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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm just familiar enough with Arthurian Legend to question things as I was reading. I think it made the twists and turns more enjoyable as I checked what I was reading against what I already know. In just the first chapter or two it challenges what's commonly known about Queen Guinevere in a way that compels a reader to devour the book looking for answers. This particular take is refreshing and while made for a modern audience, still feels loyal to the source material.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Self harm, Kidnapping
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I can't say how excited I was to read a King Arthur retelling with Guinevere at the forefront. And by Kiersten White! The Guinevere Deception set up the rest of the series nicely, I'm still looking forward to it. However, for as much as I usually love Kiersten White's writing, this one fell a little flat. A lot of build up kept me on my toes, but it took until the last chapter before much of anything happened, or was even adequately explained - I'm still waiting to understand how Guinevere's knot magic purportedly works.
That all being said, the ending was the perfect prequel to further action (that I craved) and there were a number of characters who captured my interest like Lancelot and Brangien.
That all being said, the ending was the perfect prequel to further action (that I craved) and there were a number of characters who captured my interest like Lancelot and Brangien.
Retellings are my Achilles' heel, especially Arthurian Legends and Robin Hood and Greek mythology.
Maybe my standards/expectations were too high, but this was disappointing.
The magic system was very interesting and new and there were some implied LGBTQ+ elements that I liked very much, as well as Kiersten White's writing style which is always easy to read, but there was not much else.
The plot itself had potential but the twists or surprises weren't shocking at all, which wouldn't have been too bad if I liked Guinevere. She also seemed to fall in love so fast and for no reason.
Overall, it's a good book with an absolutely gorgeous cover, but it didn't live up to its potential.
Maybe my standards/expectations were too high, but this was disappointing.
The magic system was very interesting and new and there were some implied LGBTQ+ elements that I liked very much, as well as Kiersten White's writing style which is always easy to read, but there was not much else.
The plot itself had potential but the twists or surprises weren't shocking at all, which wouldn't have been too bad if I liked Guinevere.
Spoiler
She made assumptions constantly who was evil with not even the hint of evidence or an inkling of doubt she might be wrong.Overall, it's a good book with an absolutely gorgeous cover, but it didn't live up to its potential.
Spoiler
I'm also kind of salty about Mordred being "evil".
This is the first in a three book series that retells the story of Camelot from the perspective of Guinevere, and it was FANTASTIC! You don't even have to know all the details of the story of Arthur and Merlin and Camelot to appreciate this book, just a general knowledge, it's THAT amazing! I can't wait for the sequel!
I really enjoyed The Guinevere Deception! One, it's Kiersten White, and I love her, and two, she did a King Arthur re-telling. How could I not like this book?
I really liked Guinevere. She's pretty awesome, and even though I'm not super-familiar with all of the King Arthur stories, I have a vague sense of the characters and the story. I loved the idea of Guinevere as a changeling, and seeing her navigate Camelot and water was a pretty different but cool take on the story.
White really made the story her own- Guinevere as protector of Arthur against magic, what she did with Lancelot and the appearance of Brangien and Tristan from the Tristan and Isolde story...it's a really cool re-telling.
Seeing Guinevere on her journey was one of my favorite things about the book. She had a lot to figure out, and I loved taking that journey with her. Things weren't what she thought they were, but if there's anyone who can keep Arthur and Camelot safe, it's her. There's a lot of gaps in time for her, and I hope she's able to get those memories back. I don't know if she will, but she did the best she could with the information she had.
Things between Arthur and Guinevere got my attention. They're definitely friends, and even though they're married, I can't help but wonder if they'll move past the friends stage into something more. Honestly, I thought there might have been something between her and Mordred, which would have been a little weird because Arthur is his uncle. I know Arthur and Guinevere are fake married and all, but still.
I liked Lancelot, and I can't wait to see how things go as a knight for Lancelot. Lancelot was not who I expected them to be, though I liked seeing Lancelot fight, and go through the tournament. I think Lancelot will be a great knight, and friend, for Guinevere.
