This was a great conclusion to the trilogy! I enjoyed watching all the previously established threads get woven together into a satisfying story and ending. It was especially funny to me (in a good way) how the angst over love interests from the previous books continued and played out, since it wasn't how I expected. This book and series are great about emphasizing the importance of all forms of love, platonic, romantic, familial, and more, which we definitely more of.

The plot and moral dilemmas in this book were all really interesting as well. Guinevere had to make a lot of hard choices and I enjoyed seeing where her thoughts differed from my own in terms of what should be done. I loved the new characters we met and the backstory reveal for Guinevere was so well done. No one in this story is entirely good (everyone is at least a little selfish which is just human nature) and even some of our villains weren't entirely bad either. Kiersten White did a fantastic job of portraying humanity and all its complications and I had a great time reading this book.

This book is seriously so hard to rate. I continued with the series after absolutely loving book one only to be a bit disappointed with book two, and now this conclusion was in some ways a great wrap-up of the series and in others another disappointment.

I ended up settling on a fairly high ranking of four stars because once this book really got going, I was fully entranced by the plot. I still was eager to see what was going to happen after the events of the first two books, and also eager to see Guinevere's relationships change and grow (more on that in a second).

The reveal about Guinevere's past felt... weird. But I also didn't hate it (I know some people for sure did). I thought it was, at least, a fascinating exploration of the magic of this world. With Merlin and everything. I also liked that Guinevere's inner conflict wasn't directly tied to her present relationships.

Speaking of those relationships, those were probably the biggest disappointment of this book and a solid reason I almost rounded my rating down to three stars. First, Arthur was hardly in this book. And while their relationship wasn't the focus of this book, I still feel like it played an important role—seeing as how they're married and all?? Anyway, I think Guinevere should have had more of a "come to Jesus" type of moment with him. Considering...

That she's trying to have her cake and eat it, too. Only not even that well. I won't spoil the story, but Mordred and Lancelot both deserved better. Ugh. Just some aspects of Guinevere's relationships with them were frustrating and not conclusive and just dumb, okay? The fact that nothing in the romance department *really* got solved bothers me.

ANYWAY. It's hard to recommend this series to friends knowing that the later books really don't meet up to the expectations of the first, but I at least didn't hate my time reading this conclusion, as much as it may seem that way. Weird for me to rate it four stars and still have a bunch of complaints, right? Well, I did say it was hard to rate.

Definitely the best in the series for me. Guinevere questioning her identity and finally finding it felt honest and real. I could relate to it. The sucker in me still wishes that there was more romance, but that's just because I love a good romance. Though the stakes were supposed to feel very high, the end fight was kind of just meh for me. It didn't feel tense.

This was a decent conclusion to the series. The writing is always beautiful. The plot in this book was a little all over the place, but overall I liked this magical series.

yeah idk why I read this, or even requested it on NG. I suppose it’s because I was just curious enough to find out how it all ends, but honestly, I couldn’t have cared less. I ended up just speeding through this just to get it over with. I was completely un-enamored with this book, the characters, the plot. The writing is pretty solid, but my lack of general interest, despite having some inclination to find out how it all ends, left me feeling empty and bored. there’s just so many things that I didn’t like, it’s not worth mentioning. I appreciate that White brought new life to Arthurian Legend, but it ultimately did nothing for me.

Unfortunately, this book was all over the place, and I felt let down that this was the series finale..

An unexpected, yet still satisfying conclusion to one of the best new spins on the Arthur story I've read in a while.

2 stars

On a fateful journey North to the Dark Queen. Guinevere is captured by enemies. Cut off with no allies, she must rely on herself to unlock the secrets buried deep within her past. As options wear thin and no chance of escape becomes known, she allies herself with Morgana and Mordred hoping that they can aid in her quest to discover the truth about how exactly she transformed into a queen. Her complicated feelings for Mordred still linger, and her loyalty to Arthur becomes complicated as she continues in her search. When Guinevere learns the harrowing truth about how she came to be, her entire perspectives shifts to righting a terrible wrong. Whether that means turning away from Camelot and the kingdom she loves, Guinevere is willing to do whatever it takes to rectify the past, even if it means unmaking herself in order to do so.

