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A review by ladytiara
The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White
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.
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.