I think my main problem with this book is it offered up too many questions but provided me with very few answers. And the answers I did get felt lackluster and somehow too easy.

Instead of the intriguing, magical tale, I was promised I got a lukewarm story that never seemed to settle with me probably.

Sad to say, because I am a fan of Ms. White's other works. But this was just not for me.

Once again, Kiersten White has written a world that kept me captivated through the final page. I loved the idea of the story of Camelot from the perspective of Queen Guinevere, but the concept of Guinevere being there to protect Arthur adds another layer of intrigue and mystery, Guinevere was such a great character, and I think that the mystery behind her background (such as who her mother is and where she lived when Merlin was with Arthur) made her even more interesting. Out of sheer curiosity, I'm very interested in learning what her real name was before she took on Guinevere's identity. Hopefully this will be explored in the sequel.
Arthur wasn't as interesting of a character as I'd hoped; then again, the main focus of the book seemed to be Guinevere and her character development rather than King Arthur himself. I also liked the openendedness of Guinevere's love life. Even though she was attracted to both Arthur and Mordred, she doesn't start a relationship with either and, more importantly, doesn't immediately confess her love for either.
This book was so intriguing (despite my feeling as if I had just been thrown into the story in the first few chapters) and I'm so excited to read the sequel. 4/5 stars.

Strong feminine lead.Absolute treat for King Arthur fans.Guinevere is not actually Guinevere but is sent to protect King Arthur and Camelot.
Beautiful fantasy based retelling of a favorite story.
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC

This was such a fun read - I've loved everything Arthurian legend based since I was young and this is one of the first ones I've encountered that takes such an interesting twist on the classic. The female empowered focus of the plot was incredibly refreshing to read from, I enjoyed seeing Camelot through Guinevere's eyes especially as she is shrouded in so much mystery. The tensions throughout the story helped to elevate the excitement of the plot and the writing style is always beautiful and gripping. Not going to lie, my emotions were swayed in many different directions and were constantly switching but that just makes the reading experience more enjoyable and makes the sequel more compelling. I definitely can't wait to pick up the next book and see how everything continues to unfold.

Camelot and magic along with Arthur and his knights make this one a must read. Guinevere is not the "true" Guinevere but one sent to save Arthur and Camelot as well as magic. Story is a bit slow paced at first with the world and character building. Twists and turns in the story as well as likable characters. Ending was faster and made it well worth the read.

4.5 stars

While The Mists of Avalon remains my favorite Arthurian retelling, this is a worthy companion with a unique spin on the tale.

All your favorite Arthurian characters are back, feeling both familiar and unexpected.

I really enjoyed the story and the writing was strong and largely well done, though a few small things felt forced and added on unnecessarily. Not enough however to detract overly.

Recommended.

i love love loved this book. its a retelling of king Arthur but with a feminist twist. it was so fast paced and enchanting it also had me not trusting anyone and wondering what would happen next. i can not wait for the next book in the series

I AM HERE FOR THIS.
Not a lot of people know that I have a slight obsession with all things King Arthur. I saw the name Mordred and instantly knew some kind of back stabbing would happen. I was so pleased with how it was done though. I love the magical/historical take in this "retelling." The story itself was fast paced and has kept me guessing and putting pieces together the whole way through, and I find I have really enjoyed it!
But, imagine my SHOCK, when in my head the whole time I'm just waiting for Sir Lancelot to appear and sweep Guinevere off her feet... And Lancelot is a WOMAN!!!! BITCH YES. I need the next book to explore Lancelot and Guinevere as a THING closer to the original stories. MAKE THIS GAY AF PLEASE. 🙌❤

First off, I just have to say...LOOK AT THAT COVER! When I saw the cover reveal months ago, I immediately added this to my TBR and have eagerly been awaiting a copy ever since. A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC, because I loved it!

I absolutely love old myths and legends, so an Arthurian retelling is right up my alley. I'm actually surprised I've never read a retelling of this myth before! It's such a popular legend, and I've seen so many movies about Arthur and his knights, but I don't think I've ever read anything about them, so this was refreshing even though it's a familiar tale.

