y'all hear that? that's me SCREAMING.

kiersten white has done it again. my god, i love this series so much. second book syndrome simply does not exist with miss camelot betrayal! like the first book, it is a bit of a slower build until BAM all the action gets unleashed at the end, but i don't mind that, because i love these characters and i love this world. the relationships were all built upon so well, and i adored getting to see more of some characters and the introduction of others. our leading lady, miss guinevere, continues to be the light of my life. i want to go give her a big hug. she's dealing with a lot and still struggling with her place in the world and she just DESERVES THE WORLD OKAY? i love arthur my sunshine boy. i love lancelot the knight of my heart. i love brangien the queen of sass. the only thing i don't love? THAT I HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE YEAR FOR THE CONCLUSION. AND THAT THIS SERIES WILL BE ENDING. AHHHHHHHH.

I am a sucker for Arthurian based books. There are so many wonderful takes on the legend, from the movie, Excaliber (1981), to more female-centric takes such as the book, and Netflix series, Cursed by Thomas Wheeler and Frank Miller. I love them all. The Camelot Rising series, by Kiersten White, has been a solid addition to this cannon. The latest book in the series, The Camelot Betrayal, is a solid adventure, with plenty of conflicting duties and relationships to make this an exciting novel.

What I Liked:

Premise:

Even though her memory has been erased by Merlin, Guinevere has learned to appreciate Camelot. She wants to use her magic to help protect the kingdom from the Dark Queen. But, she risks being found out and killed for being a witch. Can she sacrifice so much, even if she isn't the real Guinevere?

Characters:

Lancelot, in this version, is a female knight. She is such a complex character. Her life's ambition has been to become a knight and serve Arthur, but when she sees Guinevere, her focus shifts to wanting to become Guinevere's protector. This take give the author plenty of space to explore female relationships, and the strain of being a trailblazer. She craves acceptance from the other knights, but also values the privileges of being able to be alone with Guinevere without causing a scandal. Is this just the strong attachment between two friends, or is this a case of unrequited love?

Guinevere's conflict in her relationship with Arthur shows just how confusing emotions are for a seventeen-year old. She loves him, but he isn't ready to have a real marriage. And can she forget her other strong attraction to Mordred? This take on the story drifts significantly from the standard Arthurian legend. It's not Lancelot who tempts Guinevere, but Arthur's nephew (and son of Morgan Le Fey), Mordred, who makes Guinevere's heart go aflutter. Will she give in to temptation, or can their marriage of convenience turn into something more?

Story:

The story follows much the same thread of any Arthurian story. While neighboring kingdoms follow the "Might is Right" model, can Camelot survive when it's founded on such lofty ideals of fairness, justice, and shared work and sacrifice?

A new element that the author used in this book was the use of small tales, to illustrate key elements of the story. I especially loved the Tale of Tristan and Isolde, reminding us that tales we think are well-established, may have other explanations. How many same-sex relationships were swept under the rug by history? This novel shows that this diversity was probably there, all along.

Title: The Camelot Betrayal
Author: Kiersten White (@authorkierstenwhite )
Publisher: Delacorte Press (@delacortepress )
Publishing date: 11/10/20
Series: Camelot Rising
Rating 4/5✨

We see ourselves following Guinevere once more as she tries to find herself in this world she has been cast into. As her decisions start to weight heavy in her heart, she must find a way to reconcile with what she has done and with what she decides to do in the future.

When I tell you book broke me in the end... Guinevere is strong, intelligent albeit a bit bribe at times. Her faith in those she trust is so strong. In this book we get to see more of her strengths her power and her love. Arthur and her start forming a stronger relationship. Her relationship with Lancelot and Brangien also grows stronger. As new and old foes threaten Camelot can she find the strength she needs to do what is right.
I really enjoyed this book. Guinevere is such a good character, I love that her world isn’t black and white. It’s morally gray and she struggles with decision like any normal person. In this story we meet her sister and I love how she bonds with her. I liked seeing her and Arthur grow closer. (Btw their relationship is molasses slow so if your not into slow burn romance you might get bored). We get to see more into her past and who she believes she is and who she wants to become and I really enjoyed that too. One thing I disliked is a possible love triangle and how it messes with her mind. I felt so bad she can’t make up her mind.