I took a chance on the Camelot rising series because I have always been a fan of Arthurian legend turned on its head. At its utmost, Kiersten White has remade a classic, centering the narrative around women and deconstructing the focal points to the original story. Guinevere has always been an overlooked character in my book, yet another reason why I picked up the first book originally. Where the first book lacked depth and the second one brought promise, the third left me wanting more from this world and all that it could offer. This has always been a story I wanted to continue following, but many times I felt as if the characters were not being utilized to their full potential. Guinevere and Lancelot are specifically called to mind here. These two were my favorite characters across all three books and their underutilization in the final installment made me want to put the book down. The revelation of Guinevere’s past was brilliant as were the implications on her future as queen. At the same time, the consequences via the reveal were drawn out far too much, impacting the resolution of the entire series. Though the plot naturally led to this discovery, Guinevere’s response was to isolate herself and become a martyr, virtually turning away from the potential to become something greater. Self-depreciation has never been my favorite, and Guinevere wallowed in it, taking time away from more important developments. The growing list of interpersonal conflicts between the characters also deteriorated the point of concluding the series. It all ended up rushed in the attempts made to resolve them while also bringing about a fitting end for all sides. There was so much potential to bring forth new meaning into these iconic characters, but something was lost in the quest to do so. A sadly unsatisfying ending for a series I had high hopes for.

Disappointed in this conclusion to the Camelot Rising trilogy -- I just felt it was rushed and didn't leave me satisfied. I felt like this book needed more depth for a much more fulfilling ending. I almost DNFed, but pushed through because I really do love the unique world in this series and the characters, especially Guinevere. I hope Kiersten eventually returns to this series to do it more justice.

I HAD SUCH HIGH HOPES FOR THIS ONE.
I REALLY REALLY DID.
But this story fell so flat for me. I didn't like the reveal of who Guinevere really was and her entire backstory. I hated the way the romances played out. What was the point of all the hints about Guinevere having feelings for Lancelot? It felt like it was trying to pander to the LGBTQA+ community and be like "look we can have queer characters!" without actually making any characters queer. No.Thank. You.
A lot of this story just felt rushed. The way the final problems were solved and how Guinevere decided to live her life all felt wrong based on the actions of book 2. I truly expected her to leave Camelot, or become a warrior in her own right, maybe show Arthur that he was a terrible King.
Idk, I wanted to like this book, I was so excited to read this book, but it was a no for me.

The FINALE. After the ending of The Camelot Betrayal, The Excalibur Curse picks up where they left off and brings you right back into the chaos and drama of this Arthurian universe.

Honestly, I forgot a bit of the context of the previous stories, but it was easy to get back into the world as each line brought back memories and landscapes, etc. ​Like the previous, the plot is full of magic, adventure, and growth.

This is such a beautiful story of growth and Guinevere’s exploration of herself and her relationships. While it’s fun to get swept up with the adventure and magic of it all, I found this story so beautiful because of finally seeing the deeper thoughts and feelings of Guinevere.

3.75

This was an odd reading experience for sure. Most of the book, I was fluctuating between different emotions and feelings, but by the end, I did come out with appreciation and enjoyment.

The plot of this book is pretty weak, to be honest. Not much happens in this book and what does it super rushed. I will say this was an issue with the first two books in the series as well so it wasn't too big of a surprise but I like my finales to be pretty jam-packed with plot, BUT, that is just a personal preference. I did read this really quickly, though. I have been so busy with school that it has been taking me a while to finish books during the school week, but I took every spare moment to read this so I think that's a good sign.