My favorite aspect of the whole book was Guinevere--I absolutely loved how White put her in the center of the action! What a clever idea to have Guinevere be someone else entirely, a mystery that completely captivated me (and still does...hopefully the next book will have some more answers!). She's no fickle fair maiden. She's strong and a fierce protector with magic of her own, yet within that, she's still struggling to figure out who she is and where she belongs.

There's a little bit of gender-bending, some feminist enhancements, and more diverse representation than in the original tale, which was fabulous. I definitely recommend this to fans of YA fantasy and Arthurian legends :) I don't think it will disappoint!

**Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.**

THIS STORY HAD SUCH A COOL PREMISE...and then, it just fell flat. I have been watching the publication of this novel through Kiersten White's Instagram and was so excited when I was approved for an ARC. I'm upset the story itself is disappointing, but I hope others find enjoyment in reading a re-telling of an Arthurian legend.

Mostly, I felt nothing happened in 75% of the story - I kept reading hoping something exciting would happen the next chapter. Nothing. Another chapter with Guinevere setting up knots around the castle and fretting about queenly duties.

The most interesting character was Mordred, and the reasoning is obvious to readers. Guinevere and Arthur were boring. I was just bored the whole time.

I'll be skipping the sequels to this story, but will continue to look forward to White's other work.

I included this title in a November speculative fiction roundup and will provide all the details to the publisher in the next round of this process.

Camelot has kicked out Merlin, and moved into a magic free zone. It is forbidden to use magic inside the borders. Arthur is under some sort of danger so he must marry a protector (Guinevere) disguised as his bride. This protector is a magical person and King Arthur knows. So what is going on ?
Guinevere who isn’t Guinevere is sent to save the King. She must protect him from what ? she doesn’t know, how would she do this saving ? She doesn’t know. She doesn’t know a lot. Merlin her father but not her father sent her to marry King Arthur with instructions to protect him. Guinevere spends a lot of time wandering around making friends, watching for danger, longing for clarification on her duty in Camelot. She must focus on everything because she doesn’t have a clue what she is supposed to do there. Sure protect Arthur, but how ? She must find the danger without anyone knowing she’s magical, except she’s not very good at being sneaky. I felt sorry for her, she was expected to do this great thing with not a clue of what or how.
Arthur, he’s an odd duck. Rarely there, and when he’s around he’s not very interesting. He’s young, overburdened, and distant. He knows why she is there, and yet he rarely talks to her, leaves for days with no notice and just disappears. I really can’t say much about the character I didn’t get to know him to have much feelings except indifference. he just wasn’t there enough.
The last 25% had some awesome twists, finally Guinevere had a direction. She of the characters started to show their true colors. I never saw that twist coming.
The story was good, I enjoyed it but tired of the wandering girl bit. There was so much unsaid about these characters I never really got to know them. I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series.

Wow!
A fantastic read, and a great take on Arthur and Camelot, I really enjoyed this book, at one point I thought I had figured it out, but I was wrong.
And now the wait for book 2 begins.

Things I Liked –

I love a good retelling! I thought this one did a wonderful job of incorporating the commonly known story with new elements that made it unique and surprising. I really enjoyed the characters. Guinevere is strong and sure and courageous. And man, oh man I was living for the tension and chemistry between Guinevere and Mordred. But also found myself enjoying the sweetness between Arthur and Guinevere. But most importantly, I loved the fierce friendships Guinevere made along the way.

I thought the plot was intriguing and seemed to move along at a quick pace. I will also point out that I definitely did not anticipate the ending. I may be completely daft or oblivious, but it smacked me right in the face.

Things I Didn’t Like –

You can definitely tell this is the beginning of a series. By that I mean there were so many things that didn’t add up or left you hanging and I wasn’t a fan. For one, Guinevere seems to know nothing about her past. She just can’t remember it. So all of her confusion gets pushed onto the reader, which could be a really great thing, except I don’t want to be confused for the entire book. I didn’t really feel like there was any resolution to it. Hopefully there is more to come in the next book, but I felt like we should have gotten some kind of answers, or at least worked towards getting answers. In that aspect, it fell flat.

