Unfortunately, this last book did not live up to the promise of the first, continuing the disappointing turn of the second book. I am usually a fan of plot twists and a fast pace, but The Excalibur Curse is missing the exposition and explanation that would make such an eventful story believable. The relationship with Lancelot came out of nowhere and seemed forced. I couldn't track what was going on in the story and I ended still feeling confused.

I loved this series! I enjoyed Guinevere's internal conflict about her need/desire to find out who or what she is, which wasn't resolved until close to the end. One of the best things about this book is the new characters - Fina is my favorite, and I laughed out loud several times! This was a great series with lots of strong women, which I love!

A mostly satisfying end to the series. I felt a little...bereft at some of the loose ends not tied up and some of the shifts in the MC's characterization but it was still really a fun read.

THE EXCALIBUR CURSE, by @kierstenwhite (coming out 12/7) ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
A very satisfying end to the Camelot Rising trilogy…I am in love with one particular character introduced in this one (you will know which one when you read it, I am ze Gay™️).

This was a satisfying conclusion to the series. Some of the characters are a little flat and don’t feel like they’re really developed. We do finally find out who Guinevere is, which was an interesting twist that I really did see coming. Overall I did enjoy this series and while it’s familiar as Arthurian legend, it also isn’t at all.

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Children's - Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Being a fan of King Arthur and the tales of Merlin, Lancelot, Arthur and of course Guinevere, it was so exhilarating to read this book especially when there is a female heroine as the protagonist. Guinevere stops at nothing to uncover the truth that has been holding her back and questions are answered from when she was a queen, changeling and a witch and the ultimate question of who she really is and how all of this was nothing without a sword in the stone also known as Excalibur. There were many parts that had my interest peaked and had my mind recollect of memories for when I read my first Arthurian Myth in 6th grade. Kiersten White did an excellent job with the construction of the plot, vocab use, and the climatic theme that had me as the reader hooked from beginning to end. I can't wait to add this book to our next teen book club list and hear the thoughts and opinions of everyone.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I hesitate to give 4 stars as I do feel this book concluded really well for the entire series, but I feel the ending for Guinevere wasn’t as satisfying as I would have hoped. Her character arc was so much about the balance between Queen and Witch that I found it so disappointing she lost her magic. I feel satisfied that she gets to just be “the girl” and feel happy with that...but couldn’t she still be a cool, witchy girl?
I was also a very big fan of her relationship with Mordred. Her relationship with Lancelot felt platonic until she sees the “love” path and suddenly feels like she would kiss Lancelot.
I loved the female relationships and “girl power” and I was so thrilled when she killed Merlin. Seriously, he is so terrible in the old legends and I hate him so I am glad he was ultimately a villain.
Overall, a very fun trilogy and good writing and characterization, I just felt some disappointment in the final bits of Guinevere’s character arc and that she didn’t run away to be a witch of the forest with Mordred (with Lancelot, too, of course).

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley!

I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures in this trilogy, and Kiersten White wraps things up fairly neatly in the end. The plot twists and turns (Should we trust Mordred? Who IS Guinevere? Can Camelot be saved?) kept the suspense dialed up from start to finish. There were light moments in there as well, and Fina came out as my favorite character. The relationships between Guinevere and Arthur, and Mordred, and Lancelot were not so tidy and I found myself wishing that the author had been a bit more clear about Guinevere's feelings for each person. Arthur never really becomes anything more than a two-dimensional character - he's all about Camelot and nothing but Camelot, while Mordred's complexity made things interesting. I also appreciated the girl-power vibe throughout the book - I noticed it more in this novel than the previous two.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this series!
In this conclusion to the trilogy, Guinevere is determined to figure out who she really is. I loved the focus on love between friends, love between sisters, as well as romantic love. I felt like this book examined Guinevere's relationship to others so she could find herself.
I won't lie, I also really enjoyed all the strong female characters in this series. Fina is a new favorite.
There was also growth in Arthur, and you got to see a bit more into his psyche and motivations.
Overall, it was a satisfying conclusion to this fun series!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a early copy for review.

Arthurian legend is a pillar of fantasy novels. You have to bring something special to compete with all the other interpretations and re-imaging of this tale. Sadly I don't think White did this. It was a good story but I would have enjoyed it more of it was set in a world of her own making instead of Camelot. I don't care that it was an LGBTQIA romance, I care that it changes to much from the already established triangle of Guinevere, Arthur and lacelot. If the characters had not been the arthurian legend I might have bought in to it more. Like I said good story but it will get lost and pushes aside by the big boys.

