Member Reviews

I’ve enjoyed reading these two books, but I’m not sure how I feel about them. Much like Guinevere, I’m not sure how anything fits together. I don’t understand the roles of the characters in her life. I feel like my confusion mirrors Guinevere’s, but the confusion is too much! I’m lost.

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Can we ogle that cover for a minute? Beautiful!

The story continues with Guinevere at Arthur’s side, playing queen. She is struggling with who she once was and how that affects her as queen. Can she keep playing queen with all these questions? Does she want to?

Arthur is a great character. He is kind and brave and responsible, the type of person stories always claim him to be. But his relationship with Guinevere is strained. They are still searching for what their relationship means to each other and even where they want it to go. Arthur’s Camelot always comes first.

I really like Guinevere. She is searching for herself, who she wants to be and how to go about it. This is something I feel we can all relate to. We still don’t have much info on her background, and while frustrating, I still see the point of it for the story. It makes me excited for the final installment where hopefully we get the answers.

I’m a bit nervous for where the romance is headed in book 3. There is talk of two potential love interests and I don’t like either of them. I’m hoping it will all be wrapped up nicely in a bow at the end because I’m obviously too invested! I’ve enjoyed this series and can’t wait for book 3.

Thank you to Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is out Nov 10, 2020.

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I really enjoyed this continuation of Kiersten White's take on the Arthurian legends.

We continue to see huge growth in Guinevere, as she continues to struggle with her identity, and what it really means to find her own way. Her relationship with Arthur grew on me in this book, but I'm still not fully on board with that ship, haha. I would much rather have her end up with another character that she gets very close to.....anyway.

There were aspects of this book that dragged, but it had some clever twists that really made up for it. Also, Lancelot. Oh, Lancelot. I love how the author made Lancelot a girl and I SO WANT a queer romance, but I also adore them as friends and just love their relationship in general.

This was a strong sequel to the first book, and I'm really excited for the third one to finish up this trilogy! I can't wait to see how Guinevere continues to grow!

Thank you Netgalley for this free ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.

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When I first started reading this sequel to The Guinevere Deception I had to say that I was a bit disappointed as it started off so slow. The book doesn't actually pick up until about halfway through it. I really want Guinevere and Mordred to get together but that's probably not going to happen since Guinevere and Arthur are finally growing closer. I'm not even going to lie I did start this book back in October and I put it down because I couldn't get into it. I'm glad I picked it back up though and I'm looking forward to reading the third book when it's finally released.

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I love the time given to develop the friendship between Lancelot and Guinevere. I also really loved the personal development that happened for our Queen in this sequel.
The thing lacking for me was a romance. I'm still not on board with the Mordred train right now, and really thought I would be seeing more of a spark between Lancelot and Guinevere.
The cliffhanger was INCREDIBLE at the end, but this seems to be White's MO.
Wanted to love it more, but still enjoyed it.

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I love this retelling of Camelot. Guinevere is fierce and strong and capable, but uncertain. Uncertain about how to be a good queen, uncertain of her past, uncertain of who she can really trust. Which may prove to be her undoing. And Camelot's as well. Intricately plotted. Indelible characters. I can't wait for book three!

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Book 2 did not disappoint! I am in immediate need of Book 3 now, please and thank you.

The Camelot Betrayal sets us back into the land of Camelot after the events of book one. Guinevere is struggling with the betrayal of Mordred and the part she played in bringing the Dark Queen back to physical form, not to mention the trauma of being kidnapped and what she had to do to save herself. She continues to question herself--is she the queen Camelot needs, can she ever be that queen?

I must admit, I missed Mordred. We got to spend more time with Arthur and got to know him as a character a bit more (which did make me warm to him a bit), but I missed the witty, cunning Mordred that tested Guinevere and brought out a different side of her. Obviously, I have a thing for the moody bad boy in books. Anyway...

I loved the adventures and the new characters. They were very interesting and were great foils for Guinevere. I like that the events of the first book really continued to play a part in this one; it's in how Guinevere must now look at the world and the people surrounding her. Are they who they say they are? Are they one of the Dark Queen's minions? White had me guessing the intentions of every character alongside Guinevere.

