Kiersten White

The second book in a new fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White, exploring the nature of self, the inevitable cost of progress, and, of course, magic and romance and betrayal so epic Queen Guinevere remains the most famous queen who never lived. EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom's influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her. Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to the people around her--Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde; Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen's knight; and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere--the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn't belong. She never will. When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere's younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving--Camelot, or herself?

The Camelot Betrayal

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"I am ready," he said. "I am ready to be husband and wife. King and queen. Rule together and be together. I do not care who you were, or why Merlin sent you here. I am not saying it does not matter, because I know it matters to you. But whatever circumstances brought you into my life, I am glad they did and I would not change them. All I care about is that you are here, we are together, and I do not ever want that to be different. So. That is - those are my feelings. I am ready to be whatever you want us to be."

Guinevere searched his face, his warm brown eyes, his strong jaw, the assurance there. He was not terrified. He was ready. For whatever she said. 

She opened her mouth, but he squeezed her hands. "Do not answer me now. Take your time to think about it. Maybe all this pain has been because you have been trying to be so many things to so many people. Queen and protector and witch and wife and sister. So many secrets, so many identities. It is too much for anyone. When you chose me before, in the meadow, you chose Camelot. And I love you for that, because I will always choose Camelot, as well. But now I want you to choose me."

Arthur was not right. She had not chosen Camelot. She had chosen Arthur. But she had chosen Arthur the king. What he was asking her now was far more intimate, and in a way far more dangerous. She believed him when he said he would continue as they had been. He would not lie. And when she was with him, she was happy. It was a joy to be in his company, at his side. 

"How do I look?" Guinevere asked, surprised at how nervous she both sounded and felt. She wished she could see herself, wish she could tell whether or not the crown looked like she deserved it. 

"Like my Guinevere," Arthur said, reminding her of their conversation. If she did not know who she was, at least Arthur knew who she was to him. And he saw it when he looked at her. 

Sometime after dark, Arthur climbed into bed. She had half expected him to be gone all night and was surprised. She was even more surprised he pressed his body against her back. "You did what you had to do," he whispered, cradling her. "Once we return to Camelot, it will be easier. Guinevach is gone. We knownwe can match the Dark Queen in whatever she attempts. You hurt people, yes, but you hurt bad people. Men who hurt you and others. Let these things you had to do go. Do not think on them anymore. As your king, I command it. "

She let out a small laugh, closer to a sniffle. "Oh, you command me now?" 

Lora

I've made it a goal this year to write a handful more reviews about the books that I read. 
I give this one 3.5/5 stars.
I was hesitant to pick up this book when I saw a post about it being released. I was, personally, not a huge fan of the first book which was disappointing because I love King Arthur retellings. I just felt that the characters were not super well rounded or engaging. 

While I would say that this book definitely continues with world building, it does not fall into second book syndrome. The characters (especially Guinevere) experience a lot of personal growth that makes them much more bearable. Guinevere still suffers both a god and victim complex- she can't deal with the consequences of using her magic while also continually using her magic to do things that have significant consequences. I also at points became tired of how much she idolized Arthur. She wants to be good like Arthur which gets in the way of her being able to be good like Guinevere. I'm hopeful that the ending of the book will lead to her being able to grow more in this area

The supporting cast of characters in this book is phenomenal. Branigen, Diedre, Lily, and Lancelot add as much if not more than the 'main' characters did. I enjoyed the different roles that they played and the genuine friendship that they have towards each other and with Guinevere. I'm especially interested in seeing the direction that KW goes with the betrayal aspect from the original myth. I don't think any of the ground work has been put in for it to be feasible for the Lancelot/Guinevere betrayal to take the form of a romantic relationship, but I am curious if the end of the books is setting up for a betrayal situation. Or that Arthur could perceive it in that way. 

Lastly- Let's talk Arthur v. Mordred. 

I hate to say it, but as with the first book I was consistently and completely bored with Arthur. Arthur's whole shtick is that he is just perfectly good- he makes the right decisions for good reasons to benefit the most people. But the utilitarianism is boring as all get out, and it makes him seem two dimensional. I don't like it when characters are portrayed as good for the sake of being good because in my personal experience there usually needs to be a motivator for goodness. I also have a hard time believing in goodness as a character trait rather than as a virtue we should strive to achieve. Big picture, he's boring, he doesn't make Guinevere feel seen or valued, and he's too set in his own way to be open to other mindset. 
 
