I was really excited to read this book after really enjoying the first book in the series, and there are definitely aspects of this book that I enjoyed. Unfortunately though, this book was a little bit of a let down for me and I wanted more from it. I liked a new character that was introduced and I still love the character of Lancelot and want to learn more about her, but I didn’t feel very connected to many of the other characters.

I felt like some of the plot elements happened quite conveniently or suddenly and they all didn’t connect in as cohesive of a way as I would have liked. This book kind of felt like a lot of filler and I kept waiting for more things tied to the overarching plot to happen.

I am interested to see where this series will go in the future,

How was this even better than the 1st book?? I need the 3rd book asap because that cliffhanger was crazy. I love the liberties the author takes with what we know of the original story and that it picks up right where the 1st book left off.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

Kiersten White never fails! I don't think I've read a book by hers that I didn't love and The Camelot Betrayal was such a fantastic second book in this series!

The character growth in this book was enjoyable and while Guinevere is still unsure of who she is, the romance isn't there though. and that's what I want. I want romance, however, I do know with an Arthurian retelling, the romance I might want won't happen. But there is Mordred so here's hoping!

I started reading the first book to go along with receiving this one. However the writing was so dull and slow, I could not make it beyond the first quarter of the book. A great disappointment in comparison to And I Darken.

Not going to lie. The cliffhanger in the first book gave me a major book hangover so even though it's been a year, I couldn't wait to read book two. Guinevere grows so much in this book and even though the story felt a little slow at first, the addition of new characters and some twists that I did not see coming made this book. And let's not forget Mordred. But that ending! I can't deal with another cliffhanger! I need the next book now!

I really liked the first book so I was more than ready to jump back into the story with this sequel. And that cover!! Unfortunately this one just didn't have the same magic for me. I felt like a lot of it was unnecessary and more like filler than anything. The story doesn't really progress a whole lot. I did like that we see some character back stories which was nice but I just wanted a lot more. I will definitely read the next book though so I can find out how this story ends.

The Camelot Betrayal is another book from November that I was totally behind in reading. While I enjoyed The Guinevere Deception I wasn't overawed by it and hadn't entirely committed myself to continuing the series. Well, I'm a sucker for a pretty cover and this one is just gorgeous so I figured I'd read it. I'm very glad I did because I liked it as much or more than the first book. 

We are now familiar with Guinevere who is not Guinevere (or is she?). She's caring and strong, but still remains unsettled by how little she knows herself. Her past is a mystery and she doesn't know if Merlin lied about her origins and the fact that he is her father. This is exacerbated when her (the real Guinevere's) sister Guinevach arrives unannounced in Camelot and claims to recognize her. Is this seemingly innocent girl an agent of the dark queen? On top of this, someone is invading her dreams and she keeps running into Mordred out in the world. Simply put, she’s pretty stressed out and Arthur keeps himself at a distance.

Many people have described this book as filler and I totally get where they’re coming from. It feels like the plot wasn’t advanced in a meaningful way in regard to the Dark Queen and the fight against her magic. And, it wasn’t all that much. Instead, this book focused largely on Guinevere and her relationships with Lancelot, Brangien, and Arthur and how she deals with her murky past. It was surprisingly compelling and certainly didn’t lack for action and daring rescues but I think it wasn’t what many people expected (or perhaps even wanted).  I, on the other hand, really liked it much more than I expected.

This was a solid book and gave much more depth to not only Guinevere, but her dear companions Brangien and Lancelot as well. It’s setting up some big moments in the next book though I’ll leave to read it for yourself so you can make your own conclusions! I’m officially on the bandwagon for this series and can’t wait for the next book!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from TBR and Beyond Tours and the publishers. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Camelot Betrayal

Author: Kiersten White

Book Series: Camelot Rising Book 2

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For...: Fantasy lovers, romance

Publication Date: November 10, 2020

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 384

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, TW physical and emotional abuse, misogyny)

Synopsis: EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom’s influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.

Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde, Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen’s knight, and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere–the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn’t belong. She never will.

When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere’s younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving–Camelot, or herself?

Review: Overall, this is a good sequel. The book did well to continue developing characters and the world building was pretty good. The plot kept me hooked from beginning to end and I am excited to see the results of book 3.


While I liked the book I felt it didn't do well in the beginning to summarize the events of book 1. I felt so lost and confused for most of the beginning of the book because I couldn't remember the first book. The book had some very VERY fast pacing and I got whiplash while reading the book. The book is also very predictable and it was easy to see where the events were leading to and there was no romance in the book, only hints and maybes.

Verdict: It's good but read it back to back with book 1.

Hello! I actually was able to get a copy of this book from my local book store so I will review the first book as well as the sequel as soon as I get a chance :) Thank you!

Title: The Camelot Betrayal
Author: Kiersten White
Pub. Date: November 10, 2020
Rating: 3

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I read The Guinevere Deception in 2019 and enjoyed it. I’m a fan of Arthurian Legends and I love fresh takes on the myth. While I ultimately enjoyed this book, I often found myself rather bored and just waiting for it to end. I will be reading the next book, as I’m now too invested and, like with book 1, the ending leaves you wanting more.

I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to read this book. I remembered nothing from The Guinevere Deception, so going into this book I was a bit lost. In time I started to remember little things, but more often than not, I just found myself not caring. If NetGalley hadn’t approved my request for an eARC, I don’t think I would have picked this up. I don’t know what it is, but Kiersten White books are either hits or misses for me – and I’m starting to think that maybe she’s just not an author for me. I will be finishing out this series simply because I’m 100% a sucker for Arthurian Legends and I’m too invested. I need to know how everything ends – especially after how this book ends.