I will say I was beginning to guess the big twist, but White reveals it right on time. I just felt so enveloped in this story, I couldn't put it down. Each scene, each character, draws you in and I love it.

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This book while it had its moments of being annoying or frustrating that wasn't the over all feeling. It was a good book I feel like we are actually making it somewhere in the mystery could of kicked her butt when she left camelot and at this point I don't know who will do what and I'm excited to read the next book

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Thank you, NetGalley for the e-arc.

In this sequel, we find Guinevere still unsure of herself, her relationship with Arthur, and her attraction to Mordred. After the events of the first book, I was so excited to see some character development and some serious antagonists. Alas, I was underwhelmed.

The pacing, for one, was way off. So much in fact that I felt jarred at the way this book was all over the place. I had no idea was the main plotline was; if there was one, it got lost in all the random. There was no steady flow of storyline. the chapters felt like a sitcom where each episode has nothing to do with the one before it.

The characters fell flat. Each sounded exactly the same with next to no uniquness. I couldn't latch on to anyone besides Mordred, who takes a backseat this time around. Funny enough that the boy in black gave the story the most color. I think I expected a bit more romance? Seeing as things sort of ramped up and with how Guinevere Deception ended and with her choices and all, I expected something more than a vanilla romance where the man can't even be bothered to...feel much of anything. At least Guin was trying. I felt for her.

All in all, this was a weak installement to the series. There seems to be a build up to something, but I don't see it. At all. There was a hint of an antagonist the the first book, but this one had next to nothing save for one little spoiler at the very end. You can't have readers slog through 400 pages of a sequel and give them absolutely nothing in return. Guin should have had some character arc at some point. We should have had some romance. We should have seen some huge reveal that knocks our socks off.

I'll hold out hope for the last book, but at this point, It's not looking good.

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This November, we return to the land of Camelot in the next book in Kiersten White's take on the legend of King Arthur and his court.

In the Guinevere Deception, the "new Guinevere" comes to court, marries Arthur, falls for Mordred, and quickly gets in over her head, awakening the Queen of the Dark. Oops!

In this one, Guinevere also faces supernatural forces, but she also faces a very human threat: the arrival of the true Guinevere's new sister, Guineveche. Will her sister recognize that she is not the true Guinevere? And if she does and doesn't say anything, does that mean she's in league with the darkness, or has aspirations of her own?

Add in Lancelot adjusting to her power as a knight as well as handling the optics of her friendship with Guinevere, a husband who won't even kiss Guinevere goodnight, and a quest to save another queen, and this book is chock full of Camelot adventures, bits of magic, and quests after quests.
While I'm not the BIGGEST fan of retellings and King Arthur lore, I find these books the right mix of fantasy and adventure--without leaning too far into WHY magic works, without straying TOO far or TOO close to the mythology, and it's pretty enjoyable. I'm still not sure where exactly this story will take the inevitable Lancelot question, or how it will deviate with the Mordred stuff, and I probably won't think much about this book before the next one comes out, but i'll definitely read book three.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I enjoyed the first book of this series a lot so was very pleased when I was given a free copy. I'm going to get my negatives over with first as always, and honestly most of my negatives revolve around Guinevere. Her character felt like she never learned anything, and every other character was basically showing their support no matter what she did. I really wish someone had the guts to smack her upside the head and tell her to LEARN SOMETHING DAMMIT. Because she kept making the same mistakes over and over-- she even acknowledges that she does this-- but she never learns from it. She just wallows in how terrible she is and the mistakes she's made, and that's it. She was captured on two or three separate occasions to the point where it felt like it was getting repetitive and just acted as book padding.

