Name: britt's review of The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White
Item: The Excalibur Curse
Rating: 2
Author: britt

Kiersten White

"The third and final book in the Camelot Rising trilogy finds Guinevere facing off against those she loves most, but can she find the courage to make the ultimate sacrifice?"--

The Excalibur Curse

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Her heart seized. She should not be imagining Camelot at all. She was letting herself be drawn into decisions that were not hers to make, battles that were not hers to wage. She could not go back to Camelot. Not ever. She had to do right by the real Guinevere. 

Brangien and Isolde would have to mourn Sir Tristan's absence along with Guinevere's. She was certain they would be kind to the real Guinevere, but it would not be the same for them. And whe would look after Fina? She would need a friend and ally in Camelot. Guinevere would make sure Lily, Brangien, and Dindrane stepped up to the task. Though she could not imagine Dindrane and Fina getting along. 

She wished she could watch them try, though. Doubtless it would be hilarious. And she wished she could watch Fina's trials, see he knighted alongside Lancelot. She wished so many things. Knowing what she knew now, she almost regretted her decision to seal the city and then walk away from it. If she had known those would be her last moments there, she would have done things differently. Said better goodbyes.

Arthur scooted closer and brushed away a tear. "Why are you crying?"

"Is not here and I have never known her. I do know the Lady of the Lake, and -" 

"And you do not want to lose her? Is that it? The Lady of the Lake crashed over that scared girl like a wave, erasing everything they both were. I drowned with her. Your beloved Lady drowned her, and still you do not want to give her up?" 

"I did not love her that way. I knew nothing of this plan. If Merlin had asked, I would have told him not to do it." 

"Then why are you angry with me for wanting to undo it?" 

Arthur rubbed his forehead as though he could push into his mind and find the right words. "I am angry because I am here due to Merlin's magic, too. I have worked hard my whole life to make certain my place on this earth us worth what it cost. Meanwhile, you want to tear yourself out of existence for a princess none of us knows. You, who became queen because you were needed, who figured out how to protect all of Camelot in my absence." Arthur pressed her hands to his heart. "I need you. And I am sorry for the way you were created, but I am not sorry you are here. You deserve to be here." 

"Like my mother. When they look at us, they see plots and pawns and weapons. How could anyone who looks at you and sees only what you can do for them ever tell you who you are?" 

"If she is your mother, then I am glad she had a hand in creating you, and that brief gratitude is all we ever owe her. You do not owe her loyalty, just as you owe Merlin nothing, just as I owe my mother and my grandmother and the whole damned lot of them nothing." His voice became harsh. "We may have come from them, but we are not like them. You are not like them. That is why you are so unhappy, so lost. You are trying to be one of them, trying to offer your life on the altar of sacrifice to Merlin as Arthur has, trying to move through the world like an ancient power, unseeing and caring for nothing but your goals. You cannot helo but care. You see people for what they are: tragic, wonderful, devastating individuals. Each with their small worth and potential for good and evil."

"I could never hold his attention for more than a moment."

"I am sorry," Guinevere said through chattering teeth.

"We come to them with human hearts and emotions, and they break us, not because they are cruel but because they cannot meet us on that level. They do not exist here. Any parent soaked in the old world of magic is the same. My mother was poisoned by it, made new by what she took from it, both bigger and somehow smaller. It even poisoned Arthur the same way. They are all embroidered in things larger and deepee and older than themselves, and they cannot see anything small anymore. They cannot care about us. I spent so long thinking it was myself who was unlovable, who had not done enough yet to deserve their love. But it has nothing to do with me."

"You should fight her with me," Fina said. 

Mordred shrugged. "Family is complicated."

"You are complicated!" Guinevere snapped. 

Mordred nodded. "I wish I could be Arthur for you. I really do. Walk in the sunlight, cut through the world with a sword of justice and absolute surety. But I am the night. My eyes have always been open to the darkness, and there are so many shades once you get used to the dark. So many subtleties. I cannot unsee them, or unfeel them."

Joan 

Jessica Williamson

The gripping conclusion to the acclaimed Arthurian fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White finds Guinevere questioning everything—friends and enemies, good and evil, and, most of all, herself. While journeying north toward the Dark Queen, Guinevere falls into the hands of her enemies. Behind her are Lancelot, trapped on the other side of the magical barrier they created to protect Camelot, and Arthur, who has been led away from his kingdom, chasing after false promises. But the greatest danger isn’t what lies ahead of Guinevere—it’s what’s been buried inside her. Vowing to unravel the truth of her past with or without Merlin’s help, Guinevere joins forces with the sorceress Morgana and her son, Mordred—and faces the confusing, forbidden feelings she still harbors for him. When Guinevere makes an agonizing discovery about who she is and how she came to be, she finds herself with an impossible choice: fix a terrible crime, or help prevent war. Guinevere is determined to set things right, whatever the cost. To defeat a rising evil. To remake a kingdom. To undo the mistakes of the past...even if it means destroying herself. Guinevere has been a changeling, a witch, a queen—but what does it mean to be just a girl?

britt

this was so extraordinarily meh. and guinevere got on my nerves so much half way through this book. and she lacked a lot of personality which i find strange because i quite enjoyed her in the first two books. 

the best parts of this book for me were fina and the end being a little open-ended. like yes we all know guinevere and lancelot are def going to have an affair and i do want the drama, but that's not what this series is about.