Other than that I did enjoy it and I can’t wait to happens in book 3 since this one ends in a cliffhanger.

I received this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
#thecamelotbetrayal #camelotrisingtrilogy #fantasy #excalibur #arthurian #retelling #historicalfantasy #mythology #youfools #youngadult #youngadultfantasy #romance #slowburn #magic #fairies #morganlefay #mordred #guinevere #arthur #lancelot

I was on the fence if I was going to continue with this series after reading the last one. Not a whole lot happened for the first 75% of the book and that formula followed through with this one as well. The last 25% has more action and intrigue than the rest of the book making you want to know what happens next, but to get there the reader has to go along with some minor side "quests" with the characters that as of now don't seem especially important for the overall plot of the story aside from having the characters be able to do something. I haven't read the last book in the series, and I probably will at this rate, but I suspect that all three of these books could have been combined into one slightly longer book or a duology at most, but without the extra side quests and minor villains. This isn't something that I noticed in White's other books, but I may go back to check them out to see if I'm just becoming a more discerning reader, or if it is strictly because I'm not as large of a fan of this set of characters as opposed to her other works.

This is a book that leans heavily on the characters, so if you really enjoyed the characters in the first one and wanted to know more about them, then this book will probably satisfy you. If you're looking for a bit more action and the battle with the Dark Queen, then this will predominantly fall short, perhaps just check out the last 25% to continue on with the main plot. Right now, I mostly think that your enjoyment of this series relies heavily on your love of the characters. If you like them, you're good, if you don't, it's an almost glacial read. However, once again the cover is a high point. It's beautiful.

A large thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for gifting me with an eARC of this book in exchange for a review, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review.

Oh my gosh I loved this so much! I completely devoured this book. I found Guinevere to be a much stronger character in this one. It was nice seeing her get a bit more confident, even though she still has quite a few doubts. Lancelot still annoys me a bit, but I have a feeling that won't be changing anytime soon. I enjoyed the Mordred moments, but I could always use more of them. I found that this book focused more on the characters, and Guinevere taking on the role of queen. There were hints at impending doom, but they were in the background. For me, this didn't take anything away. I liked seeing more of Camelot and the surrounding lands. That end though! The end was kind of unexpected, at least certain parts. It is....quite the cliffhanger!

This is probably the third or fourth take on the Camelot legend that I’ve read this year, and I’ve read many more over the years, but this series manages to make the story fresh. The new characters and new settings introduced in this book allowed Guinevere’s character to become more complex. I will eagerly await book three!

In the second book of the trilogy, a reimagining of the Arthurian legend with a more female-centered focus, White continues the tale of Guinevere. Guinevere grows into her role as Arthur's queen even as she feels she is living a lie, a forest witch changeling for the dead Guinevere who doesn't even know her own real name. Guinevere discovers her own power as she uses her magic to protect Camelot, to become a hero in her own right. But she must be very careful as magic has been banished from Camelot, and her magic often seems to have unintended bad outcomes. As if life as queen doesn't have enough challenges, Guinevach, Guinevere's younger sister, arrives at Camelot, challenging Guinevere's status as queen and her very identity as Guinevere.

Guinevere is a conflicted teenaged queen, torn between her growing love for Arthur and her undeniable attraction to Mordred, even though he betrayed her. She is unsure of her past and her present, challenged by her responsibilities as Queen and protector of Camelot. White's magical world and characters are well drawn and engaging. The cliffhanger ending ensures that readers will eagerly await a return to a world where dragons are real, Sir Lancelot is a female knight, and the Dark Queen must be vanquished to preserve Camelot.

