This is a good second installment, but is clearly a middle book. The pacing was pretty slow for the first 75% of the book. I skimmed the rescue of Isolde and didn't miss much. At that point it was pretty slow. I'm still not sure if this is going to follow the traditional Arthur and Guinevere story or go in a different direction. It will be interesting to see what direction it goes. I think the thing that probably intrigues me the most at this point is what did Merlin do to Guinevere's memories. I'm willing to pick up the next book to see if it resolves any of the mysteries that are still hanging threads.

Unlike the first book, <i>The Guinevere Deception</i>, this is closer to the Arthur story. However, we're still in a world that could just as easily be set outside that story. Example? The story of Tristam and Isolde is given a serious twist that barely resembles the tale most know. Another example? Camelot is a city with an eight-story high castle hewn out of rock (sort of like the city of Petra, in my imagination), which doesn't quite fit with the other versions we know. The female Sir Lancelot is still an interesting addition, leading to several possibilities that are hinted at now and may happen later; the use of magic and the clash between the old religion and the new are less stressed than in some of the versions but is still there. There are also interesting questions about identity and ones place in the world that are raised, and I hope they play a larger role in the next book.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I love this series so much. Great characters and exciting action. I'm already so sad that I have to wait for book 3!

Now that the characters have all been established in Book 1 it's time for some quests! I enjoyed this sequel more than Book 1, as I became more interested in Guinevere's character development and increasingly complex choices she was faced with. I appreciate the lesbian rep of Brangien and Isolde and hope to see much more of their relationship in Book 3. Although the story moved slower in some parts, I thought the pacing was consistent and done well. I was consistently engaged with the story.
If I can sell readers to get through the slower first book, I know this one will be a hit.

Well, I'm glad I had an ARC of this to slide right into! Because this was a stunning follow-up to its predecessor The Guinevere Deception, staying in-stride with the same level of intrigue, tension, CONFUSION, lore, mystery and magic. However, I had to begrudgingly detract a bit from my rating, all thanks to King Arthur the Cardboard. I'm sorry, but no amount of literary mastery could save the flop he was, no matter how hard this book tried to make him some sort of deep character. However, the plot did move faster than the first book so that did help balance out my frustration towards certain character arc developments.

Guinevere is still struggling to learn who she is, where and how she fits into the world because she is just simply trying to belong somewhere. And y'know, I understood that part of her character really well . . . which was heightened from the fact that her memories are still jumbled, mysteries made by Merlin still swirl chaotically in her head, causing confusion for her every day . But despite all of that, Guinevere goes on. She keeps trying, she keeps working, keeps fighting to make a space in the world that she can call her own.

After two books, you'd think Arthur might have a bigger role?? Nope, he's still as cardboard as ever! And in this one Arthur annoyed me so much, particularly in his behavior towards Guinevere. Yes, I get that they're young and he's got the weight of a budding kingdom resting on his shoulders B U T—

He just isn't good enough.

Maybe it's because Arthur is TOO GOOD that he's such a flop. There's no decent depth to his character, no driving flaw that gives him a real sense of humanity. He's forever more myth than man, a character aspect that keeps wounding Guinevere more and more as she tries to create something of their marriage, tries to make space in his heart to be more than just his protector queen. But again and again, I just kept staring at the pages, wanting to just jump in and slap some characters around . . . and boot Guinevere off to Mordred.

Guinevere and Mordred truly have more chemistry in half-woven dreams and meetings of just a few paragraphs length than ANYONE ELSE! And if that isn't reason to give me shipping hope for these two, I don't know what is. But really, it was just so awkward seeing Guinevere try to mold herself into something else for others, sad and hurting when it was so hard to earn their love . . . WHEN IT WAS ALWAYS, A L W A Y S AS EASY AS BREATHING WHEN SHE WAS WITH MORDRED.

Yes, I have a lot of feelings about this pairing!!

But, honestly Mordred asks nothing of her and accepts who she is without hesitation. His presence was an unwavering constant in the book as, when Guinevere was always in her most vulnerable and real mind, no acting, she thought of him.

I really don't know what to think about Lancelot. It's a bit hazy where the knight stands with Guinevere, particularly regarding the original myth of their forbidden love. Could it be endgame? I honestly don't know since Guinevere rarely shows true emotion or sparking passion with anyone but Mordred, and even that's through thoughts and glances and feelings rather than action. All I know is that I highly enjoy this rendition of Lancelot, and while a queer spin to that tale would be a refreshing thing . . . there just doesn't seem to be enough groundwork laid out necessarily for that to feel realistic.

Honestly, the way Lancelot adores and seeks for the approval of Arthur is similar to the way Guinevere seeks the king's love and attention to their "marriage".So the two, queen and knight, they felt more like friends, like sisters, than potential lovers from my perception of everything.

