The Guinevere Deception was such a stunning read, rending the legend of Arthur back to life through the eyes of Guinevere herself. Never have I been more mesmerised by the way Kiersten White wove her words together and readers will fall in love with each and every character they encounter, even the villains. It’s a special quality that Kiersten has, loving our tenderly vicious villains. In any case, let’s get on with this review!
In this story, we meet Guinevere who is on her way to Camelot to marry King Arthur, but not all is as it seems. In this tale, our dear Guinevere is a changeling, a young woman whose true identity is a secret, and her marriage to Arthur is one to protect Camelot, in Merlin’s absence. Guinevere must learn to navigate the dealings of the court, especially in one that has so fervently abandoned magic, and find balance between peace and chaos. There’s deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and of course, forbidden romances. However, the greatest threat of all is the young woman whose true name is a secret.
When I first read the summary of this book, I delighted in what I would find between the pages of this book, and dear reader, I was not disappointed. Not only was Guinevere such a dynamic character, but she’s not the damsel in distress that we expect. Quite the opposite in fact. Though her entire life is shrouded in secrets, even ones she doesn’t understand, I loved how Kiersten navigated each facet of Guinevere. Not only that, but it extended outside of Guinevere as Brangien and Dindrane were just as formidable female characters. Of course, Arthur is also wonderfully written and so are a couple of other characters that shall remain nameless because of spoilers! What I will say is that this is one of the few stories where I’ve loved most every character I’ve met, and I truly wished to have more time with them despite getting to spend over 300 pages with our character cast.
My favourite part of this story was the romances. They’re tender and sweet, and full of this swelling passion. The stolen glances, burning touches, and closeness of faces. Gah, the sweet agony of reading it all. Also, the relationships aren’t instant love or anything like that. They’re cultivated carefully and tended with care and the reader in me is screaming for them to bloom in book two. The friendships in this story are also wonderful, especially that between Guinevere and Brangien. It’s rooted in mutual respect and helps establish trust between them. Their interactions, as well as Guinevere’s interactions with Dindrane are what I wish we could see more often in YA literature.
The story has a lyrical quality to it that I can’t quite explain, only that it flowed along so well that I couldn’t put it down. Though the story possesses the tendrils of darkness that are hoping to through Camelot into chaos, there’s definitely an overall tone of hope. However, this is just the beginning, it’s part of a trilogy after all. The story is told in a couple of perspectives, Guinevere’s and [redacted for spoiler]. The second perspective is so much more vexing, because you want to get close and find out the secrets they’re hiding. I can’t wait to see what other readers think of this dynamic.
I really wanted to continue the journey into this trilogy, because you’ll have SO MANY QUESTIONS! While it’s one of the downsides of getting to read the book before it comes out, let me tell you, I can’t find anything to complain about. This story has laid out a solid foundation to continue, and Guinevere is a formidable young woman. I’m so excited to find out more about her in the next book. Do yourself a favour and add this to your TBR list, especially if you love Arthurian legend retellings/re-imaginings.
My rating for this book is a 10/10, and I don’t have enough adjectives to describe how much I adored this story. I feel like I’m beating a dead horse, but Guinevere is so wonderful. Her origins are enigmatic, and I’m a big fan of a story that raises more questions before it starts answering any. Some might find those types of stories frustrating, but I live for theorising how a story could go. It keeps me going until the next book comes out. I can’t wait for others to read this story, I’d love to know what other readers think of Guinevere.
The Guinevere Deception is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of November 5th 2019.
Will you be picking up The Guinevere Deception? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes a new fantasy series reimagining the Arthurian legend, set in the magical world of Camelot.
There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.
Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution–send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere’s real name–and her true identity–is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.
To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old–including Arthur’s own family–demand things continue as they have been, and the new–those drawn by the dream of Camelot–fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur’s knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.
Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?
2 Comments