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.

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!