This series is excellent. White's retelling totally subverts the patriarchal structures of the Arthurian saga. Cannot wait for the third book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC to review, all thoughts my own.

Okay, so this book SUFFERS from second book syndrome (where the second book severely lacks compared to the first), I honestly started skimming the passages about 70% in and just reading the dialogue.

Why was this book bad? Well, first let’s start with why this book was good:
1) we got some nice backstories which I appreciated and which gave more depth to this entire retelling.
2) Arthur got his head out of his ass and started realising that a woman needs to be loved.
That’s it, and honestly the romance was the best part because Arthur is one of my favourite characters I’ve read in retellings and I’m glad that he’s finally coming to love Guinevere.
3) the fact that Guinevere is...actually Guinevere and not a copy?? I love that twist.

So why was it bad (for real this time)
1) THE FUCKING ENDING. Okay, so about 12 pages from the actual end, Arthur mans up and is like “Guinevere, I love you” and offers Guinevere a choice, which you THINK she ACCEPTS until you get to the actual last page and leaves Camelot. Excuse me?? I’m very interested in hearing how this is spun in the next book, since Arthur is coming back to Camelot with HIS KID.
2) Guinevere whines the entire time. Look, I get that she did that in the first book but honestly it was so annoying this time. “Who am I? Why am I afraid of my sister?” Honestly it was such a drag to read.
3) Speaking of her sister, if Guinevere spent less time keeping secrets and investigating her actual sister, maybe she would have found Morgana (aka Anna, aka Morgan le Fay). Also sooooo much could have been resolved earlier (meaning more Arthur and Guinevere romance perhaps?!! I’m very upset about this).
4) the Arthur and the kid thing. I honestly feel bad for Guinevere because she wants a relationship with Arthur and then he was ready to give it to her and suddenly he runs away to get his kid (which I totally understand!) I do think it’s kind of crap that she’s gonna have this reminder (especially depending on how this third book goes)

Honestly, here’s to hoping the third book gives me the needed romance between Arthur and Guinevere, and also Guinevere becoming less of a cry baby.

This was a strong entry to the series. I really like the serious #girlpower in these books.

A lot takes place in this book, and I have a feeling that book 3 is going to be amazing.

And let me tell you, they are killing it with these covers.

After I read THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION by Kiersten White, I wasn't sure how THE CAMELOT BETRAYAL could top it - but it did, and then some.

The familiar Arthurian legends, which have been tweaked here and there in Book 1, are flipped entirely on their heads in THE CAMELOT BETRAYAL. I won't tell what's been changed, but my feminist heart roared in appreciation. I felt feminine raged and empowerment, and the importance of sisterhood through Guinevere's journey. I love seeing women taking myths and legends that have been guarded by men for centuries, and saying, "That's not the true story." This feels like the true heart of the Arthurian mythos to me, sorry Malory!

Guinevere is such a compelling protagonist. She's grown so much from the first book and still is learning who she is, who she was, what she truly wants, and what she can do. I can't wait to see who she's growing to be.

I was so excited to read this ARC but now I'm furious with myself for having done so - now I have that much longer to wait for the final installment! But I hope that I won't be alone with my agony and that you'll understand my pain as well, it's definitely worth it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel in the Camelot Rising series! Guinevere is still struggle to make her way as Queen but we also get to know Arthur a little better. Even though I miss not seeing more of Mordred (for a while) the addition of several new characters and one particularly troublesome character made this book hard to put down. And the ending - I was speechless knowing I’ll have to wait patiently for the 3rd book ! Loved this!

I went back and read the first book in the series because this book was such a joy. I loved this retelling. I almost stopped reading Kiersten White after the first book of her first series. Then she came out with And I Darken. It was brilliant. I have been a fan of her re-working of classic tales with strong female protagonists ever since. If you love to read stories filled with adventure and intrigue, but light on cloying melodrama you have found your next series.

I really loved this book! I have been in a reading slump and this book caught my eye. I finished it in a day because it was so good! I loved the first book of this series but this one was even better. I will be purchasing this book for my libraries YA collection.