I have been eagerly awaiting this book for so long, just getting approved for it was such a massive win. I'm so happy I could cry. I'm also so happy that The Camelot Betrayal lived up to my expectations. In fact the only real fault I have with it is that it did not also come with the third book.

I really feel like Guinevere came into her own in this book, and I am really here for it. I feel like more often than not in any sort of Arthurian retelling Guinevere really gets done dirty, so it's great to finally see her fleshed out. I think White also does a really good job of subverting some tropes, and somehow she always manages to keep me guessing.

I do wish there had been a bit more romance, especially with Arthur. I love Mordred, and I love him for Guinevere, but I also really want her to have a relationship with Arthur. I'm torn. I guess we'll see in the next book,

I will post a review to my blog early next week, and will update this with a link!

The Dark Queen has returned, and Mordred has betrayed all of Camelot. With threats surrounding the city, Guinevere has no choice but to be more than the queen that the people expect her to be, and to be the witch she thinks she is. But when someone knowing the real Guinevere arrives in Camelot, and strange dreams begin to plague her dreams, Guinevere knows that sometimes, the only thing to do is to choose the less bad option, and hope for the best.

I received an advanced reading copy of The Camelot Betrayal in exchange for an honest review.

The Camelot Betrayal is a young adult novel by Kiersten White. It’s the sequel to The Guinevere Deception, and the middle book in the Camelot Rising trilogy. I read The Guinevere Deception last year and loved it, but, anything that’s based on the stories of King Arthur tends to be my thing, after all. So, did The Camelot Betrayal live up to the previous book?

Before continuing, be warned that there may be spoilers for the first book in this review!

Ah, The Camelot Betrayal. The Guinevere Deception had a lot of plot, all of it culminating with that exciting scene, where Mordred tricks Guinevere and she releases the Dark Queen back into the world. Mordred, the man she thought she was beginning to love, has betrayed her, and now Guinevere has to live with the consequences of her mistakes. All very exciting, and you could tell the whole book was leading up to that moment. Whereas with The Camelot Betrayal, I really wasn’t sure what the book was leading up to most of the time. I kept expecting to see a general plot coming around, which would be resolved near the end of the book, but there wasn’t. Sure, there were plenty of other little plots that appeared: who is Guinevach, and is she trying to dethrone Guinevere? Who are Guinevere’s real parents? What is Mordred planning? Will Brangien and Iseult ever be together? All important questions, but none of these can be a plot all by itself. So, the narrative sort of stitches them all together, and as each little plot got resolved, I couldn’t help but wonder what it was adding to the main narrative.

And, the answer to that question is: character development. I mentioned in my review of The Guinevere Deception that Guinevere had that “born yesterday” trope going on, where she’s innocent and barely knows what’s going on. All she knows is she has to protect Arthur. But since she’s had her heart broken, things are changing. While the plot didn’t seem to pull this book together for me, Guinevere did. Through these pages, I saw her begin to transform from a young girl who had no idea what she was doing or messing with, to someone who was fierce and determined. And while I didn’t always understand her choices or her fears, they made sense for her as a character. And, honestly, I’m just a sucker for characters making morally gray choices. Sometimes, when you have a bunch of horrible options, all you can do is pick the least worst one, right? And then you deal with the consequences.

Dealing with the consequences is a large part of this book, but it all continues to help the characters grow. And while the book is very Guinevere-centric, we do get to know some other characters, albeit briefly. But again, the book is about Guinevere. I’d have maybe loved more scenes with her growing close to others, and I will say that there is a distinct lack of enough Mordred/Guinevere scenes in this book, but I think her isolating herself is a big part of what leads her toward that ending.

While people who tend to enjoy lots of exciting plot may become frustrated, I found the character development to be compelling enough to keep reading. However, I do still think this book suffers from “second-book syndrome,” and would have preferred it to have a more central plot. Still, I found it to be an enjoyable read, and with an ending like that, it pretty much guarantees I’ll be getting the last book in the trilogy. Can’t wait to read it!

