the entire focus of the story. It’s not all happy, though. Guinevere is a changeling witch, and she suffers during this story. Her choices have consequences, which only adds to the suspense of whether she will choose Mordred or Arthur (despite being married to Arthur already). If you wanted to jump straight into this book, you could, because there is a lot of basic- “previously on” type recapping at the start.

I think readers who loved the first installment will not be disappointed with this book and will join me in my angst of waiting for the conclusion.

Five stars!

I love this series. I feel like I can’t say that enough. It has so many of the things I really needed it to have. There are strong women everywhere you turn. Camelot feels every bit as revolutionary and magical (but without actual magic) as it should be. Arthur is so very… Arthur.

There are good men. Like, really complex, interesting, well-written, captivating men, but they never steal the scene or the show from the women. These girls more than hold their own.

I love Guinevere– her questions about her past and her identity, her longing to be loved, her relationship with her maids and her knight. Her powerful magic. I love her so much.

Then there’s Lancelot. The decision to have a woman as Lancelot surprised me, but I’ve loved it. I love that she’s an amazing warrior and that she has every bit as much heart and passion as any other knight out there. I love the way the story explores whether it’s more right to treat her just like the men or for Guinevere to treat her in a different way. It’s not the focus of the story at all, so it doesn’t feel like a political question or preachy or anything. It simply feels like people trying to figure out how to get through the best way they can.

I feel like the only thing CAMELOT BETRAYAL lacked over the first book in the series was an over-arching plot or the drive toward a particular battle. Through the whole book, Guinevere is on the lookout for the Dark Queen’s next attack, but she sort of spends the actual story itself running around handling side quests. Figuring out how to handle her sister. How to reach and/or rescue Isolde. What to do about her feelings for Arthur and Mordred.

I guess all that to say that it definitely feels like a second book which sets up for a third and final battle kind of book. I loved all the conflicts and plots here, so I can’t complain. I’m only sad that I have to wait until next year to read the finale.

Definitely read the first book, THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION, first. There are a lot of characters in this one, and it’ll just make a lot more sense if you’ve read the first book and know how they all came to be allies or enemies.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book in the Camelot Rising Trilogy and felt fast paced even in the slower moments. Each scene carried on into the next and I did not want to put it down because I had so many questions I wanted answered. And I still do. Looking forward to the third book in the trilogy. I love the relationships between the characters, especially between Guinevere and Lancelot(who in this story is a girl).

Beautiful and captivating as only a Kiersten White novel could be.

I don't think there is a YA author in the industry who can so effortlessly put together a world-class series. We saw it with And I Darken, Buffy, and now Camelot. The first novel in this series, The Guinevere Deception was truly a masterpiece. I may be biased because Camelot and King Arthur are some of my favorite legends, but this series is absolutely one of the most original and fresh new series to come out of YA fantasy/retellings.

One thing I always noticed about the original Camelot stories is the fact that the women were by far more interesting and powerful than the "heroes;" however, their stories were never told. The Lady of the Lake, Guinevere, Morgan La Fey and every woman in these stories were overlooked-- their part of the story simply erased.

Guinevere's story in this series is exceptional because it holds true to the original stories--King Arthur and his knights are boring, and the women of Camelot are the real heroes.

The Camelot Betrayal specifically, was an exceptional sequel. I felt like I was coming home to a story I knew well even though this is only the second book. I especially loved Guinevere's journey in this story, though I will admit this novel lacked some action. Guinevere is questioning her feelings and desires throughout the book, and I couldn't help but relate to her and her story. Why can we not let go of the boy who hurt us? Why do we feel as though we can't be a leader? This journey Guinevere went on will lead up to a fantastic 3rd novel, and I absolutely cannot wait until I can get my hands on the next book (Kiersten, call me).

BOOK REPORT for The Camelot Betrayal (Camelot Rising #2) by Kiersten White

Cover Story: Don't Wet
BFF Charm: Heck Yes
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: Feminist Reimagining
Bonus Factor: Friendship
Anti-Bonus Factor: Bridge Book-Ish
Relationship Status: Loyal to the End

Cover Story: Don't Wet
This cover is just as pretty as the first in this series, with the fierce young woman staring off of it as if daring the reader to challenge her. The water, however, throws me for a loop. Because Guinevere would never—she even uses magic to bathe to avoid coming in contact with the liquid she's so terrified of.

