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elfbread's review against another edition
1.0
I've been wanting to read some of [a:Kiersten White|3027554|Kiersten White|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1254205920p2/3027554.jpg]'s novels (I picked up [b:And I Darken|27190613|And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1)|Kiersten White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449153532l/27190613._SY75_.jpg|41682914] from my library a few months ago but the loan expired before I could read it...). Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for this ARC.
While I do love fantasy and medieval history, I have to admit that I'm not super familiar with Arthurian legend. That was probably not a good thing with this book; I felt like it dropped me right in the middle of things and assumed I was pretty familiar with the setting and characters. I actually had to double check to make sure this was part one of the series, just to be sure.
The flow of this book was all over the place. There was minimal introduction to anything and so much random information and references. In one chapter, the characters go to multiple places and have multiple confrontations, with each being only a paragraph or two long. The writing style seemed a little simple; there were just a lot of short sentences with very little variety. The dialogue and descriptions were very stiff and formal, making the character's not feel "real".
Most of the characters were lackluster. Arthur had no personality whatsoever. Guinevere is a classic Mary Sue and for some reason, all the males in this book absolutely adored her and think she's the greatest thing to ever come to Camelot. As a character, she is very very weak. I also found it so frustrating how she jumps to so many conclusions with little to no evidence. Mordred was an interesting character and was the only one who had any depth.
I hate to admit that I was forced to skim a pretty large portion of this book. I got to about 50% and really started to struggle. I'm just sad that this one didn't deliver, as I had really high expectations and was so excited to read it.
Overall, 1.5 stars.
While I do love fantasy and medieval history, I have to admit that I'm not super familiar with Arthurian legend. That was probably not a good thing with this book; I felt like it dropped me right in the middle of things and assumed I was pretty familiar with the setting and characters. I actually had to double check to make sure this was part one of the series, just to be sure.
The flow of this book was all over the place. There was minimal introduction to anything and so much random information and references. In one chapter, the characters go to multiple places and have multiple confrontations, with each being only a paragraph or two long. The writing style seemed a little simple; there were just a lot of short sentences with very little variety. The dialogue and descriptions were very stiff and formal, making the character's not feel "real".
Most of the characters were lackluster. Arthur had no personality whatsoever. Guinevere is a classic Mary Sue and for some reason, all the males in this book absolutely adored her and think she's the greatest thing to ever come to Camelot. As a character, she is very very weak. I also found it so frustrating how she jumps to so many conclusions with little to no evidence. Mordred was an interesting character and was the only one who had any depth.
I hate to admit that I was forced to skim a pretty large portion of this book. I got to about 50% and really started to struggle. I'm just sad that this one didn't deliver, as I had really high expectations and was so excited to read it.
Overall, 1.5 stars.
bibliobrandie's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this retelling of King Arthur and Guinevere. I especially liked the supporting cast of character and loved the gender bending character. It was a little slow in parts but that didn't bother me. Two of my favorite movies as a child were "Camelot" and Disney's "The Sword in the Stone" and I think I will watch them now. Read for MSBA.
mels_reading_rook's review against another edition
2.0
The Guinevere Deception is a retelling of the King Arthur legend with a twist: Queen Guinevere is not who she says she is - she is a changeling.
I was interested to see the changes such a twist would bring to the story, but unfortunately, it turned out to be very lackluster for me. The main character did not feel like she had a complete personality. The plot moved along because things happened to her or around her, not often because she went out searching for it. Every few chapters, Guinevere even appeared to have some crisis or earth-shattering realization of sorts, and it was starting to give me whiplash with how often it happened.
I also didn't feel very invested in the side characters either, as many appeared to serve a specific purpose to me and were not very compelling on their own. For example, Dindrane, an aristocrat of Camelot, became Guinevere's friend due to her sheer niceness, despite insulting her during their first meeting. And then there's Kind Arthur himself. It seemed he was only there because he had to be; he had no meaningful impact on the story - especially in a way that made him stand out as King Arthur - and he barely had any chemistry with Guinevere the few times he actually interacted with her.
Speaking of the on-page chemistry, that leads me to my final gripe of the book. While Guinevere and Arthur had no chemistry, she and Mordred definitely did. I had no problem with that, and in fact, it was probably intentional with the direction the story went in. However (I will be talking about the ending from hereon out)
A couple minor issues now: a female character that shows up later in the story did not feel natural, giving the second half of the story a "forced female representation" vibe for me. That issue was also coupled with the inclusion of a lesbian couple, which was handled partly off-screen. The plot was a bit too meandering for my taste, an extension of the problem with Guinevere not moving the story along in a meaningful way. Finally, the atmosphere gave me more of a general-fantasy feeling than an Arthurian-fantasy.
Overall, I feel that if the story wasn't restricted by being a retelling of the legend of King Arthur, it could have been so much better. Unfortunately, it seems to suffer under its premise, which I think may be the crux of many of its problems.
I was interested to see the changes such a twist would bring to the story, but unfortunately, it turned out to be very lackluster for me. The main character did not feel like she had a complete personality. The plot moved along because things happened to her or around her, not often because she went out searching for it. Every few chapters, Guinevere even appeared to have some crisis or earth-shattering realization of sorts, and it was starting to give me whiplash with how often it happened.
