Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

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:

I am a sucker for Arthurian based books.  There are so many wonderful takes on the legend, from the movie, Excaliber (1981), to more female-centric takes such as the book, and Netflix series, Cursed by Thomas Wheeler and Frank Miller.  I love them all.  The Camelot Rising series, by Kiersten White, has been a solid addition to this cannon.  The latest book in the series, The Camelot Betrayal, is a solid adventure, with plenty of conflicting duties and relationships to make this an exciting novel.

What I Liked:

Premise:

Even though her memory has been erased by Merlin, Guinevere has learned to appreciate Camelot.  She wants to use her magic to help protect the kingdom from the Dark Queen.  But, she risks being found out and killed for being a witch.  Can she sacrifice so much, even if she isn't the real Guinevere?

Characters:

Lancelot, in this version, is a female knight.  She is such a complex character.  Her life's ambition has been to become a knight and serve Arthur, but when she sees Guinevere, her focus shifts to wanting to become Guinevere's protector.  This take give the author plenty of space to explore female relationships, and the strain of being a trailblazer.  She craves acceptance from the other knights, but also values the privileges of being able to be alone with Guinevere without causing a scandal.  Is this just the strong attachment between two friends, or is this a case of unrequited love? 

Guinevere's conflict in her relationship with Arthur shows just how confusing emotions are for a seventeen-year old.  She loves him, but he isn't ready to have a real marriage.  And can she forget her other strong attraction to Mordred?  This take on the story drifts significantly from the standard Arthurian legend.  It's not Lancelot who tempts Guinevere, but Arthur's nephew (and son of Morgan Le Fey), Mordred, who makes Guinevere's heart go aflutter.  Will she give in to temptation, or can their marriage of convenience turn into something more?

Story:

The story follows much the same thread of any Arthurian story.  While neighboring kingdoms follow the "Might is Right" model, can Camelot survive when it's founded on such lofty ideals of fairness, justice, and shared work and sacrifice?

A new element that the author used in this book was the use of small tales, to illustrate key elements of the story.  I especially loved the Tale of Tristan and Isolde, reminding us that tales we think are well-established, may have other explanations.  How many same-sex relationships were swept under the rug by history?  This novel shows that this diversity was probably there, all along.

Rating: 

Release Date:  November 10th, 2020

Author:  Kiersten White

Publisher:  Delacorte Press

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Page Length:  384 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  A fun, diverse fantasy that will entertain you in these wild times.  But read the first book, The Guinevere Deception, first.