Mostly this is a case of the series never being what I wanted. I should have stopped after book 1 which was promising and which I hoped would build into more of what I wanted.

Guinevere and Camelot has always been a story I’m invested in and I didn’t like some of the choices White made here to make the story her own. These were emphasized in book two and amplified even more here. It’s interesting. But just not a story I want to spend time in.

Kiersten White continues to be the queen of YA feminist re-tellings. The third book and final book in the Camelot Rising series is the strongest in a strong series. Questions are answered and relationships resolved in such a satisfying way that never feels forced or unnatural. The pace is thrilling. White's goal is to flesh out the stories of the characters most often maligned and neglected in our most storied myths and legends, and she always succeeds. In this volume, she also shows the many different forms love and relationships can take, and that all of them are valid and worthy.

Okay, officially my favorite in the series. The first was great, the second left me something to desire, and the third book delivered! Everything is so well culminated in this final installment of the Camelot Rising Series. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Guinevere and her gang of misfits knights, kings, and friends.

I think one of my only complaints is that I don't get to read any more about Guinevere and Lancelot...and Arthur and Mordred, too, I guess... It was great to receive closure ~mostly~ and we all know the legend and how things turn out but the author just made you love the characters so much that I just wanted to read more about them! I will say that Guinevere makes a lot of mistakes in the book but even as the reader I didn't think she was making a mistake while I was reading it so it wasn't entirely predictable.

I wish I could read more about the characters but, overall, it was a great ending to a great trilogy.

For all that I checked for an advance of this book every single time I logged in, for months, it took some getting through when it actually arrived. The strong ending was redemptive, however. Also, Fina is a delightful addition.

I loved the first two books, in this series, and was really interested to see how it ended. And while I liked the book, I felt it was a little underwhelming. I loved the new take on Guinevere, and I really liked the moral grayness of Mordred. Initially I liked Arthur, but then as time went on I found myself asking why he was making the decisions he was, and that his actions seemed to go against his established character.

One of my biggest complaints is the character of Lancelot. Though I was definitely on board for the gender-bending, I don't feel like her character was well-enough developed to make her anything other than a plot point. I didn't connect with her enough to really care about her journey. And I felt like the <spoiler>relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot that was revealed at the end of the book was much too contrived and came about too quickly to be believable. Guinevere is wavering in her loyalties between Arthur and Mordred for the first 2 1/2 books, and then suddenly Lancelot is a player out of left fiend? Mmmmk. I wasn't a fan of how that was forced into the plot. If the author did, indeed, want Guinevere and Lancelot's potential relationship to be given credence, it needed more foundation and background. JMO.</spoiler>

Overall, I think the series was a good one, and I would definitely recommend it.

Kiersten White finishes off her excellent female-centric Camelot series with The Excalibur Curse, a story of self-discovery and sacrifice. This time, the hero's journey belongs solely to Guinevere, and as she struggles to unravel Merlin's magic, defeat the Dark Queen, and follow her heart, her legend becomes every bit as powerful as Arthur's. White manages to solve her love quadrangle with a flourish and I'm very interested in what readers will think of Guinevere's fate.

What a satisfying conclusion! I loved every minute of this book, and I enjoyed the fact that I didn't know who Guinevere would choose until the very end. She really developed as a character and it was great to read about her struggles to see who she really was. I liked that she chose to believe in herself rather than define herself as someone else's idea. Lots of action in this story, and I loved the new character Fina. There were several times I laughed out loud while reading this. A great ending for a great series!

Kiersten White's girl-power retelling of the Arthurian legends comes to a satisfying and emotional end! In order to save Camelot and the people she loves, Guinevere must come to terms with who she is ... and who she wants to be. Relying on her magic, her friends and a sense of duty, Guinevere is the only hope to save the kingdom, and the king, she calls home.

I read through this book quickly and with a good amount of excitement to see how the trilogy would come to a close. I enjoyed the story and fast paced nature but was only okay with the ending. I was very happy to get more of Mordred in this book since he's my favorite character. I liked that this book touched on some LBTQ issues but I do wish they had explored it more between Guinevere and Lancelot. Over all this was a satisfying end to the story and I will be adding this to my libraries collection.