SamoaPhoenix Guest Review: The Guinevere Deception

Title: The Guinevere Deception Author: Kiersten White Publisher: Delacorte Press Pages: 352 Synopsis:  (Courtesy of 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?

I needed something to clear out the bad taste Cursed left in my mouth. This one has been on my to-read list, and when I heard Story was reading it too, I eagerly got it out of the library.

Spoilers, etc…

Review: The Guinevere Deception

Title: The Guinevere Deception Author: Kiersten White   Publisher: Delacorte Press Pages: 340  Synopsis: (from the publisher) Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur.  With magic clawing at the kingdom's boarders, 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 fall. 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. The keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old - including Arthur's own family - demand that 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, knotted black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods towards Arthur.  Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

All right.  Back in the saddle.  Let's see if I remember how to write one of these.  It's only been... (checks notes) five years.  Yeah, okay.  Hi everyone, I'm back.

This is probably the most conflicted I've been about a book in a long time.  There are parts of it I love.  I love them so much.  They are so original and engaging and smartly done.  And then there's, well, the ending.  But we will get to that!

Warning for Spoilers

SamoaPhoenix Guest Review: Cursed

Title: Cursed Author: Thomas Wheeler & Frank Miller Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Pages: 416 Synopsis: (courtesy of goodreads) The Lady of the Lake finds her voice in this cinematic twist on the tale of King Arthur created by Tom Wheeler and legendary artist, producer, and director Frank Miller (300, Batman: The Dark Night Returns, Sin City). Whosoever wields the Sword of Power shall be the one true King. But what if the Sword has chosen a Queen? Nimue grew up an outcast. Her connection to dark magic made her something to be feared in her Druid village, and that made her desperate to leave… That is, until her entire village is slaughtered by Red Paladins, and Nimue’s fate is forever altered. Charged by her dying mother to reunite an ancient sword with a legendary sorcerer, Nimue is now her people’s only hope. Her mission leaves little room for revenge, but the growing power within her can think of little else. Nimue teams up with a charming mercenary named Arthur and refugee Fey Folk from across England. She wields a sword meant for the one true king, battling paladins and the armies of a corrupt king. She struggles to unite her people, avenge her family, and discover the truth about her destiny. But perhaps the one thing that can change Destiny itself is found at the edge of a blade.

Just out this month, and soon to be a Netflix TV series, I was at first excited to hear there was a new book centered on a teenage Lady of the Lake who wields Excalibur herself instead of giving it to Arthur. Does it deserve the hype?
Spoilers under the cut.

SamoaPhoenix Guest Review: Knights of the Round Table: Geraint

Title: Geraint Author: Gwen Rowley Publisher: Berkley Pages: 352  Synopsis: (courtesy of Amazon) Powerful warriors of nobility and honor, the Knights of the Round Table fought for king and country, rescued damsels, and went on dangerous quests. But true love may be the most perilous quest of all… Sir Geraint is one of King Arthur’s ablest knights but is considered impulsive by his father, the king of Cornwall. When he rashly marries Enid, a beautiful and mysterious swordswoman, Geraint’s decision sparks questions about whether the love that’s captured his heart so suddenly is a blessing—or a curse… Used to the gentle ladies of Camelot, Geraint is at once infatuated with and suspicious of his bride, a strong and independent warrior woman, gifted with magic powers by the Lady of the Lake. Enid has come to Camelot to secretly learn the fighting techniques that may help her small, peaceful tribe resist a rumored invasion. When she realizes that Geraint may not trust her, Enid is torn between fierce loyalty to her people and a powerful love for her husband that no magic can cure. Fearing that Enid has been deceiving him, Geraint takes her on a dangerous journey that will not only test her true feelings but determine whether the differences that attracted them will fuse into a real, long-lasting love—or tear them apart and ignite a senseless war between their two kingdoms…

At this point I figured I’d already done the other two books in this sort-of trilogy (still not sure whether it’s a shared universe between books or if they’re each meant to be standalone) so I might as well finish it off. These books are pretty good vacation reads so I took a digital copy along to a family reunion.