The Camelot Betrayal: Camelot Rising, Book 2
Common Sense says
- Kiersten White
- Fantasy
- 2020
Parents say
Kids say
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The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Camelot Betrayal is the second book in the Camelot Rising trilogy by Kiersten White, author of the And I Darken trilogy, Illusions of Fate, and The Chaos of Stars. Readers learned in the first book, The Guinevere Deception, about a reimagined queen of Camelot who wields magic and is sent to protect King Arthur and the kingdom. Violence here is mostly of the fantasy variety -- people and wolves are killed by magical fire -- but there are also skirmishes where people die from arrows and one man is run through with a sword. Someone is nearly choked to death and someone else is stripped of all his memories until he is brain dead. A good dragon is also injured and killed. Just like the first book, expect some drinking at celebrations and dinners and some kissing, both straight and LGBTQ+. Guinevere continues to battle with her two roles: magical protector and dutiful queen. Even if she leans toward betrayal and spends much of the book hiding things from Arthur, she does everything she can to keep her friends safe and sacrifices much for them and for Camelot.
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What's the story?
In THE CAMELOT BETRAYAL: CAMELOT RISING, BOOK 2, Guinevere has a strange dream of Camelot where she's seeing the castle through the Lady of the Lake's eyes. She's spooked because she fears the power of the Lady of the Lake and she isn't supposed to have any dreams -- she magically gave them to her maid, Brangien. That's not the only thing that has her spooked. On her rides to secure the land around Camelot from more magical invasions, she finds a patch of the Dark Queen's thorny woods aggressively taking over farmland, wolves set after her, and the duplicitous Mordred waiting for her, claiming that he only wants to help her before he disappears again. But the scariest thing of all in Camelot arrives one day in a frilly dress. It's Princess Guinevach, Guinevere's younger sister. In a panic, Guinevere tries to send her away, but she won't leave. How long before Guinevach reveals that Camelot's beloved queen is an imposter?
Is it any good?
Fantasy fans will enjoy this second trip to Camelot as intrigue builds and relationships get more complicated, but sometimes this world seems as hazy as Guinevere's memory. It doesn't help that The Camelot Deception starts with a half-formed dream of the Lady of the Lake and the Dark Queen. It's too much mystery with too little explanation until much later in the story. Other events also happen with too little build-up, like rescue missions and encounters with Mordred and magical foes. Some of those encounters don't build on the plot of this particular story either. This is one of those sequels where you can easily sort what's setup for the finale.
Still, author Kiersten White will draw readers in with what she always does expertly: digging into complex characters, especially strong women in a world of men (see her fabulous And I Darken series). And the love triangle everyone saw coming -- because it's always been part of Arthurian legend -- is a deliciously tangled mess of emotions and desires. Even if the storytelling can get a little hazy, it's clear by the cliffhanger ending that the finale will be worth it.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the story Morgan le Fey tells Guinevere in The Camelot Betrayal. What should Guinevere believe?
Is Morgan le Fey the villain? Or just someone who was not allowed to tell her side of the story? What about Mordred? Merlin? What does having a strong villain and hero in any story offer to readers? Does it make the story seem more like fantasy or does it take away from your experience as a reader? Think about your favorite stories and what the heroes and villains are like.
Will you read the finale of this trilogy? What do you think is in store for Guinevere and Arthur?
Book details
- Author: Kiersten White
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Book Characters, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Delacorte Press
- Publication date: November 10, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 384
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: December 6, 2020
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