Guinevere did continue to grow as a character in this installment. I will say that she doesn't have a TON of development in this story but I enjoyed learning about her past and FINALLY getting to see who she was and everything that had been built up in Books 1 and 2. The other characters in this installment were pretty much the same, though. I will admit that, thinking about the book as a whole, now, I can see that the side characters that really shined in the first two installments did seem pretty watered down here in the conclusion, though.

The writing, as always, was amazing. I love Kiersten White's prose and she really captures the essence of Camelot and the magic and the adventure through her writing.

While I can't say what the ending was obviously, I do really like the way this series wrapped up. It's totally not what I expected, but I think it was satisfying for sure. There was one aspect about the ending that I was not the biggest fan of regarding what the people of Camelot believe actually happened in the final chapters, but that's a small thing.

Overall, this was a pretty good conclusion. I did enjoy Books 1 and 2 more, but this was definitely a solid finale!

Wow, what a great installment. I was hooked from start to finish and read it entirely in two sittings. I did find some parts dragging on more than necessary but still an enjoyable read in general.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I just didn't enjoy this final book in the trilogy as much as I did the first two. Guinevere seemed a little bit all over the place... in her actions and in her affections. I can't really blamer her. I had a hard time rooting for Arthur or Mordred most of the time. Neither of them really seemed worthy of her. And poor Lancelot didn't get enough page time to make an impact this this volume.
Not really the ending I was hoping for to wrap up this series.

"Did you really think a sword could save anyone? Swords do not save. They kill, Guinevere."
The Excalibur Curse was an exciting conclusion to this arthurian trilogy. Loved how the author created her own version of Camelot. Unfortunately this did not stand up against the other two books in the series which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I have pretty mixed feelings on this since I thought it was great ending to the trilogy but at the same time this was also my least favorite book in the trilogy. I really love how White took the Arthurian legend and made the women the main characters instead of the men and I especially liked how Guinevere came to realize some of the problematic "rules" Camelot had under Arthur's ruling and challenged them. But on the other hand, I found Guinevere to be a bit unlikeable in this one and the pacing felt slower for me in this book than it did in the other two. So, even though I am sad in a way to see these characters go I feel as though there is nothing more I could want from this series because of how White wrapped everything up.

I am kind of sad to see this series come to an end. It had its ups and downs, and while I find the romance questionable I did come to care for and enjoy the characters.

Guinevere sets out to find herself but then gets captured by her enemies. Amongst her enemies is the lovable (at least to me) Mordred who keeps playing a double agent game. Is he foe or friend? Nobody knows, specially not Guinevere.

We are introduced to the People of the North, and the lovely Fina, a warrior who is full of joy and daring. I loved this character, even though I believe her journey at the end did not make a lot of sense in what she “chose” to become.

We get to explore the idea that in a world as big as ours division is bound to happen, and just because others may not live or believe as you do doesn’t mean their way is the wrong way. I appreciated Guinevere finally removing her blindfold when it came to Arthur. He is so single minded it is infuriating. Their relationship of sorts is confusing, and the way they dance around the truth doesn’t help. There is some serious chemistry with Mordred that is explored (thank goodness), and then there is also a thread bounding Guinevere to Lancelot… This was the worst handled part of the entire novel. It is like the author did not know how to go about writing an F/F romance and handled it with kid gloves. Completely unsatisfying, and just frustrating to read. (view spoiler)

The reveal of who Guinevere is/was/became is satisfying at least. It did throw Guinevere into a dark hole, during which she does some questionable things, but I could believe it in the context of the story. Overall I will miss the characters, they were comforting, and the world an interesting one to explore.

This was an excellent finale to the Camelot Rising series. I truly never knew quite what to expect and I couldn't put down this book trying to see how everything would be wrapped up. I wanted to see how Guinevere would continue to grow and really come into her own. And then of course who she would select from a romance perspective. Overall, I was really happy with this book and I was sad to say goodbye to these characters.

Love this book and the trilogy! I love retellings with a modern twist which I think the author does really well. I loved the And I Darken series so I couldn't wait to read this series. Without spoilers, I think this was a wonderful end to the series.

Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my least favorite in the series.