The Guinevere Deception will be released on November 10. You can pre-order it from Delacorte Press at this link.

Second books are usually the weakest for me in a series and this was the exception! I loved The Guinevere Deception and The Camelot Betrayal totally exceeded my expectations! I am a horrible Guinevere/Mordred shipper however, so I should be totally upfront with that. I’m dying for the next one and the second one isn’t even officially out yet. I love the complexities of Guinevere’s relationships, from Arthur to Lancelot to Guinevache to Mordred, they all seem very real to me, confusing and stifling and heartbreaking and thrilling from one decision to the next. There are dozens of Arthur retellings out there right now and this one is my favorite.

I LOVED this follow up to The Guinevere Deception. The story keeps on truckin' and the characters (even the newer ones) are still amazing and fun to read about. You kinda want to be friends with all of them. Then you add the fantasy element, along with some magick, and you sort of have a perfect story. Oh, and it's always good to have a love triangle. Normally, I'm against the love triangle, but for purposes of entertainment, this one works.



The Camelot Betrayal comes out 11.10.2020.



4/5 Stars

This was one exquisite puzzle piece being laid down after another. All the intriguing pieces and yet, the puzzle gets even more dangerous and difficult. Our Guinevere is still trying to be so many different things, protector, queen, daughter, wife... she's trying to navigate a world where she's not sure how to lead or whom to trust. She has so many questions and there are so many possibilities for her.

I really want to like Arthur and ship Guinthur so hard! But I can't help longing for that epic love story where the hero would do anything for his lady fair. I know he's a king and that Camelot must be a priority but Guinevere deserves a love story that transcends worlds and duties.

And then there’s Mordred who I'm falling for and so desperately want to trust! Hello Mr. Tragically Misunderstand Male! He has so many endearing qualities and I suspect that if Guinevere truly decided upon him, he'd be the greatest love in her life. Eesh!

Lancelot is... I'm not sure! I see her needing to be accepted completely within the inner circle and my heart hurts for every rebuff she faces. It's not an easy path she's taking and it's hard to get a kingdom to change its traditions.

This is an angsty read and I loved every second of it! I cannot wait for the next book because I seriously need all the words! I absolutely adore this author! She gives us such a complex range of emotions, thoughts and frustrations. It's so very easy to get lost within her words because you quickly find the story has taken you over.

Guinevere has made her choice. She stands at King Arthur's side as he expands his kingdom, but Mordred's betrayal has left her grappling with dark dreams and difficult feelings. Wrapped up in her own secrets, Guinevere tries to be the Queen Camelot , as well as the friend and wife to those she loves, deserves. But everything that Guinevere has achieved and is still trying to accomplish is threatened when a girl claiming to be Guinevere's sister arrives at the castle determined to reunite with her long lost sister. Guinevere desperately searches to discover Guinevach's ulterior motives, a journey that takes Guinevere and her friends through times of heartache, danger and closer to secrets long buried that may turn Camelot itself upside down.
The Camelot Betrayal is a solid follow-up to The Guinevere Deception, a series that takes a fresh new look at the legend we all think we know and turns it inside out. One thing I really love about this series is the strength of the friendships between all kinds of different women as evidenced with Guinevere, Brangein and Lancelot. These women love and support each other by going to the ends of the earth for each other against a patriarchal backdrop like Camelot. I also thought the development of the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere was really good, and loved how Arthur treated her as an equal and seeing her rule a little bit as Queen in his stead. The struggle Guinevere faces in her feelings for Mordred was great to read about too, although I did want a bit more interaction between them, as I totally still ship them. I loved the twists regarding Morgan Le Fay and Merlin towards the end. The only reason I didn't enjoy TCB as much as TGD was that there were less big reveals that had less shock factors than in the first book, but I enjoyed TCB regardless of that. Guinevere shines as a character in this book, and White manages to breathe some feminist life into this legend in a way that is both exciting and new. The Camelot Betrayal is a story of women claiming their place in society, and how we must live with the consequences of the choices we make and even those made by others.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Guinevere has accepted her role as Arthur’s queen and to protect Camelot, but she is still restless. The Dark Queen has risen and is no doubt biding her time to strike. Guinevere still struggles to belong, even as she continues to wonder about her past, but danger may have already arrived in Camelot, as magic is not the only threat. Not only is Mordred still at large, the real Guinevere’s younger sister arrives unexpectedly for a visit. Can Guinevere maintain the deception or will she be exposed as an imposter?

