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The Guinevere Deception: Camelot Rising, Book 1
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Arthur's fair maiden freshly reimagined as powerful witch.
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What's the Story?
In THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION, Guinevere's marriage to Arthur begins as a lie. She's not even really Guinevere but Merlin's daughter taking the place of the deceased princess, told that she is to protect Arthur from dark magic. None of the knights who fetch her from the convent seem to notice her lack of refinement or her affinity with the natural world, except Merlin's nephew, Mordred, who finds her charming. Brangien, her lady's maid, is also fooled at first, despite all the times Guinevere sneaks out of the castle at night wearing Brangien's cloak. Even though magic was supposed to be banished from Camelot along with Merlin, she sees small signs lurking everywhere amid her queenly duties: a mysterious, masked knight who tries to get closer to Arthur; rocks imbued with magic near the palace; poisonous, rampaging creatures in the nearby woods; dead spiders outside the magical barriers she's placed on every palace entrance. She's not sure what's coming, just as she's not sure how Merlin thinks her magic can save Camelot.
Is It Any Good?
Though the plot meanders, this reimagining of Guinevere's role in Camelot still intrigues with dark magic, a forbidden romance, and mystery. Guinevere is an enigma even to herself. She doesn't know her old name, who her mother was, or how involved Merlin was in her life before. And she can't trace her extreme fear of water to a trauma from her nebulous past. This mystery doesn't always build smoothly in The Guinevere Deception, and neither does Guinevere's understanding of her role in Camelot and what she really wants it to be, but the story still draws the reader along as Guinevere learns what it takes to both be queen and protect Camelot.
Like the original legend, a love triangle ensues. But it doesn't include Lancelot this time -- the knight is a totally new surprise for readers we won't spoil here. Here's hoping more curious surprises are in store for the rest of the trilogy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Guinevere in The Guinevere Deception. How is this Guinevere different from past versions? What does her perspective bring to the story?
What did you learn about medieval times and King Arthur from this book? Where else can you learn more?
Will you read more in the trilogy? What do you think will happen to Guinevere and Camelot next?
Book Details
- Author: Kiersten White
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Adventures , Book Characters , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Delacorte Press
- Publication date: November 5, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: December 13, 2019
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