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haynoelle96 's review for:
The Guinevere Deception
by Kiersten White
If I was gonna be more specific, I would probably rate this more of a 4.5 star than just a plain 4 star. This book was more than a 4 star, but it didn't quite reach that 5 star point.
I think what I've learned, especially with brand new releases, is to go into them with an open mind. I hadn't really heard anyone's opinion on this book when I decided to read it so the fact that I went into this totally blank really helped me form my own opinion on it without any expectations to like it.
This book is not quite a retelling of the King Arthur myth. I would think of it more as a reimagining because while a lot is the same, there are many elements in this story that are new and completely different than the original story which make it special. This story starts out with Guinevere traveling in order to marry her new husband, King Arthur of Camelot. Although this Guinevere isn't really her. The real Guinevere is dead and she is here to replace her. Not to cause Arthur harm, no. But to protect him from something coming. Something dark building in the forest.
I really enjoyed the characters that Kiersten White created for this story. She took characters that people have known for hundreds of years and made them her own. Guinevere especially, we dive deep into her character and really get to know who she is and what she wants. And I think one of the best parts of this book is that by the end we truly get a glimpse of who Guinevere is, but there's still more to see. There are more facets to her character than usual. The characters that surround her are interesting and fantastically entertaining.
I love the relationships that the author wrote for our main character. There was a very obvious opportunity for girl hate in this novel and none of it was there. I was unexpectedly surprised and pleased by the friendships that were written for her. I also liked that while there was a vague notion of romance in this book, it wasn't the main focus at all which I appreciated. I envision that there will be more of it in the later books in the series, but until then I will be thankful for my vagueness.
The plot was something I had never heard of before and was absolutely fascinating. It was really interesting to read a story about a Queen sent to protect her King instead of the other way around. While the book had its obvious flaws (repetition of various plot points, caricature villains, etc.) it was very well-rounded and created suspense and kept you reading to figure out the rest of the plot. Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book and it's from the beginning when discussing Guinevere's role in the kingdom:
"' Only Guinevere? Nothing else? I know the power of true names.' His word hit her with two meanings. Names that were titles gave power among men. True names gave power among the things that came before men. She focused on the torch to make her voice cheery, like it. 'Guinevere, when spoken by you, has power enough.'"
There were also a couple of LGBT elements in the story. The diversity in this novel really made it special and is something that should be noted.
Overall, I really liked this story. I love the story of King Arthur and this really brought it to another level. Happy Reading everyone!!
I think what I've learned, especially with brand new releases, is to go into them with an open mind. I hadn't really heard anyone's opinion on this book when I decided to read it so the fact that I went into this totally blank really helped me form my own opinion on it without any expectations to like it.
This book is not quite a retelling of the King Arthur myth. I would think of it more as a reimagining because while a lot is the same, there are many elements in this story that are new and completely different than the original story which make it special. This story starts out with Guinevere traveling in order to marry her new husband, King Arthur of Camelot. Although this Guinevere isn't really her. The real Guinevere is dead and she is here to replace her. Not to cause Arthur harm, no. But to protect him from something coming. Something dark building in the forest.
I really enjoyed the characters that Kiersten White created for this story. She took characters that people have known for hundreds of years and made them her own. Guinevere especially, we dive deep into her character and really get to know who she is and what she wants. And I think one of the best parts of this book is that by the end we truly get a glimpse of who Guinevere is, but there's still more to see. There are more facets to her character than usual. The characters that surround her are interesting and fantastically entertaining.
I love the relationships that the author wrote for our main character. There was a very obvious opportunity for girl hate in this novel and none of it was there. I was unexpectedly surprised and pleased by the friendships that were written for her. I also liked that while there was a vague notion of romance in this book, it wasn't the main focus at all which I appreciated. I envision that there will be more of it in the later books in the series, but until then I will be thankful for my vagueness.
The plot was something I had never heard of before and was absolutely fascinating. It was really interesting to read a story about a Queen sent to protect her King instead of the other way around. While the book had its obvious flaws (repetition of various plot points, caricature villains, etc.) it was very well-rounded and created suspense and kept you reading to figure out the rest of the plot. Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book and it's from the beginning when discussing Guinevere's role in the kingdom:
"' Only Guinevere? Nothing else? I know the power of true names.' His word hit her with two meanings. Names that were titles gave power among men. True names gave power among the things that came before men. She focused on the torch to make her voice cheery, like it. 'Guinevere, when spoken by you, has power enough.'"
There were also a couple of LGBT elements in the story. The diversity in this novel really made it special and is something that should be noted.
Overall, I really liked this story. I love the story of King Arthur and this really brought it to another level. Happy Reading everyone!!