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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Kiersten white writes the books my heart craves for. While not as dark as her previous books I am so excited to read the rest of the series.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Warning: This review contains spoilers
I just finished my finals and I was hanging around my local bookstore and I saw that cover. Let me tell you that cover is everything! I'm not feeling guilty of saying I bought that book because of that cover. But when I read the synopsis of the book I was caught off guard. It was a retelling of the Arthurian legend.
Let me tell you something.
I never read anything about King Arthur. I don't know the true story of King Arthur and I didn't even watch the series Merlin before. I knew nothing about King Arthur except for Saber from fate/stay night (if you considered that as a retelling of the Arthurian legend). So, I'm telling the truth when I said that I went into this book knowing nothing at all.
PLOT
Guinevere was sent to marry King Arthur. But she wasn’t the actual Guinevere but a changeling to protect Arthur when Merlin was sent away. Merlin was banished from the kingdom because Camelot is a kingdom free from magic and whoever was found practicing magic will get banishment. However, Guinevere is no princess she holds a dark secret; she is a witch and Merlin’s daughter. What will the people in the kingdom say if they found out that their queen is a witch?
If that didn’t get you hooked I don’t know what to say. The beginning of the book can be very slow-pacing but once you get through that things started to get better.
WRITING
I really enjoyed Kiersten White’s writing. It felt so magically but at the same time very easy to read. Certain characters were gender-swapped and it also included some LGBT elements too.
CHARACTERS
King Arthur:
Although I really like his character I do have to agree that his character wasn’t as developed. All we know that he was the greatest, a caring king and everyone in the kingdom loves him dearly. Most of the time he was not around. He constantly had a meeting or needed to leave the kingdom. So there wasn’t a lot of chance to know his character. It also got on my nerves to see him constantly leaving his new bride alone. But hey maybe that is something both of them will work out in the next book. Well, this is the first book in the series so I’m sure we got lots more chances to explore his character.
Guinevere:
I really like her but I do hope she will be stronger in the next book. It seems like the author is trying to make feminism part of the plot but to me, I don’t feel it there for Guinevere. Yes, she is a brave, independent character and working endlessly to make sure Camelot is under her protection but also in a lot of situation people needs to keep running to save her butt. I don’t know, was it intended to make her pure or innocent or was it Merlin’s fault (she lost a huge chunk of memories due to him) that she doesn’t seem to understand the outside world. For example, she doesn’t know that children will lose their baby teeth and she doesn’t know about the period. Now that part I found it pretty funny because in “The Gentleman's Guide to vice and virtue” I was questioning how female characters deal with the period and here I read about how Guinevere managed her first period. LOL. It wasn’t explained why she doesn’t know all these but at least she is a character with a good heart, she is also finding herself and I really like that about her. She is not strongest but at least she is trying and she got a kind heart and that’s enough for me.
Mordred:
Oh, man, I knew something was off about him but still I have come to love him so much. I was shocked by the twist and I can’t wait to see what he is going to do in the next book. His chemistry with Guinevere was definitely there. King Arthur, maybe you should learn some tactics from Mordred or else by the end of the series you might lose your bride. Though he ended up as the “villain” it was still comforting to know that there was someone who noticed Guinevere. I’m excited to see his character development in the next book.
Lancelot:
My female knight! Gosh, I love her and her blind mare.
RELATIONSHIPS
I’m holding back on this because there was some love triangle going on here. It was clear that Guinevere felt something for Arthur but Arthur only sees this relationship as an alliance or friendship. Mordred, on the other hand, was a little confusing too. He shows affection towards Guinevere but I don’t know was he being sincerely or was it part of his scheme to get Guinevere on his side.
Other than that, I do felt a queer vibe between Lancelot and Guinevere. How could people not feel that look at this:
But it was a great thing that romance wasn’t the main focused of the entire book, so that’s a plus point from me.
DOWNSIDE
Though I enjoyed reading this book, some parts got me confused. Those magical knots that Guinevere kept tying as a magical barrier were really confusing and bland in my opinion. Seriously tying knots? And how does tying knots make her felt so tired? I don’t know if it was explained, but I still don’t get why Guinevere was afraid of water.
There are some scenes where I felt kind of out of place, for example, the dragon scene. I love dragon but the dragon scene doesn’t seem to fit here. The scene of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake was a little off too. So many questions, but I guess we will find out in the next book.