But MORDRED. Mordred has all the shades of grey morality that suck me into loving a character. In this edition to the story we learn a lot about why Mordred made the decisions he did in the first book and, big shocker, it adds to the many complicated feelings that Guinevere has towards him. Mordred takes the freedom that he finds being separate from the shadow of Arthur to have autonomy and help people. He did a lot of good things in a bad way which endears him to me as a character. It doesn't hurt, also, that he and Guinevere have more chemistry in a few half conscious scenes than we see between her and Arthur in chapters and chapters of interactions. He just cares for her a lot and you can feel it. I love that Mordred makes Guinevere feel safe, and I hope to see a lot more of the two of them in the next book. 

All in all, I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the next part of the story. I would recommend, especially if you felt the same what I did after the first book!

Cassie Annesi

It felt a little slow at times and I’m still unsure who I want her to be with. Very excited to get to the third book.

Sheena

There wasn't much improvement with this sequel. I am still not a fan of Guinevere. She is terribly naive and I did not agree with almost all her decisions which saddens me because I thought for sure she would grow on me with the sequel but nah. It just didn't happen and that is okay. It's obviously this isn't for everyone and I am left unsure if I will read from this author again in the future. I think the only positive was the strong friendship and connection between the Queen and Sir Lancelot, and Mordred. The chemistry between those particular characters was undeniable that oftentimes, I forgot about her growing feelings for Arthur. 
 
Considering everything—it’s definitely a ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ read. I can understand why most readers will gravitate towards this YA fantasy retelling but my issues with connecting with the characters and immersing myself in the storyline was problematic and affected my reading experience. I didn’t care enough to finish this and I hope other readers can at least find some joy with this release.

Cat H

The struggle to keep Camelot safe continues as Guinevere questions her identity and begins finding her place in the world.

Does this book suffer from middle book syndrome. Yes. Did I still love and enjoy it. YES! 
Kiersten White has done such a phenomenal job with characters and the found family relationship between three strong women. I am not a character reader, but I absolutely love these women and want nothing but the best fro them. I even love the new characters introduced.
However, the first half of the book was very slow. It felt like one long list of side quests which is accurate to Arthurian lore, but it also led to more time spent in Guinevere's head recapping events from the first book and all her insecurities. Once the second half starts the dialogue gets better and the action scenes get all the attention and detail we deserve.  *There is a dragon scene that disappointed me so much I cannot speak of it* 

TW: violence against women implied

Nicole Sargent-Carberry

Uggggh I enjoyed this more than the first but it STRESSED ME OUT

Nickie Mohler

I thought this was ok. I didn't like it as much as the first book. The pacing felt off to me and it took away from the story.
Since this is the second book in the series, I won't talk about the plot. I was thinking about rating it 2.5 but bumped it up just because I do really like some of the characters. Brangien is probably my favorite. Sadly, this book just didn't do it for me. 

I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Leonie

Well, now that I read both the first and the second book within a day, how am I supposed to wait for book #3?

Nikki K

only interested in guinevere and lancelot declaring their love in book 3

Megan

I was so lucky to be sent an ARC of The Camelot Betrayal by GetUnderlined and Penguin Random House!! Thank you so much for sending me a copy of the 2nd book in Kiersten White's The Camelot Rising series!!

This book was a little slow to start and it took me a minute to get pulled back into Camelot, however, I really enjoyed this book! I loved new side characters introduced in the novels and seeing more of Camelot and the surrounding kingdoms. The book had me shouting at the characters at time, face palming, and rooting for them. It absolutely did not suffer from second book syndrome and I can't wait to read the next book! 
 aspect of the book I really enjoyed (and felt it merited it's own section) is the character development. I really feel like Guinevere and Lancelot evolved a lot as the novel progressed. Without giving away any spoilers, it was interesting (and at times stressful) to see their relationship change too as they both grew more into their roles as queen and knight. I feel like they're both more confident and it was great to see how they got there. 

Overall rating: 4/5 stars!

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from TBR and Beyond Tours and the publishers. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Camelot Betrayal

Author: Kiersten White

Book Series: Camelot Rising Book 2

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For...: Fantasy lovers, romance

Publication Date: November 10, 2020

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 384

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, TW physical and emotional abuse, misogyny)

Synopsis: EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom’s influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.

Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde, Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen’s knight, and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere–the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn’t belong. She never will.

When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere’s younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving–Camelot, or herself?

Review: Overall, this is a good sequel. The book did well to continue developing characters and the world building was pretty good. The plot kept me hooked from beginning to end and I am excited to see the results of book 3.