There's a lot to like about this book, and it's hard to talk about it because I don't want to spoil anything. There are some interesting twists and turns, and I want to know what happens next!
My Rating: 4 stars. I really liked this take on King Arthur, and Guinevere is a great character! I loved going on this journey with her.
I really liked Guinevere. She's pretty awesome, and even though I'm not super-familiar with all of the King Arthur stories, I have a vague sense of the characters and the story. I loved the idea of Guinevere as a changeling, and seeing her navigate Camelot and water was a pretty different but cool take on the story.
White really made the story her own- Guinevere as protector of Arthur against magic, what she did with Lancelot and the appearance of Brangien and Tristan from the Tristan and Isolde story...it's a really cool re-telling.
Seeing Guinevere on her journey was one of my favorite things about the book. She had a lot to figure out, and I loved taking that journey with her. Things weren't what she thought they were, but if there's anyone who can keep Arthur and Camelot safe, it's her. There's a lot of gaps in time for her, and I hope she's able to get those memories back. I don't know if she will, but she did the best she could with the information she had.
Things between Arthur and Guinevere got my attention. They're definitely friends, and even though they're married, I can't help but wonder if they'll move past the friends stage into something more. Honestly, I thought there might have been something between her and Mordred, which would have been a little weird because Arthur is his uncle. I know Arthur and Guinevere are fake married and all, but still.
I liked Lancelot, and I can't wait to see how things go as a knight for Lancelot. Lancelot was not who I expected them to be, though I liked seeing Lancelot fight, and go through the tournament. I think Lancelot will be a great knight, and friend, for Guinevere.
There's a lot to like about this book, and it's hard to talk about it because I don't want to spoil anything. There are some interesting twists and turns, and I want to know what happens next!
My Rating: 4 stars. I really liked this take on King Arthur, and Guinevere is a great character! I loved going on this journey with her.
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun spin on Camelot and its characters. The story follows a changeling Guinevere, who is tasked with protecting King Arthur under the guise of marriage. However, with magic forbidden and a dark threat lurking in the shadows, our heroine must rely on her wit and cunning to survive.
While I’d recommend this to anyone interested in Arthurian retellings or magical fantasies, be aware that the story takes its time building up, with the pacing picking up mainly toward the end.
While I’d recommend this to anyone interested in Arthurian retellings or magical fantasies, be aware that the story takes its time building up, with the pacing picking up mainly toward the end.
Debo decir que el libro es bastante "lento", pero igualmente es entretenido.
Sentí varías escenas como que estuvieran "demás", y lo reaaaalmente importante estuvo en las últimas 100 páginas, sin embargo, dejando eso de largo el libro es bastante entretenido, creo que la historia del Rey Arturo es un toque muy interesante y la protagonista ,me cayó bien.
La mayoría de los eventos son predecibles pero creo que igual tiene algunos elementos sorpresa que estoy esperando a que sean revelados en los próximos libros.
El instalove de la historia me causa un poco de ?? pero creo que se podría explicar en el futuro (espero).
Planeo leer el resto de los libros, sin embargo no es como que mueeeera por seguir, supongo que llegará cuando llegará.
Sentí varías escenas como que estuvieran "demás", y lo reaaaalmente importante estuvo en las últimas 100 páginas, sin embargo, dejando eso de largo el libro es bastante entretenido, creo que la historia del Rey Arturo es un toque muy interesante y la protagonista ,me cayó bien.
La mayoría de los eventos son predecibles pero creo que igual tiene algunos elementos sorpresa que estoy esperando a que sean revelados en los próximos libros.
El instalove de la historia me causa un poco de ?? pero creo que se podría explicar en el futuro (espero).
Planeo leer el resto de los libros, sin embargo no es como que mueeeera por seguir, supongo que llegará cuando llegará.