Moreover, I appreciate the author’s effort of making the female character strong but that representation was not done quite there yet in my opinion. Rather than telling me why not show me. Although we were told that Guinevere is an independent and brave character but somehow 80% of the book everyone just kept running towards her to save the day. You can’t expect me to agree that Guinevere is a strong character when you don’t prove it to me (hopefully in the next book).
OVERALL
I understand why some readers think that it was boring. I get it but I do think the author was trying to build a good foundation for the series. Hence, the plot was dragging. Indeed, some parts were slow-pacing and unnecessary but still, I do think it was a pretty decent book. Anyway, I really enjoyed my time reading it.
Quotes that I like:
“Keeping secrets is like a thorn beneath the skin. You can get used to it, but it is always there, festering.”
“Her heart broke for him, carrying that alone all these years. And somehow he had taken that pain and forged it into something powerful and sharp. Something to wear as naturally as he wore his crown.”
“The old was buried to give life to the new.”
“My heart ever wants only what it cannot have.”
“Women are strongest when bearing one another’s pain. We each take a little on ourselves. No one dies, and we all heal together.”
I just finished my finals and I was hanging around my local bookstore and I saw that cover. Let me tell you that cover is everything! I'm not feeling guilty of saying I bought that book because of that cover. But when I read the synopsis of the book I was caught off guard. It was a retelling of the Arthurian legend.
Let me tell you something.
I never read anything about King Arthur. I don't know the true story of King Arthur and I didn't even watch the series Merlin before. I knew nothing about King Arthur except for Saber from fate/stay night (if you considered that as a retelling of the Arthurian legend). So, I'm telling the truth when I said that I went into this book knowing nothing at all.
PLOT
Guinevere was sent to marry King Arthur. But she wasn’t the actual Guinevere but a changeling to protect Arthur when Merlin was sent away. Merlin was banished from the kingdom because Camelot is a kingdom free from magic and whoever was found practicing magic will get banishment. However, Guinevere is no princess she holds a dark secret; she is a witch and Merlin’s daughter. What will the people in the kingdom say if they found out that their queen is a witch?
If that didn’t get you hooked I don’t know what to say. The beginning of the book can be very slow-pacing but once you get through that things started to get better.
WRITING
I really enjoyed Kiersten White’s writing. It felt so magically but at the same time very easy to read. Certain characters were gender-swapped and it also included some LGBT elements too.
CHARACTERS
King Arthur:
Although I really like his character I do have to agree that his character wasn’t as developed. All we know that he was the greatest, a caring king and everyone in the kingdom loves him dearly. Most of the time he was not around. He constantly had a meeting or needed to leave the kingdom. So there wasn’t a lot of chance to know his character. It also got on my nerves to see him constantly leaving his new bride alone. But hey maybe that is something both of them will work out in the next book. Well, this is the first book in the series so I’m sure we got lots more chances to explore his character.
Guinevere:
I really like her but I do hope she will be stronger in the next book. It seems like the author is trying to make feminism part of the plot but to me, I don’t feel it there for Guinevere. Yes, she is a brave, independent character and working endlessly to make sure Camelot is under her protection but also in a lot of situation people needs to keep running to save her butt. I don’t know, was it intended to make her pure or innocent or was it Merlin’s fault (she lost a huge chunk of memories due to him) that she doesn’t seem to understand the outside world. For example, she doesn’t know that children will lose their baby teeth and she doesn’t know about the period. Now that part I found it pretty funny because in “The Gentleman's Guide to vice and virtue” I was questioning how female characters deal with the period and here I read about how Guinevere managed her first period. LOL. It wasn’t explained why she doesn’t know all these but at least she is a character with a good heart, she is also finding herself and I really like that about her. She is not strongest but at least she is trying and she got a kind heart and that’s enough for me.
Mordred:
Oh, man, I knew something was off about him but still I have come to love him so much. I was shocked by the twist and I can’t wait to see what he is going to do in the next book. His chemistry with Guinevere was definitely there. King Arthur, maybe you should learn some tactics from Mordred or else by the end of the series you might lose your bride. Though he ended up as the “villain” it was still comforting to know that there was someone who noticed Guinevere. I’m excited to see his character development in the next book.