Cassie Annesi

The amount of joy I feel after having read this, I cannot explain. It was the most satisfactory ending I could’ve asked for and I’m so happy to have read it. Please also make sure to read, at the very least, the first paragraph of the acknowledgments. Astonishing.

ranging between a solid 3-3.5

i wasn't as invested in this as i was with the first two books, and there were times that i hated the characters lol.

i like the writing style and voice though!! and the ending might be a little underwhelming for me, but somehow satisfying nonetheless for the female mc. i wish she still had her magic, but that isn't the point of this book, no? guinevere is guinevere. a woman, nonetheless, with or without her magic. 

I LOVE WOMEN!!!!! I LOVE BEING A WOMAN!!!!

Elizabeth Hagenlocher

While this series hasn’t been perfect, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know this Guinevere. It’s a take on Arthurian legend that I’ve come to love and appreciate, and this book has been my favorite of the series.

Not only did The Excalibur Curse have the most action, it also had the most character growth. And really where this author’s writing shines is in her dialogue and character relationships. (While I do like Guinevere, whenever we got stuck in her head for too long, things would get redundant imo.)

But this book gave us Fina, and it developed all of Guin’s existing relationships so well. The characters really came alive for this book, and I just hold a soft spot for this retelling because of the characters. Especially because the women are all so vastly different and unique, and prove that strength is not a monolith. 

The worst part, I thought, was getting trapped in Guinevere’s thoughts. She’s a bit of a broken record, let’s be honest. Those were the weakest parts of the book, but I could see where she was coming from…sometimes. My biggest qualm is that G continuously made stupid decisions that were just staggeringly unhelpful…until the end. I was very proud of her by the end. 

The reason I consider this to be the best installment is because in the other books, Guinevere would grow as a character only to regress. This time, I felt like her growth “stuck.” She did so much good, even if she was in too much pain to see it 😭

If you like Arthurian legend, I think this is a series worth reading. It’s full of all the lore you know and love, with a twist. But this is coming from a person who could just read thousands of pages of this stuff and not get bored 😂

Ashlee

I’m disappointed to say that this one is the weakest book of the trilogy, in my opinion. All the stars to Kiersten White for this ingenious twist and subversion of the Arthur myth, while style maintaining the bones of the story, as well as the mystery and beauty of it.

However, the pacing of this last book felt so off from the previous two—with much of it feeling as though it should have been condensed into a few chapters in the middle of the book and not drawn out for 2/3 of it.

I’m happy with the ending—though the HEA-lover in me would like to see a more definitive decision made on Guinevere’s part. I can appreciate the ending for what it is though and think it’s a powerful one, I just like answers and that’s solely a personal preference.

Just so much of this book felt like it was characters deciding WHAT to do next, then a few pages of actually doing the thing, before going right back to the drawing board. Going into this book, I expected quite a bit more of the mystery and eeriness of the myth in the conclusion, yet aside from the Lady of the Lake, it simply wasn’t there. Three whole books building up to the culmination of an epic cataclysm between good and evil, yet it was lackluster and underwhelming.

Still a solid series overall and I adore the first two books, just not feeling it with this one.

Elise

Great read but some things I appreciated less but I really liked the  characters! 

I really liked this book but she lost her powers at the end. And there was no LancelotxGuinevere kiss 😭

Gemma

It's been a while since I read the previous book, but the first 10% had my full attention. I was desperate to know of Guinevere's past and how she got to Camelot. As the finale of a trilogy, I am decently satisfied with how the story wraps up and where each of the characters end, but it was quite a trial to get there. 

While the plot was quickly moving, I felt like there was a bit too many things happening to keep track of. Between the armies, our villains, Guinevere's own search, the romances, Merlin... I was having difficulty just keeping up with the plot. Midway through, Guinevere's characterization also made me pause. Her indecision between her feelings for Lancelot, Mordred, and Arthur was incredibly confusing and seemed very out of character for her which made it increasingly frustrating to follow. 

Overall, this book and series was fun to experience, and the last quarter of the book was the strongest in terms of plot and character. Once Guinevere became more certain of herself and what she wanted, it became far more enjoyable and I'm pleased with how the love square is resolved. I like that while Arthurian legends are predominantly a male space, we get to see this unfold through Guinevere's eyes and how she came to help shape Camelot in this version.

Jessica Williamson &
The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White

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Jessica Williamson &
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