Something that happened at about the 70% mark of the book really get me angry. Without spoiling, a new character is introduced who basically inserts herself into everything and even rudely butts in on royal meetings and just sits there rather than leaving when they're told. This character even calls a meeting and makes plans without any input from the queen and... all the knights are okay with that, somehow. Even when it's revealed why the character is doing this, I can't believe that this was allowed to happen. That Guinevere let it happen without saying or doing a damn thing. She basically let this character walk all over her, and it seemed like none of the knights respected her authority if they didn't bother to inform her about the meeting and went along with what this new character wanted.

That said, I still enjoyed parts of it. The mystery of who Guinevere is remains the most intriguing part of this book. I also liked the continued tangled mess of her and Mordred. Things between her and Arthur progress a little when they actually bother to talk to each other about it, and her relationship with Lancelot has its high and low points. Though for me, Lancelot still doesn't come off as a person sometimes; for me she feels like a robot, taking more guard shifts than the other knights and having such a narrow focus that I wanted to shake her. And the one time Guinevere tried to treat her like the other knight she sulked, so that didn't endear her to me.

I am still going to read the next book. I want to learn more about Guinevere and the mess Merlin made of everything. I could do without all the repeating for next time, though, thanks.

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***eArc provided by Netgalley & Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review***

Hi. Hello. Wow. Okay, so I absolutely LOVED the first book in the Camelot Rising series by Kiersten White. It was everything I ever wanted in an Arthurian myth retelling, and the second book The Camelot Betrayal doesn't hold back.

I don't think I was waiting for the other shoe to drop anymore. In fact, I fully trust that whatever Kiersten White's next plotted moves are for the third book. I know that, given the first book in the series and now this one, that White's interests, concerns, and attempts to reimagine and examine Arthurian stories aligns with my own. I believe beyond a show of a doubt that she will do things in the next book (much like she did in this book) that will surprise and delight me.

And truly, I trust no one else to give a compelling and interesting leading character not one, not two, but THREE different viable love interests and have them all be people I can see Guinevere ending up with. Besides the romance, which is delightful, the world building on both a magical and day-to-day kingdom basis still slaps. I feel so drawn into this world that I can't wait until I get to enter it again. And again. And again.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Kiersten White for the opportunity to read The Camelot Betrayal in exchange for an honest review.

The Camelot Betrayal is the second installment of the Camelot Rising trilogy, preceded by The Guinevere Deception. Before reading further, please take a moment to just admire the absolute aesthetic beauty of the cover. The elegant colors and the portrayal of the character: gorgeous!

It was very easy to get right back into this story, even though it has been a year since I read the first one. Guinevere isn't who everyone thinks she is. The real Guinevere is dead, and this Guinevere takes her place with only King Arthur knowing the truth. Magic is not allowed in Camelot, but it is Guinevere's magic that helps protect Camelot from evil.

There are a few interesting plot points to this story. One is Dindrane's Wedding, the lead-up of which takes about the whole first half of the book. Before heading out to the wedding, the real Guinevere's sister, Guinevach (or Princess Lily), appears. This poses a problem as Lily is sure to know that Guinevere is an imposter, for she certainly doesn't have Guinevere's memories or skills. With evil looming just at the edge of the forest, Lily is suspected to be in Camelot for sinister reasons.

Another aspect of the plot is saving Isolde from King Mark. Isolde, like Guinevere, can use a bit of magic. She is perceived as a witch and will be executed. The real tale of Brangien, Tristan, and Isolde is told, with an urgency to save her from death. Along the way, Guinevere must ask for help, but may get tied up with the wrong sort of people.

After the wedding and during the harvest festival, Guinevere still struggles with how to handle Lily's presence in Camelot, questions her own identity, and finds out who the real threat was within the city all along.

This book is a fantastic second installment. One thing I appreciated was White's craft in terms of structure. Every so often throughout the book, an old myth of Camelot would be retold in the world of this book, like Brangien, Tristan, and Isolde, as opposed to the tale of Tristan and Isolde that some may be familiar with.

This series is an exciting re-telling of Camelot lore featuring an intriguing female protagonist. I would recommend this series to anyone interested in Camelot mythology or just young adult fantasy in general. Kiersten White is a great writer, and I highly recommend checking out her other works as well. I can't wait to see how this series comes to a close!

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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