Overall, I just don’t have any strong feelings about this book. The ending was the best part, I actually cared what was happening. It definitely leaves you with the need to know what happens next. But other than that, I just didn’t really care. The world was vivid and came to life in my mind, I enjoyed the character relationships, but overwhelmingly I don’t feel strongly one way or another. Not a terrible read, but I’m not desperately anticipating the next one. I can wait and I will.
If you like Arthurian Legends and you’re looking for a fresh take, I would recommend checking out this series.

The cover is beautiful! In this novel, Guinevere has accepted her role at King Arthur's side. However, she has lost herself. She is missing her love, Lancelot. She is trying to give so much to everyone else...she is empty. She worries she will never fit in and find her place not just in Camelot. As a person.

An unexpected death occurs. While Guinevere is reeling from this loss, she returns to Camelot to find a new threat. Not battle a to be won, or an evil empress, the real Guinevere's sister.

I just could not get into this book. Actually this whole series. This book was better than the first book. However, it was still more of a transitional or filler book than a book 2. I appreciated Guinevere's search for self in this book, but the conclusion just put me off. I want to thank #netgalley and the publishers for an advance reader copy of this novel.

I really enjoyed the first book, The Guinevere Deception, so I had been really looking forward to Arthur and Guinevere's story continuing on in this sequel. The author's take on Guinevere and the Arthurian legends are incredibly interesting and in my opinion, a little more thrilling than the usual tale. For the most part, I really liked this sequel. There were some twists, like Guinevere's realization of who her mother might be, that I didn't see coming which always makes me happy. With the Arthurian legends being so well known, I think it definitely speaks to Kiersten White's ability to zig when everyone else zags. My only real issue with this novel was that I got a little tired of Guinevere's inner monologues, especially about Merlin and knot magic. It felt a little repetitive and kind of detracted from the story's pacing. But that wasn't enough of an annoyance to truly bother me. I can't wait to see what happens next in the third installment!

I have very mixed feelings about this novel. The first half was slow and I had the hardest time getting invested in it but thankfully things picked up in the second half and I loved it.

In this book, Guinevere recovering from everything that happened in the Guinevere Deception. Understandably, she’s feeling very lost and confused but unfortunately I felt the plot lost a little direction along with her. There were a lot of things happening and she was running around attempting to solve those problems but I kept hoping to get back to Mordred and the Dark Queen story.

I did enjoy the character development not only with Guinevere but also with Arthur, Lancelot and Brangien. The second half of the book there are mysteries that unfold and some questions are answered that kept things interesting. But the ending was jaw dropping! I loved the twist and it will definitely have me coming back for the final book in this trilogy. I just hope that we get a whole lot more Mordred in the finale because I personally want him and Guinevere together - sorry Arthur!

Wonderful sequel to an amazing series. I love king Arthur type books and this series didn't disappoint

Guinevere's troubles seemed like my own when reading this. The author really delves into her mind which I appreciated. Looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy. Almost want Guinevere to get with Mordred? He feels more right for her than Arthur.

*I received this book (via eArc from NetGalley) for free from the publisher (Random House) in exchange for an honest review*
This book was all over the place. I think it truly suffered from the middle book syndrome. The character development was kinda lacking as well as the logic. We are left with still unanswered questions but I think that the highlight of this book was Arthur and Guinevere's love. That was the reason I carried on and the ending was quite interesting that I would consider reading the last book just to see how it all ends. I love Arthurian retellings so this was a good book but not the greatest one I have read. The first book was still strong and I hope that the third book would be more stronger and It was interesting how you see Lancelot and Guinevere's friendship and not the original storyline when they are in love.
I would totally recommend this book to those who are starting out with books with Arthurian legend inspired. Thanks again to publisher for the arc.

Definitely one of my new favorite books and authors. I absolutely love the writing style of the author. I definitely recommend reading this series if you already have not. !00%

I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Phenomenal, as per usual. I relate so much to Guinevere mentally (especially with her internal struggles about what she believes). She's such a complex character, and I absolutely love reading her story.

That's it. That's the review. Read this series, guys. It's absolutely fantastic.

Content warnings:
- innuendo, some graphic/disturbing violence, same-sex relationship

Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. I absolutely fell in love with the first book in this series, The Guinevere Deception, and was so excited to see this second book. I’m thrilled to say this is every bit as good as the first book! It picks up almost immediately after the events in The Guinevere Deception. It’s not a spoiler to say that our Guinevere is a changeling, surreptitiously placed at Camelot by Merlin after the real Guinevere dies. The whys of that we explored more in the first book; in The Camelot Betrayal, we learn (maybe?) more about our Guinevere - who she really is, where she came from, and perhaps a new reason for her arrival at Camelot. It’s very hard to go into detail without discussing spoilers from the first book, so I’d definitely read The Guinevere Deception first. I was looking forward to movement in the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere, and we almost get it before the book ends in a cliffhanger. There are some new characters, including the real Guinevere’s sister and her servants, and I was glad that some of these characters turned out to be pretty straightforward. Guinevere has been through a lot, and I hate for her to always be so suspicious. You can tell how much I love this book by my worrying over the heroine, ha. I can only hope that the next book comes out quickly!