The Deal:
After driving back—but not defeating—the Dark Queen, Guinevere is even more on edge living in Camelot and working to protect the city and its people. And her husband, King Arthur. She's also increasingly worried about who and what she is, which is made all the worse when her sister—or the true Guinevere's sister—shows up in Camelot, looking to reconnect. Then there's the connection she had and continues to have with the traitorous Mordred; her maybe-father, Merlin, having been trapped by the Lady of the Lake; and her physical aversion to all things water … Girl has a lot on her mind.

BFF Charm: Heck Yes
Guinevere continues to struggle with her place in the world, which creates tension with those around her and keeps her from being truly open with anyone but Arthur, Lancelot, and (to a lesser extent) Brangien. Even if would be a struggle, I'd love to try to break into that inner circle. If she'd have an old, non-magical person like me. (Guinevere is 16. I'm grateful for White reminding me of this, because it's really hard to keep in mind with all that she goes through.)

Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Arthur continues to keep Guinevere at arm's length, in a marriage consummation sort of way, and she's too tentative to push it. Thankfully, their relationship doesn't remain completely chaste for the entirety of the book, and they do eventually have a very adult conversation about why things are the way they are.

But Guinevere continues to have dreams about Mordred's pillowy lips ...

Talky Talk: Feminist Reimagining
A while back, I was listening to a book event in which Tracy Deonn, author of Legendborn—another great Arthurian legend book—in which she said that she never sees books that use Arthurian legends for inspiration as retellings, as there isn't one specific version of Arthur's tale. Instead, she considers them reimaginings, which I think is super apt. The Camelot Betrayal continues to be just that, inspired by and using elements of the King Arthur stories, but White makes them fresh through the spins she's put on them. The book also continues to be nicely feminist, with Guinevere pushing for her own autonomy and that of her fellow Camelot ladies. (The plot thread about Lancelot's place as a knight, as Guinevere's knight, and her relationship with the other knights, is particularly compelling.)

White's also got a deft hand with the twists. I did not see some of what happened in The Camelot Betrayal coming, even though I was trying hard to keep an eye open for foreshadowing and hints, from the very beginning of the book. The title gave me such ominous vibes!

Bonus Factor: Friendship
Although it's a point of frustration for Guinevere, her relationship with Arthur is really lovely and founded on friendship, which—from personal experience—is super important in any marriage. And, although I mentioned above that she's very particular about her close relationships, Guinevere's relationships with Lancelot and Brangien are enviable, even when they go through struggles. Love seeing friendships elevated as high as romantic relationships!

Anti-Bonus Factor: Bridge Book-Ish
As I was reading, The Camelot Betrayal didn't feel like a Bridge Book, especially with the twists revealed at or near the end. However, thinking back, not much happened? It moved the plot along, but not as much as it perhaps could have.

Relationship Status: Loyal to the End
You've got a solid place in my heart, Book, and I pledge myself to be loyal and true until my dying breath.

I am loving this series! I love the gender swapped Lancelot and the friendship between Lancelot and Guinevere. I'm enjoying the love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere and Mordred, and while I am ultimately rooting for Arthur to see Guinevere as more than a friend I can't help but also root for Mordred as well. I think the ending of this book hints at us getting some good Mordred Guinevere time in the next book and I'm here for it!

Ultimately I'm loving the telling of this tale through the eyes of Guinevere and am looking forward to the third and final installment of this story.

Also, the book covers? ARE AMAZING!

"The constant dissonance of being both queen and witch, Guinevere and not-Guinevere, was disorienting.
It would be so much simpler to be just one thing."

We are BACK in Camelot! Dare I say, it is looking better than ever. It could be because of the addition of Sir Lancelot, could be the borderline dirty dreams Guinevere keeps having of Mordred (yes girl, get it), or it could be that there is danger on the horizon due to the big bad having been resurrected at the end of Camelot Rising #1. Any of those are valid.