I also didn't feel very invested in the side characters either, as many appeared to serve a specific purpose to me and were not very compelling on their own. For example, Dindrane, an aristocrat of Camelot, became Guinevere's friend due to her sheer niceness, despite insulting her during their first meeting. And then there's Kind Arthur himself. It seemed he was only there because he had to be; he had no meaningful impact on the story - especially in a way that made him stand out as King Arthur - and he barely had any chemistry with Guinevere the few times he actually interacted with her.
Speaking of the on-page chemistry, that leads me to my final gripe of the book. While Guinevere and Arthur had no chemistry, she and Mordred definitely did. I had no problem with that, and in fact, it was probably intentional with the direction the story went in. However (I will be talking about the ending from hereon out)
Spoiler
the payoff for the tension between them fell flat on its face. When faced with the decision of going with Mordred (who pays attention to her and accepts her as she is) or King Arthur (who did a handful of nice things for her but otherwise seemingly brushed her away) she decides on the person who didn't really do anything for her.A couple minor issues now: a female character that shows up later in the story did not feel natural, giving the second half of the story a "forced female representation" vibe for me. That issue was also coupled with the inclusion of a lesbian couple, which was handled partly off-screen. The plot was a bit too meandering for my taste, an extension of the problem with Guinevere not moving the story along in a meaningful way. Finally, the atmosphere gave me more of a general-fantasy feeling than an Arthurian-fantasy.
Overall, I feel that if the story wasn't restricted by being a retelling of the legend of King Arthur, it could have been so much better. Unfortunately, it seems to suffer under its premise, which I think may be the crux of many of its problems.
melinda_and_her_books's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed the start of this book but as things progressed it got a little weird. I was interested in the story the whole way through but it just started to get less interesting towards the last part of it. I will still read the next book because I want to find out the rest of the story.
Second time... and the audiobook made it even better. Ready for the second book.
Second time... and the audiobook made it even better. Ready for the second book.
brittanybwrites's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bickleyhouse's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Yet another book I discovered while shelving at my library, The Guinevere Deception is a retelling of a portion of the Arthurian legends. We begin with Guinevere being escorted from the convent where she has been living, to Camelot, where she will be married to King Arthur. Included in her escort is Mordred, nephew to the King.
Note the word "deception" in the title. At the outset, it becomes quickly apparent that the deception has to do with the fact that Guinevere isn't who she appears to be. In fact, the real Guinevere is dead and this girl is a replacement. This is not really a "spoiler," as this piece of the plot is revealed in the early stages and is even included in the cover flap information.
While the book was a little slow getting started, the pace picks up, as well as the excitement and intensity, as the book progresses. I really enjoyed Ms. White's writing and character development. What I also enjoyed were at least two different plot twists along the way, and the revelation, at one point, that the replacement Guinevere wasn't the only deception involved in this story. Later in the book, there is a "double deception," and then, close to the end, even another plot twist.
I really like a book where the buildup toward the end keeps me reading. The last third of the book was "unputdownable," and I couldn't wait to finish it last night. Oh, and there is yet another twist regarding the character of Lancelot. I really, really like what the author did with Lancelot's character. That was great fun!
She also puts mystery into the tale almost immediately. On page three, as Guinevere and company are making their way to Camelot, the ride through a forest. The problem is, that forest wasn't there when they came that way the first time. We get an early indication of the mystery surrounding "Guinevere," as well, on page 13 when a line says, "If only it were actually her name." And then, two pages later, it says, "She had never seen a child before," when Guinevere sees children in Camelot. This speaks even more of her "upbringing." Who, or what, is Guinevere? Part of that mystery will be revealed as the reader continues in the story.
Ms. White brings mystery and unique imagination to the Arthurian legends, and I love it. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of all things Arthur, as long as you aren't afraid of some imaginative shifts.
Note the word "deception" in the title. At the outset, it becomes quickly apparent that the deception has to do with the fact that Guinevere isn't who she appears to be. In fact, the real Guinevere is dead and this girl is a replacement. This is not really a "spoiler," as this piece of the plot is revealed in the early stages and is even included in the cover flap information.
While the book was a little slow getting started, the pace picks up, as well as the excitement and intensity, as the book progresses. I really enjoyed Ms. White's writing and character development. What I also enjoyed were at least two different plot twists along the way, and the revelation, at one point, that the replacement Guinevere wasn't the only deception involved in this story. Later in the book, there is a "double deception," and then, close to the end, even another plot twist.
I really like a book where the buildup toward the end keeps me reading. The last third of the book was "unputdownable," and I couldn't wait to finish it last night. Oh, and there is yet another twist regarding the character of Lancelot. I really, really like what the author did with Lancelot's character. That was great fun!
She also puts mystery into the tale almost immediately. On page three, as Guinevere and company are making their way to Camelot, the ride through a forest. The problem is, that forest wasn't there when they came that way the first time. We get an early indication of the mystery surrounding "Guinevere," as well, on page 13 when a line says, "If only it were actually her name." And then, two pages later, it says, "She had never seen a child before," when Guinevere sees children in Camelot. This speaks even more of her "upbringing." Who, or what, is Guinevere? Part of that mystery will be revealed as the reader continues in the story.
Ms. White brings mystery and unique imagination to the Arthurian legends, and I love it. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of all things Arthur, as long as you aren't afraid of some imaginative shifts.
bookworm2828's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
dembury's review against another edition
4.0
Full review on my blog here: https://thedeborahembury.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/the-guinevere-deception-by-kiersten-white-book-review/
This is definitely a series I'm going to be continuing!
This is definitely a series I'm going to be continuing!