Lancelot:
My female knight! Gosh, I love her and her blind mare.
RELATIONSHIPS
I’m holding back on this because there was some love triangle going on here. It was clear that Guinevere felt something for Arthur but Arthur only sees this relationship as an alliance or friendship. Mordred, on the other hand, was a little confusing too. He shows affection towards Guinevere but I don’t know was he being sincerely or was it part of his scheme to get Guinevere on his side.
Other than that, I do felt a queer vibe between Lancelot and Guinevere. How could people not feel that look at this:
“Thank you,” Lancelot said. “For everything. I hope the next time we meet in the castle, I will belong here.”
“You already do.” Impulsively, Guinevere leaned over and kissed Lancelot’s cheek. “For luck,” she said, smiling.
Lancelot put a hand against where Guinevere’s lips had been. Grinning, she stood, bowed, and then climbed straight down the side of the castle. Guinevere stayed outside long after, watching and waiting. She could not say for what.
But it was a great thing that romance wasn’t the main focused of the entire book, so that’s a plus point from me.
DOWNSIDE
Though I enjoyed reading this book, some parts got me confused. Those magical knots that Guinevere kept tying as a magical barrier were really confusing and bland in my opinion. Seriously tying knots? And how does tying knots make her felt so tired? I don’t know if it was explained, but I still don’t get why Guinevere was afraid of water.
There are some scenes where I felt kind of out of place, for example, the dragon scene. I love dragon but the dragon scene doesn’t seem to fit here. The scene of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake was a little off too. So many questions, but I guess we will find out in the next book.
Moreover, I appreciate the author’s effort of making the female character strong but that representation was not done quite there yet in my opinion. Rather than telling me why not show me. Although we were told that Guinevere is an independent and brave character but somehow 80% of the book everyone just kept running towards her to save the day. You can’t expect me to agree that Guinevere is a strong character when you don’t prove it to me (hopefully in the next book).
OVERALL
I understand why some readers think that it was boring. I get it but I do think the author was trying to build a good foundation for the series. Hence, the plot was dragging. Indeed, some parts were slow-pacing and unnecessary but still, I do think it was a pretty decent book. Anyway, I really enjoyed my time reading it.
Quotes that I like:
“Keeping secrets is like a thorn beneath the skin. You can get used to it, but it is always there, festering.”
“Her heart broke for him, carrying that alone all these years. And somehow he had taken that pain and forged it into something powerful and sharp. Something to wear as naturally as he wore his crown.”
“The old was buried to give life to the new.”
“My heart ever wants only what it cannot have.”
“Women are strongest when bearing one another’s pain. We each take a little on ourselves. No one dies, and we all heal together.”
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I understand that we should not get all the answers in the first book, but we should get some answers to keep you interested in reading the rest of the series! This book was not the worst, but it wasn't that great either, and so I don't think I'll continue
Everyone is pulling off a deception in this Arthurian retelling featuring a secret witch in the guise of Guinevere sent by Merlin to protect Arthur as his bride.
This subverts a lot of troupes in a predictable manner, yet it is still satisfying and occasionally surprising.
<b>He is like the sun. When he is focused on you, everything is bright and warm. Everything is possible. But the problem with knowing the warmth of the sun is how keenly you feel it's absence when it shines elsewhere. And a king must always shine elsewhere.
</b>
What I liked and disliked was the relationship between Guinevere and Arthur. Most romance in books tends to be focused on the physical and attraction.
Here, we have a more emotional longing. To be seen, understood, to stand by one’s side.
The time period was not portrayed very well. I didn’t get the whole ‘Arthurian Camelot’ vibe I desired. Similarly, the dialogue is modern, perhaps to appeal to the YA audience.
The first half is very slow as we are establishing Guinevere’s doubts, fears, and position as the wife of a King. However, I always appreciate White’s intimate character insights.
I was low-key holding out hope for a sapphic romance between Guinevere and her maid.
Un bon roman mais qui ne m'a pas plus hypé que ça j'ai trouvé le plot génial mais l'histoire n'a pas assez suivi pour moi néanmoins je suis super curieuse de lire la suite !
Beautiful writing and a fresh take on the rise of King Arthur's Camelot. There are so many things to love about this book, but many I can't share for fear of spoiling the surprises that await. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No