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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really didn’t expect to love this and I did! When I got it through one of my subscription boxes, I thought Camelot, hasn’t that been done to death?! But, this was a refreshing new take with lots of new twists. The magical elements were well thought out and easy to grasp without getting too caught up in that to enjoy the story. I liked that it was on the light romance elements but the focus was really on building friendships and trust. Really looking forward to the follow up on this one.
I enjoyed this twist on the Camelot mythology - tackling gender roles, sexual identity and twists on magic. I am definitely looking forward to the next book.
This had so much potential to be one of my favorite Arthurian retellings, but honestly the choices White makes baffle me. One thing that particularly bothered me was dodging some interesting queer interpretations. (Besides Brangien and Isolde) such as including the Green Knight but not capitalising on the queer story it originates from, I just felt like that would be an obvious choice. And in my opinion I'm not a fan of Mulan stories of a woman pretending to be a man to get status, I felt like a trans narrative would have been so much more interesting.
I can tell the author knew her stuff with Arthuriana which I appreciate it. But I'm not a fan of the way she treated it. As a queer Arthurian fan myself.
I can tell the author knew her stuff with Arthuriana which I appreciate it. But I'm not a fan of the way she treated it. As a queer Arthurian fan myself.
"There was good, and there was evil, but there was so much space between the two."
There's something hauntingly beautiful about Kiersten White's writing This story is unlike her recent ones, and we take a step away from the darkness we normally see. We follow Guinevere into the legend of King Arthur, and we're introduced to a beautifully written cast of characters and a re-imaging of the story unlike any I've yet to see. Guinevere isn't Guinevere, she's a changeling. And she's sent by Merlin to protect Arthur from the dark magic inevitably to come after him.
For Guinevere being a character who doesn't quite know who she is, White characterized her wonderfully. And each character has things to love and the interactions between them are captivating.
There was something about this story that was so romantic. This tale isn't a particularly romantic one, but the writing and minimal actions between characters become so swoon-worthy, while not nearly being instantaneous love. There are subtle gestures between characters that hold so much weight and small actions that drew me right in. The writing is so beautifully done that I was truly invested into the slower pace and storytelling of this tale.
One thing I love about retellings is that going into them, I already have an idea what I'm going to get, but I don't know how the author is going to execute it or what liberties they're going to take. I love having an idea but still being surprised with the way things play out, or knowing that one character isn't going to be a good guy, but the writing leaves me falling for them nonetheless.
There were so many passages that took my breath away throughout this book, and I'm sad I don't have more of this story. I can't wait to see where White brings the rest of this story, and knowing I'll be getting more from these wonderful characters.
King Arthur retellings seem to be "in" right now, but no one will be able to top Kiersten White, the queen of retellings.
*ARC received from Penguin Teen Canada for an honest review*
There's something hauntingly beautiful about Kiersten White's writing This story is unlike her recent ones, and we take a step away from the darkness we normally see. We follow Guinevere into the legend of King Arthur, and we're introduced to a beautifully written cast of characters and a re-imaging of the story unlike any I've yet to see. Guinevere isn't Guinevere, she's a changeling. And she's sent by Merlin to protect Arthur from the dark magic inevitably to come after him.
For Guinevere being a character who doesn't quite know who she is, White characterized her wonderfully. And each character has things to love and the interactions between them are captivating.
There was something about this story that was so romantic. This tale isn't a particularly romantic one, but the writing and minimal actions between characters become so swoon-worthy, while not nearly being instantaneous love. There are subtle gestures between characters that hold so much weight and small actions that drew me right in. The writing is so beautifully done that I was truly invested into the slower pace and storytelling of this tale.
One thing I love about retellings is that going into them, I already have an idea what I'm going to get, but I don't know how the author is going to execute it or what liberties they're going to take. I love having an idea but still being surprised with the way things play out, or knowing that one character isn't going to be a good guy, but the writing leaves me falling for them nonetheless.
There were so many passages that took my breath away throughout this book, and I'm sad I don't have more of this story. I can't wait to see where White brings the rest of this story, and knowing I'll be getting more from these wonderful characters.
King Arthur retellings seem to be "in" right now, but no one will be able to top Kiersten White, the queen of retellings.
*ARC received from Penguin Teen Canada for an honest review*
Mordred was the only bright spark in this book and tbh he is too good for Guinevere but i am still bitter about that ending
As soon as I put this book down, all thoughts of it vanished from my head. It was a decent enough read to keep me occupied for a few hours while I was bored, but the main character "Guinevere" (who has close to no defining personality traits or backstory) left very little impact on me. For most of the book, the central conflict is unclear, and all the details surrounding, well everything, are murky. This left me with far more questions than I think it will answer, but I don't care enough about learning the answers to read the next two books in the series.
Though I must say, I found Dindrane rather delightful during her brief appearances.
Though I must say, I found Dindrane rather delightful during her brief appearances.