I loved that Guinevere got to have her own quest this time around. All of her choices are difficult, and unlike Merlin she doesn't have the foresight to know if what she is doing will eventually damage or help humanity. It is her constant struggle, apart from not really knowing who she is or where she belongs. She wants to belong in Camelot, to fight the good fight, even though her heart is calling her to the forest, the chaos, Mordred...

I'm just going to outright say it--I am team Mordred and not Team Arthur. I just can't buy into the Guinevere/Arthur pairing. He is so vanilla, and she is fire. He treats her like a friend, like a business partner, and not a lover or someone he has any romantic feelings towards. Even their "romantic" interactions felt awkward.

Aside from the little romance we get with Guinevere, there is a lot more of Tristan and Isolde and Brangien. We get their full story with new developments! I really enjoyed that entire side of the story--I also liked how Kiersten White structured the stories inside the book--kind of like real life fairytales inside the book with their own twists that shed light into different aspects of Arthurian legends (specially when it comes to the woman's POV versus the male). It gave them a more magical feel than just the characters discussing among themselves what happened. We get a lot of revelations, some more surprising than others, but still I can't wait for the next book because I NEED ANSWERS.

"If she could not remember more than a glimpse of her past, she could fill in her present with whom she chose to be."

The ending left us in this sort of cliffhanger, yearning for answers. The first book in the series started off slow, but The Camelot Betrayal lit a fire to the story. I cannot wait for the sequel (and the probably gorgeous cover that will come along with it).

PS; I was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks go to the publisher!

<b>Rating:</b> 3.75/5 Stars
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This is the second book in the Camelot Rising Trilogy, and it did not disappoint! In Camelot, King Author is expanding his kingdom’s influence and Queen Guinevere is at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.

The Camelot Betrayal follows a similar format as the first: slow burn beginning with an explosive ending filled with plot twists and dangers. Even with the slower build to these books it’s never dull. There are adventures outside of Camelot and political drama within. This book does focus a lot more on Guinevere’s inner turmoil over her choices, identity and role within Camelot. It was interesting to watch her character develop throughout the book. She has to make some difficult decisions and learn to deal with the consequences, and you can definitely see it shaping her character as the series progresses.

What I liked:
The romance! This has a… love square I suppose you could call it. There’s so much chemistry flying around between four characters and I’m loving it. I’m not sure what the outcome will be romantically, but I’m torn between two characters and I’ll be happy either way.

The relationship between Lancelot and Guinevere. They are both outsiders struggling to find their place in Camelot. I am so glad that White decided to do a gender swap for Lancelot because it adds a new layer to their relationship and makes for an enjoyable read.

What I didn’t like:
Not enough Mordred. I loved him in the first book and I just want more! Hopefully in the next book he will play a bigger role again.
The cliffhanger. I don’t know how I’m going to wait a year for the next book. I have so many questions.

Overall, I though this was a really good second instalment and I think the series is getting better as it goes.
I received an e-ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely better than the first one. I'm glad I continued with the series. And now I'm very eager to read the next book. Can we please get a release date?

I still have a lot of questions which is kind of frustrating. But I also feel like I got more information and can form more concrete theories about some of the many mysteries.

Brakingen is still spicy and probably my favorite character. I also really love Lancelot. I never know who to trust which is stressful, but I like that Ms. White keeps me on my toes. I keep getting attached to characters, but am scared to get too attached.

Can we talk about the romance? Is there supposed to be one? Is there an endgame for Guinevere? I don't want to go into spoilers, but I kind of want her with two people. Or even alone. I love a good romance, but I can easily see her making some ultimate sacrifices.

Overall, I have no idea where this is going. Yes, I have some theories, but they could be completely wrong. No matter what, I'm on board for this ride.

Late last year when 'The Guinevere Deception' by Kiersten White was released, I was enamored first by the beautifully unique cover style and then immediately afterward by the concept of the story. I was excited to get a copy in a subscription box, but already at that point I had a long list of commitments to fulfill before getting to any casual reads and by the time I was able to fit one in.. unfortunately it had gotten shuffled around out of sight.

So, needless to say.. with my penchant for jumping into series specifically on book two.. and I don't know why this has become a thing with me.. but it absolutely has, I jumped at the opportunity to read an ARC of the follow-up.

