Reviews

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

readerlatte's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I thought this was going to be a gender swap of King Arthur but it wasn’t. Which was kind of sad. But it was a kick butt retelling of the Camelot take which was so much better. I really loved that when this book takes place everything that happened early in the tale of KA was already done. Morgan Was gone he had defeated the Dark Queen and he was trying to keep his kingdom going. It made the book that much faster!

The character of Guinevere was wonderful! I loved her spirit and determination. But also that she wasn’t invincible, she had fears, failure, and needed help. She wasn’t per say a damsel in distress. But she knew who she could count on to help her by the end. That she didn’t need to be alone. It was great.

The story itself was a great pace and the ending was wrapped up for the most part. There is one event that happens that could be seen as a cliffhanger. But for the most part this one was a full fledged story in its own right. I am excited to see what happened next though. And this one worked well to introduce us to this new world of Camelot and the characters that live there.

If you are a fan of retelling a or just a lover of anything dealing with Camelot then this one is totally for you!!

queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

4 ⭐ CW: violence, rape mention 

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White is book one in the Camelot Rising series. I have always loved Arthurian legends, starting with Disney's The Sword in the Stone to The Quest for Camelot, and on to The Mists of Avalon and Merlin. I can now add this to the list! It was nice to finally have a story all about Guinevere, instead of her just being a background character or a plot device. 

We follow Guinevere, who isn't really Guinevere, as she becomes Arthur's Queen. Her true identity is kept secret, because magic is outlawed  in Camelot, but Guinevere is there to provide magical protection since Merlin cannot. The more we learn about Guinevere, the more we realize that she is more of a mystery to herself than she should be, and it turns out that the deception isn't her's, but Merlin's and Arthur's. 

This was a little slow on the plot, but I enjoyed the twist on the Guinevere story. White wrote this so that Guinevere could finally have agency within her own story, which I appreciate, but she was a little more damsel in distress than I would have liked. I enjoyed her friendship with Brangien  (who gets to be a lesbian!) and the little bits of magic we see. It was a bit hard to get attached to her friendship with Mordred, because if you know anything about Arthurian legend, you know Mordred will betray Arthur at some point. We do get a female (gender non-conforming?) Sir Lancelot! I loved this development so much, and I can't wait to see more from her in the next book. 

I love that this story really focuses on the man versus nature trope, but makes it a bit more gray. On the one hand, you want our heroes to succeed and defeat the chaos, but on the other you can also understand the urge to let nature's chaos take hold and reclaim what man has destroyed. We see Guinevere struggle with this as well. I'm pretty sure I know what is going on with her missing memory and why, but I'm excited for it to be confirmed! 

Definitely looking forward to book two! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

_lovebug_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

i got bored n made both a pinterest board and a playlist
unrequited love do be hitting
I like how she took the tale and twisted it turned it upside down a little
Overall felt kinda flat doe
LANCELOT GOES SO HARD YES LOVE THEM


https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4M2IVsPAoqrZn7wGO33KMc?si=xhLlASHWSqqxFBtqU9Pzzg

ladytiara's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

The Guinevere Deception is an Arthurian retelling that puts the emphasis on Arthur's queen. I love the Arthurian legends, but they do tend to be a bit male-centric, so I'm a fan of retellings that focus on the female characters.

Guinevere is an imposter. The real princess died, and the false Guinevere is a shadowy creature, the daughter of King Arthur's magician Merlin. The kingdom of Camelot has forbidden the use of magic, and Merlin has been banished by Arthur (although he did it unwillingly). Now, with Arthur's agreement, Merlin sends Guinevere to Camelot to become Arthur's bride and to protect him from forces that threaten the kingdom.

Guinevere is something of an unreliable narrator. She knows that she is Merlin's daughter and that she learned her magic from him, but there are many details of her past that she doesn't remember, including the identity of her mother. She embraces her role as Arthur's magical protector, and the two develop a tentative bond, even though the marriage is in name only.

Part of the fun of an Arthurian retelling is seeing how an author interprets the original tales. This version has all the original characters, including Tristan, Lancelot, Mordred, and Gawain, but there are also a couple of rather minor female characters from the legends who are given larger roles here. The author does some really interesting things with Mordred, who is usually a rather cardboard villain. Here, he's a much more nuanced character.

White is a skillful writer who breathes new life into a well-known story. The Guinevere Deception is an engaging read, and I'm excited to see where the story goes in the next book (it's going to be a trilogy).

I received an ARC from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

distant_ships's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Before reading: A King Arthur retelling, yes please!!!!
After reading: I need Book 2 now please and thank you.

erioost's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

2.5

nyeran's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

 “There was good, and there was evil, but there was so much space between the two.