I also didn’t love that Guinevere tends to jump to conclusions, which results in her wasting a lot of time on things that are unimportant or in dangerous situations. While I can see how this leads to some interesting plot points, I found it a bit annoying.

Overall:

All in all, I did enjoy this book. It was fast paced, kept me wanting to continue on, and I look forward to the second installment! I would certainly recommend this one, especially to those who like adventure and retellings.

I'd been excited for this book since it was announced, so to have a chance to read and review it was truly amazing. And it was worth the wait. I really enjoyed this retelling, it's now up there with Once and Future as one of my top King Arthur retellings. This brought a fresh take to the familiar tale, changing the story up by giving Guinevere a new spin. It gave voices to female characters and characters of color that we didn't originally get in the original. And it brought magic into the world in a different but ancient way. Though knowing the original tale, you can guess a few things that might happen and did, but you never see how exactly it will occur. The writing itself was well done and wasn't overly slow, though there are a few filler moments, but they give depth to relationships with the characters.

The biggest twists are things such as Guinevere not being who she is told to be, not fully remembering who she even was before becoming Guinevere, of Lancealot being a woman, the dark queen being Mordred's grandmother, Morgan la fey not being the main villain, but simply a human who had a child with a faerie. Mordred did betray Guinevere, but not in the way you'd expect. This all leaves layers to the story. The plot is interesting and full of twists you don't expect to happen.

All in all I truly adored this book and I can't wait to see where the next book goes from here.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title The Guinevere Deception

Author Kiersten White

Release Date November 5, 2019

Description from Amazon

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution–send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere’s real name–and her true identity–is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old–including Arthur’s own family–demand things continue as they have been, and the new–those drawn by the dream of Camelot–fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

Initial Thoughts

I love King Arthur retellings. And, I actually recently had a long discussion with author Jordan Ifueko (of the upcoming, Raybearer) about how so many of the best Arthurian retellings are fundamentally flawed. Some of them are extremely sexist or others stray too much from the original story. I have read some really good retellings that change the story quite a bit (and loved them), but I really wanted this book to be close to the myth.

Some Things I Liked

Mordred. I loved his role in this book. Mordred is usually somewhat of a background character so I liked that we got to see him play a bigger part (but not too big).
Lancelot. No spoilers, but I really liked the Lancelot character in this book. I got all kinds of vibes from a certain Game of Thrones character (who will remain nameless because of spoilers).
Tristan and Isolde retelling. I love that this was baked into the plot and I hope we get to see more of that.
Some Things I Didn’t Like

Slow burn. There was a maybe kinda love triangle and then a super slow burning romance thing going on that I just wasn’t a fan of. I know this is a trilogy, but let’s pick up the pace people!
Merlin – the anti-hero? You want to root for Merlin but pretty much every chance she got, Kiersten White made me want to dislike him.

Series Value

I would continue with this series. Several interesting storylines are started in this book and I would be interested in seeing where they go. There are some things that I don’t care for the direction they appear to be taking, but I just hope I’m wrong about those things.

Final Thoughts

This book was an excellent retelling of the Legend of King Arthur. It had the full cast of characters in their typical roles. I enjoyed the changes made from the original as well as the elements that were kept the same.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Kingdom Cold by Brittni Chenelle – if you like King Arthur retellings – give this series a read. It’s the perfect blend of the characters you love and a fresh storyline.
Darkness Sleeping by Jen Pretty – again, if you’re looking for a fresh take on King Arthur, give this series by Jen Pretty a try.
Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta – if you like the Arthurian element but are looking for a more futuristic / sci-fi setting, give this book a try.

The Guinevere Deception is the first in a YA series called Camelot Rising. It’s a retelling of the Arthurian Legend told from the perspective of Guinevere. Given center stage, her characterization has been modified quite a bit from its origins and she’s given better agency, power,and back story while still keeping convincingly to the time period’s expectations.

The Guinevere of this tale is keen on protecting King Arthur and works in the shadows to keep him safe and investigate any questionable figure(s) that emerges to threaten his reign. A refreshing far cry from the usual Guinevere depiction. Moreover, she is afforded special abilities in the form of powerful magic, but she must hide that gift from everyone at all costs.