'The Camelot Betrayal (Camelot Rising Trilogy Book 2)' boasts an equally beautiful cover design and sounded, if possible.. even more exciting than the series debut.

Generally speaking, I enjoy the idea of reinvention. Be that in reference to cover songs, remixes, film franchise reboots, or retellings.. I love to see what a creator might choose to do with inspired source material. Obviously, sometimes that has really disappointing results.. other times.. something truly special happens.. and entirely new life is breathed into that older work.

This is one of those situations.

Like many, I love the tales of Camelot. Merlin and Morgan.. Arthur and Guinevere.. the Knights of the Round Table.. these are the kinds of stories that continue to inspire throughout time. Though the legends of Tristan and Iseult (Isolde) are believed to have influenced the Arthurian tales, here.. in White's tale.. they find a place alongside the legends of Camelot.

In this book, King Arthur and Queen Guinevere have defeated their enemies once and are expending their efforts on ruling Camelot. Arthur, already comfortable in his role as King and Guinevere seemingly going through the motions while trying to find her place. Despite the evident closeness between herself and those around her, she continues to feel apart from everyone.

With her dreams swallowed up by visions of darkness and power.. familiarity in unfamiliar places.. and a deep sense of foreboding, Guinevere is constantly looking over their proverbial shoulders in expectation of an attack. Each little discovery seems as if it should make her feel more secure, but something still feels wrong. Nothing appears to be quite when she was taught it was, but she questions her own judgment and it seems the threat could be coming from anywhere.

Guinevere and Arthur are exceedingly kind, caring, likable characters. I find it interesting that a premise could be built on such polarizing lies and contain no feelings of negativity toward those carrying them out. Despite their secrets, they truly only want to do as much good for as many people as they possibly can.. and who can fault them for that?

Sure, along the way.. some pretty bad things go down.. but it's difficult to feel sorry for those on the receiving end, when all they do is ask for it.

I loved the gender flip of Lancelot and how it's handled. It was impressive to see it both addressed in how the female night might be challenged by her role at the same time that she never seemed to be held down by it. She's as strong and able, more so in most cases.. than any other knight. Unlike Brienne in Game of Thrones, there's no great inner-conflict about who she is. There's no struggle to be as tough as the men and still soft enough to carry a love story.. and I genuinely applaud the author for that.

Other than the obvious small-minded comments of the occasional side character that imply the way she's viewed is more stereotypical.. her gender is never actually an issue for her when it comes to carrying out her duties. She's a knight first and does no worrying over finding a partner as if not having one in some way makes her anything less.

The story is rich visually, has an intriguing.. if not unfamiliar.. magic system, and has plenty of page-turning events to keep you from putting the book down. The author's prose is elegant, without being overdone. Not unlike the dreams Guinevere is subjected to.. it flows like water itself.

I'm desperate to read book 3 already and hopefully get more of Mordred.. who has definitely caught my eye.. so I'll be making my way back to the first book soon as well. Don't miss out on this wonderful retelling. You'll be so glad you gave it a chance.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is the second book in the exciting YA Fantasy series and it does not disappoint. The book delves deeper into Guinevere's role in Camelot. To complicate matters, the real Guinevere's younger sister shows up in Camelot and refuses to leave.

Guinevere goes on adventures in this book, which brings her closer to her maid Brangien and her knight Lancelot. Her relationships with both are tested, and come out stronger in the end. I really like her relationships with both women. Guinevere learns a bit more about what her magic can do, but the strength of it frightens her. Guinevere's relationship with Arthur also grows deeper. After being constantly sidelined by duty, the couple finally takes the time to talk with each other about their relationship.

The danger of the Dark Queen still lurks over Camelot, and toward the end Guinevere makes a decision that may change the fate of Camelot forever. It also leaves the reader with one heck of a cliffhanger! So cruel of the author!!

I enjoyed this book just as much as I did the last one. It is well written and is a quick and easy read. As with most YA books, there is no sex and the violence is very muted and "off-camera". If you haven't started reading this series yet, now is a great time to get going and read both books.