While I liked the book I felt it didn't do well in the beginning to summarize the events of book 1. I felt so lost and confused for most of the beginning of the book because I couldn't remember the first book. The book had some very VERY fast pacing and I got whiplash while reading the book. The book is also very predictable and it was easy to see where the events were leading to and there was no romance in the book, only hints and maybes. 

Verdict: It's good but read it back to back with book 1.

Heather Killeen

Rating: 3.5/5 lost memories

Format: ebook. I’d like to thank Random House Children’s and Kiersten White for a free copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review. 

To sum up: 
This is a sequel to THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION, a YA retelling of King Arthur from Guinevere’s point of view! I’m going to be vague here to avoid spoilers for either book, but I can say that these books force the characters to constantly have to choose between order and magic, the cost of duty and freedom, and knowledge and faith, in interesting and heart-breaking ways. In the first book, we learn about Guinevere’s unique role at Camelot and the secrets that are being kept from her. In Camelot Betrayal, she tries to adjust to this new knowledge and the hard choices she made TGD while trying to thrive and grow. 

What I loved:
I love Kiersten White’s rich prose in these books. The way she writes about magic is so beautiful I just want to read the passages again and again! As in the first book, l also liked how Guinevere grows in this book. She continually struggles with choices and trying to decide what her role is and how she can best serve her people is a really relatable and admirable struggle. 

While much of the plot was pretty weak (see below), I did love how things came together in the end. We still have questions, but the choices Guinevere makes at the end finally feel important and satisfying to the movement of the plot. I am really excited to see where this story goes next!

What was meh:
Much of the middle really dragged for me and felt really meandering, hence the lower rating on this book over the first one. In the first book, I felt on the edge of my seat while revelations were pretty well spaced out to keep me intrigued. In this book, there weren’t quite enough this time, and the motivations of Guinevere felt a little lost or muddled. I still enjoyed the prose but I felt like the story didn’t know what to do with itself until the 75% mark, which is pretty late in the game. 

Overall, 
This story really struggled in the middle, but I am here for Guinevere (and Lancelot! Loved her development in this) and definitely want to see if my ship will sail in the next book! 

Favorite Lines:
Being plunged into mortal terror every time she left or returned to the city was not good for maintaining a queenly presence.

Guinevere did not remember the stars so much as she knew them down to her soul. She had stared up at them for so long they were written on her mind where no one -- not even Merlin -- could erase them. 

Violence can never beat down violence. Only justice can replace it. 

That was the other lie of stories. Even if the story was told true, it never talked about what happened after the quest. About all the wounds -- visible and otherwise -- that lingered long after the neat close of the tale.

That is what happens when men tell your stories. Would you like to hear the real story?

Gemma

This series is so trippy. I guess that's Kiersten White's way of storytelling? Nothing is predictable. Mordred bores me tho he can leave

When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, the devastated Guinevere, impersonated by a changeling witch, returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet--the real Guinevere's younger sister.

Meg K

WOW! I really liked the first book in this series, "The Guinevere Deception", but this next installment was even better! Normally, I don't enjoy when books deviate from the main plot line and fill the majority of the story with side quests, but for some reason, this setup really worked well for "The Camelot Betrayal". We have a chance to get a richer understanding of each of the major players and how they think, or why they act the way they do. Particularly, the interactions and friendship between Brangien, Lancelot, and Guinevere was a pleasure to read and to watch blossom. Granted, we didn't get too many answers to the MANY questions left at the end of "Deception", but by raising even more questions to complicate the plot, it makes the reader all the more intrigued to continue with this story in the third installment! I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of the book. There were so may moments of action and suspense littered throughout the story that kept me tearing through the pages to find out more. I'm curious to see if Book 3 will, at least begin to, expound upon some of the more burning questions raised in the first two books... particularly in regards to Guinevere's parentage, background and true identity. If you love Arthurian retellings, this series is a must-read!

Emma

Ugh I loved this so much and I can’t wait for the next one. Even though I know the original Arthurian legend I can’t help but root for Guinevere and Arthur. 🥺

Jordan Springs

What an incredibly exhilarating ride! I am devastated that I have to wait for The Excalibur Curse.

Ashlee

These books have so many amazing, interesting characters that are both familiar and new. I have come to really love this retelling of the Arthurian Legend and how it gives it a bit of a genderbent perspective. Guienevere is such a fascinating character and I love her strength and determination to follow through in her duties.

Arthur is the cinnamon roll king I didn’t know I needed in my life and as much as I love Mordred’s broody wit ... I don’t think I can pick between the two ... not to mention the question of whether there could be more there with Lancelot. 🤔 

Needless to say, I’m excited for the next one!

The Camelot Betrayal

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