I’m quite conflicted about this book. On one hand, it was undoubtedly entertaining, but on the other, it hardly felt like Guinevere’s story at all, there was so little focus on the main conflict. I hope all these side stories I had to muddle through in this book are actually going to come back and be relevant in the finale or I will be very disappointed. There is definitely a little middle book syndrome here, and I skimmed quite a few chapters because I was very bored at some places.

We get some nice backstories, including an interesting variant of Tristan and Isolde, and the interludes certainly helped liven things up. Guinevere has quite an interesting arc as she begins to grow into her role. I also really liked her strong friendship with Brangien and Lancelot. While I like this version of Lancelot, I’m still confused on what to think regarding how this will end up in comparison to the myth. There isn’t nearly enough laid out to make it happen realistically, but I’m curious to see where this goes. Mordred is turning into quite the interesting character and I don’t even know if I would call him a villain anymore – assuming there isn’t another twist hidden up ahead.

The plotline with Guinevach, Guinevere’s sister, was just building up to be something really good – and then it falls flat. If it had to be that way, why did Guinevere need to spend nearly 2/3 of the book fretting over her intentions, jumping to conclusions and generally acting in a very suspicious manner towards her? It just made her sound really whiny when this could have all been resolved so much earlier to make way for some more solid plot. Also, where I enjoyed Arthur and Guinevere’s romance in the first book, this time around, it falls flat, Arthur in particular who has basically no character development in this one. Honestly, having Guinevere run off with Mordred is more believable at this point – atleast they have some chemistry! All in all, I would consider this the book of side quests and false leads, and of course, the one where Guinevere makes some reckless and questionable life choices.

The ending was certainly a surprise, and one you will not see coming. Combined with the revelations about Guinevere that may or may not be true, it sets the stage for a very interesting path ahead. Overall, this wasn’t up to the standard of The Guinevere Deception, but an entertaining sequel. Knowing Kiersten White though, the finale is likely to be a showstopper, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this retelling is going to end and how close to the original story it will stay. I would definitely recommend this not only for fans of retellings and the legend of King Arthur, but also fantasy fans, who are sure to enjoy the unique magic system and the world of Camelot.

The Camelot Betrayal was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year and it blew my expectations out of the water! Boy, does Guinevere get herself into some scrapes in this one! I really enjoyed the first book of this series where we learn that the intended bride of Arthur has been replaced by Merlin with a magical imposter. Now that Arthur knows the truth, this new novel follows their journey as they grow in power as king and queen and the development of the trust between them. I really appreciated seeing Guinevere grow from deceptive and precocious to powerful and calculated. She works swiftly to neutralize threats to the empire and herself. There is a great kindness and loyalty in these characters who are trying to balance the impact of dark magic and original desires for power with doing the right thing.

We get more details on the characters around her as well, including Lancelot's origins and the "true" story of Tristan and Isolde, which is a great LGBTQIA storyline. There's still not as much of a focus on Arthur himself, which I think is ok since he's been covered to death through history, but I love the openness and supportiveness of this Arthur. He sees Guinevere as an equal and although he wants to protect her, he values her and her magic in his kingdom. As always, there is a bit of a cliffhanger ending to leave you wanting for the next book and more truths about Guinevere.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of The Camelot Betrayal! I am so excited to have the chance to review the next book from one of my favorite authors!