I really look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to Random House Children's/Delacort Press and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗲𝘀. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁.”—Kiersten White

Guinevere has accepted her role as queen. Her relationship with Arthur is growing, but her feelings for Mordrid leave her confused. Worse still, the decisions she makes for her people leave a trail of casualties behind her. When a girl arrives in Camelot claiming to be her sister, she is convinced that Camelot is under attack from within. Can she get to the bottom of Guinevach’s true identity before Camelot falls to her charms?

The Camelot Betrayal is rich with internal conflict. Guinevere struggles with her true identity, her lack of memory, and the consequences of her decisions. She struggles with blame because of what she did in the previous book. Overall, this story is everything I love from a traditional fantasy. Knights, kings and queens, political intrigue, adventure, quests. But also romance and deception. It checks all the boxes.

“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆, 𝒊𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕. 𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔—𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒆—𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆.”

While magic isn’t heavy in this book, I still really love the magical system and world building. Guinevere’s knot magic is so creative and she finds ways to use it in many different circumstances. Especially when it comes to aiding her in her quests.

Once again, I loved the genderbending qualities of this story. Lancelot is still one of my favorite characters. I appreciated Guinevere’s ability to take matters into her own hands. She doesn’t need her husband to save her, nor does she expect or wait for him to. Sometimes to a fault, as we see with the lasting consequences of her decisions.

I also appreciated that we began to see some flaws from Arthur. He will do anything for Camelot. But he also allows emotions to blind him. This comes full circle at the end of the book when his emotions are used against him.

That being said, the story ended on a cliffhanger. I have mixed feelings about that because it was frustrating but it also hints at the potential to come. The entire book, Guinevere struggles with her identity. She has so many questions. With this ending, she is finally in a place where she’s going to discover who she really is. We are FINALLY going to get answers! But the wait is going to kill me. 𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝟰/𝟱

Many thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours for my copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion and a spot on the book tour! This review was written voluntarily and all opinions are my own"

I have to confess, I went into it without reading Book 1. It's book two in the "Camelot Rising" series, and I'd hoped I'd read book one "The Guinevere Deception" before my tour stop but reality largely got in the way.

I was lost a couple of times because I missed out on what happened in book 1, but I was able to get into book 2's story.

If you're into Merlin, Arthur, Camelot, and other Arthurian legend elements, then this is the book for you!

Reasons to Read This Book:
-If you're like me and you love getting lost in the world of Camelot and King Arthur, then this book offers you the chance to revisit that world via a unique retelling.
-This book features a very unique and intricate magic system that just sets your imagination running wild.
-In the midst of the patriarchal world of kings and knights, it's interesting to note that women are the ones that ultimately hold the power.
-This is an intriguing and suspenseful book with plot twists and turns that will keep you at the edge of your seat.
-This book also features beautiful romances, including a queer romance.

Favorite Quotes
"The tale was not as polished as that of Arthur and the Forest of Blood, or as funny as Sir Mordred and the Green Knight. It was not a tale that had been traded between bards, or even shared beyond Brangien and Sir Tristan, now clasping hands, united in the telling. It was a secret tale of love, betrayal, and failure."

"That was a path just as treacherous as the one that had led her to the fairy queen’s meadow. It was a single path actually. A path with clever smiles and eyes like the pools of green shadow beneath a tree."

"Never trust a beast that can fit your shoulder in its mouth."

"“But I am not a princess.”
“No, but you are a queen.”"

3.5/5

This jumps right back in where book one left off. My first impressions were, oooh are we getting a Lancelot and Guinevere tale after all, but alas, not in this book (or not yet in this trilogy) and I couldn't help but want redemption for Mordred despite his actions in book one.

I liked that part of the real Guinevere's past came to 'haunt' our Guinevere and watching her deal with that subplot really added to Guinevere's character growth and that made me a happy reader.

We had still about the same amount of Arthur as last time and there was more of a focus on the characters and their relationships (romantic and platonic). I loved getting to see more of everyone and this is what made this a better read than book one for me. Though I love worldbuilding I was really excited to get to know Guinevere and her companions more.

Saying all of that, I do believe this is a slower-paced read than book one, we have not as much action and the plot is taking its time, strolling toward the ending. BUT that ending was such a whopper, I NEED BOOK 3 NOW!

Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion and a full review is on my blog!