Now allow me to end by shrieking about THAT ENDING!! It was everything I wanted but it was also devastation because I have to wait more than a year to find out what happens next. I am confused but elated. I am hopeful but also pragmatical. But, most of all, I am desperate for the final book.

The Camelot Betrayal was even better than the first. The character development was done so well. I felt like I got to know so many side characters and the world so much more. I love the weaving of this tale and that it has so many aspects but it never feels like they weigh the story down.

Guinevere is still trying to figure out who she is and why she has no memories of the past. Her sister shows up and Guinevere is confused at why her sister recognizes her and does not see her as the impostor she is. She is also trying to figure out why she is afraid of the water and if The Lady of the Lake is her mother. While this book does not deliver answers it has so many other things that happen and leaves you wanting more. This was an ending you will remember and anticipate the finale.

The Camelot Betrayal just didn’t do it for me. The first in this series left me pretty underwhelmed, but I still hoped White would turn this series around. Unfortunately, it was much of the same, and I became quite bored with it all. I think it’s time to give up on this series.

The questions of who Guinevere actually is, what her true relationship to Merlin is, and what the hell Mordred is up to follow in this fascinating sequel to The Guinevere Deception.

Honestly, this book focused more on a queer retelling of Tristan and Isolde with a few sprinkles of Guinevere's story here and there, and by "Guinevere's story" I mean "Guinevere making some really questionable life choices". It's an entertaining aside, and I'm always here for queer retellings of classics, but I'm honestly unsure as to how most of this book will become relevant in the next novel. At the end of the book, things are left (both thematically and with respect to character development) in many ways the same as at the end of first book.

Overall a worthwhile read if you liked The Guinevere Deception and are tolerant of side quests.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love Camelot and King Arthur retellings. What sets this series apart is it is not only told from Guinevere's point of view, but there are a lot of gender twists. Two examples are Lancealot is a woman knight and Brangien is in love with Isolde. Guinevere is the apprentice of Merlin and taken the place of the real Guinevere. Tension and conflict arise when the real Guinevere's sister arrives. The pace moves forward well, but I get frustrated with the romance between Arthur and G. She deserves so much more...
I hadn't planned on continuing the series after the first book, but after this one, I NEED the next one!

This is one of those rare times when the second book in the series is so much better than the first! I enjoyed the Guinevere Deception when it came in my owlcrate but it didn't wow me as much as I had hoped. Full of more action and adventure, I really enjoyed where Kiersten White took this next chapter in her retelling of Guinevere and Arthur's tale. I found this book hard to put down and the character development much stronger. So much action, twists and mystery. New characters were introduced and old were revisited. I am excited to see what happens next and don't want to wait! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Not as much action as the first, but just as good. There’s a little something whether you are shipping Arthur or Mordred, plus a cliffhanger ending that’s going to make the wait for the third book really hard!

The Camelot Betrayal is the second novel in the Camelot Rising series, a crafty retelling of King Arthur and the stories of Camelot. Skillfully written, White engages readers with court intrigue, a budding romance between Arthur and Guinevere and glimpses into the lives of the characters we know and love -- Lancelot, Brangien and Isolde. There is truly something for everyone in this series -- magic, romance, intrigue and forging your own path.

Guinevere is queen, choosing to stand with Arthur and protect Camelot. But her restlessness plagues her -- she is an imposter, the Dark Queen has risen and is waiting to strike, and Mordred's words echo in her mind. As Arthur encourages Guinevere to embrace her title and her right to stand beside him, Guinevere just wants to be useful. Soon, Guinevere finds that finding her path in Camelot is not the only challenge she will face -- Mordred seems to pop into her life when she least expects it and the real Guinevere's sister has come to Camelot. Time is of the essence as Guinevere and Lancelot race to determine the real threat to Camelot and Arthur.

The second in the Camelot Rising series, this continues the story of the changeling Guinevere and her mission to protect King Arthur and Camelot.

In this Camelot, magic is forbidden, so Guinevere must keep her work secret from all but her closest allies. Keeping Arthur safe is even more important now that the Dark Queen has risen. At the conclusion of the first part of the trilogy, Guinevere unwillingly assisted in raising the Dark Queen, and now must redouble her efforts to resist the pull of her magic and keep Arthur safe. At the same time, she struggles with her own history and relationship with Merlin, which she understands is a lie.

Like most middle stories in a trilogy, this one fills in the gaps left from part one and sets the stage for a very exciting and revealing part three. I am looking forward to part three!

This book had it’s moments, but overall it was a weak second book to the series. The characters are lacking and the twists are minimal. I want to pull for the main character, for Arthur, but it was difficult to latch on to any character and feel connected. The setting and Camelot was what held the interest for me, but at this point, there’s not a lot of hope of me finishing the series. There tends to be this thread with young adult that the writing can lack at the expense of the characters and plot, yet because it’s got good cover art it’ll pass. Alas, it just wasn’t the book for me.

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.