♠ Ad un certo punto ho smesso di contare quante volte Ginevra si ripete e ci ripete quanto Artù sia nu brav guaglione, però lui non la guarda in quel modo, il suo unico interesse è Camelot e non sarà mai lei, lui è vergine anche se non ha senso che lo sia, e lei non dovrebbe volere queste cose da lui perché è li solo per proteggerlo dalla magia ma evidentemente se lo dimentica e deve ricordarselo e ricordarcelo. Indicativamente un volta ogni capitolo. E questo suo continuo decantarne le virtù non fa altro che renderlo un personaggio finto, talmente perfetto da essere noioso al punto che io veramente speravo che alla fine saltasse fuori che lui tramasse qualcosa almeno per dare una scossa al personaggio ma niente, scialbo fino alla fine.

♠ Il problema grosso in realtà è che non capiamo perché la storia non va avanti. Ginevra rimane a brancolare nel buio per gran parte del libro e non capiamo perché ci mette così tanto a capire le cose. Cose palesi, informazioni sbattute in faccia a lei, e a noi, ma che vengono ignorate. All'inizio mette in sicurezza ogni porta del castello, la mattina dopo trova davanti ad ogni porta un ammasso di insetti morti, prova a toccarne uno e questo si disintegra diventando polvere. E lei non fa un pensiero su questa cosa, dice solo bizzarro. Certo che lo è ma fatti delle domande, perché tutti questi insetti? Perché sono tutti morti e se li tocco diventano polvere? È bizzarro, no!?
Ad un certo punto si rende conto di avere dei chiari problemi con la sua memoria, non ricorda cose che dovrebbe ricordare, non sa cose che dovrebbe sapere, tipo che le persone cambiano i denti, o cosa sia il ciclo mestruale, e ci viene letteralmente sbattuto in faccia il fatto che Merlino ha chiaramente fatto qualcosa alla sua testa. E questa cosa non è che noi lettori la sappiamo tramite un altro pov, è lei che lo pensa e lo ricorda e noi sappiamo quello che sa lei, e anche qui non si capisce perché questa cosa venga lasciata li così. Lei, di nuovo, non si chiede come sia possibile che non ricordi/sappia queste cose. Non si spiega tutto questo tempo che lei ci mette a sospettare qualcosa. 

♠ A quanto pare Camelot e la magia non possono convivere (cit.), non si capisce perché sopratutto considerando che la magia è odiata da tutti ma tu hai il culo sul trono grazie ad essa. C'hai una spada magica e la signora del lago ti ha aiutato ma tu vai bene, la gente ti ama, tutti gli altri affanculo. Non verrà mai spiegato come i soldati capiscano chi fa uso di magia considerando che non sanno cosa cercare, evidentemente devono coglierli nel fatto perché Ginevra usa la magia nel castello e nessuno si accorge di niente. L'ipocrisia poi di questo qui, meno male che almeno alla fine Mordredgli dice guarda che Camelot e la magia non possono convivere però per proteggere te arriva una strega che può usare liberamente la magia nella città e per lei il discorso non vale, perché Artù è più importante dei poracci e le sue regole valgono per tutti tranne che per lui. A ipocrita!

♠ Standing-ovation per Rosalyn (??) perché a quanto pare tutti sanno che la sua famiglia pratica la magia e lei non è che fa la vaga, cerca di tenere un profilo basso, no va in giro per la città con i sassi magici in borsa che chiunque potrebbe rubarle, cosa che succede. La sua cattura non verrà mai spiegata, verrà solo detto che lei ha fatto magie per guarire la nipote, non sapremo mai quali magie, ne come, quando, se l'hanno vista o qualcuno ha fatto la spia. La vaghezza.

♠ Mi deve essere sfuggita la personalità forte di Ginevra, forse in una delle scene dove qualche uomo la scorta, la protegge, la salva, la prende in braccio (due volte nelle prime 30 pagine).
Io poi non posso aspettare di toccare l'85% del libro per vedere succedere qualcosa con il villain e nel frattempo questa se n'è stata a passeggiare come se non c'avesse un solo pensiero. Per tutto il tempo non si ha mai la sensazione che qualcosa stia per accadere, è tutto blando e noioso e leggi solo perché speri che accada qualcosa e questo qualcosa accade ma nelle ultime 30 pagine ed è pure telefonato. Mi ero rotta i coglioni da un pezzo. 

chanelletime's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

anotherstoryreader's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl on the cusp of womanhood. This particular girl had never before felt the power she held by existing in a space of men, but today, surrounded by them, it radiated from here. I am untouchable. They revolves around her as though she were the earth, and they the adoring but distant sun and moon and stars.
Epic Beginning..intriguing story.. let down ending.

allisonh59's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0