While this seems like the makings for an exciting and stealthy tale, the first half of this book (barring a few pre-Camelot chapters that I found charming enough) moves at a glacial pace. Guinevere has abilities she can barely use for fear of getting caught. She has to attend to being queen and put up a facade of helplessness that often dampens her journey instead of adding tension to it. The sequence of events in this book lack a captivating force. So little of note even happens in the first half, which is unfortunate.

But in the second half, more wheels start turning. There is also some interesting rep (a lesbian character and a possible trans character) but their portrayal is only mildly realized. It’s toward the tail end of the tale wherein things come together to a more interesting direction. Even the writing style (which is fine throughout) became more impressive, matching to an emergence of impassioned and conflicting events that develop too late and in a rush.

As an aside, I have this odd fascination with villains. That’s probably an unpopular opinion so I feel the need to state that before going further- as the whole rest of this review may constitute an unpopular opinion. I also discuss the ending at this point, though keeping it spoiler-free.

There was a character who I thought was an interesting villain. Not naming names but their presence serves to highlight Guinevere as a character with the potential to be more ambiguous. She has gifts that could be used for good or evil- or something not so black and white. And what is good and evil in this story, really? Camelot bans magic, she uses magic. Is she the only one who can possibly use magic without being evil? Are all the forces in this story who oppose Camelot plainly bad or can they be more nuanced than that or even reasoned with?

There was a moment very late in the book where a door seemed to open up for a more shocking, interesting, shades-of-grey possibility and even a whole other setting that could have been explored. I instantly had all kinds of hopes during that climax. My mind was a flurry of exciting possibilities for the ending. Without revealing the nature of it, I’ll just say I didn’t care for how the ending actually turned out.

Throughout this book, Guinevere is laid out plainly as a one-note (that note being “protect arthur”, a sentiment expressed to the point of repetition) heroine with a stunningly boring and idealized Arthur at her side.

If the sequel’s summary shows any hint of diverting from that rigidity, it might be worth reading. But The Guinevere Deception on its own was dull for too long, with a little spark of potential that was late to show itself.

Why You Should Try It – An Arthurian retelling that centers female characters and adds modern day representation. The writing flows well. I finished this fast and easily despite gripes about the dull chain of events. Most 3-star books are not so consistently readable as this one is. The late middle point and up to the ending has the lion’s share of intriguing possibilities.

Why You Might Not Like It – 50-60% of this book lacks remarkable events. Slow to find its greater points. While some characters are afforded back story, their general personalities are best described as tepid and lack memorable dialogue/wittiness.

Sincerest thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press / Random House for providing me an e-ARC of this title for the purpose of review.

I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever read a King Arthur retelling…? At the very least, I haven’t read one in a long time. I mostly liked Guinevere as our main character, but she kept coming to these conclusions that just seemed completely wrong to me and barreling full steam ahead. I mean, I recognize that the reader usually has more information than the characters do, but she just really needed to slow her roll. It was also difficult to fully embrace Guinevere because she doesn’t really know who she is (literally). Her memory of her past is super spotty and it made it hard for me to get a good sense of who she is as a character. So while I liked her, I didn’t feel like I could get completely on board with her. The plot was intriguing enough and we’ll see where the next book goes. I have one big issue with this book, but it’s kind of spoiler-y so I won’t talk about it, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. I’ll just close by saying that book two better have like five times as many Arthur/Guinevere moments. 3.5/5

This was an utter delight!

Taking the mythos and turning it on its head, Kiersten White's newest series gives Guinevere the rare spotlight she deserves. In a Camelot full of danger, a soft-hearted king with a terrifying sword, ladies-in-waiting with secrets of their own, knights with agendas, and even the Dark Queen who waits in the heart of a cursed forest. This cast of detailed characters all have intriguing starts that will only in future novels.

While some fans may grumble about the historical inaccuracy, White finds the heart of the story in a shining kingdom.

I honestly don't know why and I can't quite put a finger on it, but I just didn't click with this book. I never fully got invested and interested in it. I was curious enough to know how it ended to finish it, but I'm pretty underwhelmed. I liked the twist at the end, but this was overall a miss for me. However, I'm sure many people will love it and enjoy it so please do give this book a chance.