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muryan83 's review for:
The Guinevere Deception
by Kiersten White
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
TL;DR: A retelling that forgets to enchant. Flat characters, slow pacing, and a plot that hides too much too long. The ending was engaging, but it’s not enough to save the whole tale.
Full Review:
I usually enjoy stories based on Arthurian mythology. I mean... swords, secrets, sorcery? I’m in. But The Guinevere Deception felt like a retelling that forgot to cast its spell.
From the start, the premise had promise: a witch sent by Merlin to protect Arthur? Yes, please. But the execution... Not quite. The story drags, holding back its cards for so long that suspense turns into indifference. I kept waiting for the hook, that “a-ha!” moment, but Guinevere mostly just wandered. Her mission was too vague, the stakes too soft, and the pacing too slow to spark real investment.
And the characters were bland across the board. I couldn’t connect with Guinevere, and Arthur, supposedly the central figure, barely left an impression. Mordred was somewhat intriguing. The dialogue, which sometimes felt anachronistic, didn’t help either; I couldn’t shake the feeling that the setting wasn’t anchored in any real time or place.
The ending finally brought energy and drama. The kind of urgency and surprise I’d been craving all along. But after slogging through so much buildup, it felt like a last-minute apology I wasn’t invested in accepting.
I won’t be continuing the series, but I’m not mad I gave it a shot. Just a little disappointed it didn’t live up to its magical roots.
Full Review:
I usually enjoy stories based on Arthurian mythology. I mean... swords, secrets, sorcery? I’m in. But The Guinevere Deception felt like a retelling that forgot to cast its spell.
From the start, the premise had promise: a witch sent by Merlin to protect Arthur? Yes, please. But the execution... Not quite. The story drags, holding back its cards for so long that suspense turns into indifference. I kept waiting for the hook, that “a-ha!” moment, but Guinevere mostly just wandered. Her mission was too vague, the stakes too soft, and the pacing too slow to spark real investment.
And the characters were bland across the board. I couldn’t connect with Guinevere, and Arthur, supposedly the central figure, barely left an impression. Mordred was somewhat intriguing. The dialogue, which sometimes felt anachronistic, didn’t help either; I couldn’t shake the feeling that the setting wasn’t anchored in any real time or place.
The ending finally brought energy and drama. The kind of urgency and surprise I’d been craving all along. But after slogging through so much buildup, it felt like a last-minute apology I wasn’t invested in accepting.
I won’t be continuing the series, but I’m not mad I gave it a shot. Just a little disappointed it didn’t live up to its magical roots.