While the novel has endearing friendships and a retelling concept full of potential - Guinevere as a changeling witch with many classic Arthurian figures recast in a more diverse or queer light - it falls short of being great. There are characters and moments that are awesome - and then large stretches of the book that left me bored. The Camelot Betrayal suffers from "middle book syndrome" - almost none of the readers' questions are answered, and most of what happens is filler, holding off meaningful reveals until the third and final book. It seems like this series might have worked better as a single standalone title; there just isn't enough plot or character development to justify the stretching out of this series. Plot devices are rehashed over and over again; for example, Guinevere finds herself kidnapped or held at knife-point no less than 3 times in this book. Despite my issues with pacing and filler content, the book seems to have done its job - I desperately want answers to Guinevere's amnesia and her relationship to the Lady of the Lake and Merlin, and so I'll be picking up the third book in the series to (hopefully) get the answers.

Recommended for tweens and younger teens looking for a diverse Arthurian retelling and fantasy with strong female friendships.

#Edelweiss #NetGalley
#TheCamelotBetrayal
An exciting addition to the trilogy about Guinevere and her adventure in Camelot. I love White's retelling with women in the forefront of the action.
Plus, I'm in love with this cover!

Thank You, Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Queen Guinevere's journey continues. This sequel to the Camelot Rising series explores how the Queen is fitting or not fitting into her new role in Camelot. She personally has questions regarding the self and her relationships with others.

She also contemplated some bigger themes like respect of country, the price paid for meeting a goal, and leadership. She recognizes that there are threats however, sometimes is unsure of where the threats are coming from. Great characters including a loyal knight, and a romantic King are all present. I

I thought the book did a good job of showing Guinevere's internal struggle. I also enjoyed the magic used. This is a fantasy novel and I thought the situations were enjoyable to read.

I liked the picture painted of Camelot. This retelling was detailed.

Overall, this is a great series and am glad to have read this book.

Very strong sequel, and, I don't know because I remember things about things, but I think it might work as a standalone (despite the lack of resolution). The characters are a bit impetuous, but still end up likeable and...strong.

I was surprised by how much more I enjoyed this sequel than I did the first book! The pacing was good and I felt like Guinevere felt more real as a character. The ending was unexpected and has me ready for the next book!

In "The Camelot Betrayal," Kiersten White maintains the moment and suspense of the first novel in the Camelot Rising series - without getting bogged down in the usual failings of a sequel. The novel is tensely paced, quickly catching the reader up and then progressing at a nice clip between our characters and the inevitable action.

As usual, White focuses on all of the characters except King Arthur. Guinevere and Lancelot lead the charge, but all of Guinevere's friends feature heavily and are further fleshed out as they become embroiled in the action. While some of the sidequests and scenes may be just a little too constructed, they also seem like they wouold be natural in the fairy tale trappings of Arthurian legend.

From start to finish, "The Camelot Betrayal" is a great read and will leave the reader wanting more. Recommended for all readers.

Firstly. I love, love, LOVE this series and I love this author! The first book took me by surprise in how much I loved it and I could not wait for the second book. This is a fun sequel and plays so well into the plot points established in the first book. I loved he playfulness White has with bringing in other stories like that of Isolde and Tristan. The complication of Guinevere and Arthur's relationship and their own feelings was such interesting thing to have play out. Mordred is a further complication and fun in exploring that complexity. Guinevere in this retelling is strong and willful and full of selflessness. She's formidable and powerful and such a strong women and overall character. I loved this book as the next part of this series, and cannot wait for what's in store in book three.

Another great story by Kiersten White! While I really enjoyed this story, it had a lot of the same issues that happen in a lot of second book. The main focus and problem in the story was very internal and focused on Guinevere's internal battle with who she was and who she wants to be. While this book was important to moving forward in the story, I didn't blow through this book as quickly as I did the first one.
We also don't get to see one of my favorite characters as much as we did in the first one, although it looks like that's going to change in the third book. White definitely made up for it with the new characters she introduced who rounded out a lot of the hard edges of the other characters. This book also showed us a better view of Arthur which had me cheering them on more than in the first book where I was 100% team Mordred. Now I'm not really sure who I want her to end up with, which is a really hard thing for an author to do since I usually decide after the second chapter.
Overall I thought this was a really enjoyable story even though it did suffer from the second book slowness for a little while there. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!