Spoiler Warning- This review contains spoilers for The Guinevere Deception. If you are interested in The Camelot Betrayal but haven’t read The Guinevere Deception, feel free to check out my earlier review on Goodreads!

Camelot is at peace, on the surface. After driving out the Dark Queen, Guinevere and Arthur can turn their attention towards the demands of ruling a kingdom. With this shift in responsibilities, Guinevere feels increasingly out-of-place. She was never trained in what it means to be Queen, which has left her out of her depth and uncomfortable in her role. In addition to feeling useless in the castle, Arthur doesn’t seem to have any real interest in being her husband. With Mordred gone, the only person in Camelot who seems to care about her whereabouts is Lancelot. To make matters even more complicated, Guinevere’s nights are filled with hauntingly dark dreams sent by an unseen foe. Guinevere must unravel the secrets of Camelot and dissect the social hierarchy of the kingdom, or else risk opening her world to evil magical forces.

You can get your copy of The Camelot Betrayal on November 10th from Delacorte Press!

I have been dying to read The Camelot Betrayal after reviewing The Guinevere Deception last fall, so I was so excited to be selected for this one! My favorite parts of the Guinevere Deception- the plot twists, the tension between characters, and everything Lancelot does- were all brought back in full force in this thrilling follow-up! I loved reading about Guinevere grappling with her different roles as Queen and protector. Unfortunately, I am now once again faced with waiting another year for the conclusion of the series, The Excalibur Curse, which is slated to come out in 2021!

My Recommendation-
If you love feminist fantasies packed with plot twists and irresistible love interests, you need to check out the Guinevere Deception series! The classic legend of King Arthur and Lady Guinevere is transformed by Kiersten White’s narrative voice, making this an absolute must-read in my book!

The Camelot Betrayal is the follow-up to The Guinivere Deception and suffers a bit from middle book syndrome, as it's a lot of set-up for the finale, but it's definitely still very enjoyable. There's plenty of adventure and poor Guinivere must be tired from all the jumping to conclusions she does the entire book. Can't wait for the finale!

Ooooh this was so good. I'm a little sad I got an ARC because now I have even longer to wait until the next book!
A lot of the gaps in Guinevere and company's past are beginning to get filled in. Poor Guinevere, so confused all the time. I'm excited to see what happens next!
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for sending me a free copy for review!

I have enjoyed many of the various iterations of the tales of Camelot, King Arthur and Guinevere. That and my love for the author's Conqueror's Saga series is what initially drew me to this series. I had to go read the first book before tackling this one and I found the story to be a very enjoyable reimagining of the Camelot mythology. With regard to the second book specifically, I found the story lagged a bit in the middle. That being said, I really enjoyed the direction the story has taken. The characters are well drawn and engaging. The relationships between the characters grew and changed in unexpected and interesting ways. The plot took many surprising and exciting turns, with a great cliffhanger at the end. Kiersten White is a talented story teller and I'm excited to see where she takes this tale next. Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for granting access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review tomorrow to my Bookstagram and companion Facebook page @thatreadingrealtor.

I was given a copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Please do not read if you do not wish to be spoiled.

I loved the first book in this series and admittedly I had thought that it was going to be a duology until the last few chapters of this sequel.

The pacing of this book is odd. I don't mind authors wanting to veer away from story beats but the first half is just non-stop STUFF. Action and advisories, and just STUFF. We're away from Camelot and not much of the goings on on feed into the main plot. It's just side quests that get a little too involved.

You dont get any good character stuff until the last 30 percent or so and then main character makes all sorts of rash calls that needlessly complicate things.

It's such a jump from her behavior in the first book. She doesn't seem worried about most of her secrets getting out and Arthur has fallen so flat to not feel like a viable candidate anymore.

Dont go into this expecting the burning romance from the first. It was a really messy middle book.

I'll continue on with the series, but this wasn't very satisfying.